The Prettiest Flower This Winter Solstice

I do love to fill my home with fresh flowers at this time of the year - how about you? White hyacinths and eucalyptus have always been a firm favourite. But this year another bloom has caught my eye - and it's selling out across Sweden! The Amaryllis 'Rilona' is a large apricot-salmon flower which looks equally beautiful on its own or mixed with chrysanthemums, eucalyptus or deep burgundy amaryllis   - and of course, the shade is perfectly on trend! Here is some inspiration from some of my favourite Swedish flower fairies!

So pretty, don't you think? I love the salmon-apricot hue!

What flowers do you like to fill your home with at this time of the year?

It's Friday friends - yaaaay! Do you have any fun plans for the weekend? It's snowing here in Malmö today, but we're still hoping to make it up the coast to a 'glögg mingel' (christmas drinks party)  tomorrow!

If you're planning on decorating your home this weekend, here are some inspiring links I think you might like:

5 beautifully minimalist Christmas trees
Cosy Winter Solstice / Christmas Inspiration
6 lovely, simple Scandinavian DIY Christmas decorations
A Stunning, yet simple DUY candle holder

And for cosy Christmas homes:

A Norwegian Home on Christmas Eve
A Swedish Country Home at Christmas
Dreaming of a white Christmas in a Skåne home

I hope your weekend sparkles - stay toasty!

See you Monday!

Niki

Photography: 1. Anna Kvarnström 2. Fru Vintage 3. Katarina Gustavsson Gertruds rum 4. Årstidens Bästa 5. Caroline Birgitte / Lily and Honey 

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5 Great Reasons to Visit IMM Cologne 2019

Montage by Vosgesparis

Wondering about the hottest interior trends for 2019 and beyond? Come and join me at the world's biggest interior show for the international furnishing market: imm cologne! The furniture fair takes place between 14th - 20th January (open to the public 18th - 20th January) at the Koelnmesse Fairground in Cologne, Germany. I've been super excited about it ever since the press conference in Madrid in September - here are 5 reasons why:

1. It's the place to be: imm cologne attracts more than 1450 exhibitors from 50 countries - from top players to exciting newcomers, all of whom will be showcasing their latest furniture, innovation and design lines. In other words, wear flats and bring your camera!

2. 2019 is 'LivingKitchen' year: The LivingKitchen Koelnmesse will showcase the latest news from the world of kitchens, combining business and trend research and all the latest developments from the international kitchen scene. Oh and you'll get to sample delicious titbits on your way round too (yum!).

3. The Stage: Rest your weary legs and settle down to enjoy talks on trending topics such as lighting, colour and materials, latest developments in interior design and a wide spectrum of issues such as sustainability and future forms of living. On public days, interior designers and design professionals will provide practical tips on home furnishing, colour, lighting and latest trends as well as share their expertise in furnishing. I might just camp out there a while! Read more about the program here.

4. #Zuhausesein: The Association of German Furniture is set to launch its new initiative: #zuhausesein (meaning 'be at home') at imm cologne blogger events. Join the conversation about #zuhausesein, and what home means to you - oh and follow the hashtag, Facebook and Twitter pages for the latest news!

To me, home is where my family is, which means I have one in Sweden and one in the UK - I've been known to refer to a hotel room on holiday as 'home' too! What does 'home' mean to you to you?

5. Soaking up Cologne Design Week: also known as 'Passagen', Cologne Design Week takes place across Cologne city centre and promises events galore! Meander through the salons, furniture stores, showrooms and galleries for inspiration among other interior-istas - and soak up the city at the same time!

The Old Town of Cologne with the church "Groß St. Martin / Koelnmessa

Koelnmesse

Interested to join, too? You can secure tickets for imm cologne here.

I'll be there at the start of the week - give me a shout if you'll be there then too, it would be so fun to catch up!

Niki

Photography: 1 & 2. Courtesy of Desiree / Vosgesparis 3, 4, 6, 7 - courtesy of Koelnmessa. 5: my own. 

This post is brought to you in collaboration with imm cologne, all words (and enthusiasm) is my own! 

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A Minimalist Yet Pretty Holiday Vibe In a San Francisco Home

I remember my eldest daughter's first Christmas. The day felt extra special and I couldn't wait to share all our family traditions with her, and create new ones too. The memories came flooding back when I read Si's blog French By Design last week. Si has been busy preparing her home for an extra special Christmas: her first born daughter, Inès will shortly return home from college for the first time to spend the holidays with them. Here are some snapshots from her beautiful home where Si plans to enjoy a "slower pace, PJ days, Netflix binging, laughing and holding random cake baking sessions" with her tribe. Sounds perfect to me!

Si's home is lovely at the best of times (see more pics here) - but I really love the additional festive touches, how about you?

Does it make anyone else feel like staining your floors black? I love the contrast with the white walls and how the floor makes everything 'pop' - very tempting indeed!

Take a peek at Si's blog French By Design and her book How The French Live for lots more inspiration!

You might also like: California dreaming in a monochrome home.

Do you recall an extra special holiday / Christmas too?

Vi ses imorgen! 

Niki

Photography: Siham Mazouz / French By Design, shared with kind permission.

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Our Home - All Set For Christmas!

I might not have bought any Christmas presents yet (aaaaagh!), but I have decked the halls with boughs of holly (fa, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la!). Actually, that's not strictly true, there's none of the prickly bush in sight. Instead a king spruce (which we chopped down at a local sustainable tree farm last weekend) stands proudly in the corner (I think she's a beauty - but that might be because of all the effort we went to sawing away in the rain!!) and I threaded my new hanging brass candle wreath with fresh eucalyptus. I only noticed afterwards that I've gone all out gold (mainly thanks to wonderful Danish brand Nordal!)! But it's not all bling, I like to think the pure linen tablecloth and sheepskins  give our open plan room a touch of cosiness too. Here are a few snapshots, I hope you like our Christmassy home (and holiday table) as much as we do!

It all feels especially cosy at night when all the candles are lit and the Christmas tree is twinkling (I love the dark evenings in the run up to the holidays, how about you?!). If only it could all quickly change back to summer time on Boxing Day, and then everything would be perfect!

I have to say, I'm especially happy with my new hanging candle ring! It was so easy to wire the eucalyptus to it (I used two branches which I placed opposite each other and bounded them to the ring using a thin wire). I then hung the ring a safe distance from the wall (around 30 cm) which seems to have done the trick. It's the first thing I light each day!

Could you imagine having one of these in your home too?

In case you're curious about some of the other items, here's the low down:

Get the look

1. Xmas deco tree
2. Hurricane glass
3. Circle candle hold (hanging)
4. Christmas hanger tree
5. Silver glass hanger
6. Brass trolley
7. Circle candle holder (on trolley)
8. Stoneware cake plate
9. Stoneware dinner plate
10. Clear cocktail glass with gold pattern
11. Clear glass with gold pattern
12. Cement candle holder
13. Tulip candleholder
14. Pure linen table cloth

I've mainly linked to the Nordal online Danish store, however they do have retailers throughout Europe - you can find your nearest one here.

Give me a shout in the comment section below if you're wondering about anything else. I'd be happy to point you in the right direction!

Right. I think its time to go and pour myself a nice glass of glögg and put some Christmas music on, what do you think? Oh no. Hang on. I've got a mountain of holiday shopping to do. Eeeeek! 

Niki


This post is brought to you in collaboration with Nordal. All words and creations are my own. Thank you for supporting the hand-picked brands that make My Scandinavian Home possible. 

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