Step Inside Anita's Earthy Family home In Switzerland (Wait Till You See The View!)

Men, tjena! How was your weekend? I hope you had a great one. Ours was a little uneventful but I did manage to squeeze in a trip to the cinema to see 1917 - what an incredible film! So moving! Well worth seeing. Anyhooo, I know you're here to get a little interior inspiration and I promise we're all in for a major treat today. This serene home in Gelterkinden, a town in the countryside near Basel, Switzerland belongs to Anita, her husband, three children, two cats and 7 tortoises (I was desperately looking out for a reptile in the pictures but sadly didn't spot any!). The house was built in 1949 and Anita and her husband have spent three years renovating it ("it's still an ongoing / never ending project!" - don't I know that feeling!). Just like the lovely family concept store Wundernest, which Anita runs with her friend Claudia, the family home is full of earthy, natural and ethically made items giving the entire space an element of calm and a lovely warm feel.

It's quite unusual to see light wood kitchen cabinets - and I absolutely love them, especially when combined with white walls and a concrete floor. 

A gallery behind the sofa is made up of a subtle yet eclectic array of items including shelving, a print and skateboard (from Indiana Skateboards & SUP). 

This set-up reminds me very much of my own vintage mid-century trolley (these pictures of it were taken 8 years ago - I can't tell you how much has changed since then!) - pick up a similar one here*. I love the way Anita has used it to display books, plants and a Marshall speaker*. 

Imagine how nice it would it be to throw open the shutters to this view of the Swiss countryside every morning? Talk about taking that first coffee to another level! 

Monday mornings tend to be a little fraught (don't you think?) but this lovely home makes me feel instantly calm and like I can achieve anything! It's simply beautiful! 

I love the earthy tones. And the view over the Swiss countryside from the bedroom is wonderful! How nice would it be to throw open the shutters to that every morning?

You can see more of Anita's home over on her instagram @wundernest. In two week's time, Wundernest will open its doors in Liestal - if you're in the area,  do stop by!  

Looking back through the archives I found this to be my first ever feature of a Swiss home - hopefully the first of many! But if you're looking for more 'earthy' inspiration I love Danila's Finnish home in a rental, the fabulous Sydney home of an interior stylist and a Gothenburg home full of treasures. 

Have a great start to the week! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Anita / @wundernest

*This post contains a few affiliate links marked with an asterisk

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Cosy Weekend Escape: Warner's Camp Cabin

It's been a long old week but the good news is Friday is here, WOOP! After a week back in the city I'm dreaming of getting away from it all again- how about you? I have a feeling that Warner's Camp might just fit the bill. Dating back to the 1800s, the riverside rustic cabin is located in the Adirondacks High Peaks Wilderness area of New York state (admittedly making it a little tricky to get to for the weekend from Sweden! Bah!). Owner Amy Brightman and Jessica Moody invite Airbnb guests to come and escape from it all, take a dip in the swimming hole, hike the trails and if you're into skiing, the Whiteface Ski resort is also only 10 minutes away (as if the river view wasn't enough!). Did I mention the very cosy rustic interior and wood burning stove too? 

Copyright: The Pinckards

Copyright: The Pinckards

Copyright: Chris Daniele

Copyright: Chris Daniele

"Houses are not built this way anymore; we are so close to the river that you can hear it from nearly every room in Warner's Camp." 

Copyright: Christopher Funk

Copyright: Chris Daniele

Copyright: Chris Daniele

Copyright: Chris Daniele

Could you imagine spending the weekend here?

Since I'd need to travel all the way from Sweden, I'd have to extend it to a one week stay (at least). What a pity... ;)

Read more about the history of Warner's Camp and book your stay here.

In the mood for a little more cabin love? Check out these archives:

Log cabins
Rural retreat

Feelin' the cabin love, how about you?!

Right. That's it from me this week. I hope you've felt inspired by all my shares and thank you so much for stopping by!

Have a cosy weekend friends!

Niki

Photography courtesy of Warner's Camp top picture: Chris Daniele 

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A Tiny Danish Home That's Big On (Handmade) Design!

I was scratching around for something to post today. My criteria was to find something a little different from the other spaces I've shown this week. And since I went all white yesterday, I was thinking a pop or two of colour would be nice too. Little did I know my search would lead me to this beauty in the heart of Copenhagen! Measuring a tiny 44 m2 (474 f2), this little apartment in the Nørrebro neighbourhood serves as a pied-à-terre for Puk Sjelden, her husband Jake and their 17 year old twin daughters. The apartment is made up of two rooms: an open-plan kitchen / dining area and one double bedroom and has been renovated to incorporate clever design ideas, pops of colour and a series of fun DIY hacks.  Welcome to Puk's mini but mighty Danish world! 

The stripy stool is an IKEA DIY hack (check out the DIY highlights on Puk's instagram for the know-how) - and the built in bench and mattress are also handmade. The dining room wall has been painted in Sand from Jotun. 

Did you carry out the renovation yourselves? You seem very handy!
"We (or Jake!) are really handy and we do a lot of the minor details ourselves - like the blue shelves. However, we used a contractor for the larger renovations so that we didn't have to coordinate all the craftsmen. We were very involved in all the details throughout the process."

Puk and Jake have created two recessed shelves using electric blue paint ('Sadolin' code: U9.48.19) and light wood. 

How did you come up with the idea for the recessed shelving?  

There was a hole in the kitchen wall when we took over the apartment, so instead of covering it up we decided to turn it into a feature. The blue shelves came about because I wanted a change. They used to be a covered cabinet and I wanted to bring more dynamics to the room. The colour turned the shelving into more of an installation which I really like! It adds a bit of edge to the room. 

Print by danish artist Sini Salminen.

Can you tell me more about the pops of colour? 

It's funny because I used to be super afraid of colour! I always went for monochrome. But then a Danish design company inspired me to create the blue shelves - and now I can't get enough of colour! It can change the entire feeling of a room. 

What do you like most about your apartment?

I really enjoy the kitchen and the nook, it has a good feeling and it's so cosy hanging out here alone, together or with good friends. 

A Hay mega dot throw adds a sunshine feel to the bedroom. while simple crates provide as extra storage. A simple Pujo coat rack is perfect as a makeshift wardrobe! 

Isn't this space wonderful?

If you love this pad as much as I do you'll be excited to hear that it's also available to rent through Airbnb! Perfect little over nighter! I know where I'll be staying next time I'm in Copenhagen!

You can see more pictures here. 

Other small spaces to feel inspired by: 

A beautiful two room Swedish apartment

A mini but mighty Stockholm apartment

15 small space hacks to learn from a lovely Danish home

Anyone else dreaming of having a little pied-à-terre in town in which to hang out with friends and rent on airbnb? Such fun! 

Niki

Photography: Puk Sjelden / @poppelgade

A special thank you to my good friend Mette at @monstercircus for the tip!

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A Beautiful Swedish Home As White As Its Snowy Surroundings!

We're seeing a load more colour seeping into Scandinavian homes right now. But who said we have to follow the trend? Anette's beautiful Swedish home is proof that white will always be right, too! Her tone on tone palette with subtle nuances of light grey and the odd touch of rustic is the epitome of calm and just like the blanket of snow, it's a picture of peace and tranquillity. Better still, the 'all white' look is super easy to achieve with a few clever tricks. Välkommen in! 

Anette has worked hard to break up the white in subtle ways. The nuanced texture in the tiles and marble worktop / back splash help to add interest and depth to the space, while a rustic wood stool* helps to add contrast and bring the space together.

A chrome toaster*, bin and sink carry the white and grey thread throughout the kitchen. 

The Gervasoni Ghost sofa is always a winner as the linen adds a lovely relaxed look. If you find the price a little out of your league, combining a Söderhamn sofa from IKEA with an absolute white loose fit linen cover from Bemz will give you a similar look for a fraction of the price (great hack!). 

 

White can appear cool - but Anette has used layers of texture to soften the look. Think soft rugs, linen and fluffy white sheepskins* galore! 

Playing with different shapes is also a great way to bring a white look to life. The Atollo lamp* is one of my favourites! Isn't it fab?

Is anyone else a fan of wide wood flooring? I have a sneaking suspicion this one is from Dinesen (one of my favourites!). 

The beauty of using white in the home, is that you can add pieces without really 'adding them'. Does that make sense? What I mean is, a bold colourful chair in the corner of this landing could make the area look cluttered, left empty and it could look, well... empty!! But a white eames chair* with a soft white sheepskin* adds something to the space, making it more homely without the visual clutter! Clever! I might just use this trick on my own landing!

This bathroom is divine, don't you think?! The wooden table is from Granit but sadly seems to be out of stock. Annoyingly. 

It's that white linen* and rustic bench* look I so love again. It reminds me a little of my old bedroom, a look I might return to one day. 

White string storage is perfect for hiding any clutter (and 'colourful' items!).

Surprise! All that white and the exterior is actually jet black. What a beautiful contrast. 

Let's take a moment to admire the breath-taking scenery too. 

Beautiful. Really beautiful. 

I love the simplicity. 

Does this all white look appeal to you? 

If in doubt, you can see more pictures of Anette's home over at @whitelivingetc and you might also like to check out the beautiful white home of Malin Nilsson. I can also recommend the book For the Love of White by Chrissie Rucker - it's one of my favourites. 

Oh, and there's an entire archive dedicated to white homes here - just saying! 

Have a lovely day!

Niki

Photography: Anette / @whitelivingetc shared with kind permission.

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The Delightful Danish Home Of An Art And Plant Enthusiast

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life" - Pablo Picasso is famed as saying. And it's true. We have so many demands upon us. By surrounding ourselves with meaningful art and stopping to look at a painting, I mean, really look at a painting, we can get lost for a moment - and truly soothe the soul! It's the same with plants and a great book. Which is perhaps why, homes like this beautiful Danish one resonates with us so much. Charlotte (aka @cph.muse) lives on the edge of a forest in Søllerød in Zealand, Denmark with her husband, teenage son and puppy. The family bought the house in 2012 and have been painstakingly renovating the property while being careful to maintain the 1905 period features.  The result is a truly personal home and a perfect oasis in which to lose yourself for a while. 

"I love 'used' items - they always seem to have such a nice patina and usually tell a fun story. Virtually all of our furniture is second hand. I love vintage ceramics and glassware as well as plants, flowers and art." 

 

"Art creates a unique atmosphere in the home. Good art becomes more beautiful by the day and lasts forever. It makes me happy to look at something beautiful. I buy art through galleries, acquaintances and Lauritz."

"I love plants, gardens and nature. Nature makes me feel mentally calm. It's a real joy keeping plants alive and nurturing them so they become tall and beautiful." 

What a special home!

It's also made me want to go out and see what's available in the local galleries here in Malmö! Do you feel the same? Or perhaps, you already have a home full of art? 

It made me think a little of the Stockholm home of Karolina Modig (I love how she hangs her art so low!) and this Copenhagen home full of art, books and danish design! 

I also love that it's surrounded by nature - so beautiful! My childhood home was also on the edge of woodland and I'll never forget the noises we'd hear at night - from foxes screaming to the hoot of an owl. it could be a little disconcerting at times, but there was something incredible about opening the curtains each morning to layers of greenery. 

Do you live close to nature? 

Niki

Photography Charlotte / @cph.muse - shared with kind permission

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