A Beautiful, Relaxed Home in Shades of Moss Green, White and Brown - Designed by Christine of @_forthehome

Long before they were married, Christine (AKA @_forthehome) and Shawn would find themselves spending their weekends decorating Shawn's teeny tiny starter home in Old Brooklyn, Cleveland, Ohio. It wasn't a planned thing, they would simply suddenly find they had paint brushes in their hands or were roaming a flea market or spending the day renovating an entire room! Fast forward several years and the duo have several renovations under their belt as well as a wonderful home full of treasured finds and an entire nursery of plants. Did I mention that they also have seven pets?! Welcome to the wonderful moss green, white, beige and brown world of Christine and Shawn! 

Christine spent a day painting the fireplace (AKA known as 'Mama'!) in a blend of greenblack and urbane bronze paint from Sherwin Williams. Love the results - and love the idea of putting my mind to a project and just getting it done - I've got SO many projects I keep putting off at home, how about you?! 

The Abstract 835* print is similar. 

Smeg fridge freezer, kitchen cabinets from Nostalgic Warehouse

We have the same rubber tree plant in our house - it was originally Per's grandfathers. I tell you - that thing can survive anything, and it grows so fast! It looks really pretty in the corner of this room!

Tiles from Daltile, cabinet from Arhaus

I'm currently working on a project with Velux and it's taught me so much about skylights and how they can completely transform a space. Look how they flood the bedroom with light! Do you have any in your home? 

There's a chance this picture is from Shawn and Christine's previous home, but I couldn't resist including it anyway as that mirror is absolutely beautiful! Little wonder it went completely viral on instagram! I've just seen it's on sale right now too - will someone snap it up on my behalf?! 

Such a cosy home! And it's really inspired me to get going on my own home. Hmmm. Where to start?!

See more pictures from Shawn and Christine's wonderful home and follow their latest styling projects on instagram (@_forthehome) and their blog www.forthehome.blog. 

While in Ohio - how about also checking out:

Off the grid: 'The Hut' in The Woods of Ohio

Step inside Jennifer Harrison's Bohemian Style Home 

I'm at home with Allie today as she's not feeling very well, poor thing! We're under a big blanket and it's raining outside  - I'm typing  - and she's watching her favourite YouTubers (do your kids only watch YouTube these days too?). Not very high brow, but kind of cosy for a Tuesday in sick bay!

Ha det fint! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of @_forthehome and www.forthehome.blog - shared with kind permission.

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A Small Swedish Apartment In Fresh White and Soft Grey

Hejsan hoppsan! I hope you had a great weekend! Did you get up to anything fun? Per was away and the girls and I headed out to the forest for some mushroom picking - we weren't very successful I have to say, but it was lovely having a picnic amidst the pines! Trees aide, I've been thinking about how it's been a while since I showed a fresh white and light grey home. It makes me realise just how much the trends have changed lately with so much colour and golden tones creeping in. So, how about we kick off the week with this serene, light and airy apartment in Gothenburg? For those of you who messaged me with words of glee over Friday's post (10 clever small space tricks to learn from a lovely swedish apartment), you'll be pleased to hear this space is also only wee - measuring a mere 42 m2 (452 f2)! Think fresh white floors, pale grey walls, a spattering of iconic design pieces, clever storage and one very beautiful masonry oven! Enjoy the tour! 

Jetson armchair, Noguchi coffee table*, Portrait M* print, Zettel'z 5 Suspension Lamp

Love the tall plant, it adds so much to the room, don't you think? Does anyone know what species it is? The white ceramic shell pot* (just peeking into the corner of this picture) is a new item from Ferm Living. 

The front door leads straight into the kitchen - which also doubles up as a hallway. On Friday I mentioned how internal windows can do wonders for the flow of natural light into smaller spaces - and was pleased to see a little round window in this space!

At first glance, I wondered why the wall opposite the kitchen cabinets haven't been made into cabinets - but on further inspection I realised that there's a bed in the recess on the other side of the wall!

I spotted lights like the small pendant in this picture over at deVOL last week. It's so pretty! I've been wondering where to put one in my own home ever since! Could you imagine having a little light like this in your home too?

The Line print, white and wood storage from IKEA (I think)

White linen bedding* 

When you're short on space you need to make use of every inch. I love the way a recess above the door has been used as hallway storage.

I have to say, no matter what trends come and go, I'll always have a penchant for homes with a white and soft grey palette. Are you a fan too, or do you need a little more colour? 

Have a wonderful start to the week friends! 

Niki

PS I'm not usually into numbers but I was excited to reach 250,000 followers on Instagram today - that's a quarter of a million! Kind of crazy! Thank you so much to everyone who follows along and makes my day that bit brighter with your comments!  

This home is for sale through Alvhem

*Affiliate links 

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10 Clever Small Space Tricks To Learn From a Lovely Swedish Apartment

This Stockholm apartment is the type of charming and relaxed home which makes me want to pull up a chair and stay for a while. Books, plants, mix and match vintage furniture, an abundance of natural light - the CUTEST dog - what's not to love? It's only after taking a long hard look at the space that you realise each room is actually pretty small and narrow. So, how does it appear so light and airy? I spotted ten very clever small space tricks which have done wonders to create a cosy, comfortable and practical living space - I hope you might find them helpful for your own crib! 

1. Make use of every inch of floor space: This is particularly important if you live in a rental and can't drill holes into the wall. What could have been dead space under the windowsill makes a handy spot for books. If you're not too keen on piling books on the floor (remember the discussion in the comments section of this Norwegian home?!) - a low shelving unit would work equally well. 

2. Bring nature indoors: Small spaces can feel a little closed in and claustrophobic and plants can do wonders to draw the great outdoors in and bring harmony to the living space. 

3. Source easy to move furniture: in a tight space your furniture needs to work harder. In this instance, a Karin chair can be wheeled into the corner to create a reading corner for one or easily be pushed back into the centre of the room for socialising. 

3. Add an internal window: An internal window helps a narrow room to feel wider and also increases the natural light that enters the space. One very worthwhile investment! 

5. Create multipurpose zones: a built-in storage bench in the dining area can be used as a private place to sit and gaze out of the window with a morning coffee - or as extra seating at the dining table. Plus, it's handy for storing items like napkins, tablecloths, candles etc. 

6. Let the light flow: Wider entrances encourage natural light to flow through a space and make the room feel more light and airy. A sliding door or curtain are ideal for creating privacy when a standard door doesn't make the cut! 

7. Reflect the light: an obvious one - but mirrors can work wonders to bounce the light around and make a room feel larger. One of the My Scandinavian Home Studio interior designers recently included a series of mirrors made to look like a window in a narrow Brooklyn dining space and it did absolute wonders for the room! 

8. Wall to wall open and closed storage: it's easy to think that the entire wall should be covered in closed storage for a clean, practical look - but in this case the storage not only provides a place for clothes, the display surfaces add character and a personal touch to the room: two birds, one stone! 

9. Dual purpose furniture: A stool in the bathroom provides a handy spot for shampoo and conditioner - and can also be used for extra seating whenever and wherever needed! 

10. Wrap-around storage: We're well versed on book shelves that go up and around doors - but this is one of the first times I've seen shelving around a loo. Such a clever way to add extra storage in a tight spot.  

I hope you found this helpful! Even if you don't live in a small space, we all have a small room somewhere in our homes where these tricks can come in handy! 

And how cute us that doggy? He totally OWNS the space! 

If you have any more small space hacks to add, I'd love to hear about them in the comment section below. 

In the meantime, here's a little more small space inspiration for the weekend:

A beautiful Swedish space that makes the most of a 'sceiling'!

16 ways to transform a tiny room into a dreamy, practical box room

A small swedish space that will make you want to downsize! 

And of course, there's always the small space archive! 

I hope you've had a brilliant week! It's been a crazy one for me with a trip to Copenhagen and Hamburg thrown in. I've got a feeling I'm gonna sleep well tonight! 

Trevlig helg! 

Niki

This home is for sale through Historiska Hem - found via Coco Lapine with thanks. 

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Trend Alert: How To Rock The Pastels

The skies might be slowly darkening here in Sweden, but summer looks set to continue thanks to one of this year's hottest interior trends: pastels. Powder pink, mint, lavender, clearwater blue, lemon yellow - it's all about that soft, sweet touch. Own the look by colour blocking with tone on tones or add simple, subtle touches in the form of a single item of furniture or accessory. Combine with clean lines and contemporary touches for a tougher, modern vibe. Here are three pastel shades I'm loving - and a guide on how to rock them in your home this autumn! 

Powder pink

1. Tom Fereday 2. Kelly Day 3. Mark Hadden 4. Surrounding Australia 5. Anna Pirkola 6. H&M Home
Powder pink has reigned supreme in the world of interiors for a while now. Often referred to as 'millennial pink', the earthy shade holds an element of retro (my Granny Ruth had a matching bathroom suite in this shade - and although I didn't appreciate it at the time - looking back it was pretty awesome!). The beauty of this shade is that it looks equally great as an entire room (try deco pink by Jotun Lady or Sweet Pastel by Valspar for the ultimate wall colour) or as an accent in the form of lamps, vases and bedding.

Get The Look

1. SP01 Jeanette Chair
2. Ferm Living Hexagon Vase*
3. Gubi Grasshopper Floor Lamp*
4. H&M Washed Cotton Duvet Set

Lavender

1. Ferm Living 2. Earthborn 3. Little Greene 4. Earthborn 5. Taubmans
I've got a confession to make. I was sceptical about this shade. But then I started to see it creep into interiors in the form of soft, earthy lavender-grey walls (try Lavender Lace by Behr) or a rug here or a sofa there and I quickly changed my mind. In order to avoid it looking fusty, combine with beige, gentle browns, grey and light blue, for a style that's bang up to date.

Get The Look

1. Dino Floor Lamp
2. Anthropologie Veru Dinner Plate
3. Parachute Sateen Sheet Set

Mint green

1. Carpet Right 2. Beth Kirby 3. Deiji Studios 4. Anthropology 5. Mindlike Studio
The least cutesy of the three, mint is cool, calm and contemporary. I'd lean towards the light green- pale blue of the spectrum (try Top sail by Sherwin Williams or even Soft Mint by Jotun Lady if you're looking for something slightly darker) and combine with other natural, earthy shades. I think it works particularly beautifully with rattan, light wood, dark greens and chocolate brown.

Get The Look

1. Ferm Living Tufted Wall Deco Rug*
2. Ferm Living Bau Plant Pot
3. Louis Poulsen AJ Table Lamp*
4. Cachae Tall Pendant*

Did any of these shades leap out at you? I have both powder pink and a darker shade of mint green in my own home. They're very soothing and easy to live with! I'd  absolutely love a pink bathroom just like Granny Ruth's too!

What are your thoughts on pastel? Are you a fan? Do you have any pastel shades in your home?

Niki

PS I've just arrived in Hamburg for the day to record a podcast with Holly Becker (Decor8) and Living At Home Holly magazine. Eeeek, wish me luck! I'll be sure to share snippets from the day on instagram stories so hop on over if you're curious to see how it's going!

*This post contains affiliate links which means I might receive a teeny amount of money (we're talking one coffee bean) if you purchase any of the items accompanied by an asterisk! 

Thank you so much to the wonderful Ana Degenaar for your help to compile this post. 

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