A Finnish Collector's Home Full of Vintage Treasures

I've posted a LOT of Finnish homes on here in the past, but never one like this! Stepping inside Pauliina's home in Harjavalta, Western Finland is like stepping back in time."I love 50's and 60's furniture and get so much inspiration from a thrift store," Pauliina tells me. "Usually I don't want to buy anything new, I try to find everything thrifted." The fruits of Pauliina's search have resulted in a unique home full of vintage treasures with pops of pink, blue and yellow accents. Don't miss her very pretty, very fluffy cats too!

I love this pair of brass cranes, I spotted similar ones at Hotel Henriette in Paris. This corner of Etsy is a great place to pick up a pair of your own.

The walls have been painted in code G370 from Tikkurilas and the floor is dotted with pretty rag rugs (traditional floor coverings made from leftover fabric scraps). 

"One of my favourite pieces is our coffee table in our living room. I also love our green armchair, it's designed by Olli Borg and is called 'Rondo'."

Keep a look out for an original version of the 60's Rondo chair on auction sites like Bukowskis. The light grey walls have been painted in Tikkurilas (code 1923) and the pink linen curtains are from IKEA (don't you love it when that happens? It's like when you ask someone where their dress is from and they say they 'bought it yesterday in H&M' - result!

The retro style wallpapers have been sourced from BoråsTapeter and Pihlgren&Ritola.

"The three best places to find lovely vintage items in Finland are Pimee vintti, Wanha mari and in summer time there are many good outdoor flea markets here in Finland. You can find the schedule here (in Finnish only)." Pauliina.

How pretty does Pimee vintti look? It's a little like the area I visited for my book The Scandinavian Home and I've been dying to go back ever since!

This guest room is full of 50's / 60's floral prints - and looks right at home in the house built in the same era.  

***

Aaaaa, I really loved looking around this home, it was like going in a time machine, right down to the last detail (did you spot the retro radios?!). If you have a spare moment today you must visit Pauliina's instagram feed and blog where there are hundreds more pictures of this space and snippets from the homes of similar minded vintage bargain hunters! 

Does this home inspire you to go hunting for vintage treasures?!

For more retro vibes today check out the relaxed Antwerp home of a creative duo, Tamsin Flower's cheerful London Home and a pared-back Australian beach house with a retro vibe. These are all such wonderful homes - I love them all! 

Have a lovely day!

Photography: Pauliina

READ MORE...

3

A Small Swedish Space That Will Make You Want to Downsize!

Tjeeeena! Hur är läget?! Shall we start small this week? This Swedish studio in Gothenburg is a mini 45 metre square (484 foot square), but it's proof that you can have it all (even a piano!) in a small space! I also threw in the floor plan from where this lovely space is currently for sale so that you can make heads and tails of the layout (sometimes it can be hard to tell from the pictures). Sure, it helps that the building dates back to 1899 and the period features are still intact, that it has magnificent high ceilings and a beautiful arch window to boot - but there's still plenty of ideas to steal for even the most dark and dingy of flats! White paint at the ready....

Bed-side essentials such as a dressing gown and slippers can be turned into decoration in their own right. I've got my eye on a pretty floral kimono such as this liberty print one! 

White linen bedding, small beni ourain rug

Using the windowsill as a make-shift bedside table for books and a lamp helps to free up floor space.

Milk NA1 table lamp

A small space can become cluttered very quickly. Try to group items together and leave blank space between each zone so you can see some nice, clean areas - it will make the room feel bigger and less cluttered.

Hay Tray Coffee table, IKEA reading lamp.

It's quite incredible how you can fit showers into the tightest of spaces (my sister managed to get one into a small closet in her second bedroom and now has a lovely little en suite!). Even though this little bathroom is a wet room, a shower curtain would be essential for me as I've got something about getting my socks wet in the mornings (not to mention the loo roll!) - how about you?!

Fouta / Hammam towel, L:A Bruket hand and bodywash, Marvis toothpaste

Floor plan

Photography: Anders Bergstedt / Styling Studio Cuvier for Entrance.  

What a pretty space. Does it make you want to pack it up, pack it in and go for a studio in Sweden's second largest city?! I'm not sure I'd swap it for my house right now (what with all my kids and all!) but I wouldn't mind having it as pied-á-terre so that I could pad around, tinker on the piano (when I'm not at Theo's piano by the window in Berlin, of course!) and visit the likes of Artllieriet and Grandpa Store.  A girl can dream after all, right?!

For more small space inspiration this bright and sunny Monday morning - sit back and take a scroll through this archive (as always hop over this apartment if it pops up first!). If there's anything our Scandi friends totally rock at - it's making mini spaces mighty!

Have a great start to the week!

Niki

READ MORE...

7

The Dreamy LA Home of an Artist and Designer

Hear the words 'textile artist', 'designer', 'creative' and 'LA' and you just know the home is going to be pretty incredible and unique, don't you?! And Rachel Craven's dreamy LA abode definitely doesn't disappoint! The daughter of two painters, Rachel has combined her passion for art, textiles and fashion to create her eponymous clothing line and the same artistic influences and sustainable outlook extend to her home and studio. Welcome inside a neutral home made up of organic textures, beautifully crafted, meaningful pieces and an abundance of plants!

Get the look from Rachel's Home

1. Isamu Noguchi: A Sculptor's World
2. Karakatoa vase
3. Round Jute Placemat
4. IKEA Ikornnes standing mirror 
5. Samarkand Kilim Woven Rug 
6. Bayou Breeze Rattan Chair

You can also shop for lovely white linens like the one Rachel's wearing here and some of the other items over at Jenni Kayne. 

Gah! What a simply beautiful home! Every time I look back through, I spot something new - like the unique ceramic pieces.

Is there anything that you love in particular?

You can see more pics and check out the full write-up over at Rip & Tan.

Oh and more dreamy fashion designer's homes here and here (Swedish) and here (Danish).

And that's it from me this week! I hope you've got some fab things lined up over the weekend?

My younger sister's arrived from London and my girls are so excited to see their tiny cousins! It's looking a lot like beach weather too... yay!

Have a wonderful weekend and see you Monday!

Niki

Photos by Nicki Sebastian for Rip & Tan - shared with kind permission.

READ MORE...

4

My Small Back Yard Gets a Cosy Make-over

Sponsored

When we moved into our house ten years ago the back garden was completely derelict save for a patchy lawn and a pathway beaten in by neighbourhood cats! It looked completely uninviting! I have to confess, the English girl in me has always pined for a big garden which I could fill with plants and flowers - so I was a little sceptical about this aspect of the house. Over time though, we've slowly chipped away at it - pulling up the grass, adding climbers and perennials and lots of garden furniture. And then this week, we spiced it up with a load of cosy pillows, blankets, lanterns and other accessories courtesy of my wonderful sponsor, Danish homeware brand Nordal. It feels so much cosier now. I snapped a few pictures to share with you. I hope you like it as much as we do! 

One of things I love the most is the brown rust archway from a local garden centre - we had to remove a section of the beech hedge to fit it in but the space immediately felt bigger. A large umbrella also helped to create a more intimate feel, especially since our garden is overlooked.

I love lanterns, they help to light up the plants and flowers after dark and make a back yard feel extra mysigt (plus they're perfect when Malmö is such a windy place to live!).

Since the garden is surrounded by hedges, the only way to add flowers such as these Anemones was to use makeshift flower boxes and plant pots. I've also got some pretty, terracotta pots (see further down) which I found at a local nursery.

We picked up the L-shaped sofa a few years ago in a garage sale (search for 'black rattan outdoor sofas' and I'm sure you can find a similar one) - it's soooo comfortable! And even more so after throwing in a load of linen cushions and blankets. The girls like to chill on the floor cushions!

I planted some mojito mint a few months ago and it's gone completely wild - which means cocktails galore around here - and even some left over to make tea. The brass tray is from Nordal.

Often oil lamps are a way better route to take in the garden than candles since they shelter the flame and can be refilled. Underneath the table is a kilim rug which I found in my Danish neighbour's garage (thank you Daphne!) - I love it but sadly it's not outdoor-proof so it'll need to be taken indoors when the rain comes down (read: often!). 

I love the patina on old terracotta pots. This is one of my favourites (I've had it for years, it's perfect for lavender and salvia! 

Right. I have to confess - bamboo isn't the best outdoor furniture choice for Sweden (if you live in a wonderful consistently warm clime you're way better off!). BUT it does look pretty we thought we'd give it a go and enjoy it while it lasts (to make it go that little bit further we throw it into storage over the winter) - we bought this set a few years ago but there are lots of beautiful sets online! The linen blanket and chair cushions are both Nordal.

My Mother gave the antique bench to me as a present years ago - sadly it's so rusty these days that it's not really possible to sit on it, but I couldn't bear to part with it so it now functions as somewhere to store extra blankets and plants. 

The string lights really add that final touch in the evenings - and they're so subtle too! I found these in town, and I know there are a load on places like Etsy. 

I hope you enjoyed the tour! It's not a big space, but we think it's a super cosy place for the family to hang out in!  

In case you're curious about some of the accessories I added this week, here's the low down: 

Get the look

1. Tall lantern
2. Small lantern
3. Dark grey cushion cover
4. Raw metal bench
5. Brass water pitcher
6. Natural linen blanket
7. Iron planter on stand
8. Chair pad
9. Natural linen cushion cover
10. Garden pruner
11. Ikat quilt
12. Brass tray

If you're curious about anything else you've seen just give me a shout in the comment section below, I'd be more than happy to help!

Niki


This make-over was made possible with the help of Nordal. All design, styling and words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too. Thank you for supporting the companies that make fresh content possible.

READ MORE...

24