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A Beautiful Finnish Family Home in a Former Schoolhouse

It's one of those days where I'm completely behind with E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G and I know that in any minute the children are going to fly through the door from school. Gaaaaah! Before they do, I'm going to reward myself with a moment of pure inspiration - I hope you'll find it inspiring too! Welcome to Anna Wallendahr's stunning country home in Lohjansaari, Southern Finland - "the land of a thousand lakes and breath-taking nature". A photographer and cafe owner, Anna captures breathtaking snapshots of her home and life in Finland which she shares on her instagram @aamuomenatarhassa. She lives with husband Jussi, who works in IT and runs gypsy brewery Ã– brewing, two daughters Josefina (10) and Elise (6), three cats and 10 chickens. A former schoolhouse, the family home dates back to1898 and is blessed with 3.5-metre-high ceilings, spacious rooms and large windows. Anna and Jussi are renovating the house bit by bit - sharing their projects as they go. Here are some of my favourite corners. 

"Our house is surrounded by beauty here by lake Lohjanjärvi in Lohjansaari. I feel grateful for living in this amazing country." 

Sometimes Anna finds the many doors, windows and high ceiling a challenge. The living room took her a year to decorate - a make-over which included creating a windowsill that spans the length of the room. The result is stunning - and a perfect place for the cats to sit and gaze out of the window! 





Although only temporary (Anna plans on potentially painting the wood with deep / dark egg tempura paint), there's something beautiful about the wood walls in the master bedroom, don't you think? 







Stunning.  

I can certainly see why Anna feels lucky to live where she does. The house is hauntingly beautiful - and the scenery is simply breath-taking! 

Could you imagine living here?

If you don't already follow Anna on instagram, it's a must! You can find it right here

And here are a few other schoolhouses to love:


Oh wow, now that I've started the search, I've found loads of them! Pour yourself a coffee, put up your feet and check out the archive here!

Have a lovely day!

Niki

PS I think I may have made it - no sign of the children yet - PHEW! 

Photography: Anna Wallendahr

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Step Inside A Relaxed Bohemian Family Home In South Korea

Why, hello there! I'm excited to be kicking off the week with a My Scandinavian Home all time first: a home tour in South Korea! And it's perfect time with the country's first ever Oscar win last night!  B.Minjung (who I'll refer to from now on as 'B'!), her husband and their adorable two-year-old girl Yoon Seul live in the coastal city of Busan. The family are currently awaiting the imminent arrival of a baby girl, a little sister for Yoon Seul. The relaxed apartment is testimony to B's passion for vintage and bohemian decor and is a sea of warm, earthy tones and natural materials including wood, rattan and bamboo. B also loves to make her own home decor items - some of which she sells through her web shop. I hope you enjoy this lovely tour as much as I did! 

The apartment is full of earthy natural tones - including an abundance of wood, rattan and bamboo. A simple wooden children's fence / gate ensures Yoon Seul can play safely in the sitting room. 

I spy IVAR cabinets from Ikea. In Sweden it's popular to paint the cabinets to match the wall colour - but I love the way B has left them in natural pine. 

And how cosy does that fluffy sheepskin throw* look on the rattan chair?  

I have been scanning the pictures for clues on how South Korean's live. If the picture above is anything to go by, it seems they have a tendency to put washing machines / dryers in the kitchen - just like the Brits (in Scandinavia they these appliances tend to be in the bathroom). Where do you place them in your country? 

Another thing I noticed is the dark wood floors - something you don't tend to see in Scandinavia right now. 

I have always been a fan of binga baskets having seen them in this relaxed beach home, a bargain hunter's Antwerp home and a relaxed Tucson home (source a set of 5 here*). 

Cuteness overload!

Is it too early to be thinking about weekend lie-ins and breakfast in bed? 

Spot the tootsies! 

There are few ledges in the bathroom so B has used the power of hanging plant holders and an Ikea step stool to add a touch of greenery! 

There are so many pretty items in Yoon Seul's bedroom - but I especially love the little wicker trolley. I remember when my girls were two. They used to love rolling their toys from room to room, this luggy basket* would have been perfect! 


I absolutely love that most of Yoon Seul's toys are made from wood. I often wince when I see mountains of colourful plastic toys that buzz and beep (even if kids do love them!). Having said that, I used to have a plastic fisher price garage and my children enjoyed it 30 years later. Some toys never go out of favour! 

Did anything from B's home stand out to you? 

You can see more pictures from B. Minjung's lovely home over on her instagram feed @ddbling

Here in Malmö the sun has just come out (hurray!) and I'm thinking of heading out to survey the damage from the storm last night - did you get crazy winds too? I also need to clear my head after a crazy week at fairs in Denmark, Stockholm and Frankfurt. I'm feeling full of inspiration but massively tired too! Roll on the weekend. Oh. It's only Monday. Bah! 

Have a great start to the week folks! 

Niki

Photography: B. Minjung - shared with kind permission

This post contains affiliate links which means I might make a tiny amount of money if you click on the a link marked with an asterisk * and buy something. 

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The Delightful Home of a Plant-Lover and a Darling Dalmation!

In my mind, there are several key ingredients that help make a house a home. This list includes people (yes, I can see how this one might be an obvious one *laughs out loud*!!). But lately, it's become really popular for brands to recreate 'apartments'  - and no matter how amazing the interior designer / stylist, they can never truly give a place its soul! Other key factors include art, plants and books. And throw in a delightful pet (or should I say 'companion?' - anyone else following the UK news lately?!) and a home instantly becomes warm and inviting (awww, I miss having a cat!). Twenty-six year-old interior architect student Aya's 80 m2 (862 f2) in Krefeld, Germany includes all of these factors and more (the handsome hound is actually Till's parents' dogs - but he's often over to visit). But above all else, it's Aya's passion for collecting rare plants that really brings their home to life. Enjoy the tour! 

This striking black kitchen is from IKEA.

"I would describe my style as a mix between Scandinavian minimalism and boho - inspired by our vacations abroad."

A plant in the kitchen sink is a daily sight in Aya's home - and I have to say - it sure beats dirty dishes (thinking of my own right now...). 


"My parents use a greenhouse full of plants for their dining area. When I moved out and moved to a new city, I missed taking care of things and needed a hobby - so I started collecting rare plants."




I love how Aya has created different ways to display her plants using plant boxes, plinths and unusual pots! 

"I really like plant boxes - they are great for hiding plastic pots and stuff. It's also a good way to combine plants with different shapes and colours." 

I love the idea of an indoor mini greenhouse and wanted one ever since I saw one in the kitchen of this beautiful, creative Stockholm home. Isn't this one lovely in Aya's home? 

Design House Stockholm sells a great mini greenhouse

What do you think? 

Does Aya's home make you want to bring more plants indoors? I love greenery but I have to say, I'm, hopeless at looking after plants. These days I stick to plants that require as little maintenance at all - like plants that root in water and terrariums - genius! How are you with keeping plants alive? 

If you're looking for a little more green-fingered inspiration over the weekend, here's a little more:



Have a fabulous weekend friends! 

Niki

PS If my writing is a little off today it's because I've been at design fairs all week and was up at 4.15am this morning to travel to Frankfurt for Ambiente. Very excited to be here but have to admit, I'm on my third coffee and counting.... if you're curious to see more, I'll be sharing my finds over on instagram stories today and tomorrow. 

Photography: Aya / @living_lush_life - shared with kind permission.

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Tour Brit's delightful home with touches of pink and gold

I've had trends on mind these past few week (as you can tell from my colour feature and your home = your sanctuary posts) - as we start a new decade there are certainly some subtle changes on the horizon.  But for all lovers of 'millennial pink' out there (of which I am one) - you'll be excited to hear that's one rosy hue that's here to stay. Hey, even if it wasn't, I'd have it in my home anyway! But no one loves the hue as much as Brit.  Self proclaimed 'Midwestern gal' Brit Arnesen is an interior stylist, blogger and enthusiastic DIYer with a penchant for dusty pink and golden tones. She shares her home with her 'one and only', 'two little loves' and one very handsome cat! Enjoy the tour! 

Keep an eye out for these dried fan shaped palm leaves - they're everywhere right now, whether displayed in a vase or as a key player in fabulous floral installations

Estee lamp by Mitzi, Sculpted rattan mirror from Anthropologie



So pretty! Not sure if I'll ever tire of the dusty pink / gold combination, how about you? 

See more of Brit's home in all its rose tinted glory over on her blog and instagram @britdotdesign

And more pink inspiration here: 


Are you a fan of pink? 

Seeing the shell cushion reminded me of this write-up over on Emily Henderson's blog - such an interesting read! What are your thoughts? 

Have a fab day - shells or no shells! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Brit Arnesen shared with kind permission

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7 Small Space Tricks To Learn From A Light-Filled Stockholm Family Home

Unless you're completely minted, you usually need to compromise somewhere on a property - whether that's location, size, outdoor space, aesthetics or layout. For this family in Stockholm, living in the hippest neighbourhood in town - South of Folkungagatan, Söderhamn (SoFo), an area buzzing with independent shops, quirky cafes and lively restaurants - meant compromising on living space. But despite measuring 44 m2 (473 f2)  - the occupants have made maximum use of every inch - carving out a kitchen, dining room, sitting room, master bedroom, children's room and even a library! So how do you create a charming family home in a small space? Here are 7 great tricks: 

1. Use the height: In small spaces it's important to think vertically and use every inch. In this home, bookshelves have been mounted above the dining area creating a family dining space and library in one! And it looks super cosy too, don't you think?


2. Leave a little breathing space! The blank space between the dining table and chairs and the bookshelves makes the space feel less cluttered even though there's a lot going on. 

3. Go wall to wall: built-in benches in dining rooms, kitchens and sitting rooms are perfect for small spaces since they help to maximise space, eke out a little extra seating and provide extra storage. 

4. Let the light flow: small spaces can be starved of light - widening doorways between rooms helps natural light to flow into even the darkest of corners! 


5. Use curtains for privacy: Sometimes there simply aren't enough bedrooms to accommodate every member of the family. In this lovely home, the living room doubles up as a master bedroom. A curtain helps to carve out a separate sleeping zone while still allowing the light to flow from the window. 


6. Internal windows: The little kitchen in this Stockholm home wouldn't have received any natural light had it not been for the glass room divider. At night, a curtain can help to shield the children's bedroom from lighting (we all know how important it is not to wake the crazies!). 



7. Create storage wherever you can: In this tiny bathroom, the tank top doubles up as storage and an extra freestanding unit has been installed for shampoo bottles, shower gel etc. 

I had another look through the pictures to see if I could establish where they keep clothes - and there are two storage cupboards in the hallway (not featured) - I wonder if they've stashed items in other unseen places too, like under the bed? 

Either way, there are so a many great ideas to steal from this home, don't you think?

Other small spaces providing great inspiration:


Is your home small? What do you find the hardest thing about living in a small space? Have you got any space-saving tips? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

I'm excited to be winding my way up to Stockholm by train today to visit the Stockholm Furniture Fair. This post has taken me way longer than usual to write as the snowy scenery flashing passed the train window is simply stunning! If you're curious to follow my journey / time in Stockholm I'll be sharing away on Instagram stories

Ha det fint! 

Niki

This home is for sale through Historiska Hem. Photography: Anna Malmberg

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