A Delightful Home Where Swedish and Danish Style Comes Together

Denmark closed for business last night (more of which at the end of the post), driving everyone to the safe haven of their homes for the next fortnight. Swede Ulrika Horn has retired to her home in Helsingør, Denmark where she lives in a 1950's 'murmestervilla' with her Danish husband and their two daughters. The pair bought the house back in 2008 and have been renovating it ever since. Today it's finally ready and the family enjoy a home full of treasured vintage and antique finds as well as some more modern pieces. The super mysigt (cosy) home combines rustic, industrial and bohemian charm and a place where Swedish and danish style can come together in perfect harmony! I especially love the 'garden room' which the use from late spring when they're not in the garden taking in the views over the Öresund strait. Enjoy the tour! 

Remember that garden room I was talking about in the introduction? Here it is (it's like stepping into Summer!):  

Such a charming home!

I especially love the chequered floor in the hallway and the garden room - so pretty! 

Is there anything that stood out to you?

You can see more of Ulrika's home on her instagram @a_nordic_story. Word on the street is that they recently bought a summer cottage in Sweden - I can't wait to follow the progress! 

Other Danish country homes to love: 

A pretty danish home decorated on a shoe string budget

A Copenhagen home full of vintage finds and plants

The home and Studio of a Danish Carpenter 

I also promised to come back to my comment about Denmark on shut down. I don't really want to talk too much about the Corona Virus here as I see this as a positive bubble in which to escape each day. But it would have been weird to feature a Danish home today and not mention it. 

So, just to share my thoughts - my heart goes out to those currently affected. I'm a little worried of course, as we should be, and I'm certainly washing my hands A LOT and taking responsibility wherever possible. I'm also following the news and following the advice of the Swedish government.  For now, we're still going about our business but they've banned large events and gatherings of over 500 people, which makes total sense. I wouldn't be surprised if they take stronger measures very soon, and this would be welcomed. But I haven't gone out and bought 200 loo rolls just yet. I'm not actually sure where I'd put them?! 

What are your sentiments? Are you concerned? It would be interesting to hear what's happening in your country. 

Niki

Photography: Ulrika / @a_nordic_story

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12 Inspiring Living Spaces By Interior Stylist Kim van Rossenberg

This morning I got completely lost in the portfolio of Dutch interior stylist and concept designer Kim van Rossenberg (thanks to my dear friend Holly Becker). Kim's work is simply beautiful! If you've been following My Scandinavian Home for a while, you might recognise the name from this Christmas home tour. Holland based Kim works with magazines such as VT Wonen and has a natural talent for combining raw, natural materials with clean lines and simple earthy tones. She also loves to play with natural light to create spaces that are fresh and airy yet warm and always inspiring. Here's a sneak peek of 12 living spaces I love - some of which use her own home in a former library in Nijkerk as a backdrop. Get ready to feel inspired!

 

Such dreamy, light and airy spaces! 

I particularly love Kim's use of soft, warm wood and vintage pieces in the spaces she creates. I also love her play on light (if you look back through the pictures, you'll notice that in every scene Kim has used natural daylight to create shadow and drama). And finally, the way she thinks outside of the box (literally!) - and often places furniture I the middle of the room. 

Stand out piece: the DIY children's safety gate (by Richard van Meerveld). Why did I have a dull white one from IKEA when I could have had a fabulous one like this when the kids were smaller?! 

Is there anything that stood out to you about Kim's work - or any ideas you're planning on stealing for your own home?  

You can see more pictures from Kim's portfolio on instagram here. 

Other interior designers / stylists work you might love:

The fabulous Stockholm home of interior designer Lovisa Häger

The beautiful white farmhouse of an interior designer

The funky, vintage inspired home of a Danish interior designer

Oh, and a small side note, I heard there were a load of issues with yesterday's post. Sorry! I've since updated it to ensure all images of the pastel inspired danish home are working. Do pop back if you have the time to take a look - I promise you'll be full of the joys of spring afterwards! 

Have a dreamy day friends! 

Niki

Credits: 1. Photographer: Sjoerd Eickmans / Styling Kim van Rossenberg  for VT Wonen 2. Photographer: Sjoerd Eickmans / Styling Kim van Rossenberg  for VT Wonen 3. Photographer: Sjoerd Eickmans / Styling Kim van Rossenberg  for VT Wonen . Photographer: Sjoerd Eickmans / Styling Kim van Rossenberg  for VT Wonen 5. Photographer: Sjoerd Eickmans / Styling Kim van Rossenberg  for VT Wonen 6. Sjoerd Eickmans / Styling Kim van Rossenberg for VT Wonen. Photographer: Sjoerd Eickmans assistant: Yentl Rosa Van Maanen / Styling Kim van Rossenberg for VT Wonen 8. Photographer: Sjoerd Eickmans / Styling Kim van Rossenberg & DIY Richard van Meerveld for VT Wonen. Photographer: Sjoerd Eickmans / Styling Kim van Rossenberg & DIY Richard van Meerveldfor VT Wonen 10.  Photographer: Sjoerd Eickmans / Styling Kim van Rossenberg  for VT Wonen . 12.  Photographer: Sjoerd Eickmans / Styling Kim van Rossenberg DIY Richard van Meerveld for VT Wonen. 

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Spring has Sprung in This Delightful Copenhagen Home Full of Pastels!

Since living in Sweden, spring has become my favourite season of the year. I can't tell you what a wondrous site it is to see buds on the trees and the vibrant yellow of a trumpeting daffodil! They mark the end of a long, dark winter! Spring also brings with it, the first big event of the year: Påsk (Easter) - in all its pastel glory. If you're a big fan of the season too, you're going to love the Danish home of Melissa Xenia Sandra Gosvig. Nestled in the charming Copenhagen neighbourhood of Amager, Melissa's 80 m2 / 860 ft2 apartment is full of pastel tones - from pale blue, green and pink to bold pops of yellow and electric blue! Interior decorating has been a long-standing passion of Xenia's and her home is full of art, second-hand design pieces and flea market finds. Ready for the tour? Velkommen to Melissa's world!

Above: a Kubus candleholder and iconic Noguchi coffee table* sit atop a Beni Ourain rug*. The fab Planet Lamp is by Please Wait To Be Seated (you might remember it from the hallway in this feature). 

This reading spot in the window with art by Nynne Rosenvinge (check out her shop for other colourful prints!) as well as a lovely bright sunshine yellow velvet cushion* is perfect for a moments pause!

I'd never seen one of these Harlequin mirrors until yesterday and then two come along at once (see yesterday's tour!). It's a sign that I need to pick one up for my own home, what do you think?! 

There's a whole load of mix and match love going on here with different colour Hay chairs and vintage finds. Such a pretty dining space! 

Melissa's kitchen is mini but mighty with striking black cabinet doors, dark wood floors (keep a look out for the darker wood trend this year - it's coming!) and white walls. I can imagine the balcony serves as a perfect spot for a 'kaffe og wienerbrød' (coffee and Danish pastry) in the warm spring sunshine too! 

Another wonderful trend this year: mix and match coloured glassware. And these second-hand ones from Ann-Sofie Munk Hansen are so pretty! Keep an eye out for others on Ann-Sofie's page (there are some great ones up for grabs at the moment). 

What do you think? Does Melissa's home make you want to start bringing a flurry of Easter pastels into your home? I might just get started this afternoon with some 'daffy-down-dillys' as my mother likes to call them! 

If you'd like to see more of Melissa's home - there's a load of pictures on her instagram @mxeniaz. 

In the mood for a little more easter inspiration? You might like:

The Big Easter DIY Edit (some really simple and cute ideas here!)

Five beautifully simple easter DIY ideas

Easter touches in a charming Swedish home

Trend alert: how to rock the pastels

Have a great day!

Niki

PS I was so excited to be featured in the Home section of the London Metro today - there's a short version of the interview online if you fancy a read about how to bring a touch of hygge into your home! 

Credits: 2, 3 and 4 by Klix Kommunikation all others by Melissa Xenia Sandra Gosvig

Affiliate links marked with * which means I might make a tiny amount of money if you click through and buy something. 

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A Charming Danish Family Home With a Fabulous Pink Bathroom!

Hej hej! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! I've landed back at my desk with a bump after an amazing weekend in Amsterdam. I started planning it 6 months ago since Per was turning 'jämnt' as they say in Sweden (a big 'round' number!). What he didn't know when we arrived at our hotel was that I'd invited along all of his besties (and their wives) as a surprise. He was so shocked and moved! The whole weekend was so much fun - made even better by the fact that it was an absolutely beautiful city. If you haven't been, I can highly recommend it! 

I wish I'd been organised enough to find a Dutch home tour today, but I do have another beauty to share with you which I think will brighten up your Monday! Ditte Gimm, her partner and their baby Ebbe love in a beautiful house near Aarhus, Denmark. They've spent the past year renovating and furnishing it with a blend of materials, art, one off design pieces and lovely pops of colour! Ready to feel inspired? Nu kör vi! 

A Samsung The Frame TV sits among art from Curated Copenhagen and other galleries. The coffee table and over-size reading Lamp (seen below) are from Hubsch.

Ditte bought her kitchen cabinets from Hth Køkken and the tiles from Marokk.

This fabulous pink wall has been painted in Lazy Summer by Dyrup and the equally fabulous mirror is from Specktrum.

The shower door with black trim is from First Floor Copenhagen (also seen in the bedroom) and the shower head is from Damixa. The tiles are all Marokk.

The glass room dividers add so much elegance to this space - and carve out a sleep zone as well as a walk-in wardrobe. 

The bathroom has been painted in Lazy Summer by Dyrup (I can't tell you how hard I've been thinking about where I can add this colour in my own home since spotting this bathroom!) - could you imagine using this shade somewhere in your home too?  

Isn't this home lovely? 

The highlight for me has to be the bathroom and shower room. The shade is spot on - and I love the green tiles and black faucets! 

Is there anything that stood out to you - or any ideas you're thinking of implementing in your home?

Take a peek at more pictures over on Ditte's instagram @ditteblog and blog Ditteblog. 

Fancy a little more Danish colour inspiration to brighten up your Monday? I love:

Home tour: how to add colour the Danish way! 

A dreamy danish home full of books and art

18 fabulous Danish spaces that will brighten up your day! 

Wishing you a wonderful start to the week, I have a feeling this is going to be a good one! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Ditte Gimm, shared with kind permission.

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6 Design Companies Working Towards a Sustainable Future – From Ambiente 2020

Paid press trip: 
A few weeks ago I was invited to visit Ambiente - the leading international consumer goods fair in Frankfurt. It's a huge, awe-inspiring fair with such a vast diversity of items that I barely scratched the surface. Even so, it was exciting to discover the latest news and trends from the home decorating world. A couple of factors really shone through - the first was the increase in handmade, artisanal items - which you can read more about here. The second, was how the design world is tackling sustainability - whether in the form of upcycling, recycling or offering entirely new solutions altogether. Here are six companies that stood out:

1. 3DCORK: Based in Alentejo, South of Portugal, 3DCORK produces contemporary cork items which are 100% natural, biodegradable, recyclable and ecological. The collection is a story of love for land and nature - as well as the home!  

2. LPJ Studios: This Bavarian upcycling company founded by renowned designer Hedwig Bouley recycles leftovers from the fashion industry to create fabulous, avant-garde pieces such as handmade rugs, blankets and dog baskets. A part of this rug for example is made from an old sweater! The entire production chain is fair, local and C02 neutral. 

3. OOhh Collection by Lübech Living: Made from 100% recycled materials (primarily paper as well as eco-felt - a fabric made from recycled plastic bags and plastic bottles) the OOhh Collection is the result of a Danish design combined with a Fair Trade project in Sri Lanka. Look out for beautiful pots, vases containers, seasonal decorations and office accessories! 

4. Carpenter Brother & Sister: founded in 2005 in Taiwan, Carpenter Brother & Sister focuses on bringing creative woodwork to the home. The company only works with FSC-certified, sustainable forestry centres to achieve their goal of being an eco-friendly supply chain and create beautiful pieces that benefit both society and nature. 

5. Reisenthel: For over 40 years, Reisenthel bags and carrypacks have stood for modern, innovative design. This year marked the launch of a funky neon yellow and blue collection aimed at kids and made from recycled pet bottles. 

6. retap: Danish hydration company retap offers reusable bottles, carafes and water glasses especially designed for tap water, offering us an inexpensive and eco-friendly way to stay hydrated. The colours are nice too! 

I also spotted countless other brands both big and small, working towards a more sustainable future which was very encouraging. I can't wait to see what's happening at Ambiente 2021! In the meantime, hop on over to the Ambiente blog today where I've written a feature about some of the beautiful handmade pieces I spotted at the fair.

Niki

This article is written as part of a paid press trip to Ambiente 2020. However, all words and pictures are my own. 

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