Deep Hues in a Calm Swedish Apartment

When I arrived in the Gothenburg archipelago to visit Carpe Diem Beds yesterday it was bright sunshine - I thought 'I can't wait to get my camera out tomorrow'. And guess what? I woke up this morning (at the beautiful - Strandflickornas Havhotel) and there was a howling gale outside! I'm all cosy in my room drinking coffee and tapping away at my laptop, so it's all good anyway! And I've even managed to find a home tour to match (or should I say 'embrace') the beautiful moody notes of the weather. Think green-blue, deep purple and greys, luxurious velvet and a plenty of books and magazines to hand! What a perfect place to batten down the hatches and ride out the storm?!  

Stylist: Emma Fischer  Photography: Alen Cordic for Bjurfors. 

What a perfect oasis. All that's missing is music from a gramophone and you're sorted!

Coud you imagine rocking about here?

If you're curious about achieving a similar look, here's our round-up of lovely pieces....

Get the look

1. Emery Linen/Cotton Pole-Pocket Drape
2. Mark Eden Schooley Lamp
3. Sculpt Pod Vase
4. Bourne Dimpled Glass Vase
5. Southern Enterprises Full-Length Leaning Wall Mirror
6. Javiel Coral Decoration
7. Pedrera Coffee Table
8. DWR Diamond Quilt
9. DWR Linen Pillowcases
10. DWR Sateen Duvet Cover
11. Kaiser-idell™ Tiltable Table Lamp
12. Zeus Handmade Vase
13. Colette Desk
14. Spectrum Throw
15. Heart leaf plant
16. Nelson™ Daybed


Right, time to wrap up warm and head out with my camera (I've heard photographers love a 'moody sky' so perhaps it'll only add to my pictures anyway!).

Have a lovely day!

PS See more homes decorated in rich, dark colours here.

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A Family Home where Nordic meets Bohemian Style

Hej heej! How are you today? I'm on a mini road trip with my friend Linda to the beautiful Gothenburg archipelago on Sweden's West coast. I've never been in the winter before and I'm really curious to see what it's like - plus I'm a girl on a mission (to be revealed later over on Instagram stories!). Since I'm feeling kind of relaxed today (and relieved to have got through my twelve BBC live radio shows yesterday - yes twelve!), I thought I'd share the vibe here on the blog with this lovely house in Maplewood, New Jersey belonging to Tanya Meda of @houseofsixinteriors. I caught up with her to find out a little more about her home.  Pour yourself a coffee (or a cheeky glass depending on what time it is where you are), put your feet up and enjoy - there's so much to look at!
 

Who do you share your home with?
My husband Carlos and 4 kids - Dylan, Emerson, Beckett & Peyton.




How did you come up with the name @houseofsixinteriors for your instagram feed?
From the very beginning, my family has always been my inspiration. My goal is to create spaces that are family friendly but don't skimp on style.




Tell me about your style?
I would describe it as Nordic meets bohemian.



What is the most important thing to you when it comes to decorating?
My goal is to create a space that's cosy and inviting. I try to do this using textiles, plants and art.



What do you love most about your home? 
Honestly, I love that our family was created here. Carlos and I bought this home when it was just the 2 of us and we filled up the rooms quickly and happily. I have such as emotional attachment to our home... it's more than just a house for us. 







How would you describe the atmosphere in your home?
I think that the love we share comes through as soon as you walk in, creating a warm and welcoming home. At least, I hope that's what everyone feels when they walk in!




I can well imagine that warm and welcoming feeling just by looking at the pictures, how about you?

Here's a very quick guide on where to find some of the pieces: Maroc tribal sells beautiful beni ourain and vintage kilim rugs, macrame wall hanging, peacock chair, sputnik chandelier - check out the tags on @houseofsixinteriors if you're looking for something specific.

Thank you so much for inviting us into your home Tanya (& Co!).

If you'd like to see more of Tanya's feed it's well worth checking out her daily feed! And there's also this archive (packed with 'bohemian style' homes) to work your way through too!
Have a lovely day / evening! 

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The man - and a Special Offer From TRIWA!

Sponsored post: 
Men can be so tricky to buy for, don't you think?! My (Swedish) husband mercifully puts down experiences for most of his present ideas which means I get to enjoy it too (who's complaining?!). But this year I thought I'd go that extra mile for St Valentine's Day and get him something longer lasting: the Smoky Nevil watch from Swedish brand TRIWA! If you love the look of it too, I've got great news: the fab team at TRIWA are offering you the chance to buy the Smoky Nevil timepiece with Swedish organically tanned leather strap and get a stainless steel mesh-silver strap worth $69 for free (to redeem enter the code 'MESH' at checkout until end of Feb)! This meant that my husband got to open his two weeks early on one condition: he model it for us..... he here is!

And this is the Smoky Nevil timepiece with the stainless steel mesh-silver wristband... pretty smart, don't you think....

Photography: Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home. 

Ahhhh, I think he did a pretty good job with the modelling, don't you?! Look out LFW! And he is seriously pleased with his watch too! 

In fact I'd quite happily wear this watch myself if I wasn't already attached to my Dixie Aska (seen here)! I love how the watches combine classic silhouettes and contemporary Scandinavian simplicity - so perfect! How about you?

If you're curious to know more, you can check out their mens and womens watches and find out more about the innovative Stockholm based company here.

And don't forget to make the most of the special offer (Smoky Nevil + mesh wristband with code 'MESH'!). 




Have a lovely day!


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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A Design Tribute to IKEA founder, Ingvar Kamprad

Yesterday, IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad passed away aged 91. On the IKEA website today, the company pays tribute to the icon as "one of the greatest entrepreneurs of the 20th century." Kamprad had a vision "to create a better everyday life for the many people" through making good design affordable. Furthermore, the clean, simple aesthetics of IKEA design means the pieces are easy to blend into any space. As a personal tribute to the work of Kamprad, I took a look at my own home to see just how many items from IKEA I enjoy daily!

Although the cabinets in my kitchen are made by Swedish brand - Marbodal, the IKEA STENSTORP kitchen island and LOHALS rug take centre stage! No doubt many of the smaller utensils were also picked up (without even noticing!) on my way through the blue and yellow super store (and I'm sure there are some of IKEAs meatballs lurking behind the fridge door too! 

The Söderhamn chaise longue seen in the window is a relatively new purchase (you may have noticed just how popular it is among Scandinavian design lovers and all the members in my family!).

My bedroom has surprisingly few pieces of IKEA (shock, horror!)- but this is more than made up for by the Söderhamn armchair (I recently transformed it using a Bemz Malmen Velvet Chestnut cover  - don't forget you can get 15% off right now with the code 15myscandinavianhome!). One of the beauties of IKEA furniture is that it can be hacked to create a more personal look and feel! 

At first glance it's hard to spot anything from the furniture store in my daughter's bedroom. But sure enough, there on the windowsill is a plant, plant pot and picture frame all scooped up on a trip to the Malmö branch (most likely to buy something else entirely!). 

And finally. It is apt that the little corner of my home where I sit each day to write this blog, my books - and lately, participate in live press interviews about the 'Father of flatpack', is almost entirely made up from IKEA pieces including the chair, ALEX drawer unit, desk and shelves!

So, what's next on my list? One of my favourite collections to date is the Stockholm 2017 (launched last April), which was "designed to mix and blend in with what you already have at home', and I've got my eye on this number (as well as a few other items from the range - naturally!)....

From a design perspective I would like to say thank you, Ingvar Kamprad, you set out with a vision "to create a better everyday life for the many people" and help more people access good design and you certainly achieved that. 

I'm so curious to hear what IKEA means to you. 

Do you have a favourite piece? 

Photography credits (in order of appearance): 1 & 2: Agentur Loop. 3. Niki Brantmark. 4 & 5 Niki Brantmark / Genevieve Jorn. 6 Niki Brantmark. 7 - 10 IKEA. 11. Tweeted by @IKEAtoday.

 

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A Relaxed Cologne Home with Mid-Century Vibes

Hallo! A German greeting since I'm super excited to share the home of Antonia Schmitz with you today! If you love relaxed, boho style and don't follow Antonia's wonderful blog and instagram already, you must! Her feed is awash with daily snapshots of her and her husband Gabriel's lovely Cologne home. Blending vintage with cool contemporary style, the space is teeming with touches of mid-century, design classics, the odd high street find, home-made arts and crafts set against a backdrop of white, deep blue and sage. Oh and there's her two delightful resident cats Pinkie and Flocke too. Step this way!

I love this wall colour - isn't it beautiful?! I believe it's this shade by Kolorat.  Teak and rattan furniture goes so well with it too. Other items: String shelves, PH5 mini pendant, rattan lounge chair (liking these!).

Look at that cat perched on the radio enjoying the warmth and tunes! He looks like he's overseeing the Chemex coffee brewing too - he and I would make great friends! Also spotted - the vintage scissor lamp (I picked up a similar one here!).

Ah yes, the hottest item in the home (and instagram right now!) - the mid-century teak credenza! I don't think I'll ever tire of these bad boys! Source a similar beauty here.

"It has to be cosy with a personal touch," Antonia tells me when I asked her what she finds important when  decorating. "I love things that tell a story and things that make me happy."

I think this magazine rack would certainly make me happy each day - how about you? Keep an eye on this page for a similar one. 

Antonia picked up the mid-century armchair at Otto - if you live outside of Germany, you can source  a similar vintage one here (so many beautiful ones!).

There are a few beautiful items to pick out from this corner of the sitting room so I'm just going to hop to it: Hay tray table, String shelving, Sitzfeldt sofa (you can create similar look with the Söderhamn modular sofa from IKEA with a Bemz Urban Loose Fit cover like I have in my sitting room - 15% off right now with 15myscandinavianhome - just saying :). Junit configurator light.

I normally shy away from sharing photos with TV's - which is kind of crazy since nearly all of us have one! Plus, they're one of the hardest things to style nicely in the home. I think Antonia's kind of nailed it though, don't you? If you're on the market for a TV - I'd totally recommend The Frame by Samsung - it hangs right next to the wall and looks like a work of art (check out the second film in this post featuring my Greenhouse make-over with Emily Henderson and you'll see why!).  

Photography: Antonia Schmitz / @craftifair / www.craftifair.com

This home makes me so happy. It's just so lived in. Could it be the cats? The relaxed style? Or simply the mix of everything combined? Do you feel the same?

Thank you so much for inviting us into your lovely home Antonia!

I've got two exciting projects in the pipeline which I've been meaning to start for ages - but I just haven't found the time. I've thought about it and the only way to get to it is to skip tomorrow's blog post. I hope you don't mind, a rare move! I'll be back on Sunday with a special My Scandinavian Home reader offer  (I even drafted in the man for a little modelling so it's not to be missed!!).  If you're looking for some inspiration in the meantime I'm loving these home tours:

A cosy, modern boho home
A beautiful retreat in Marseille
A magnificent Berlin apartment
And tell me you didn't miss Hilton Carter's awe-inspiring loft last week?!

Have a great couple of days and see you Sunday!

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