Cool Colour Ideas From The Home Of A Swedish Set Designer

Hump day (nope, still not used to that term!), calls for something that little extra special, don't you think? After all, we still have two whole days until the weekend and need something to dream about! Today 'special' comes in the form of the wonderful world of Swedish interior stylist and set designer Emma Wallmén. Emma, her fiancé Magnus and their two children Alba and Edith live in an apartment in Kärrtorp, Stockholm. I love the uniqueness of their home - from funky design chairs, cool lamps and handmade features to the fab use of colour. Think pink, green and sand hues applied to walls, curtains, furniture radiators and bed headboards. Not only does the colour create a wonderful thread throughout the home, it also helps to create an entirely personal living space! Welcome to Emma's world! 

I haven't seen kitchen cabinets like these before, have you? The cabinet fronts and drawers are from Pickyliving (who make cool designer fronts for IKEA kitchens) - and Emma has applied valchromat to the fronts and worktop. 

Check out the radiator which has been painted in Card Room Green by Farrow & Ball to match the bedroom. Such a lovely idea! 

A kitchen nook is always a good idea in a small space, don't you think? 

Emma has added a Flos Parentesi Suspension lamp* and a simple set of IKEA shelves to the corner of the kitchen - which is perfect for small, pretty items that deserve to be on display! 

The sitting room walls have been painted in Cashmere by Jotun. But the real showstopper is the fabulous Etcetera armchair by Jan Ekselius. Incredible piece! I've got a feeling Alba and Edith fight over who gets to sit there (my girls certainly would!). 

The bedroom wall and (hand built) shelving has been painted in soothing Card Room Green by Farrow & Ball while some has also been left in plain wood to emphasise the 'sleep zone'.  

Wow, I'm feeling so inspired by this home - especially the use of colour and all the different lamps (look closely and you'll spot so many in all different shapes and sizes!). 

Was there anything in particular that stood out to you about Emma's home?

Take a peek at more corners over at @emmawallmen.

If you love pink and green you might also like a retro 'funks' home in Norway, pink and green accents in a beautiful Swedish home and an idyllic Swedish cottage with an awesome pink caravan! 

Ha det fin! 

Niki

Photography: Emma Wallmén

This post contains a few affiliate links which are marked with *

READ MORE...

3

Victorian Charm Meets Modern Scandinavian Style In A Lovely Bristol Home

This lovely Victorian terrace apartment in Bristol, England has been doing the blog rounds lately (it appeared on SF Girl By Bay and The Style Files) - and I can completely understand why! Currently under offer the beautiful property combines English Victorian charm with cool Scandi simplicity - as well as some very modern touches (loving the Crittall doors and windows!). Look out for the vintage touches and very cute dog who totally owns the space (love how one ear's up and the other's down!). I have to say, a wave of nostalgia washed over me as I looked through the pictures. Perhaps this is how our home would look if should we ever move back to old Blighty - here's hoping! I hope you feel as inspired by this charming space as I am! 

What do you think? Could you imagine living here?

I'm curious to know if the owners are from Scandinavia. The last time I raised this question was with this London home - and it turned out that the owner was very much British but had a passion for Nordic design. Stay tuned, in case I find out. What would you guess? 

Other British homes with a cool Scandinavian vibe: 

Before and after: a rundown flat becomes a stylish pad

Cate St Hill's London oasis 

A striking Victorian villa with deep blue walls

There's a big birthday coming up in the Brantmark household later this week, and I mean BIG. I'll be the crazy person sprinting around Malmö for the next two days (in case you're looking for me!). 

Hope your day is calmer than mine! See you tomorrow! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of The Modern House. 

READ MORE...

6

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

READ MORE...

0

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 

READ MORE...

0

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!

READ MORE...

6