Green and Pink Accents in a Beautiful Swedish Family Home

Hi de hi campers! I'm on a roll this morning (finally) having ticked off loads from my to do list (check me out!) - it was a long time coming though as this sunny weather has thrown me off my game completely lately! And now for the fun part of my day - writing about today's home tour. And this one comes in the shape of a beautiful Swedish family home in in Bagarmossen in the outskirts of Stockholm. Janniche Kristoffersen the blogger behind Bloggaibagis) and her husband Johan have been renovating their 1950's house over the space of six years and recently moved back in after installing (a fabulous) new kitchen. The home is a vision in white, green and dusty rose accents - and a true calm, oasis for the Janniche, Johan, daughter Rio and son Otis. Välkommen!

The kitchen cabinets are from Skandinaviska Shakerkök (excited to see they have a showroom in Malmö!) and the countertop is from House of Design Sweden. The walls have been painted in EN.02.84 from Nordsjö.

Mix of Thonet (buy similar here) and vintage chairs,  Resting Feet print by Rosie Pike for Paper Collective. 

Eames RAR rocker (and budget version!), gotland sheepskin throw, and Formakami pendant light.  

 Söderhamn sofa, Pyramid blanket, washed linen cushion cover (striped). 

Collection of  Dots by Muuto, Sinnerlig lamp, white linen bed skirt, 

 Cushion made from Water Lilies fabric from Fine Little Day, Hay crinkle plaid throw, wall painted in L8.04.50 from Nordsjö.

Pendant lamp from Afroart, Skådis peg board, le sac en papier, source a similar Beni Ourain here.  Postcard / print by Emily Winfield Martin, wall painted in HoP greige from Nordsjö.  

Sailor Poster, source a similar vintage wicker chair here, the wall is painted in Dusky Paris from Nordsjö. 

Prettiest door painted in D6.07.77 from Nordsjö. 

Well, I think I might be just about ready to move in. How about you?! 


Isn't this the loveliest of homes?! Janniche's style looks so effortless (even though there's no doubt a lot of thought and hard work behind every space.). I particularly love the wall colours in each of the bedrooms.


Is there anything you love in particular?

Follow Janniche's renovations and see what they get up to next over on Bloggaibagis and Instagram!

More homes with touches of green and pink include my friend Tina's beautiful house (can you tell she's a colour expert?!), a Berlin home of many colours and OK, not green and pink specifically - but I just discovered this long lost home of a French photographer and stylist in the archives and I feel it deserves to be uncovered so we can all appreciate it once again. Besides, I'm sure there's some pink and green in there somewhere. Isn't it incredible?!

Have a lovely day!

Niki

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12 Child Friendly Ideas From A Happy Family Home in Berlin

This wonderful turn-of-the-century apartment in Berlin is everything a family home should be. Owned by Nicki (creator of Siglinchen) and her partner (both doctors) and their three daughters (aged 6, 12 and 15), the light-filled, 120 metre square (191 feet square) home is a blend of the minimalism (that Nicki so desires) and the relaxed, colourful vibe that comes from being a family of five. The result is a calm yet vibrant space bursting with happy colours, playful touches, music, books, art and plants. I clocked 12 great things to take-away from this delightful family home (scroll all the way down for notes on how to get the look too!). Enjoy the tour!

1. Research has shown colour affects emotions, and can have a significant effect on a child's development. Warmer colors like orange and yellow bring happiness and comfort and red has been known to increase the heart rate and therefore increase alertness and the appetite (according to Sciencing) - perfect for the kitchen then! 

2. Touches like the Donna Wilson cushions add a playfulness and help to create a home that embraces children and adults alike.

3. Children have the grubbiest fingers (at least mine do!). Using bright coloured fabric will protect your furniture (and can be thrown in the wash every now and again too!).

4. Using your kitchen windowsill as a mini garden for flowers, herbs and vegetables will help your children to learn about nature and the changing seasons -  and enjoy the proceeds too! 

5. Children's high chairs don't need to be boring! I've always loved the Tripp Trapp chair since it grows with your child - and how funky is that retro one too?!

6. It goes without saying that kid height hooks are helpful for keeping stuff off the floor - and they can't not notice these fabulous bright coloured Hang it All ones either. Perfect!

7. Who says you can't have white in a home with young children? White walls are easy to clean with a damp cloth and white furniture covers can be easier to clean than any others since you can always out tougher stains. Just make sure they're removable! 

8. Why stop at bunting when you can have pom poms and garlands too?! OK, this decor has been strung up for a party - but who says you can't totally leave it up for way longer than is necessary - especially when it looks this pretty!

"March to June is birthday season and the apartment is filled with garlands and balloons. The children and I love them so we leave them up for ages." Nicki.

9. Maps are great for helping children make sense of the world. Plus, if you're short for meal time chat, you can always start to plan your next adventure!

10. Marcel Proust once said "there are perhaps no days of our childhood we lived so fully as those we spent with a favourite book." Words to live by indeed! 

11. Tap into the calming influence of nature. Not only do plants help to purify the air, research has also shown they help to improve memory and concentration in both children and adults. 

"Since I generally prefer a more minimalist look and feel, I try to keep furniture and 'stuff' to a minimum  - both on the floor and walls." Nicki. 

"I love colour and I think it works best against a natural background - so it becomes white with lots of pops of colour." Nicki. 

12. Art makes you smart! A recent study revealed that children who visit art galleries demonstrate stronger critical thinking skills, higher levels of social tolerance, greater historical empathy and a taste of museums and cultural institutions. Why not start with your own private gallery at home?! it'll help to brighten up the room too. 

What a truly inspiring home, don't you think? It feels loved and lived in!

f you're curious about any of the items or feel like creating a similar vibe, you might find the below helpful: 

Get the look:

1. Whole Wide World
2. Girl 1
3. HANG IT ALL wall hanger
4. High Chair in Aqua Blue
5. Meg Printed Cotton Accent Pillow
6. Nursery Decoration
7. Pamina Sofa

If you'd like to see more of Nicki's lovely home hop on over to her instagram feed here.

And for more family home inspiration I'm loving a cheerful and bright Dutch home, all things bright and beautiful in a pared back family home and a lovely light-filled Swedish family home (this last one is one of my favourites!).

If you've got any great tips for creating a family home I'd love to hear them! 

Ha det så bra!

Niki

Photography:  Nicki / Siglinchen

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Beautiful Colour Inspiration From 'The Home', Copenhagen

Men hejsan! I hope you had a härlig weekend?! I'm slowly cranking into action - but I am feeling bouyed by the thought of 3 days of design in Copenhagen this week (of which I'm hoping to attend at least one  - let me know if you'll be there too?!). The Danish capital is full of design hot spots (as you can imagine!). One of the ones I'm most excited about right now is 'The Home' by Ferm Living. Created along the same lines as The Apartment, The Loft and Artilleriet studio, the Danish brand has transformed an apartment in a period property in Amagertorv into a beautiful living space featuring rich, sophisticated hues, understated cosiness and of course, the unique, playful yet pared-back flavour of Ferm Living! Abi from These Four Walls (who I had the pleasure of meeting in Malmö a few months ago) snapped these lovely pictures. Enjoy!

Naturally, the home is entirely furnished with items from Ferm Living's range. But it's also a great example of how to introduce rich colours into your home and create that hygge vibe the Danes are so good at! I particularly love the burgundy ceiling (it looks very similar to the Norwegian Wood tone in my home office)- who'd have thought it'd look so great with grey and blue? Food for thought indeed! And I love the way they've continued the tone throughout the space too. 

In the kitchen there are subtle touches of burgundy on the shelves.

And in the office it's present in the form of wainscoting (such a perfect workspace, don't you think?!).

Haze Vitrine, striped box. 

And the burgundy makes an appearance in the candy striped wallpaper, rug and blanket in the master bedroom. 

Side note: I'm considering using the Unfold Room Divider (seen in the corner above) to separate my bedroom from my home office - what do you think?! 

Fruiticana pineapple rug (on wall), palm cushion, double dot blanket, popcorn bolster cushion and rabbit storage box.

And finally, the burgundy is continued into the children's room (another of my favourite corners). This little space is so clever and a real masterclass in how to create a kid's room that's on trend, ties in beautifully with the rest of the home and looks as cute as pie! Love it!

Is there anything that stands out to you? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the colours, furniture or anything else that caught your eye!

In case you're visiting Copenhagen sometime soon, The Home is available to visit by appointment only through Ferm Living (perhaps they're worried we might not ever leave - highly possible from my side!). And you can also see more pictures of it over on Abi's blog here. Don't forget to hop of the bridge to Skåne and say hi too!

If you're in the mood for more beautiful Danish interior inspiration today, take a peek at this archive (this home tour from last week seems to have gone completely viral too, I can understand why!). 

Ha' en god dag!

Photography: Abi Dare / These Four Walls, shared with kind permission. 

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Converted Stables Become a Dramatic Home Full of Contrast in Norway

It's Friday friends - JAAAAA! To wrap up the week I'm leading us all over to the dark side (mwah ha ha) on a virtual journey to an incredible maisonette in Oslo. Formerly a stables, the two floor apartment is owned by Nina (blogger behind Note to Self), her boyfriend Jørgen, baby boy Gustav, and cutest pup Ipa. When Nina's not sewing or working as a graphic designer, the pair are transforming the space (often on a minimum budget) into a dramatic family home full of contrast and delicious, warm, dark grey, chocolate and beige accents. Enjoy the tour!

The maisonette has an upside down layout with the entry, bathroom and bedroom on the ground floor and an open-plan kitchen, sitting room and dining area on the upper level. I thought we'd start with the cosiest zone of all - the sitting room!

The sitting room wall has been painted in NCS S 7002B which makes a wonderful contrast to the oak floors, plastered brick walls and a fluffy 70's style shaggy rug (from Layered). And just how cosy does that velour Madison sofa look? The Blind No5 print is by Danish artist Kristina Krogh (available here).

It's incredible what a difference vintage wood adds to a monochrome space. Pick up similar  Thonet-style bistro chairs here (gah! So beautiful!). Nina never quite got on with the original brickwork and so they decided to plaster over it.

"The plastering gave just the right, tactile texture the apartment needed. And the colour was perfect too, so there was no need to paint it."

Where would a Scandinavian kitchen be without a natural linen tablecloth?! So pretty (and it looks better un-ironed too). It's nearing lunchtime here and I'm sort of drooling over the cheese too!

All hale the Bollo chair by Norwegian designer Andreas Engesvik (I've got my eye on the pink one). 

Since the pair are currently renovating a house elsewhere right now (their future home), they didn't want to invest too much money on the apartment. Even so, they still managed to transform the kitchen from this...

 To this...

...on a limited budget!

 To achieve the new look they plastered the walls and painted them in NCS S 7002B, spray painted the cabinets in NSC S 8002B, replaced the thick laminate counter top, kitchen taps, sink (all HTH), added Borghamn handles from IKEA and spray painted the switches, sockets and cables. 

Quite incredible, and so inspiring to know what you can do on a limited budget, don't you think?!

When the pair moved in the stairs were a varnished yellow colour...

They painstakingly sanded them down before washing them with white pigmentation, and then painted the walls and doors the same colour as the sitting room. They also added the same oak floor. 

What an incredible transformation, don't you think?! I've been wondering what to do with my stairs (which are also tinged with an old yellow varnish) and now I may have found the answer - I just need to brace myself for the work (and warn Per!)!

Nina saved a load on a designer clothes rail by creating one from a 12 mm copper pipe, which she bent into shape using a wrench, lightly sand papered and then sprayed matt black! So clever! More info on her blog here. 

The dark tones are also carried through to the bedroom which give the room a wonderful cocoon like feel - and no doubt feels blissfully dark at night, even under the Norwegian midnight sun!

Another Scandinavian must - natural stonewashed linen bedding (it's that ironing thing again! Source similar here) - the unbleached material looks particularly lovely against the dark grey walls!

And this little chap feels right at home!

Thank you so much for inviting us into your beautiful home Nina, Jørgen, Gustav and Ipa! I for one, might be tempted into over to the dark side in my own home after all. Anyone else feeling inspired too?!

See more of Nina's home renovations, creations and recipes over on her fabulous blog Note to Self as well as on her instagram feed.

I can't resist leaving you with a few other links to enjoy over the weekend too:

f you're looking for more home tours on the dark side try a cosy cocoon-like Swedish home (also featured here) and dramatic green and grey in a Swedish home - actually, do you know what? I'm just going to go ahead and give you the link to the entire 'dark colours' archive! Way easier!

And now for one of my favourites. Conversions. Don't you love it when a home has history (like the stables in today's post)?! See everything from converted garages, warehouses, schools, shops and even a bar here!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Niki

PS This weekend I'm writing a guide to Malmö in which I'm hoping to cover off a load of the things I missed in my previous Malmö guide (and some of the new places that have popped up too) I'm so looking forward to my staycation! Look out for the guide soon.

All photography  © Nina / Note to Self

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