I'm still buzzing the Swedish country home yesterday (and judging by the 20,000 hits about it on my instagram I sense I'm not alone!) - did you fall in love too? There's only one thing for it. Move on. After all, a move to the country is not on the cards for the Brantmarks (being the city slickers we are)! So, today I thought I'd focus on living in the city - and how to deal with the space-limitations that so often come with it. On the surface this wonderful Swedish apartment looks pretty spacious. But add a few children to the mix and the tiny bedrooms become a bit of a conundrum. After all, kids demand quite a lot of their rooms: a bed, a desk, somewhere to hang out with friends and / or play and storage. In this wonderful Stockholm home, the owners have made maximum use of the height to create three loft bed solutions which help to maximise space in the children's bedrooms. They've also worked with internal windows to ensure natural light flows into the darkest of corners. Best of all, everything has been done with the utmost style and the entire home has a wonderful personal and relaxed feel! Ready to feel inspired?
The kitchen has been artfully arranged around a classic masonry oven / tiled stove - with a space for wood storage built into the cabinetry
Imagine how cosy this must be with the roaring fire at night? It's set up for some seriously cosy and romantic dinners!
A more formal dining setting occupies the window area in the sitting room - with a wonderful Nelson Saucer Bubble lamp overhead!
One of the biggest decorating mistakes people make is buying a rug which is too small for the space. Well, not in this room!
As a rule of thumb, a sitting room rug should be at least 15 cm - 20 cm (6" - 8") wider than your sofa on each side. You may then decide whether to place all four legs of your sofa on the rug, or just the front two.
FYI: I'd never judge anyone for the size of rug they choose in their home - so this is just a helpful guide if you're struggling to decide. Otherwise, anything goes!
The owners have made the most of a narrow passage - using it as a library and wardrobe space.
Oh, and check out that beautiful wood floor!
A built-in shelf behind the bed has becoming increasingly popular and is especially useful in a smaller space.
I love all three of these small space children bedroom solutions! The owners have capitalised on the tremendous ceiling height to create 'vertical' bedrooms complete with desks, storage and cosy seating areas.
Fun touches include striped wallpaper, gymnastics rings (my daughter has the same ones from Finnish company Lillagunga - as do all her gymnast friends!) and a Ferm Living pineapple rug.
I really appreciate the eclectic mix of pieces in this tiny room - including a round shelf from Ferm Living*, a vintage chair and terrazzo side table.
It's not unusual for magnificent old apartment blocks in Scandinavia to have grand entryways like this. Look at those tiles and how paintwork has been used to highlight the period features. Wonderful!
What a truly inspiring home - and great inspiration for anyone looking to maximise space in the city!
Is there anything that stood out to you?
Here are a few more Scandinavian city homes for you to enjoy today:
Har det så fint!
Niki
Photography courtesy of Historiska Hem
*Affiliate link (which means I may make a very tiny amount of money should you click on the link and buy something - at no extra cost to you).
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