Easter Touches in a Charming Swedish Home

The Easter school holidays have officially begun in Sweden, the spring flowers are finally in bloom and the sun is shining (if only it were a little warmer though - BRRRRR - up North they have three metres of snow, crazy!). The home of Ulrika Andåker - the fashion and interior blogger behind Colorelle has added some lovely Easter touches to her charming home in Norrköping - which perfectly captures the essence of spring time in Sweden.  Keep a look out for subtle pastel accents, feathers, eggs, lilacs and blossom! 

In Sweden it's customary to tie coloured feathers to branches - I love these subtle brown-pink hues, they're so pretty!

A simple bouquet of lilacs from the gardens make a pretty display in the window. 

Pretty daffodils and geraniums brighten up the stairway. 

Ulrika's dressing room occupies a small yet bright spot on the upper floor and a garden trellis has been used for shoe storage - such a clever hack!

William Morris Pimpernel wallpaper brings spring blooms to the master bedroom! And there's even an Easter touch in one of the children's rooms (below!)

I love these subtle ideas! In fact, there is so much inspiration to be taken from all the decor, don't you think?! 

See more pictures of Ulrika's home as well as get fashion and styling ideas over on her blog and instagram. 

For more DIY ideas check out My Big Easter Edit and Five Beautifully Simple Easter DIY ideas. We're heading to London for Easter this year but I might contribute with my DIY bunny ear napkins! 

Do you have any Easter / spring decorating traditions?

Niki

Photography: Ulrika Andåker shared with kind permission 

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A Norwegian Home Gets The Dark Treatment, And It's Beautiful!

People often refer to Scandinavian interior design as a 'trend' - but to me (and I'm pretty sure all Scandinavians) it's anything but. The beauty of Scandinavian design is that's is timeless and surprisingly versatile - the simplicity means it blends with different styles, eras and architectural elements. And as this home shows, it definitely doesn't need to be all about the white / light look! Interior stylist and visual storyteller Catrine Svellingen has transformed her home in Oslo, Norway into a luxurious yet calm sanctuary using a delicious deep blue, rich greens and black and peach accents. The furniture is a mix of elegant contemporary classics, new Nordic design and the occasional IKEA piece for a smart yet homely feel. Are you ready to take a tour?

White Juju hat* (on wall), Kong Gloria candle / vase*, order a made to measure Beni rug like this here*, Flos 2097 chandelier. Oh and what's that we see peeping into the left of the first image? Shock, horror - a TV! Ha ha! It blends in so well it's barely noticeable too - another reason to go for a darker wall colour! 

Paint colour code. S3020-Y40R, Eames side chairs*

Pov wall candle holders* 

How beautiful this home? 

I love the colour combinations (I'm just trying to find out the exact shade she's used in the living room and will hopefully be able to stop by and update the post shortly.  

Is there anything you love about this Oslo home? 

You can see more pictures of Catrine's beautiful home and follow her latest styling projects here. 

I also thought I'd spread a little more Norwegian home love with this beauties: 

Lessons to learn from a colourful yet calm Norwegian home

A serene Norwegian space for the weekend

A Norwegian House by a fjord

I'm really excited to be heading to Bergen next month for a work trip - but thinking about staying for the weekend. Any tips are so welcome! 

Are you up to anything fun this weekend? Whatever you do, I hope you have a fabulous (and relaxing) couple of days!

Niki

Photography: Catrine Svellingen shared with kind permission

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Beautiful and Unique Places To Stay, Sweden: Stedsans in the Woods

I don't know about you, but when I go on holiday (or away for the weekend) I always start with a search for 'unique places to stay' - the more special, rare and off-beat the better! Do you do the same? If so, imagine my delight when I stumbled across this gem an hour or so North from where I live! The place in question is Stedsans in the Woods - a retreat in Bohult, Halland, West Sweden. Owned and run by Danes Mette Holbæk and Flemming Schiøtt Hansen, Stedsans in the Woods offers an idyllic, food-centred experience which aims to bring people closer to nature through the use of fresh ingredients and simple cooking (foodies rejoice!). In addition to the wonderful meals, guests are invited to soak up the surroundings, cleanse and relax in the floating sauna and sleep in (comfy) tents under the stars. What's not to love?!

Beautiful and such a perfect way to experience Swedish nature in all its pureness and tranquillity, don't you think? 

All that's left for me to do is check my calendar!

If you're visiting West Sweden this spring / summer - perhaps I'll see you there?!

You can find out more info about Stedsans in the Woods and make a booking here. 

Looking for other beautiful places to stay? Here's my list of 20 Instagrammable places to stay in Sweden. Love some of these! 

Into camping? Thanks to Allmansrätten (the freedom to roam) - one of the beauties of Sweden is you can camp wild. Just be mindful not to pitch your tent on farmland, within 50 metres of a house, water sources etc and show respect towards the environment (forage away, but never take everything from the patch, respect wildlife, take your litter with you etc). There's more info and inspiration about camping in Sweden in my book: Lagom, the Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life. 

Have a lovely day! 

Niki

Photography: Stine Christiansen

PS Anyone else still reeling from the incredible before and after pictures in yesterday's post? Simply amazing! 

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Before + After: A Welding Plant Becomes an Incredible Home and Wedding venue!

It's not like me to begin with a less than picturesque shot, but I didn't want to ruin the surprise! I mean, there are before and afters and there are BEFORE AND AFTERS! Today's post is for all of you out there who like to dream big! WOOHOO! Meet Seth, "the bearded carpenter who doesn't say a lot but dreams as big as the stars", and Jenna Wright, "a tiny person with more to say than anyone could ever have time to hear!", who live with their five children in Utah. A year and a half ago the Wrights bought a derelict, industrial 1930s welding plant with the idea of using it as a carpenter workshop. Little did they know that the top floor (comprising 3000 square feet / 278 square metres) would eventually become their home and the lower section an incredible wedding venue. Sometimes pictures say more than a thousand words - and you've really got to see the space to believe it. Let's dive sin!

The exterior

The kitchen

Sitting room

Library

Children's bedroom

Master bedroom + ensuite

Wedding venue

*Speechless*!

Is anyone else now wondering which old garages / warehouses could be transformed in your neighbourhood?! There are some derelict spaces just near Limhamn in the outskirts of Malmö.... hmmm (*Per suddenly feels uneasy across town without knowing why*).

The family have since carried out a new renovation project called 'The Orchard House' which will become the family of seven's fixed abode. It was with mixed feelings that they moved on from what they affectionately refer to as 'The White Shanty' (although they will continue to spend some weekdays here). Jenna had this to say:

"Now, this old place serves so many purposes as if to resurrect and come back, teaching me that all things, with Love, and a lot of hard work, can be made whole and beautiful again."

Inspiring words to live by!

You can read more about the renovation and see what they're up to next over on their blog and instagram.

Niki

PS There's a load more before & after projects to feel inspired by in this archive. Just saying!

Photography: Seth & Jenna Wright - shared with kind permission. 

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