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A Swedish Home With The Loveliest Earthy Blue Walls

Why, hello there! I hope you had a trevlig helg ('nice weekend' - notice how I subtly drop in new swedish words every now and again - I promise you'll be fluent by the end of the year!). I arrived home on Saturday night from Norway and will be rejoining the cruise in Gothenburg later today for my second talk (*mops brow*). But before I shoot off, I wanted to sit back and enjoy a moment of calm with you! This 46 metre square (495 foot square) Swedish apartment is so soothing for the soul! It's been styled for sale so probably features less items than it ordinarily would, but I'm still feeling massively inspired by the blue walls (could they be painted in Deco Blue?), subtle autumn hues, the fab Gubi coffee table and Frama light and some very pretty rugs!



One of the things I've always loved about turn-of-the-century Swedish apartments are the sweeping double doors between rooms. Aren't they wonderful?!



It's been a while since I've seen a bed canopy like this  - what are your thoughts? I am a little divided but I do appreciate the soft, cloud-like look of it! The colours are what really stand out to me though - the chestnut duvet cover and soft green walls (I  just painted my daughter's room in Minty breeze which looks similar).



I love the little pendant light over the dining table, it looks like it's wearing a top hat (so cute!)- but no idea of the name! Perhaps you can help?





This is the kind of space that you need to look through several times to catch all the details. For example, I've only just noticed the subtle glass shelf high up on the window over the kitchen table. It's the perfect place for a plant!

Did you spot anything I haven't? Or perhaps there's something you absolutely loved about this home? Please share away, I love hearing your thoughts!

Oh and more blue home inspiration in the fabulous 'decorating with blue' archive. Remember to just scroll passed if this pops up first.

Happy Monday!

Niki

Photography Anders Berstedt / Styling Nouvel Interiors for Entrance

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My home: Mouth Blown lights From The Danish island of Bornholm

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Hello there! I'm on a cruise ship Norway bound right now. I'm on board to hold a talk about Scandinavian design - definitely a first, and very fun! One of the key parts of my talk is about how Scandi design is associated with artisans. There's something extremely special about the passion and care that goes into handcrafted items, not to mention the feeling you get when you hold them in your hands. Every nick, bubble and irregularity gives the piece its soul and adds to the character. Scandinavia has a long history of glass blowing and my latest find are these absolutely beautiful mouth blown SKY lights by Pernille BĂ¼low. Located on the island of Bornholm, Denmark, the esteemed team of glass blowers are passionate about unique design and sustainability - and take the process of collecting liquid glass pulp from a 1120 furnace and blowing it into shape - extremely seriously. I can't tell you how happy I was when they arrived!


I went for three different sizes of the clear SKY pendant lamps in gold to hang over our dining table - aren't they pretty?! They are also available in grey, golden, pink, blue, tea, turquoise and recycled glass with the option of either chrome or gold fittings (check out the complete collection here).



In this picture you can really see the different shapes of the glass - a result of the individual glass blowing.



In case you love these lamps as much as I do -  you can pick them up online here. They ship worldwide - yay!

And if you find yourself on the (magical) Danish island of Bornholm why not pop into the Pernille BĂ¼low workshop and watch the daily glass blowing in action? You can also check out their other handcrafted glass items such as glasses, vases and candle-holders in the gallery

Have a wonderful weekend - and see you Monday!

Niki

I collaborated with the delightful team of glass blowers at Pernille BĂ¼low for this post, as always all words, photography and styling are my own. 

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A Dingy 1950's Bungalow Gets A Fab Light-Filled Make-Over

Sometimes I am so in awe of what can be achieved with a little vision. When interior designer and decor shop owner Kirstine and husband Steve acquired their 1950's bungalow in a small lakeside town just outside Toronto, Ontario Canada, it was dark and dingy and in desperate need of TLC. The couple completely gutted the space and spent a year transforming it into a wonderful open-plan, light-filled home on a budget for themselves, two cats and dog. I couldn't resist asking Kirstine a little more about the incredible transformation!

Before


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 Original layout


What work have you carried out?
We did most of the renovation ourselves. It was a completely closed off layout until we gutted the entire place, drew up some design plans and converted it to an open concept kitchen / dining / living space with a vaulted ceiling.





Sinnerlig Pentant, Bamboo lights from Etsy*

Were you daunted by the sheer level of work?
I am interior designer and worked in the field for 5 years before I started my own business in decor rentals and running a decor shop. Steve used to work in construction, so we both have experience in renovating and we typically know what we'll find behind the walls. Having said that, it was the craziest most intense thing we've ever done - most people get married and have kids, we did this!!

I can imagine! What was your aim?
We loved the idea of the house being as bright as possible, as before it felt small and dark. Adding windows on the back as well as an exterior sliding door made this all possible.

After






How did you come up with the idea for the shelving?
The room divider was actually an idea I had, we have our cold air return vent in the wall and instead of just having a small half wall, or a tall typical 4" wall, I decided to make it a feature and something we could use. That's where the shelf divider came in. 








There were some erm... quite strong colours when you moved in. What was your approach?
I wanted the entire house white, to really bounce around the natural light flow, with splashes of olour like in the bedroom and office.

 IKEA kitchen cabinets painted in Racoon Fur by Benjamin Moore, KitchenAid hood

Where do you shop?
Most items in here are pieces I have come across while at antique stores or flea markets. Larger pieces, like the sofa are some Article.

Sven Charme Article sofa,  for a similar rug try the Kaya* (among others) from Anthropologie.


How would you describe your style?
I wanted a Scandinavian, bohemian vibe because I love a clean but colourful look.

Kirstine picked up the hutch cabinet at a thrift store. 

 The pair added the wood work detail themselves over the space of weekend. It's been painted in 'Malarca' from Home Depot. Source a similar jute rug here* and vintage swivel chairs here*.

What are you most happy with?
The natural light that flows through here is my favourite thing about this house - and the fact that we did it all ourselves! 

The bedroom has been painted in Simply White with an accent behind the bed in Sherwood Forest, both by Benjamin Moore.

Thank you so much for showing us your fab bungalow Kirstine! I can't even begin to imagine the amount of work that's gone into it - but it was certainly worth it. Truly inspiring!

Can I just say, how cute is that dog?! He looks so happy on that rug too! 

If you'd like to see more of Georgina's latest projects check out her IG feed - or enjoy a browse around her lovely online vintage shop!

I've shown a load of Scandinavian-inspired homes in Canada lately. In case you missed them - take a peek at the lovely home of Émilie Desjarlais,  Lauren's former Monteal apartment (and her latest home across the hallway) and Juli Baker's white and wood cabin. What a dreamy bunch of homes, don't you think?!

I'm on my way to Dover, England first thing tomorrow for a Scandinavian cruise. It sounds wonderful, I know, but just in case the man is reading this -  it's definitely not a jolly - I've been asked to hold two talks about Scandinavian Design! Eeeeek! Feeling the nerves!

To keep my mind off the talks, I'd love to hear if you've done any major renovations in your own home and how you found it?

Sadly I realise I won't have time to create a  blog post tomorrow - sorry! I'll definitely be back on Friday though!

Niki

Photographs courtesy of Georgina / kirsten.diane shared with kind permission. 

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10 Beautifully Simple Ideas To Steal From A Swedish Kitchen


We all know kitchens make for an expensive re-model - and sometimes there's simply not much wrong with them other than they're not entirely to our taste down to the last details. When we moved into our house the kitchen was in many senses perfect - it was simple, had lots of storage and decorated in white and wood. Not much to complain about it really. Except I'd have done it slightly differently (#husbandofinstagram rolls eyes!!). Do you feel the same about yours? The good thing is, I've learned there's plenty we can do to update the 'engine room of the house' without spending an arm and a leg - and this pretty green and white kitchen in Gothenburg, Sweden is a fine example of this (FYI the home is for sale - so rather than steal, you could always upsticks and adopt this very kitchen - tempting, huh?!). Otherwise, here goes:



1. Throw in a free-standing island: Sometimes the work surfaces in a kitchen just aren't enough - and that's where a stand alone kitchen island comes in. We actually added one to our own kitchen and it created a whole other dimension to the amount of surface space (incidentally, half of it's currently taken up by piles of post - but still...). This industrial one is a hacked version of the RIMSFORSA from IKEA (they've swapped the bamboo for marble which I think works really well!).



2. Add an accent colour: if there's an area of your kitchen you can paint, why not give it a lick of colour in a pretty, muted tone like this pale green? It will add another dimension to the space.

3. Update the door handles: swapping out the door handles for something different, like these leather pulls is really simple to do and can make a huge difference to the overall look and feel. You can buy similar here and here* or even make them yourselves out of leather belts or even reindeer reigns (sounds extreme - *loughs out loud* - but I actually photographed a home in Norway for The Scandinavian Home and the owner had done just this - you can take a peek at the mountain cabin here!).


4: Exchange the tap:  Swapping out a dull tap for something more in tune with the style you're looking for is a great way to add a personal touch. Go sleek and contemporary or vintage for a budget friendly option. Think about balancing the look of the new material - for example if you add a brass tap, you might want to also add a few brass lights to ensure a more complete look.

5. Speaking of lights: go wild and add a statement light to bring the look up to date. I'm loving the brass wall sconces in this kitchen (does anyone know where they're from?  It's important to remember that good lighting in the kitchen is vital (lights are lovely and all, but not worth losing a thumb over!!) so think about how much light is needed for various tasks.

6. Be a fan the fan: There are so many nice extractor fans on the market - by swapping the one you currently have for something a bit cooler can create a great statement and focal point.OK, this is not necessarily budget option, but it is cheaper than ripping out the whole kitchen (is that cheating?!).

7. Squeeze in a work space: I was reading an interview with Martha Lane Fox (of lastminute.com fame) where she talked about how she would control her children's use of screens by only allowing them access to a computer in the kitchen. This work space doesn't take up a lot of space but certainly does the job. Frama CPH and Elfa sell similar.

8. Go for contrast with curtains in a darker shade: Not perfect linen sells made to measure charcoal drapes* like these).

9. Get comfy: If you have the space a sofa turns the kitchen into a relaxed sociable area.

10. Get those tunes going: Something that struck me on a recent visit to Naja Munthe's Danish holiday home (again, for The Scandinavian Home book) - apart from the sea view obvs - was the amazing sound system. There was something so luxurious about bopping about the living space with amazing surround sound. I'm loving the design element of the Libratone Loop Speaker seen in the window in this space too (thank you for the tip on model and brand Rita!)

Oh and plants. Obviously!

Perhaps you've got a load of things to add to this list  - if so I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below. 

If you're curious about the rest of the home - you can see the full tour and snap it up over at Entrance

Other kitchens I love include this calm, neutral space and a beautiful blue Swedish family kitchen.

Have a great day!

Niki

Photography by Anders Bergstedt for Entrance

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