A Dated Home Becomes a Fresh, Modern Farmhouse

Ever since I stumbled across the portfolio of Pittsburgh based interior designer Leanne Ford and featured this incredible home, I've been a huge fan of her work! Leanne is currently the star, along with her brother and contractor Steve Ford, of Restored by the Fords on HGTV, which follows the siblings as they turn some of Pittsburgh's most dated buildings into magazine-worthy homes. Their latest project was to transform the Faraci family's pokey ground floor (made up of three rooms) into a fresh, open-plan space. I caught up with Leanne to find out more about the project...

What was the design brief?

I loved the Faraci family! They are so lovely and loving and their demands were rather simple! They wanted a simple and well designed home to be together as a family and to entertain in. The first floor of their house was separated by three walls when we got our hands on it. And of course, I removed them ALL. We wanted those in the kitchen to be able to see out the front window. And we wanted a more welcome communal living space for them.

What style were the family after and how did you achieve it? 

"They wanted a fresh and modern farmhouse style. We gave them all the classic fixings; subway tile, butcher block counters, classic white cabinets, open shelving, farm table down the center of the kitchen, simple design and decor. And I played with all of these features over the original and very beat up wooden floors. Though they started out as a kind of disaster to try to make them work, they ended up being my favorite feature of the home. Ain't that how it happens. The rough and vintage floor really adds life to the clean lines of the new kitchen." 

 Do you have a favourite feature from the make-over?  

That amazing modern "sculpture" of a stair case that Ed Zeiler from Wood N Wrench made us! We had to totally reconfigure where the staircase went after ripping walls out, so we played with the new "railing/wall" And made it a design feature.

 Did you experiment with anything new? 

"We did Board and Batton on the INSIDE of the home for a change. It was a simple and economical way to bring texture and character into this home. Over the coffee table you see a white chandelier that I TRIED to make... I would say this is one of those examples of letting art evolve...I certainly never set out to make the light look like that, but let's just say it really "wanted to" ;) The family made me feel better when they said it looks like something from the MOMA. I don't know about that, but... I'll take it!"

Photography: Alexandra Ribar

Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful make-over with us Leanne!

If you love this look and want to steal a few ideas (I certainly will be!) - here's a quick guide:

Get the look

1. Nuvo lighting, warehouse shade
2. Vintage chopping board
3. Glass cake stand
4. Natural linen napkins
5. L:A Bruket liquid soap
6. Drip Glaze 16-Piece Place Setting
7. Tour Eiffel brackets  
8. IKEA armchair with Bemz Loose Fit Country cover (get 15% off design covers for IKEA furniture at Bemz with code '15myscandinavianhome' until 11th Feb - ships worldwide!).
9. Woven basket pendant light
10. Sisal natural jute rug

Ahhh, so inspired by this space - the statement basket lamp, the asymmetry of the chairs and bench around the table, the open shelves. So much to love. I hope it's inspired you too!

Have a lovely day.

****

Complete Source list:

Kitchen: Cabinets / Miter Box (custom built),  Farmhouse 3018 sink in pearl / Native Trails, Trinsic kitchen faucet in champagne bronze / Delta, White subway tile / Jeffrey Court,  Butcher Block countertop / IKEA. Cutting boards / Whitney Jurgovan of Kinsey Vintage market, Small white rug in bleached jute ivory / world market*, Wooden shelving with Tour Eiffel brackets / Anthropologie*,  Napkins and Tea towels, Parachute home, Vintage Mirror / Garden Style Living, wooden kitchen table / Weisshouse, Woven Basket Pendant / World market. Wooden chairs / 1stdibs. 

Family room (with fireplace): Cloud sofa in beligan linen natural / RH Modern,  Sisal natural jute rug / World market. White linen armchair / Weisshouse. Blue Tin Washer // Kinsey Vintage Market, coffee table / weisshouse, Metal Locker Boxes // Urge Studio.

Living room: White rug in bleached ivory jute / World market, Burlap sofa / Weisshouse,
wooden coffee table / IKEA, Chandlier custom made by Leanne, Green credenza / Urge Studio.

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A lovely, relaxed Swedish home

Why, hello there! I'm just nipping in to share this beauty of a Swedish apartment with you. Styled by Emma Fischer for Bjurfors, the warm natural textures, abundance of plants (there's that climber again! - see our guide here!) and linen textiles create a lovely relaxed feel. If you look closely there's also a touch of blush in every corner which helps to create a cohesiveness throughout. Enjoy!









Photos: Alen Cordic. Styling: Emma Fischer for sale through Bjurfors here. 

Seeing the wood flooring reminds me of the house we grew up in. We had the same parquet floor and  some of the wood tiles were loose. I used to spend hours playing with them (they made perfect 'jenga' tiles!!). Of course, I never noticed how lovely the actually floor looked!

Even though I was only supposed to be ducking in and ducking out today (busy day) I still can't resist sharing a quick guide to a few of the items I love in this home. Here goes:

Living room: Hay cushion, mustard knot cushion (check out this knot stool too!). Dining area: series 7 side chair, wishbone chair, Skultuna Lily candleholder. Bedroom: the Hay mega dot quilt is similar, Diamond chair, Muuto dots.

Have a great evening guys!

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My daybed update

Sponsored post:

I love how small updates can make a big impact. Recently I've grown a little tired of the original IKEA cover in pale grey on our Söderhamn chaise longue (in the window nook), plus it was starting to look, well, a bit manky (think foot marks, splashes of hot chocolate, you name it!). So earlier this week I swapped it for a new Bemz Loose Fit Urban slipcover in Rosendal Pure washed Linen - Medium Grey and I'm soooo happy with the result! Not only does it feel extra cosy (I love the darker colour!) it also matches the rest of my sitting room - perfect! 

I already had the Söderhamn chaise longue with a cover, but if you're ordering a new one from IKEA you can buy one without the cover for less and then add the Bemz cover at home (it's so easy to put on!). A quick side-note: I bought the baby's breath wreath at a flower shop in town back in December - it's been in the hall for ages but I think I might just have found a new spot for it, what do you think?

You may remember the touch of chestnut from my bedroom make-over. I think the 40 x 60 cushion in Malmen velvet chestnut adds a lovely warm touch to the window nook too. I love the exposed seams and relaxed look of the Loose Fit Urban - it's what drew me to this style. 

In this last pic you can catch a glimpse of my Chinese Money plant (I love the shape of the leaves!) and my book The Scandinavian Home (not that I sit and read my own book....but I do like to dip and out for inspiration, press interviews etc). After all - there's no such thing as a cosy corner without plants and books, don't you agree?! 

Photography: ©Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home

Aaaaah, so pleased with it! If anyone's looking for me I'll be cosying up here for the rest of the day!

Have a cosy day!


This post is brought to you in collaboration with Bemz, however all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too.

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6 Ways to Rock the Rug in 2018

Tjena, hur är läget?! Is there something you feel you're always lacking in your home? For me, it's rugs! I just never seem to have enough of them. But after my visit to DOMOTEX (the leading trade fair for floor coverings) last weekend, I feel inspired to make it a whole lot more cosy around here. The stands were teeming with the most incredible floor coverings. Think beautiful art, super tactile textures (handwoven, wool and silk mix anyone?) and an abundance of colour. Fellow bloggers - Holly from Decor8, Igor from Happy Interiors blog and Urban Jungle Bloggers, Agata from Passion Shake, Stefan from Trend Stefan, Desiree from Vogesparis and Mette from Monsterscircus and I took to the stage to discuss the latest trends to rock the rug world in 2018.

Here's the low down (get it?!)...

1. Traditional, beautifully handcrafted rugs with a contemporary touch

2. Show stopper rugs that steal the spotlight (to rock the look keep the rest of the room relatively minimalist and calm, picking out one or two key colours only).

Green Body + Green Home

3. Rugs that break the mould - think outside the box and go for unusual shaped rugs to make a feature!

4. It's all in the layers: the perfectly imperfect look where rugs in different colours, patterns and textures overlap to max out the cosiness.

El Ramla Hamra (check out their beautiful Etsy shop here).

5. Vintage / hard wearing: think sustainable and opt for second hand or invest in a hardwearing piece that will stand the test of time and can be enjoyed by generations to come.

6. Some rugs are just way too spectacular to be walked on - which is why I'm loving the idea of hanging on them on the wall. Think 'super-size' macrame wall hangings (add a little texture and colour too) rug art or simple carpets in off-whites.

The good news? This definitely leaves scope for all our beloved Moroccan rugs  - I'm loving colourful Berber rugs and Kilims in particular.  Is there any trend you love the idea of?

If so perhaps these rugs I spotted might help...

Mariantonia Urru 

Driven by a strong passion for the vast variety of weaving techniques and traditional motifs, Mariantonia Urru, is based in Samugheo and creates pieces using common traditional methods, such as pibiones and litzos, as well as rediscovering old techniques like un in dente and aramu. 

I put the cushions to the test (for a while...) and yep, they're as comfortable as they look! I see they're available here (just saying....).

 

I'd have stayed there all day, had there not been a blogger tour to attend to and other stands to visit such as...

Rug Star

Rug Star's founder Jürgen Dahlmanns told us about how his award winning rug company combine his two abiding passions: Tibetan rugs and contemporary design.

Rug Star

DOMOTEX

Hossein Rezvani

Quite possibly the most tactile rugs I've ever encountered, Hossein Rezvani is the only brand to offer contemporary rugs made in Isfhan, Iran with up to 1 million knots per square metre!

Despite looking like we're listening, Igor, myself and Stefan (from l to r) were actually dreaming about kicking off our shoes and walking around on these beauties bare foot!

Tisca Rugs

If you saw my post the other day, you'll know I'm already a big fan of Tisca rugs. Not only do they look lush, Tisca's unique hand-woven rugs are hard-wearing, durable and reversible.  I so need one of these in my life!

Picture: TISCA AUSTRIA

Aaaaah. so beautiful. The questions is, do I go subtle or bold? I think you know the answer to that one! Did anything catch your eye?

Before I head off  I'd like to say a huge thanks to the team at DOMOTEX (Timo and Lars I'm looking at you!) for a wonderful time and also to Holly Becker for an amazing job presenting and moderating our panel discussions and taking us on a fab tour of the fair and Hannover (what a great city! see Agata's guide here).

Have a great start to the week!

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Going up in 2018: indoor climbing plants

After yesterday's awe-inspiring home tour, all I can think about today is house plants. And if there's one type to top all others right now, it's climbers. Climbing plants seem to be taking over the plant world (and homes) right now! Whether used to frame a window, wrap themselves around ceiling beams or winding their way up shelving, the green beauties provide a lush boost of green which will brighten up the dreariest of January days (I'm in, are you?!). Here's a little inspiration...

Michelle Hayes

Indoor living plants MR Kitly

Anders Bergstedt / Entrance

Natalie Jeffcott

Jonas Bjerre Poulsen / Höst restaurant Copenhagen

Kara Healy

So beautiful, don't you think? If, like me, you're already plotting where your climber should go (my home is suddenly feeling decidedly ungreen), here are 5 great climbers and two inspiring books to set you on the right path...

Get the look

Urban Jungle: Living and Styling with Plants
The Green Home

Training your climber

So we kind of know which plant and where to put it, but how on earth do we train them to go where we want them to go (and stop our house from becoming a scene out of Little Shop of Horrors)?! The methods vary depending on the type of plant - so do ask about the best way to train and care for your climber at the point of purchase. When it comes to support, you can either train your plant around whatever's already in place (pipes, beams etc) or invest in a trellis of some kind (there is a large variety of different supports you can use depending on the look you're after) - here's a helpful guide. My parents-in-law have had one as long as I can remember and they simply use evenly spaced tacks around the window frame - so it definitely doesn't need to be complicated!

I'd love to see your climber in action (don't forget to tag me on Instagram too!).

Have a great weekend and see you Monday! 

PS I love how this climber goes up and around a door frame!

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