A Serene 'Japandi' Style Family Home in Western Norway

Welcome to Astrid Marie's serene home in a small town in Western Norway. Astrid lives in a house on the farm she grew up on with her husband and two little children . Looking at her calm, beautifully curated home, it comes as no surprise that she's always been passionate about interiors and studied to be an interior consultant ten years ago. It's only now though, that she's dared to take the bold step to start up her own business Pur Interiør, alongside her current role as an advisor for KS. Astrid describes her style as "Nordic minimalism, or Japandi style" (where Japanese and Scandi style come together) and likes to combine furniture with clean and simple lines with natural elements and soft, earthy shades.  It's hard not to feel your pulse lower just looking through these pictures. As for that view from her cabin... Velkommen i!

Mantis wall light, &Tradition Hoof table, Söderhamn sofa, the walls have been painted in Space 10678 and Raw Canvas.

"I like my interior to be minimalistic with high quality and natural elements. I like to surround myself with neutral and warm earth colours, with contrasts in black and dark wood." 

Catcooee bowl

Astrid's adorable 1 year old son and 4 year old daughter play by the fire on a cosy, super fluffy sheepskin (source a similar Norwegian sheepskin here*). 

Scandinavians have an incredible relationship with candles - burning them all year round, day and night. I feel it really adds to the warmth of a room!

Hay About a Chair*, Artwork: Blue Indigo and Outline Woman

&Tradition In between chairs*, the kitchen walls have painted in Sommersne 1928  and the cabinets (which Astrid made herself) in Space. 

As you often find in Scandinavia, Astrid prefers to fill her home with whatever is available outside the door, rather than shopping for fresh bouquets. It's a way too connect the home with it's immediate surroundings and embrace the season - bringing nature indoors in a natural way. 

Kamut print by Coco Lapine, Natural linen waffle blanket*, the walls are painted in Sommersne 1928 and the floors and mouldings in Space 10678.

Astrid's daughter's room is painted in Soft Skin and Senses, and the floor is painted in Tidløs.

At the weekends and during the holidays, Astrid and her family head off to their cabin. I couldn't resist a snapshot from the cabin sitting room! That view!! Here's how Astrid described their island retreat to me:

"The cabin is on a small island called Atløy on the west coast of Norway. It is about 1.5 hours drive from our home. We love spending time there because it's so calm and relaxing. We can sit and just watch the ocean, the boats and the weather change for hours. Sometimes we see whales swim by or eagles right outside our window. We also have a couple of otters that live just down from our cabin. The children love to watch the wildlife, and so do we! We leave all our worries back home and just enjoy life."

I have to say, I really wouldn't mind hanging out in either of these spaces - but that sitting room view is something else!! One of the things that always mesmerises me about Western Norway is the dramatic weather - one minute the sky is a bruised, inky black and the next there's a shaft of sunlight piercing through the clouds, bathing the scenery in a warm golden light. I can honestly imagine sitting there for hours just watching it!

Is there anything that stood out to you about Astrid's serene home (and cabin)?!

You can take a peek at more pictures over at @astridmvie and find out more about her interior consultancy business here: Pur Interiør.

Not ready too leave Western Norway today? Neither am I! Here are a few other homes I love from the region: A Norwegian House By a Fjord, a beautiful AirBnb rental in Bergen and a Rustic Norwegian hide-away.

Ha en fin dag venner! 

Niki


//Photography by Astrid Marie shared with kind permission
//Affiliate links marked with *

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16 Ways To Transform A Tiny Room Into a Dreamy Yet Practical Bedroom

If there's one thing I've noticed about the Scandinavians over the years, it's their amazing ability to transform small spaces into beautiful, practical living spaces! It really is an art form! And where better to start than the bedroom? After all, many of us have at least one small box room in our homes (or perhaps you live in a one room studio and need to carve out a space to sleep). Either way, I hope I've got you covered with these 16 'tiny bedroom' tricks' I've learned along the way.

1. Shelving (above) - wall mounted shelving above the bed serves as a night stand and storage! Oh and you can clamp a reading light onto it too. Perfect! In case you're curious, there's a load more inspiration to take from Christina's small yet very cosy Stockholm home here.

2. Go dark! Forget the need to go light, this box room in Sara Margareta Hellman's home is proof that rich colours can add depth and cosiness! Create interest by painting the wainscoting in another colour or only painting a couple of the walls.

3. Sliding doors. Sometimes there's simply no bedroom at all - and you need to create a room within a room. If you're building a wall, use sliding doors so they take up less space and let more light in. We did this with my stepson's room and it made a huge difference.

Historiska Hem

4. Glass partition. Instead of building a wall you could try an oh-so popular glass partition (with curtains for privacy!). This one was created by Elsa Billgren as part of a charming one room studio make-over in Stockholm.

Elsa Billgren

5. Misted glass door. Not sure about a glass all the way? Why not try a door that slips in filtered light  (light is often an important factor in smaller rooms).

6. Go outside. An obvious one, but moving some of your storage into the hallway (like these hooks) is a handy way to expand storage space and clear away a little clutter.

7. Go under.  No space either side of the bed? Try raising the bed and using the space underneath for built-in storage. Super handy and in this case, super stylish too!

Jonas Gustavsson

8. Lift it up! Not an inch for storage? Go for one of these bad boys! I slept in a MALM pull-up storage bed at my brother-in-laws holiday home and I couldn't believe it when I realised all the bedding for the apartment was stored underneath!

IKEA

9. Headboard storage. A headboard or (or cushions) are a necessity for reading or chaining through Netflix series at night, and they can also be an excellent way to sneak in a little extra storage too!

Pella Hedeby for IKEA

10. Narrow it down. If there's a little space left either side of the bed, go for handy narrow bedside tables with drawers.

Homepolish

11. Use what's there. Window sills (if you have one) are great for doubling up as a bedside table.

12. Reflect the light. Small rooms tend to be rather dark. Strategically placed mirrors are great for bouncing around the light and adding depth.

Alvhem

13. Reading light. Wall or ceiling mounted reading lights are ideal for smaller spaces where floor space is limited.

14. Art. A simple gallery wall can do wonders to the look of a teeny bedroom.

15. Tray table. Nowhere to put your morning cuppa? Invest in a breakfast tray for books, coffee and whatever else you need for a cosy Saturday morning!

16. Plants. Plants are great for keeping the air clean and bringing the outside in which will help you feel less claustrophobic. There's a million ways to display them - take a peek at my guide to indoor climber ideas and hanging plants for inspiration.

While researching this post I realised there are SO many more ideas to add! I might just have to do a follow up post at some point soon, but I hope this has given you a few ideas to get started with!

There's also a load more small space inspiration in this archive!

If you have any tips or tricks to add, please do share them below - I'd love to hear them!

Have a lovely day!

Niki

PS Thank you SO much for all your kind words of support yesterday, it meant so much, I'm feeling a lot better today and will be trying all your tips :)

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Anne's Enchanting Family Home in Lille, France

We woke up to pure sunshine today - a true diamond of a day! Honestly such a gift in Southern Sweden in January: it's like a heavy lid has been lifted! A quick walk by the sea at lunchtime is definitely in order. But that's only if I can peel myself away from Le Chien à Taches - my latest blog and instagram find! The account is curated by Anne, a freelance graphic designer based in Lille, France who loves to share her latest home updates and travels as well as beautiful snapshots of family life with husband Kevin,  daughter Ninon and Dalmatian Maggie. Their family home is an eclectic blend of white-washed rooms, darker more cocoon like spaces and soft rose pink which serves as a backdrop for furniture in a blend of materials such as rattan, mid-century teak, wool and rustic vintage wood. It's hard not to feel enchanted by each and every room!

Bamboo pendant lights*, these hexagon tiles are similar

Hay Mags sofa

The gorgeous chair is from La Redoute (out of stock?)

Marshall Stanmore Bluetooth Speaker*

This Mustard yellow / golden linen bedding* is similar

Paint colour: Vieux Rose, Organic birch baby arch, Fiona Walker giraffe, Ligne Confetti cot

Such a lovely home, don't you think?

That Maggie *heart eyes*!

I also love Anne's pictures from her travels and everyday life (seen here) - such beautiful angles!

After a little more interiors inspiration today? Here are three homes I absolutely love thanks to their use of colour: 

A home with pretty pastels and inspiring details

Hygge and pops of colour in a Danish home

Home tour: how to add colour the Danish way

Have a lovely, sunny day!

Niki

PS On a total side note - I'm curious to know - does anyone else suffer from vertigo? I mean, the dizzy-room spinning-feeling sick kind of vertigo? I tend to get it when I'm feeling a little stressed and it's the worst feeling :( Would love to hear from anyone else that suffers from it. 

//Photography: Anne / Le Chien à taches

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A Cosy, Stilted Cottage on Fire Island

The best way to get through a Monday? Dream about a beautiful island escape. And this holiday cottage has got my heart all a flutter! Fire island is a thin Atlantic Ocean barrier island off the southern shore of Long Island. Cars are left at the dock and the sandy beaches, dunes and stilted houses are reached by foot via raised boardwalks and sandy pathways. This charming early 20th century stilted cottage belongs to Alex Bates, founder of creative agency Flint & Kent and co-founder of Bloomist.com - sustainable, nature inspired products for the home and her husband Andrew Hoffman. Decorated with a blend of vintage finds and white washed walls and floors, the relaxed cottage serves as a perfect antidote from life in New York City. You may have seen this space on Maryn, SF Girl by Bay or the Style Files - but it's definitely not one to be missed - and in my mind, can be enjoyed time and time again - especially on a Monday! Are you ready to look inside?!

How easy would it be to get through the working week knowing that windswept walks along the beach and drinks by the fire await come Friday?! Sooooo lovely!

Looking at the white-washed inside of the cottage you'd be forgiven for thinking you're in Scandinavia (although the US flag on the outside is a bit of a give-away!)  I especially love the dining space with the classic Cherner side chairs, vintage table and wood panel walls. Is there anything that stood out to you?

Read the full interview and see more pictures here - and pay a visit to Alex's wonderful store!

Other charming beach homes include the Caribbean beach house,  a summer retreat on the Greek island of Milos and the cottage, Byron Bay.

Have a wonderful start to the week friends - we're going to nail this one, and it'll Friday before we know it!

Niki

// Credits: photography: Marta Xochilt Perez, Art Director Michelle Adams, Design: Alex Bates

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