Surfs Up At A Boho Studio And Holiday Home Hideaway

How wonderful would it be to work for a few hours and then head out for a surf? That's exactly the set-up Dee Kawai Tang has created at Kawai Heart Studio! Located on the wild coast of Australia on the edge of Fremantle, the atelier was hand built in the 90's using recycled materials and has been lovingly converted into a light-filled photo studio and guest cabin - a few hundred metres from the sea. The family also rent out Lady California Bungalow a beautiful art-deco style property filled with natural light and birdsong. Here are a few snapshots of the two spaces. I could just imagine heading here to write a book (I've always loved the idea of a writer's cabin!), chill or simply head to the nearby beach - how about you? Oh and, please tread quietly - sleeping baby alert! 

How incredible! This relaxed style is right up my street. I'm pretty sure I could find a great rhythm of sleep, work, surf... how about you? 

See more of Kawa Heart Studio and take a peek inside Dee's own home over at @kawa_heart_studio. 

For more workspace / atelier inspiration check out:

The lovely home and atelier of a Swedish artist

A relaxed Danish artists cabin in Copenhagen

The boho home and atelier of a Swedish florist

Speaking of holiday home rentals, I'd be so happy if you could take the time to fill in this very quick questionnaire for me. It's a business idea I am thinking about developing and I'd absolutely love to get your thoughts if you have the time. You can find the survey here. 

Wishing you a lovely day!

Niki

Photography courtesy of @kawa_heart_studio found via SF Girl By Bay with thanks. 

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A Calm and Relaxed Berlin Oasis, Inspired by The Med!

Men tjena! Hur är läget? I hope you had a wonderful weekend! I'm going to launch right into today's home tour since I'm so excited about it! If you're into fashion and travel, you might just recognise the lovely lady in the picture above. Jacqueline Mikuta has amassed a global audience of nearly 900,000 on instagram thanks to her inspiring outfits and dreamy travel pictures. Over the past twelve months Berlin-based Jaqueline and her boyfriend, photographer Klemens White have been making the most of their time at home to revamp their new apartment. The pair decided to do most of the work themselves - from plastering and painting, to building shelves and tables - as well working with a local welder to create the most incredible bespoke glass wall. Their home is now complete, and it's AM-A-ZING! I particularly love the earthy tones, texture and subtle beach vibe which was inspired by the calmness of the Balearic Islands - a nod to their mutual love of Mallorca and its surroundings. Let's take a peek! 

In the kitchen, a concrete worktop from Carament rests atop cabinets which the pair made from scratch, find out more details here). 

Large plants like this Fiddle leaf Fig help to draw the eye upwards and emphasise the height of the room - as well as helps to create a green oasis in the heart of the city. The sofa is a vintage find. 

Jacqueline and Klemens have painted the walls and wardrobe doors with Palladio from Kalklitir - a powder paint from Iceland.  

Bespoke steel windows and doors, white linen curtains*, Suspension seagrass lamp

The incredible bed throw is from Colour Locale. Source a similar little wood stool here*. 

The bathroom has been fitted with a round sink from Vallone, lights from Wever & Ducré and the wall has been decorated with a finish from Carament. You can read more about the bathroom and see the before pictures here. 

Wood cladding was added to the balcony walls which has then been decorated with a seagrass hanging bringing a beach vibe sanctuary to the heart of Berlin! The balcony railing has been adapted to create a special place for plants and a glass or two - so clever, don't you think? 

What an incredible home! 

I love that the pair have done a lot of the renovation work themselves - including building shelves etc - it makes the space feel extra personal! 

I hope their lovely home has given you lots of ideas - and a bit of a spring in your step this Monday. Is there anything in particular that caught your eye? 

You can see more of their home, style and travel over at @mikutas, @klemenswhite and also over on their blog. They also run an online shop selling their own brand of clothing and jewellery: Mikuta. 

Wishing you all a wonderful start to the week. We've got this! 

Niki

Photography: @mikutas, @klemenswhite - shared with kind permission. 

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Simple DIY: My Narrow Hallway Update

Do you have any pieces lying around that you haven't got round to putting up on the wall / fixing? I was gifted this beautiful Arles mirror by Made.com around a year ago. I originally ordered it for our landing but for some reason it didn't quite work - so it's been waiting for a new home ever since. And then the other day I had a lightbulb moment. Now, our house might have many great features, but the hallway is not one of them; it's fairly dark, has lots of doors and like Piccadilly Circus when all five of us are home (it doesn't help that our kids don't seem to have mastered the art of hanging up their coats). I have to admit, we haven't done anything to it since we moved in - until now! 

The hallway feeds into the kitchen (see above) and sitting room (last picture) and has a few in-built cupboards - which I've often contemplated painting (thoughts?). 

This wall has always been blank. I painted it in a Farrow & Ball shade many moons ago (could it be Down Pipe? I can't remember now!). I still love the colour, but it needed something more! 

And here's where the mirror came into the picture! Here's a step by step guide of my DIY project: 

1. The Arles mirror in brass is really heavy (tip: always check the weight of a mirror before you order it as some can be incredibly heavy - especially if the wall you'd like to put on is not that strong). I wanted to make sure it was hung in the right place from the start (I've made plenty of mistakes in the past!). I marked out the centre of the wall and made sure it was at eye height (the lower edge is 117 cm from the floor). 

2. I measured out exactly where I wanted the hooks to go beforehand, ensuring they were centred and also a good height from the floor for bags and jackets (102 cm from the underside of the rack to the floor). I also used a spirit level to ensure it was straight. 

The wooden pegs are from a local store - this coat rack* is similar. I've had this Ryobi drill for years and use it all the time - it's way more fun (and less work) than a manual screwdriver!  

3. And then all that was required was a good polish! 

I have to say the mirror instantly lit up the narrow space and together with the hooks, makes better use of the space. It's also handy to have a mirror near the entrance and extra hooks. 

The framed 'Twined 02' print is by Copenhagen-based design studio Moe Made It. And just peeping into the picture is a rubber plant, which Per calls 'Farfar' (Grandad) - since he inherited it from him just before he died over thirty years ago. Everyone in his family has a cutting - such a lovely way to remember someone! 

It's just a simple DIY but I thought I'd share it all the same - you never know, you might just have some empty wall space waiting for some TLC, in which case, I hope this inspires you.

I wonder how long our hallway will stay this tidy? I give it 5 minutes!! Oh well, life is designed to be a little messy, and it's a real sign of summer when balls, scooters, swim stuff and whatever else start to appear! 

Next stop, a new light - I haven't decided which yet, tips welcome! 

So, Friends, that's it from me this week. I hope you have a wonderful couple of days, see you Monday.

Trevlig helg! 

Niki

*this post includes affiliate links. 

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Warm Tones and Texture In An Elegant Copenhagen Apartment

Hej (pronounced 'hi' in Danish) friends! It's a crazy world we live in when we can see a country across the water, but not able to visit! I was contemplating this over my coffee this morning while sitting by the sea looking out over Copenhagen. It's one of my favourite cities - one that buzzes with creativity and oozes a relaxed, boho vibe. If you've never been, it's definitely one for the bucket list! In the meantime, I hope you'll join me on a virtual visit today. Ellen Dixdotter and her family reside in the danish capital for much of the year, and head to their rural retreat in Southern Sweden in summertime (I showed their dreamy country kitchen a couple of weeks back). You might recognise Ellen's home from a post back in 2019, but so much has happened since then, I felt it was time to re-visit. 

Ellen is CEO of the fabulous Danish brand Malene Birger (after years of pronouncing it 'Birger' - like 'burger', I recently learnt from my Danish neighbour that it's actually pronounced 'be-or'! Never knew!) and has a natural eye for design and the latest trends. Her home is full of beautiful, sculpted shapes and raw textures as well as a fabulous collection of designer pieces as well as rugs from her own handmade rug brand Cappelen Dimyr. 

Above: A Pacha Lounge Chair by Gubi and an Arctander chair from Paustian have been placed either side of the door. 

The incredible sofa was bought at auction. Sofas with a bulbous form are making huge waves in the interior world right now -with the Mario Bellini Camaleonda Sofa from B&B Italia being the most popular (I love it in Classic Boucle - pearl). A classic Zettel' Z lamp hangs overhead. 

It's always interesting to see what sources of inspiration people enjoy. From this picture, I gather Ellen is an avid reader of The World Of Interiors and Milk - although, I'm sure she reads countless other great magazines too (both decor and fashion!) as part of her work.

A large no.6 rug from Cappelen Dimyr hangs on the wall in the hallway - adding drama (and sound proofing) to an otherwise white space. 

The children's room is made up of furniture from Studio Mini, Oliver furniture and Solhem Inredning. 

Beautiful! I particularly love the curved shapes and soft, earthy tones. 

I'd love to see the kitchen, bathroom and master bedroom too (does that make me sound really nosey? - I guess you know me by now!) - hopefully they'll pop on Ellen's instagram feed soon! 

And just how incredible are the handmade rugs? Cappelen Dimyr is a new favourite of mine. 

Fancy seeing a few other Copenhagen homes today? Check out: 

A danish loft full of plants and treasures

Books, art and golden tones in a Copenhagen apartment

A wonderful Copenhagen home full of soul

Tomorrow I'm planning on sharing one of my latest DIY projects from home. It's just a simple hallway solution, but I thought it might inspire anyone with a narrow hallway or landing I hope you're going to like it! 

Have a lovely day!

Niki

All photography by Ellen Dixdotter except 4. & 6. by Mike Karlsson Lundgren  

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Renowned Swedish Photographer Andreas Kock Has Teamed Up With Peytil To Create a Limited Print Series!

Sponsored*:

I love it when Swedish creative forces collaborate - and the latest partnership is creating waves across Scandinavia! Stockholm-based fashion designer and artist Eitil Thorén Due (AKA Peytil) has teamed up with one of Sweden's most sought after and respected photographers, Andreas Kock to launch a limited series of art prints. I'm already a big fan of Peytil's work, having had a piece on my wall for many years (seen here in my sitting room - Studio Antwerp is similar), but my budget has always been a little too tight to extend to a piece by Andreas Kock... until now!

"Usually to buy a Andrea Kock photo, you'd need to sell your car but I asked if it would be possible to make a special exception for Peytil, just for a while, and he said yes", Eitil Thorén Due confirms exactly what I was thinking! What an opportunity! 

The limited edition series is a reflection of their combined creative influences of femininity, fashion and bold expressionism and includes prints like Frida, Stella and Arena. 

This gallery wall above shows a beautiful selection of prints by both Eitil Thorén Due and Andreas Kock.

The limited series is exclusively available on Peytil.com until the end of May. Keep a special eye out for Indian Summer and Late Afternoon - these two prints have been limited to 500 editions only.

I have a sneaking suspicion we'll need to be quick!

All of Eitil's other prints are also available directly through Peytil. I love seeing him in action - it's incredible!

Do you have your eye on any of the prints? 

I selected three earlier this week, and they've just arrived. Keep an eye on my instagram / Facebook to see which ones I chose! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Peytil. 

*This is a paid partnership with Peytil. All words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too. Thank you for supporting the local artists that make My Scandinavian Home possible and our homes a little extra beautiful!  

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