A Cosy Boho Living Space With a Drop Of Golden Sun!

Hejsan! A drop of golden sun goes a long way to raise the spirits right now, don't you think? I stumbled across these lovely pictures captured for the Maison du Monde Spring Summer 2020 Tuscany Collection and could feel the warmth oozing from my screen, I knew I had too share them with you! The beautiful spaces have been furnished with a relaxed, boho blend of rich textures in earthy tones of ochre, burnt umber, rust, and sunset yellow - and are bathed in warm pools of sunlight! Pull up a chair amica, it's time to get toasty and dream of summer days alfresco! 

 

Can you practically feel the sunlight on your face?!

I love the sitting room in particular - I could totally get cosy there and wile away an entire afternoon (or two, or three) there, how about you?!

Did anything stand out to you?

I was going to show you a really colourful Danish home today but the post has got slightly held up - bear with me, I promise it will be well worth the wait later on in the week. Feeling excited about it already!

Have a lovely, sunny day friends!

Niki

Photos from Maison Du Monde / found via Planete Deco with thanks

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Divide And Conquer: 6 Great Ways To Make More Out of Your Home!

Hello wonderful friends, how are you all doing? Over the weekend, I reflected on how staying at home more right now means our living space is having to work a whole lot harder - do you find the same? If you think about it, our homes have changed from a place where we cook, eat, sleep, relax, and do homework to somewhere that needs to cater for all kinds of extra activities like working from home (for those who can), exercising, home schooling, and much, much more! And don't even get me started on trying to carve out that all important 'me time'! Gah! 

In case you're feeling the heat, or simply want to make your living space go further  -  here are 6 simple ways to carve out zones for that online meeting, studying a new language, the kids' Joe Wicks PE class' (or more importantly, your morning yoga session!) or simply enjoying a heavenly siesta in peace! 

1. Shelf life: Shelves are a great way to divide a room in two but still allow the light to flow. Think about moving your freestanding shelves perpendicular to the wall or get crafty and build your own!

2. Vertical garden: not everyone can stroll to the park right now, but you can bring a little park life indoors. I love the idea of using shelves bursting with plants as a room divider. Plus, they'll help clear the air too! 

3. Temporary floating wall: for a more erm, solid approach - why not build a floating wall and split a room in two. I love this idea below! 

3. Screen from view: for a more temporary idea, wood, rattan or bamboo screens with fabric are great for shielding a space from view, and can be moved around the home (I think I might just carry mine around with me for permanent 'me time' - te he he!). You can also use them as a makeshift place to hang clothes, towels etc. 

4. The light screen: see-through screens are perfect for carving out a separate one without blocking the light (and plunging others into semi-darkness!). This lovely one says, "do not disturb morning yoga session in action". Who knows, later it might say "do not disturb: tick tock choreography in session" (likely in my home!). 

6. The peg board: ideal for kitchens and home offices, peg boards are really versatile. They make great room dividers too! 

7. Curtains: Easily forgotten but oh so useful - curtains are easy to install, perfect for privacy, act as sound dampeners and don't take up any space. I love how curtains have been used to turn a nook into a private bedroom below. Who needs a silk eye mask when you can nap here?! 

I hope you've found this round-up helpful. Are there any ideas you might steal for your own home?

I'm also really curious to hear how your home is having to work harder right now? 

In Sweden our children are still at school (for now) but Per is teaching his six-form-college lectures online - so I need to be careful not to whisk pass in my robe!! 

Looking for beautiful home tours to brighten up the start of your week? Here are a few of my favourites:

An enchanting Danish home in a sea of green

A beautiful, relaxed home in shades of moss green, white and brown

A charming studio filled with vintage finds

Speaking of home tours - I've got a really cheerful, colourful home lined up to share with you tomorrow so make sure you stop by. It's bound to put a spring in your step! 

Niki

Photo credits 1. Serena Mitnik Miller 2. Hoommy.com 3. Serena Mitnik Miller 4. Brittany Purlee 5. Anon (Pinterest). 5. Hayley Kessner / Apartment Therapy 6. Sweet Harmonie 7. Urban Outfitters 8. Kriesdesign 9. VT Wonen 10. Berdoulat

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Before & After: A Swedish Kitchen Gets a DIY Makeover!

It's Friday friends, FRIDAY! Eeeeee! This weekend I'm planning a few home DIY projects to make our home as cosy as possible for the next coming weeks (we might even hang a mirror that's been lying about in our landing for two months - who knows?!). How about you? In case you're also looking for DIY inspiration, I thought I'd share this wonderful kitchen make-over by Swedish interior designer Johanna Bradford. Johanna and her husband Adam bought their former apartment in 2016. The kitchen was nice enough (see below) - but missing that extra 'mys' (cosy) factor.  Check out the changes the pair made using a DIY carpentry and a splash of paint to transform a basic, narrow kitchen into the cosy heart of the home!

Before

Formerly a maid's room with a separate entrance to the back stairwell, the previous owners moved the kitchen into this room in 2014. The kitchen units and fresh white cabinets ran along one side of the room and include double cabinets which extend the entire way up to the ceiling (perfect for maximising storage space! The stainless-steel worktop was beautifully fitted, and all the appliances were in good working order. The kitchen also featured a dark stained solid oak floor. 

Johanna and her partner wanted to leave the fully functional and perfectly planned kitchen intact but at the same time were keen to make their mark on it. 

The process

Prior to moving in, Johanna sanded down the oak floors and treated them with natural oil so that they would match the flooring in the rest of the apartment. 

They also wanted to make more of the right side of the kitchen - and make room for more people. Adam built a wall-to-wall bench using a long plank of wood mounted on solid brackets. He also added a wainscot using wood panels. And finally, he created a raised wood shelf. All of the equipment was bought from a local hardware store. 

Once the work was completed, the kitchens painted in calming Little Greene. 

After

Ta daaa! The work has made so much more of the right-hand side of the kitchen, and up until they sold the flat, they could accommodate up to 10 people for dinner! The update also helps give the illusion that the kitchen is wider than it is - and the wainscoting adds a really cosy touch. I also love the soft green shade, it's calm yet cosy and also adds a traditional touch to the space. Beautiful!

The table was custom made by Friends & Founders. A Flos light* hangs from the ceiling.  

What a great transformation! 

Perhaps you have a kitchen that needs a simple update (this is certainly proof that you don't need to do a lot to add your mark!), or looking for a project at home this weekend? If so, I hope this Swedish kitchen make-over has inspired you.  

Johanna frequently shares other DIY projects and news about her house renovation over on her wonderful blog here. 

If you love an awesome 'before and after' as much as I do put your feet up this weekend and take a look at these - so inspiring!!

A Mid-century Danish House Gets a Fabulous Makeover

A Dated LA House Becomes A Light & Airy Family Home

A Rundown Flat Becomes a Stylish London pad

A Miami Penthouse Gets The Royal Treatment!

So guys, that's all for me for the week. I hope My Scandinavian Home has provided just the bubble of respite you've needed this week and you've felt as inspired as I have!

Wishing you a lovely weekend - take care, stay home and relax (unless of course, you're planning an awesome DIY make-over!). 

Niki

PS I am not sure if you saw that Holly Becker of Decor8 and I started a #30dayhomelove challenge on instagram. It centres around providing a positive challenge each day for everyone at home. The daily themes include plats, shelves, coffee table etc. The hope is that it will help the home be an even brighter place to be. We're thrilled to see more than a thousand entries from all over the world. If you fancy participating, you can read more about it here. It's not to late to join in! 

Photography: Johanna Bradford 

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Irina's White, Light-Filled Family Home

I love to share all kinds of homes on My Scandinavian Home - from the more relaxed, bohemian style to the clean and minimalist look. And today is a fine example of the latter. Irina's home in Munich caught my eye for several reasons: it's light and airy (which feels important right now), it's void of clutter (which is extremely intriguing since she and her husband have a little four year old son at home, so I wanted to hear more about how she achieves this, and hopefully pick up some ideas for my own home - yep, forever hopeful!). And finally, there's one piece of furniture that I've never seen before - but absolutely love. Read on to find out more and feel inspired!  

What is your home decorating philosophy? 

I really do believe that less is more. I feel better when I'm surrounded with less things and only items which I like and find useful. My favourite quote is "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."

How do you keep your home so neat and tidy with a small child around?

Of course, it requires a bit more effort to keep the home looking like this, when you have children. I need to clean up a little bit more often, but it's my choice. And I have a rule to never get mad at my husband and son if they leave things / toys in the wrong place."

I love your wooden screen! 

The oak screen is from Hubsch and I use it all over our home - sometimes to soften light, sometimes as a room divider. 

Skog (forest) print by Fine Little Day* 

Your home stood out to me in the 30 Day Home Love Challenge because of the way you play with shadow and light in your photography - is this conscious? 

Photos with beautiful light / shadow patterns are my favourites. Luckily, we have huge panoramic windows at home, so usually there is enough light to play with, but I sometimes think about adding some curtains to make the light softer. 

Do you have curtains in your bedroom?

We don't have curtains in our bedroom - but we do have electric blinds. If there's anything that wakes me up in the morning - it's my son! 

Children tend to have a lot of toys and other things, how do you keep your sons' room so neat?

I like to go by a less is more approach - buy less toys, but really good ones. We prefer classic toys and almost never buy on impulse. 

I see you focus on child-friendly home decor in your shop mysoulmateplace, how did this come about?

I started my shop in 2017 in Russia, while on maternity leave. I actually have a higher education in finance and worked as a marketing manager / specialist in various companies from the Forbes500 list, but always dreamed of working in the interior and product design sphere. When I first opened my studio, I was selling only my own designs and the shop quickly grew. After we relocated to Germany, I had to start all over. Now I focus on children-friendly home decor / decor you can play with. My goal is to help families keep their homes beautiful without worrying about decor pieces and child safety. All the pieces are very smooth, lightweight and made from natural wood. 

With everything going on right now, has your perception of 'being at home' changed?

It's a strange time now. Maybe it's time to slow down, rethink and be closer to family. Usually my husband has a lot of business trips and my son is at kindergarten, so I'm home alone (I work from home). And now, we are all together at home 24/7. It's a unique opportunity for us and we try to enjoy every minute, despite all our worries and concerns.  

Thank you so much for transporting us to your lovely, light filled home today Irina! 

If you'd like to see more snapshots of her lovely Munich living space, take a peek at her beautiful Instagram feed @mysoulmateplace. And don't forget to browse her online shop mysoulmatespace - so many beautiful things! 

Is there anything that stood out to you in particular about Irina's home? Do you also live by a 'less is more' philosophy? I'd love to hear your thoughts below! 

Niki

Photography: Irina / @mysoulmateplace

*affiliate links

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A Beautiful Swedish Home With Touches of Sunny Yellow (& Soft Pinks and Browns)

Following on from yesterday's post about how to maximise your outdoor space - I thought this lovely Swedish home in Gothenburg might serve as perfect inspiration for how to bring the sunshine in - even on a rainy day! The colour: yellow! It might be obvious, but it's amazing what a lift the sunny yellow cushions and flowers give to the entire living space, don't you think? The golden tone works beautifully with earthy browns, pinks and cream too. So, why not pull up a chair, put your feet up and stay a while - there are lots more details to love too! 

Lovely!!

Do you have the colour yellow in your home? 

Thinking my home needs some daffodils! 

The tones in the bedroom look very like the ones I've used in mine! I'm thinking they've used the same wall colour (Blushing Peach by Jotun Lady) - one of my favourite tones of all time, it looks equally pretty morning, noon and night. 

Is there anything that stood out to you about this home?

By the way - I've got such a lovely home tour lined up for tomorrow's post - it's full of warm pools of sunlight, a cat would be in his element! Don't forget to pop back to take a peek! 

Sending sunshine and a stor kram (big hug) your way! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Alvhem (found via Style Files with thanks). 

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