A Small Relaxed Bohemian Home Filled With Plants

"Your light will always be too bright for someone." I read this quote recently and it really resonated with me. It's definitely true for people - but also for interior design! That's why I love to shake things up a little and try to feature a variety of different Scandi-inspired styles - so there's something for everyone! While yesterday's white Danish summer cottage was about a simple, pared-back way of life with an interior designed to take a back stage to the great outdoors, today's home tour is about bringing nature indoors, and creating a wonderful, relaxed, oasis in the heart of the city!  

Lifestyle photographer Caroline Reichel lives in the greenest district of Berlin with her partner and two cats. Her apartment may be small but what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for it in plants! 

As someone who wishes they had more plants, I couldn't resist catching up with Caroline for some green-fingered tips! 

How would you describe your home?

We have a small, two room apartment in an old building with over 100 plants - a small urban jungle! 

What do you love most about filling your home with greenery?

I love to surround myself with plants - they calm me down. Plants grow with me and it's like one big green family. Also, I love the jungle. When I travel, I always go where it is especially green. Now I have my personal little jungle at home and I love it. 

Do they require a lot of care? 

I look after my plants two to three times a week. It's part of my morning routine. I find it very relaxing and a bit like meditating.  

I love how this climber has been trained up and around a mirror! 

Do you have any tips for anyone looking to acquire more house plants?

There are some plants that are very easy to care for and grow quickly - like Devils Ivy. In general, I can say it's better to water plants too little than too much. 

That's so interesting! I've found that the plants I've given up on and just shove out in the back yard to fend for themselves, always seem to thrive ! It makes sense now. 

Do you have a favourite plant?

I love all of them, but my favourite ones are climbing plants (philodendron) and one of my most beautiful plants, I think, is the Anthurium Crystallinum. 

Finally, your cats seem very happy at home! How do you manage your plants to ensure they do not cause any harm? 

I pay a lot of attention to where I place my plants - and whether or not my cats show an interest in them (particularly if they are poisonous). With my cats, it works wonders to position the plants a little higher. 

I am especially careful with plants that have smaller leaves, for example some ficus plants. They arouse more interest in our cats than plants with larger leaves. The Dragon tree (palm-like) is out of the question for us because our cats confuse it with cat grass because of its narrow leaves - and it's poisonous. 

Thank you Caroline! 

I need to head straight out to a nursery this afternoon and pick out some new house plants. Seeing Caroline's home makes me realise just how much greenery is missing from my own. Do you feel the same?

Even though I don't have a pet (actually that's not strictly true - we do have a hamster named Dexter), I was really interested in what Caroline had to say about how to manage plants around cats. So important, don't you think?

If you'd love to look at more plant inspiration today, you might like to check out more pictures of Caroline's Berlin home here. And there's a ton more 'green' inspiration to be found in the plant archive!

For something a little more permanent - I can also recommend the coffee table books Urban Jungle: Living and Styling with Plants by Igor Josif and Judith De Graaf and Wild At Home by Hilton Carter. 

Speaking of greenery, I spent the day photographing a brunch setting in my small back garden yesterday for Danish brand Georg Jensen. It was so much fun - but being more of an interior photographer I always forget the challenges of outdoor photography - from the changing light and insects to rain showers and pigeon pooh! Even so, I can't wait to share the results with you soon!

Niki

Photography: Caroline Reichel

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A Beautifully Simple White Danish Summer Cabin

When you stand on the Malmö shore you can see the sun setting over the Copenhagen skyline in the distance  - it's the most beautiful sight! Sadly, it's looking like we won't be able to visit to our Danish friends this summer, so I'll be getting my fix from pictures of their beautiful homes instead. I hope you'll join me! Today, I'm taking us on a virtual tour to Line Stampe Dahl's simple, yet charming summer house in Sjællands Odde, North East Zealand (approximately 1 hr 45 minute's drive from Copenhagen). It's an area that comes to life in the summer months, when Danes flock to the cape to enjoy the magnificent nature and white sandy beaches. Line, a landscape architect and keen knitter, and her family love to escape city life at the weekends and in the holidays, to enjoy a more simple life. Their whitewashed cabin is sparsely furnished giving it a wonderful, light and airy feel, and allowing nature to take centre stage!  

It's no secret that the weather in Scandinavia in the summer can be a little, shall we say, unpredictable - but nothing that a wood burning stove can't fix. The fire adds instant hygge too! 

Simple wood furniture and a Beni ourain rug (source a similar one from Kanyamakan*) are perfect for adding a touch of warmth to the white open-plan living space.

One of those slow frosty mornings when you bring the duvet with you and chill in the early sun.

I love it when a ceiling has been knocked through to reveal beams - it makes a room feel instantly more spacious (rem ember this Danish coastal home?). The panoramic window is fabulous for letting in great bites of nature. 

When you have windows like this, it's perfectly acceptable to wear a sun hat and sunglasses indoors!

The iconic Le Klint scissor lamp* - what a beauty! 

Bunking up. I've  realised over the years, that my children love to live in close quarters, the smaller the space, the cosier they think it is. They'd be so happy to arrive at Line's cottage and discover we were sharing a room!

What a lovely way to spend the summer holidays! It doesn't need to be more complicated than this, do you agree?!

Line sometimes rents her wonderful cabin out (for future reference!). If you're interested, keep an eye out on her inspiring instagram feed for info! 

And if you love knitwear, check out Line's latest pieces here (she's currently working on a home page). 

As always, I can't resist sharing a few other idyllic danish summer cottages for you to dream over today: 

A Danish cottage oasis on North Zealand

Two idyllic Danish cottages to rent

A charming cottage on the Danish island of Fejø

Oh, how I'll miss Denmark this summer! Here's hoping they might open the borders soon! 

Wishing you a dreamy Wednesday friends! 

Niki

Photography Line Stampe Dahl

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The Wonderful, Playful Loft Of A Furniture Designer

Oj oj oj, do I have a treat for you today. And I love that it's so different from yesterday's rustic, farmhouse tour too! This stunning loft in Bielefeld, in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe region of north-east Germany serves as a home and workspace for Lilli, her husband Sascha, a furniture designer, and their two daughters (16 and 6). The light and airy space has been sparingly furnished in a thoughtful way: selecting only pieces with exceptional design including many of the pair's own designs, IKEA hacks and a few design classics. I had a chat with Lilli to find out more about their wonderful, unique home. 

What do you do for a living? 

We live and work under one roof and love to openly connect all areas of our lives. Sascha is a freelance furniture and interior designer and I love working in the field of marketing and social media. 

Can you describe the layout of your home?

Our home is not very big - it has an open-plan kitchen and dining area and two bedrooms, and we have no living room and therefore no sofa. But is more important to us that it is beautiful, than it is practical! 

I'm so curious - how do your daughters find not having a sofa? Mine have been spending half their school summer holiday flat out on ours! 

Haha! She hangs out on her bed - it's her sofa!!

Where do you hang out as a family? At the wonderful dining table?

Yes, we love to play a lot of games as a family, and if we watch a movie, we'll do it together in our bed. 

That sounds so cosy!

The geometric light is from Schneid studio and the table is one Sascha's own designs. 

Can you tell us more about the furniture in your home?

We have many of our own designs and we also have exceptionally designed pieces by younger, designers, as well as a few IKEA hacks and some design classics. We attach great importance to high-quality, sustainably produced furniture and home accessories and therefore prefer to have fewer, but more special things. 

The chair in your dining room is so unique, where is it from? 

The chair is from Japanese sushi restaurant Nihombashi in Berlin. My husband fell in love with it and negotiated with the owner until we could take it home with us! 

I also love the kroko (crocodile) low table (designed by Sascha) in your dining area - and notice that many items in your home are playful, is this something you're drawn to?

We love design that is fun and doesn't take itself too seriously but is still aesthetically pleasing! 

The lips are from Italian brand Seletti - who I see, are currently selling some fabulous face masks too (with proceeds contributing to the Italian multiple sclerosis foundation), the clothes hanger is by designer Florian Saul and the side table is from German brand e15.

And finally, I love the use of colour in your home, have you always been a fan of bringing in bright hues?

In recent years, our loft has become more and more colourful. We love strong Bauhaus colours and earthy, soft nude and red tones. We also like plants, so it's getting greener by the day. 

The bed and smiley steps are one of Sascha's own designs.

Thank you so much for showing us around your home Lilli! It really made me smile in so many ways! 

You can see more pics on her fab instagram feed @kitschcanmakeyourich and check out all of Sascha's furniture designs over at Art can Break your Heart - as well as shop for fabulous pieces in their online shop. 

Is there anything that stood out to you the most about Lilli's home?

Leaving you with a few other playful homes today: 

A playful and relaxed home that will put a smile on your face

The vibrant sitting room of a Swedish photographer

The cheerful Brooklyn home of an artist

Sending lots of love from a rainy Sweden today! 

Niki

Photography Benjamin Janzen 

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A Magical Farmhouse on a Hill In Vermont

One magical, sunny day in 2014, photographer James Gardiner and I made our way up a long, winding track in Vermont, USA. Eventually we came to a clearing, and there at the top of the hill amidst 100 acres of luscious New England pasture stood Nadine Dole's farmhouse. We spent the day shooting the house known as 'The Hill' for my book Modern Pastoral (now re-named to Relaxed Rustic). It would be a day I'll never forget. 

The remote farmhouse is simply furnished with a mixture of antiques, handmade items, vintage finds and wonderful pieces of art. Natural materials and a neutral colour scheme unify the eclectic pieces and work in harmony with the surroundings. The windows open inward and upward, filling the living space with a wonderful cool breeze - and providing uninterrupted views over open fields towards distant mountain ranges. 

Meals and afternoon tea are enjoyed at a 19th century pine harvest dining table. The natural woven seating of the dining chairs is slowly coming unraveled, enhancing the relaxed nature of the home. 

The kitchen is simple yet purposeful and made entirely from salvaged items. 

A row of linen aprons (this lovely linen apron* is similar) in muted makes a delightful display on the back wall. Vintage rolling pins are stored in the pockets. 

A Kasanof's & Paramount Bakeries tin bought in an antique store sits above the green armoire. The impressive 'Blueberry' painting is by John Young. 

Nadia collects art from all over the world. The nude portrait was found in a brocante (a secondhand market) in Maussane, France. Dried honeycombs found in the garden in winter rest on a table found at auction. 

An old schoolhouse light hangs above an ornate mirror and porcelain sink and a simple lion claw tub provides a perfect place for a soak while looking out over the pastures, where black bears, coyotes, wild deer and chickens wander freely. 

You can see more pictures of Nadia's magical home in my book Relaxed Rustic (formerly known as Modern Pastoral). 

I also love following Nadia's latest projects on her instagram. 

If you're as taken with her style as much as I am, you might also like to keep an eye out for one of her workshops - and if you're lucky enough to be in the area a little birdie tells me she might be opening a small shop, cafe or bakery (or perhaps all three?) soon! 

Discover other incredible country homes in the archive! 

Wishing you a wonderful start to the week!

Niki

PS There's currently a give-away over on instagram to win Relaxed Rustic along with five other interior books. 

PPS If you are one of the first to pick up a copy of Relaxed Rustic online and enjoy it, I'd be so happy if you could leave a review - thank you so much :)

Credit: Relaxed Rustic by Niki Brantmark, published by CICO Books (19.99 GBP). Photography by James Gardiner - copyright CICO Books. 

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Per's Best Tips On Laying Hardwood Flooring Yourself

A few weeks ago I mentioned we needed a new wood floor in our open-plan living, kitchen and dining room. Thank you so much to everyone who shared their thoughts on which floor to go for - we loved reading all your comments, they were so helpful! After much deliberation, we decided to go for the Cured Oak LYBY wide plank (28 cm), with a rustic, white matte lacquer finish from Swedish brand Bjelin. We felt the wide plank fitted well with our modern townhouse and loved the light tone with a subtle yet lively, natural rustic touch (being a naturally dark room we were keen to brighten it up as much as possible). The cured wood is also known for being incredibly strong and hard wearing - perfect with the crazies around! Here's a close-up:

Rather than get someone in to install the floor professionally, we (or perhaps I should say Per!) decided it would be more fun to do it ourselves. With the work well underway, I thought it could be interesting to ask Per a little more about the workings of a wood floor, how difficult they are to lay and whether he'd recommend it!

Have you ever laid a wood floor before?

Yes, which actually made me hesitate to do it again as it was pretty difficult to get it right (*laughs*)

Why's that?

I started at one end but left a small gap, which made it tricky to lay the next row and so on. A small error at the beginning meant it took me way longer than it should have done. But the end result was good, which gave me the confidence to give it another go! 

Why would you prefer to lay a wood floor yourself than get someone in professionally? 

I think it's a nice feeling to know you've done it yourself: there's a certain pride in it. Of course, you save money in the process too, which is also a bonus!

Could anyone lay a wood floor?

I would say that anyone could lay a wood floor like this one. This time it was much easier because Bjelin floors have a special locking system which means the planks click into place without the need to use glue or nails. The only time it can get a little fiddly is around places like the radiators - but there's always a solution!

Are there any useful sources if you get stuck? 

Our wood floor came with a step-by-step installation instruction sheet. I also find YouTube tutorials helpful - especially when dealing with trickier areas.

What tools do you need to lay a wood floor?

The only power tool I used was a jigsaw but it would also have been good to have used a circular saw to cut the planks to the right size. You should also wear an eye mask and preferably a work bench and clamp to cut the wood planks too!

Side note: as with any work environment, you should also wear good, protective clothing - such as proper shoes (something I will think about for next time!). Thank you for the 'unknown' for pointing this out in the comment section, very good point and very important! 

How do you prep a room before laying the floor?  

1. Remove the furniture from the room (since ours is quite a large area, we shifted the furniture over to one side and then shifted it back once we had finished the section)
2. Remove the skirting boards and mark the back of them with a pencil so you know exactly where they were (it can be tricky to remember otherwise which can be time consuming later on).
3. Remove old flooring
4. If you're lucky there'll be an underlay already in place, if not you'll need to lay one.
5. Give the surface a clean.

Do you have any advice for anyone laying a wood floor for the first time?

Choose a good quality floor, preferably with a locking system like Bjelin's and dare to throw yourself at the task. Planning things in advance like which side of the room to start and plotting any tricky areas will save time later. If in doubt, get advice from your dealer. Also, measure up to five times before you cut any wood- a stitch in time saves nine! 

Did you make any errors this time? 
Not really. A professional floor layer would probably have made a cleaner job around the radiators, but I found that a special filler matching the tone of the wood did wonders to cover up any imperfections!

How long did it take for you to lay the floor?
Around 3-4 days in total. And no doubt 3-4 years to finish the details (like repainting the skirting boards etc!).

Did you learn anything for next time?
Next time? Are you plotting something Niki?

Might be...!
After removing the skirting boards and old floor, I'd give the walls and ceilings a fresh lick of paint before I lay the new floor.

Any final words to anyone considering laying a wood floor? 

Laying a wood floor yourself may sound daunting, but if you have the time and energy, it's a surprisingly easy task and you'll feel really proud knowing you did yourself!

***

What do you reckon, do you recognise this from laying your own wood floor? If so, perhaps you have some more tips to share with us. If you're about to get a new wood floor and considering laying it yourself, I hope this has given you the confidence to dive in!

I can't wait to show you the final results next Sunday!

Niki

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