my scandinavian home

Our Kitchen Update: Got A Feeling This Will Be One Good Sunday Roast!

Paid partnership with Samsung

Our fridge and freezer have been on blink for a while now. I was therefore super grateful to Samsung for approaching me to participate in their 'Sunday Evenings' series which meant replacing our existing fridge and freezer with much needed new ones. Thanks for coming to the rescue Samsung! I was also happy because Sunday evenings mean Sunday roasts in our house - and Sunday roast is my middle name! Full disclosure: I'm admittedly, not much of a cook as you know - but Sunday roasts I can do! Are they a typically British thing - or do you also enjoy them in your country too? It's one of the few traditions I brought with me - as in my mind, there's no better way to end a weekend than gather round the table with the entire family!

So first, the appliances. Which ones did I choose and why? After a lot of research, I opted for the Samsung Refrigerator RR39M73657F/EE and Samsung Freezer RZ32M71357F - both of which have won 'best in test' at Swedish store Elgiganten for three years in a row!

We loved that the insulation is really streamlined, which means you get more space for food (great for a family with three children who are getting bigger by the day!). We also liked that the freezer has a special Metal Cooling functionality which means you get an even temperature throughout (no more semi-frozen vegetables at the back!).

And the vegetable drawer has a Humidity Control setting, which helps to ensure that our veggies stay fresher for longer - so less food waste, and an even better Sunday roast! In the words of the Swedes: Hurrah!

Oh, and the fridge also comes with a water dispenser. It's a little luxury that I've been coveting for a while. Since we don't have any plumbing on that side of the kitchen, I was relieved to finally find a fridge that has a water dispenser that doesn't require any plumbing. The freezer also has a really nifty ice machine which hardly takes up any space.

After all, making a Sunday roast is thirsty work, right?!

This week I'm making roast chicken with roasted vegetables (and all the trimmings) - the girls are going to be so disappointed that this means no Yorkshire puddings, which is why I'm throwing in a pudding too!

Do you have a special Sunday evening tradition in your home too? if so, I'd love to hear about it!

Wishing you a lovely Sunday friends!

Niki

PS I've learnt that there's a great second-hand market for old fridges and freezers. The ones we had might no longer have been efficient enough for daily family life, but they've gone to a great home!

A big thank you to Helen Sturesson for styling / interior design guidance.

This is a paid collaboration with Samsung. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands and products I love and can truly recommend. Thank you for supporting the businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible.

Take a Peek Inside Steffi's Cheerful and Relaxed Family Home

Hey, Friday - how happy I am to see you! Is it me or has it been one very long week?! It could be because we're going skiing tomorrow and I've honestly been counting down the days! I hope you've got some fun plans for half term too! Before I head off I wanted to stop by and share Steffi's lovely, relaxed home in Hamburg, Germany with you. Built in 1910, the house has a lovely flow and large windows which flood the space with light. Colourful art, flowers and accessories add a cheery feel and I love the mid-century touches. In the words of Bright Bazaar - it's truly 'make you smile style' - and a wonderful family home for Steffi, her husband and two little boys. Enjoy the tour!

I feel relaxed just looking at these pictures, how about you?

It's the kind of home that would make you feel instantly at ease. Love that.

See more pics over on Steffi's instagram @heyheyhaus.

Since I'm heading off on holiday (rub it in why don't I?! Sorry!), I'm planning a little blog break until Monday 24th so that I can give my girls and long-suffering husband my undivided attention! I therefore thought I'd leave with you a load of archives (cue hours, days or even weeks of inspiration to be found!). I hope you find a load of inspiration for your home!

Icelandic home tours (not so many in this one admittedly - but SO worth a peek!).

Before and afters (I'm such a big fan of make-overs!)

Small spaces

Bohemian homes

My home

Oh, and I nearly forgot. Happy Valentine's Day! Are you doing anything special? Per and I don't really celebrate it, but my girls love it. This morning when I left home, there was a little boy putting something in our mailbox - it looked like some chocolates and a card. So sweet! Allie is going to be happy when she gets home from school!

Have a fabulous weekend and see you 24th Feb!

Niki

Photography: Steffi / @heyheyhaus shared with kind permission

FILED UNDER: bright colours International homes Mid century

5 Ways To Rock The Shag Rug

I'm not sure if you've noticed - but there's a new micro trend rolling into town. The deep pile shag rug. Now I know some of you are thinking 'What the fluff?' I mean, could you get anymore 70s? But our fluffed-up friend (or foe?) has been given a very modern update - and it's doing wonders to soften today's boxy architecture. Not convinced? Take a look at these 5 spaces and decide for yourself!

1. Classic style: Go down the traditional route with a white shag pile rug like Norwegian Sonja Olsen - it'll go with everything. Add lots of contrast for a bang up to date look.

2. Fluff up the beni! The beni ourain has been around for a while - and it's not going anywhere anytime soon - in fact, the fluffier the moroccan rug the better! Source a similar one here*.

3. Tone on tone: Norwegian interior designer Tone Krok knows her stuff - and she's all in with the fluff (like what I did there?!). In this tone on tone beige room, the rug adds a load of texture and interest without adding another colour dimension - it must feel amazing under foot too!

4. Go all out: Why go plain when you can go pink - as seen in the Swedish home of Emma Johansson! Bring in a couple of other accessories in the same shade to balance the look and you'll totally carry it off!

5. Pile on the pattern: love neutrals but want that little extra touch? Try a patterned rug like this one from Design Within Reach (sadly no longer in stock). I mean, who needs a sofa, when you have a rug like this to lie on?!

So, what's your verdict? Are you a fan of the fluff? Or will you be keeping your rugs more slimmed-down this season?

Still not convinced? Perhaps the fluffy chair is more your thing (love this simple IKEA DIY hack)?

Have a cosy day friends!

Niki

Photography: 1. Sonja Olsen 2. Romain Ricard 3. Tone Krok 4. Emma Johansson 5. Design Within Reach

FILED UNDER: Flooring and rugs

Danila's Lovely, Earthy Home In A Finnish Rental

Quite often, the homes I show are blessed with dramatically high ceilings, beautiful stucco, original parquet flooring and other drool worthy period features. All very well if you are lucky enough to have these in your home, but what about the rest of us mere mortals? If you fall into the latter camp, you'll be as excited as I was to hear the owner of this Finnish apartment state in her instagram bio: "making the most of a not so glam 73m2 rental." Sound familiar? Read on for some beautiful inspiration from Danila Yonsini's lovely home!

Danila has painted her walls in soothing earthy tones with a warm hint and added plenty of texture to break up the 'boxy' feel of the architecture.

IKEA rattan cupboard, Portrait H* is similar, Mantis table lamp*

Every time I see a Samsung The Frame TV it takes me straight back to that greenhouse make-over I did with Emily Henderson. I love the one in my sitting room too - I always choose pictures like the one Daniela's chosen but my kids love to change it to more shall we say 'statement' art - just to wind me up!

We're so used to seeing iconic String shelving in the sitting room, but I absolutely love it in the kitchen too (as seen here!!).

Is it just our family, or is your hallway floor knee deep in shoes too? If you have the wall space for it, this storage from IKEA is really nifty!

I spy a piece that has gone bananas on instagram lately: the round, white ceramic vase from HM Home (I couldn't find this in the online store so it might require a store visit if you're interested) . They're everywhere!

I love the little sculpture next to the bed. Sadly, I don't know where this particular one is from, but I got sent a similar one recently by a Swedish artist and it's one of my favourite pieces! You can see a glimpse of it in my sitting room here and they're available here.

I hope Danila's home has given you some inspiration for your own home! You can see more pictures here.

Fancy delving into a few more Finnish homes today?

In case you missed it, I shared a stunning Finnish family home in a former schoolhouse yesterday (so dreamy!) and I also love the happy, vibrant home of a Finnish designer and Maiju's delightful home. Check out the entire archive here.

Niki

Photography: Danila / @indivisualstyle

FILED UNDER: Finnish home neutrals

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 Ö 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?