Favourite Right Now: The African Basket Gallery Wall

There's been so much talk about rattan on here lately that I've neglected to mention another rustic bohemian item that's been rocking the home world over the past few years: African baskets. From kitchens and sitting rooms to staircases and bedrooms, these beautiful decorative handwoven pieces are giving traditional 'print' gallery walls a run for their money and adding plenty of warmth and texture to boot! Here's a round-up of some of my favourites.

There are tonnes of different types of African baskets. Binga baskets from Zimbabwe tend to be popular for walls due to their flatter shape and light weight, but there are many other beautiful handwoven designs which make beautiful decorative pieces too. They're widely available online - I like The Basket Room, Paulski Art* and Sekai baskets* (the latter sells baskets in sets which are great for gallery walls!).

To hang them, all you need to do is thread some multi-purpose fishing line through the centre of the basket, creating a loop at the back. Baskets tend to be fairly lightweight so a small tack / nail should be enough to bear the weight. Some people also nail baskets directly to the wall using a slightly longer nail, but be aware this will damage the basket in some way. 

1.  Anna Malmberg (see the full home tour of her lovely, natural home here) 2. Avenue Design Studio (see the rest of  Holly's sitting room here) 3. The Design Files 4. Can anyone help with the credits for this wonderful pic?!  5. Simply Chi Vintage 6. I'd love to know the credits for this picture too! 7. Chicville USA 7. Madam Stoltz 8. Couleur Locale 

What do you think? Could you imagine creating a basket gallery wall in your home?

I think they make a great addition to prints and paintings!

I'll be back tomorrow with a very exciting home tour! See you then!

Niki 

*contain affiliate links

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A Relaxed, Boho Family Home on the Edge of A Desert

Why, hello there! How was your weekend? We were at a couple of parties in a row and I'm such a light weight these days, I've got a feeling it won't be before Wednesday before I've totally recovered! Mind you it could be the nights in the VW Camper van catching up with us too - it was well worth it though - now I'm totally feeling the retro vibe! Perhaps that's why I was drawn to the wonderful boho home of Matt and Tish, their twin girls, little boy and dog Lemon in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The town is located on the northern tip of the Chihuahuan desert - and it's the 'brown on brown beauty' of the landscape that inspires their beautiful brick and mortar shop, photography and private home, the latter of which is packed with vintage finds, rich textures and a load of 'plant babies'! 

Isn't it great to see a TV in a home tour?! I like the way it's been wall mounted over a lovely vintage chest of drawers that Tish picked up in a local second hand shop. 

Beni ourain rug, vintage rattan stool

In the blog survey earlier on in the year I asked what you wanted to see more of and many responded 'real homes'. Seeing this space it's easy to see why.  Tish's instagram feed No Longer Wander is awash with little peeks into their everyday life at home - and the one above is a great example of this!

IKEA PS bench (I'm not sure is this is still available, if not it's worth checking Ebay for second hand ones), seagrass belly basket, Alseda pouff

Project 62 globe floor light, cushion from Anthropologie (sadly no longer available but perhaps they'll get something similar in this autumn), bed from West Elm

Though she be but little, she is fierce - and I put it down to the striking black grouting and plants!

I love the laid back style of Tish and Matt's home, it feels so personal and lived in - just as a family home should be! 

And how gorgeous is Lemon? She looks so content on that bed! 

Is there anything that stands out to you? 

You can check out more pics and get more inspiration from Tish's 'No Longer Wander' blog (which covers health, interiors, fashion and beauty) and instagram feed - and if you're in Albuquerque I'm reckoning it's totally worth nipping into her shop! 

More boho homes today: a family home where Nordic meets boho, a cosy modern bohemian home and a bohemian-style abode in Berlin. 

We're heading back to Sweden this evening - we've had an amazing time but it is going to be so nice to be home (I miss my bed!) - does it sound strange to say I'm kind of looking forward to a little routine and eating and drinking in a marginally healthy way again (at least until the weekend)?! 

I hope you have a great start to the week! 

Niki

Photography: No Longer Wander with kind permission. 

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Small Space Inspiration: A Delightful Green and White Swedish Flat With a Pretty Bed Nook

If you're looking for a soft, calm, earthy colour palette for your home- this could well be it! I mean, just how pretty are the shades of earthy green with white, cream and pale grey in this two room Swedish apartment? I love all the textures too: hand knotted wall hangings, fluffy rugs, knitted blankets and floaty linens all of which help to ramp up the cosiness. Imagine escaping here each day?!

When a bed nook is too small for anything except for a bed - a simple rail in the main living room creates space for everyday clothes (even better if they're coordinated with the look and feel of the room - ha! But since we know this isn't always the case, a back-up cupboard in the hallway works as a perfect overflow!).

I'm loving these irregular shaped mirrors. I also spy the Ärod floor lamp from IKEA (we've got this in our home and it goes with everything so is always being moved from room to room!

How lovely is this bed nook? It just goes to show that no matter how small the space, you can still create somewhere cosy and private to turn in each night. A curtained off bed is fairly common in Sweden (especially in more traditional homes and summer cottages) - check out this and this home for more pretty examples! I sourced made-to-measure linen curtains in my bedroom and sitting room like these from Not Perfect Linen*. 

Speaking of linen, the bed nook features layer upon layer of it in soft greens, whites and greys. Just a small reminder (spoken from experience!) - that it's really important to invest in high quality linen bedding with a high flax content to avoid that uncomfortable scratchy feel (not a good thing when it comes to pillows!). High quality linen will also soften with age.  I love linen bedding from Secrets and Things* for that reason.  

Could you imagine hanging about here this weekend? It looks so calm!

I know this apartment has ben styled for sale and you'd have loads more clobber than this in reality but it is a great source of colour inspiration!

If you fancy checking out other homes with a similar scheme you might also like to check out this beautiful family home (I love the green and pink accents), a calm green, grey and white apartment and a Gothenburg home with an English vibe (one of my all time favourites - hmmm, wonder why?!).

Our four day retro VW Camper Van tour of Cornwall, England has come to an end - sniff sniff! Despite a rocky start (driving on the wrong side of the road, map reader not knowing their right and left and a broken radio antenna - not all necessarily connected!), we're really going to miss Scarlett! Now it's time to go and say a quick hi to my family before we fly home.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend too!

Niki

Photos courtesy of Kvarteret Makleri 

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Nora's Charming Eclectic Home

I'm not sure if it's the warm pools of sunlight, the plants, art (some of which casually rests on the floor), or the eclectic mix of furniture (or simply the contribution of everything!) but there's something truly charming about Nora's apartment in Cologne, Germany. It's one of those homes where you could imagine feeling instantly at home the moment you step in the door! Enjoy the tour!

// affiliated links marked with *//

Here's an idea: different sized wooden chests (source similar vintage ones here*) stacked on top of one another to create extra kitchen storage and a side board!

String lights*, rattan chair* (similar), Bertoia side chair*

 Plant watering day in the Nora household! But some plants get to stay (in a Bittergurka plant holder).

House Doctor wall lamp, rug from IKEA,  the Zuiver cupid side table* is similar, Line Collection No 05* print by Hein Studio.

The sitting room is possibly my favourite room  - doesn't it look just so warm and inviting?! I love the big windows too.

Mid-century teak side boards / credenzas have been popular for a few years now, plus they're perfect for vignettes! Etsy* is a great source for similar vintage pieces. 

One of the reasons Nora's apartment works so well is because she makes the most of the height. Look closely and you'll spot lots of wonderful details too - like the Kay Bojesen monkey* hanging from the shelf!

 It took me a while to notice the TV in the picture above - can you see it?! 

Aaaaa, all in all, one lovely, cosy home!

Could you imagine rocking about here?

If you'd like to see more, check out Nora's instagram where she shares daily snaps. 

And if you're up for a little more German apartment inspiration today (now that we're on a roll....) take a peek at this bright and beautiful loft (I know this was only last week, but I couldn't resist linking to it again in case you missed it!), a Scandi inspired urban oasis (how fab is that hallway?!) and a relaxed home filled with fab colours. 

We're currently bumping along the narrow, winding rooms of Cornwall, South West England in Scarlett, our rented VW campervan (so if there are any typos in this post you know why!). Feeling a little tired (these rides are way smaller than I'd imagined!) but we've had a lot of laughs along the way! If you'd like to get a glimpse check out my stories! It's such an incredible part of the world.

I hope you have a fab day to couple of days and see you Friday!

Niki

Photography by Nora

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A Lovely Swedish Apartment Inspired by Imperfection

I've noticed there are two camps when it comes to rattan  - those who lived with it in the 70's seem to be less keen and those who are discovering it for the first time love it - is this fair?! Having said that, in my childhood home we had a vast peacock chair - and it evokes great memories (so much so that I have had a similar one in my own home for years!). It's also meant that I was pretty quick to jump on rattan's big comeback.  And my guess is that even if you fall into the aforementioned first camp, you can't help but fall in love with the beautiful home of Swedish photographer Anna Malmberg, her fiancé Joncha and their six year old son Sonny Lou. Located in Stockholm, there's a common theme throughout Anna's home and work: her love for imperfection.  She embraces this with items made from natural materials that age gracefully with time including rattan chairs, weaved baskets, wooden chests, and handwoven fabric - many of which have been picked up on her travels. This is also demonstrated in her book 'Feelings of Imperfection'.

Anna is passionate about interiors, travel and music - and all three come together in her home which is documented on her inspiring blog, hosted with the Northern Sisters Collective (even you haven't discovered this yet hop over immediately!). 

Bedding from Midnatt, photography by Anna, source a similar waste paper basket here*.

This storage unit is so pretty - and practical too! I love the use of different baskets for smaller items like scarves, etc. It would look lovely in a hallway!

Anna recently re-designed Sonny Lou's room. Like the rest of the home it's dominated by natural items (Joncha made the bed) which are so pretty against the pale blue wall (try Farrow & Ball's Light Blue). The little house cushions are from Camomile London (also seen in Olivia's bedroom) and the bedding is from Midnatt (loving the pink and brown combination, how about you?!).

Sonny Lou's cute ensemble is from Tiny Cottons (the top) and Oeuf (the dungarees). There's currently a selection of vintage mini peacock rattan chairs like the one seen in the window available here*.

Anna's creativity runs in the family - the sculptures below were made by her Mother and sister, and her Father is also an artist.

Isn't this the prettiest of homes?

I'm re-doing my seven year-old daughter's bedroom next month and have pinned just about every picture from Sonny Lou's bedroom!

Is there anything you'll be pinning?!

You can keep up to date with Anna's latest work here and check out her blog and instagram for more inspiration! 

As mentioned on Thursday, I'm blogging monday, wednesday and friday this week due to the school holidays

Today we're heading to England for a four day adventure with Scarlett in Cornwall. We're total first timers in a VW camper van so if you've got any tips on life aboard we'd love to hear them! You're so welcome to follow our journey on Instagram Stories!

See you Wednesday!

Niki

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