Old meets new in a beautiful Finnish home

Feeling super excited this morning as I'm off to Helsinki this afternoon for Finland's largest design fair - Habitare along with Decor8, Monsters Circus, Trend Stefan and Home for Soul among other bloggers. So fun! (Keep an eye on Instagram stories for updates!). This calls for a Finnish design post, don't you think? And beautiful Finnish homes are never hard to find (as you can see from this archive!). This lovely apartment belongs to Maija Rasila - interior architect and blogger for Avotakka magazine. Pihkala focuses on modern Scandinavian design and the renovation of her 100 year old house - where white and subtle shades of grey and blue provide a backdrop for design classics and vintage finds for a clean, calm aesthetic.  Let's take a peek....

Photography: Maija Rasila / Pihkala.

Such a lovely space, don't you think? So fresh! If you follow Maija's blog you'll see how the house is becoming more and more cosy as each layer is added (even though it's in Finnish she always adds a short summary in English at the bottom of each post).  I write a lot about taking your time to decorate a home in my book The Scandinavian Home - I think it's a vital part of transforming a house into a home. What are your thoughts on this?

Get the look from Maija's lovely home: Sitting room - Artek Beehive light, Menu afteroom lounge chair, Tisca rug.  Dining room - Eames chairs, art by Juhani Melender. Bedroom - William Morris wallpaper, Mantis sconce, white bed linen set. Hallway: Morris & co wallpaper.

If you'd like to see more Finnish homes today (hey, I'm in!), you might want to take a scroll through this archive (if this home comes up first simply got to the next) - Yup, those Finns really do know a thing or two about design! Can't wait to see more at the fair!

You can keep up to date with Maija's latest projects over on her blog and Instagram.

Right.... better finish packing, I've got a flight to catch! Weeeee!

Have a lovely day!

PS Happy to see my tips on 'how to get Scandi-style on a budget' in Ideal Home magazine this week!

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A Swedish home with a hint of Autumn

Well hello there! I have to confess I'm feeling decidedly fragile this morning after a magical weekend in Stockholm  - it's been a while since I danced until 2am  - don't tell my physio! (you may remember I snapped my achilles heel back in May and it's still recovering). Let's just say I'm in need of plenty of coffee today. Nothing that a great home can't cure. And I've got a lovely, serene Swedish space with Autumn accents to share with you today. It's a great example of how to update a home for the season using accessories such as bed linen and cushions in rust, brown and creams and of course, plenty of plants and flowers. Enjoy!

Photography: Jonas Berg. Styling: Grey Deco for Stadshem. 

So simple, yet so inviting!

A few favourites: Cesca cane chair (seen round the dining table and by the desk) - source vintage ones here, Karin chair (in sitting room) and the ant chairs.

If you're looking to add similar autumn touches - I'm loving this bed linen, a 'natural' linen table cloth and these Belgian linen cushions!

These homes are also great for pure Autumn interior inspiration - the dreamy The Estate Trentham, a Swedish space with touches of Autumn and an elegant white home. Beeeeeautiful!

Have a great start to the week!

PS Instagram feed tip of the day: follow the renovation of a loft apartment in a 1910 water tower outside of Stockholm on @thewatertowerproject - pure inspiration!

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My new watch from TRIWA, Stockholm

Just occasionally the postman arrives on his bike bearing goodies. This week he delivered my new Blue Aska timepiece from TRIWA  - and I have to admit I did do a little dance. For those of you not familiar with the brand, TRIWA make uber cool watches, straps, sunglasses (loving the Peach Thelma version!) and bracelets out of their creative studio in Stockholm (see the film about the inspiring TRIWA story here!). I particularly love the Blue Aska since it has a lovely abstract symmetry pattern, and is sold as a limited edition of 500 pieces (guys - hurry!). Having worn it non stop since it arrived (how did I ever get by without a timepiece when they make such a perfect piece of jewellery?!), I've now also got my eye on the classic Ivory Klinga and this very cool Midnight Falken - designed to interpret 1950's simplicity (a girl can never have too many watches, agreed?!).  For now though, I'll be enjoying mine over a fika (any excuse!).

Styling / photography: Niki Brantmark - My Scandinavian Home (with a little help from Tess!). 

Ah so beautiful! And who would have thought a watch goes so well with a cinnamon bun?! It must be it's Swedish heritage!

Oh and TRIWA ships worldwide (just saying!).

Have a lovely weekend - see you Monday!

PS Feel inspired by Manon's beautiful home, which artfully combines Kenyan handicrafts with contemporary design!

PPS I'm on my way up to Stockholm for a party tonight - eeeeeeeee!


This post is brought to you in collaboration with TRIWA. However all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I absolutely love and think you will too! Thank you for supporting the businesses that help make My Scandinavian Home possible. 

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An inspiring home where two worlds meet

There are so many inspiring people out there, doing wonderful things. One of them is Manon Hanssen Meyering.  Manon describes herself as a 'mother, editor, healer and an activist (among other things), and shares the most beautiful snapshots of her 'rainbow family on safari through life' in Amsterdam and Kenya on her website and Instagram feed 'The Life Traveller'. Along with partner Michel, Manon founded The Life Traveller foundation which aims to improve the quality of life of those in need in Kenya through small, person-oriented aid using the motto: “Small aid, great impact.” Helping others helping themselves has always been the main goal. Temporarily closed, she also runs the shop Naramatisho selling Kenyan handicraft in an effort to support her friends in Kenya to build a positive existence (read the full story here). Manon's own living space combines Kenyan handicrafts, treasured artifacts, vintage finds and contemporary design to create a truly inspiring family home. Let's take a tour!

Photography - Manon Hanssen Meyering - thank you to Igor at Happy Interior Blog for the tip!

What an incredible space? It's so inspiring how two worlds have blended in such a beautiful way!

Is there anything that stands out to you?

You can see more beautiful pictures of Manon's home and life on Instagram and read more about her practise as a healer here.  If you'd like to spread a little love and make a donation to the worthwhile causes covered by The life Traveller, check out this page.

Looking for a little more inspiration this weekend? You might like to check out the Bohemian style archive - which includes some of my favourite homes ever!

Have a wonderful weekend and see you Monday!

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A lovely Swedish home full of contrast

I do love a home full of surprises don't you? This lovely apartment styled by Emma Fischer for Bjurfors combines clean, white minimalism with darker bold patterns.  Mid-century touches, brown, beige, green and white hues and an abundance of greenery pull the space together to create a fascinating, yet truly cosy home in Gothenburg, Sweden. Enjoy!

Photography: Alen Cordic  Styling: Emma Fischer. For Bjurfors Gothenburg. 

I do appreciate bold wallpaper - it adds a really cosy element to a room. Having said that - my loyalty still lies with the fresh white aesthetic (it could be that I've been leaving in Sweden for 14 years and I know winter is fast approaching....eeeeek!) - I mean, just how lovely is that kitchen dining nook?!
I could totally imagine sitting there for my morning coffee - how about you?!

Do you have a preference for light or dark? Clean or bold? Do tell!

A few items I know and love from this lovely Swedish home: kitchen dining area - Series 7 chair, (does anyone know where the pendant light is from?). Bedroom 1 - source an original mid-century desk here,  menu chair. The Ikea Stockholm 2017 Chair is similar. Main room -  Ant chairs, Tulip table, jute handwoven rug. Bedroom 2 - Bumling lamp, Hay side table, I love this white linen bed skirt and brown linen bed set, pick up a vintage Beni ourain rug here.

Can anyone help with the name of the wallpaper in the main room? Wonderful if I can update the comments section of the post with the details! The wallpaper in the hallway is Pimpernel by Morris & Co.

A big thank you to Elle Decor US for including me in their piece ' 15 new Scandinavian Trends That are about to Take Off' - I am so happy to be a part of it!

Oh and thank you also to everyone who's provided input on any issues you've been having with the new blog template - so helpful! Hopefully, the majority have been ironed out now,  but give me a shout if you spot anything strange....

Have a lovely day!

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An artist's turn-of-the-century house and studio

Morgon, morgon! How are you today? I've got a busy day ahead with photoshoots! I'm also eagerly awaiting the postman as I have a sneaking suspicion he might be delivering the first copy of my new book. Eeeeee - so exciting! I can't wait to finally get it in my hands! I'm settled at home this morning - wearing something definitely not deemed fit for the outside world! A few weeks back I mentioned that I'd love to move out of my home office (as lovely as it is) and work from a studio (yes, I realise this means getting dressed properly!). Having said that, artist Kate Tucker and her husband Tom Crago have solved this by building a modern studio in the garden of their turn-of-the-century Edwardian home in Fitzroy North, an inner city suburb of Melbourne. When they first bought the house it was in desperate need of repair. Even so, the pair lived in it for a while first - which helped them to determine which features they should restore and which to update. They ended up adding a modern extension as well as adding a separate atelier in the garden for Kate to sit and paint, yet also maintained many of the homes original features. The result is a beautiful living space which artfully combines old and new (with plenty of storage to boot!). Let's take a peek....

Photography: Sharyn Cairns (shared with kind permission).

Oh to have a big enough garden to create a studio (or 'she shed' - remember this and this one?!). I also love the bedroom and the shelving above the door - such a great use of space!

Is there anything that stands out to you?

Get the look from Kate and Tom's home: studio - find where to buy Kate's work here, source vintage armchairs here (how stunning is this pair - a one-off though so you'll need to be quick!). Sitting room -  pick up a scissor lamp here, the fabulous egg chair. Dining area - Eames chair, Y chandelier (love this!), source a teak mid-century credenza / sideboard here. Bedroom - this pink linen pillow case is similar (liking the ruffle!).

You can see the full feature of this lovely house in Dwell magazine.

Sharyn Cairns is one of my absolute favourite Australian interior photographers - I've featured a few other homes she's captured here on MSH - including a beautiful former miner's cottage and Cloverdel cottage and gardens - both of which are available to rent for short-term stays and photoshoots / workshops - could you imagine?!

Have a lovely day! 

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