A Home In The South of France With a Lovely Black Kitchen

Black kitchens are on my mind after chatting to Desirée of Vosgesparis over the past few days (she's currently renovating a kitchen too so we had a lot to talk about!). We're in Transylvania for a few days on a blogger trip and today we're off to Dracula's castle! Mwah ha ha haaaa. Anyway, where was I? Ah yes, black kitchens. They are not for everyone but if you have the courage to go dark, you'll be rewarded with a dramatic space that makes a wonderful statement. This warm kitchen belongs to Camille - a deco coach, online shop owner and the blogger behind Cosy Home - her husband and two little boys, Jules and Noah. The family live in a pretty little village near Aix en Provence in the South of France and their home is full of vintage and artisanal pieces from the region, art, warm wood as well as lots of plants and dried flowers. I couldn't resist sneaking in a few pictures of their open-plan dining room and sitting room too (you'll totally see why!).

Such a lovely family space, don't you think? I'd be happy to hang out here over a fika or two, how about you?! 

You can see more of Camille's home on instagram and her blog. 

Tempted by a black kitchen? Try IKEA (made from recycled plastic bottles), Reform (one of my latest favourites) and VIPP.

Right, I'd better head off, I've got an important 'Count' to visit. I'm so glad I had all that garlic at the Italian restaurant last night! 

If you'd like to see a few pics from Transylvania they're all on my instagram stories right now - it's mesmerisingly beautiful here. Have you been to this part of the world?

Niki

PS I apologise for any spelling / grammar errors - I'm writing from the back of a very bumpy mini bus!

Photography: Camille / Cosy Home

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6 Clever Tricks To Learn From A Small, Swedish Box Bedroom

Many of us have a small box room in our home. Maybe it's the master bedroom, maybe it's a guest room - or maybe you're a student living in halls (been there!). Whatever the case, it can be soooo tricky to get the balance right, don't you think? A few months ago I shared a feature on 16 ways to transform a tiny room into a dreamy, yet practical bedroom - and the response was overwhelming. So, today I thought I 'd share a tour of another mini yet mighty bedroom! Despite the small size, the bedroom is clutter-free and feels the essence of calm thanks to 6 clever styling tricks. I hope it inspires you to transform the tiniest room in your home! 

1. If you use too many colours in a small space it will quickly start to feel cramped. Yet, subtle, earthy nuances help to add interest while maintaining an element of calm. Try Magic Linen* for similar linen bedding. 

 2. A low round table plays with the height of the room and takes up less visual space - providing a spot for bedtime reads, morning coffee and even fresh blooms!

3. Combine different textures in similar tones to add a cosy feel to the room while keeping the look clutter-free.

4. Make the most of every inch with a wall-to-wall wardrobe. A cleverly placed mirror also helps to light up a dark room and create the illusion of space.  This one is available at IKEA. 

5. An additional bedside table at the foot of the bed provides an extra spot for smaller items. 

6. A row of hooks is perfect for adhoc (or your prettiest) items - but also helps the room to feel cosy. FYI I spotted hooks like these in H&M Home the other day! 

I might just steal some of these tricks for my elder daughters room!

Did you get any ideas for your home too?

Get a load more beautiful ideas in the bedroom archive.

I don't know about you, but this post has made me feel all sleepy and ready for a lie-in - bit tricky when I'm in Transylvania - yes really - so crazy! And I might add, such a beautiful place! More in IG stories right now!

Sov gott! 

Niki

Photography: Anders Bergstedt / Styling Nouvel Interior for Entrance. 

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A Relaxed Tucson Home In Sun Kissed, Earthy Tones

Hej hej! I hope you had a fabulous weekend?! We've been busy renovating the kitchen at the cottage and I can't even lift my arms today. But Per and I did manage to sneak in a sail yesterday afternoon which was BLISS if not on the chilly side- brrrr! Perhaps that's why I was thinking we could head to balmy Tucson, Arizona today - whad'ya think? Emily of fabulous instagram feed @oursouthwestnest, shares her home with her partner and three little ones, and has taken inspiration from the scorched, earthy tones of the desert. Think minimalist furnishings in wood, rattan, stone and terracotta against a white backdrop for a relaxed and inviting home - as well as a cool respite from the Arizonian sun.

Bamboo pendant lights*, Smeg toaster*, wood stools*

Block Prints / The Printable Studio*

This fabulous binga basket* is similar

 Art by Jan Skácelik

Someone asked the other day if any of the homes I show actually have TVs. Fair point! This one's for you! I think it's really inspiring how Emily has transformed the wall into a gallery space too. 

Art by Tucson photographer Emily Tartaglia, Bath from Wayfair, Bungalow pendant light

Absolutely love this home! 

Did you feel inspired too? Is there anything that stood out to you?

The white and wood tones works anywhere. It reminds me a little of this cabin in the woods, Serena and Mason's Topanga Canyon home and a Dutch home enthused with warmth and harmony. 

See more pics of Emily's home over at @oursouthwestnest. 

BTW, one of my daughter's 8-year-old friends said the other day "your mother loves wood, doesn't she?!" It made me look at my home in a new way - and she's right, I have a LOAD of furniture made from wood. But seriously, what a great material (as long as it's sustainably sourced, of course). Do you have a lot of wood in your home too?

I've got to run as I'm packing for a blogger trip to Transylvania with Tisca rugs. My flight leaves in a couple of hours and I'm nowhere near ready. EEEEEK! I'm super excited though, as we'll be visiting Dracula's castle! Keep an eye on my IG stories if you'd like to follow along!

Have you ever been to Transylvania? If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts. 

I'll be stopping by as usual with the daily post tomorrow! See you then!

Niki

Photography @oursouthwestnest

Affiliate links marked with *

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Summer Cottage Kitchen Renovation Update (Including a Few Nasty Surprises!)

In paid partnership with Bosch:
I thought I'd share a quick update on our summer cottage kitchen renovation with you (see the before pictures here!)! The demolition has begun together with my partner in crime (Per). It took way longer than we thought and we discovered some very nasty surprises along the way but we're feeling proud of all our hard work too! Here's the low down:

Choosing the cabinet colour

Thank you so much for sharing all your thoughts on colour. Based on your input, I tested three paint samples:

NCS S 2002-Y (light grey)
NCS S 3005-G50Y (light green)
NCS S 3005-G80Y (green-beige)

The colours look a lot more muted / softer in this picture due to the camera setting, but in reality, the green shades felt way too heavy and dark for the small space. The light grey, on the other hand, felt fresh and subtle and also offered a gentle nod to the colour of the Nordic sea. I think we have a winner!

Next step: the cabinet fronts and decor strips will be sent to the trusty team at Swiss Metod in Malmö to be spray painted! Yay!

TIP: You don't have to stick to the cabinet colours available at your local kitchen supplier - a professional spray painter can transform the fronts using whichever shade you like! To find the right colour, I tested large squares of colour on ALL the walls and observed them over 48 hours so I could see how they looked in different light. 

Dismantling the kitchen
Per and I stripped out the kitchen being careful to save anything we felt may come in handy. It was a lot of fun, but it also revealed a few nasty surprises...

1. Fire risk! 

When we pulled out the cabinet beside the fridge, we discovered a nasty surprise. The cabinet to the left been placed flush against the wall (which houses the fireplace on the other side). No heat had been able to escape and the wall and cabinet were completely charred black. We were lucky the whole joint hadn't burnt to the ground! I was hoping to go for a 60 cm cabinet here, but now we definitely have to go for a 45 cm with a big gap for ventilation! 

Wood floor

Do you remember I was excited to see if there was a beautiful, 1930s wood floor lurking under the 70s laminate? Well the good news is there is a wood floor. The bad news is it's cheap, poor quality and at some point had been painted dark green! So now we're left with two options: sand it down and paint it or replace it with tiles or a wood floor. Since we're trying to keep the costs down I'm thinking the former, but I'd love to hear your thoughts! 

3. The Walls

The wallpaper came off like a dream (so satisfying!) but lurking beneath was another layer of paper which also needed to be stripped away. I can only describe the work akin to peeling 500 potatoes. Our hands and arms are still aching! 

The current state of the kitchen

By the time we left, we were covered in dust and grime but the kitchen has been completely stripped out - hurrah!  

I'm so looking forward to finally implementing the design plans to make this place as pretty as can be. There's a whole bunch of work ahead but I'm starting to think it's going to be worth it!

See all the before pictures, plans and appliance choices here.

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts, so please do weigh in below!

Niki

*This series is in paid collaboration with Bosch. However, all words and pictures are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too.

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