my scandinavian home

A Design-Filled Hamburg Apartment, with Fabulous Sky High Ceilings

Sometimes the world is smaller than we think. And since moving to Sweden, I am still amazed at just how near other European countries are. Hamburg in Germany, for example is a short 4 hour hop on the train. But there's no train ride needed today as we can look inside an interior from the city through the lens of freelance photographer Oezlem Oezsoy (working name Mia Takahara).

Oezlem has a beautiful apartment that's full of fabulous designer pieces and funky touches. A neutral background ensures the magic of these items remain star of the show, although it's also hard to ignore the beautiful architecture and period features (some of which are painted gold!) which do wonders to take the apartment to a next level of fabulousness! Welcome to Oezlem's inspiring world!

Stunning!

I love the furniture and smaller accessories (every time I look through the pictures, I spot something new!). You can find the source of each item over at Oezlem's instagram - or please do ask below in the comments section and I'll do my best to help you.

I also really like the tones and textures she has used on the walls and the tiling in the kitchen - very cool!

Is there anything that stands out to you?

Would you like to peek inside a few other Hamburg apartments today? Here are a few tours I've shown in the past:

Pamela's serene Hamburg home

San's relaxed Hamburg home with an industrial touch

Teal steals the show in a Hamburg apartment

Snapshots from Sina's Scandinavian inspired apartment in Hamburg

Have a great start to the week friends!

Niki

PS After a weekend of not one but two big competitions for my girls (swimming for Liv and gymnastics for Allie) from 15.00 on Friday finishing 21.00 last night on opposite sides of Skåne - I am wiped. I wouldn't change it for the world, I'm so happy they have found their passion, but I think I age at least two years every competition from the nerves! To the unsung sports parents out there, ALL parents out there, I commend you!

Photography: Oezlem Oezsoy / Mia Takahara

Bright ideas: Lighting up our Cabin and a Friend's Bathroom

Paid partnership with Hudson valley Lighting Group, all words and pictures are my own

There's nothing like the autumn and winter darkness to make you realise you don't have enough lighting at home (yelp!). Put simply, you need at least 5 different types of lights in a standard size room (a mix of ambience, overhead and task lighting). Outdoor lighting is also important to extend the alfresco season, brighten up an entrance and create a welcoming vibe! Last week, Per and I headed to the cabin to install two lights in the fading autumn light.

The first one we installed was the District pendant by Troy Lighting which is made from hand blown glass with soft black detail. The cabin has a 4-metre ceiling height, so we borrowed a ladder. Here's me checking the length (for someone who has a slight fear of heights, this was a brave moment!). The light comes with a black ceiling canopy which looks super smart once in place.

As with all handmade pieces, the handblown glass has subtle imperfections which give it a lovely vintage feel. It comes in two different sizes (this is the smaller one measuring 40 cm high x 20.32 cm wide), and three different glass finishes: clear, topaz and smoke. Since it's a fairly small room, I chose the clear glass for a 'barely there' feel.

I love the closed concave bottom - it's not unlike a fine bottle of wine! But more than that, it catches and reflects the light in a lovely way.

Outdoor lighting

Meanwhile, outside it can be pitch black (save for the moon and stars) at this time of year at the cabin.

I've learned good garden lighting is key for three reasons: it means you can still be outside and enjoy mild evenings after the sun goes down, it creates a welcoming feel when you arrive home and finally, there's something unsettling about looking out into a black hole of darkness through the window, and good garden lighting can do wonders to lighten up the outside world - highlighting your deck, a tree or other parts of the garden, helping you to feel less 'closed-in'.

Note: try to steer clear of lights that emit light directly upwards as this can disorientate migrating birds.

For us, the first step was to install a light in the decked area so we can sit outside on autumn evenings (when the weather allows for it of course!). The Atwater Wall Sconce by Troy Lighting caught our eye as we liked the vintage brass finish and the warm glow.

Specifically designed for outdoor use, it's available in three different sizes. This one is 45.72 cm high x 16.51 cm wide.

I particularly like the finish - it's a tone I've used throughout the cabin. I also really appreciate the golden glow, it creates a really welcoming, cosy vibe!

It's so much cosier to sit out here in Autumn now. Maybe we'll invest in a fire pit next, what do you think?

Lighting up my friend's bathroom

And finally, it would be mean spirited of me to keep all these wonderful lights to myself. My friend Ullis (who I've known since I was five and lives a few doors down) has recently completed her bathroom renovation and it's amazing! There was just one piece missing - mood lighting!

Ullis already has spotlights in the ceiling, so the overhead lighting was covered, what was needed was a warm mood light. Which is where this beauty came into the picture!

Made from solid cast brass, the Diggs wall sconce by Hudson Valley Lighting Group is small but fairly weighty (you do need a good, solid wall for this one). It looks great all over the home, but I also love that it can be installed in the bathroom.

It has a hooded design with a handcrafted look and feel which looks equally pretty switched off or on.

It gives off such a lovely warm glow, don't you think? I love it when a plan comes together!

I'm considering installing this in our stairwell too (a dark area of our home that's in need of more light!).

I hope you like these lamps as much as we do. Do you have a favourite?

You can see all the lights have selected from Hudson Valley Lighting Group in the past here, here and here.

This weekend is perfect timing to do a light edit in your home and ensure you have enough each room. Is there somewhere in your home you need to work on?

Have a great weekend friends, vi ses på måndag!

Niki

FILED UNDER: Lighting

A Swedish House Where the Town and Forest Meet

On Monday someone wrote requisition to see more urban apartments. I hear you, I have been featuring a lot of rural homes lately. I promise to keep shaking it up and try to share a little of every Scandinavian style - watch this space! Today's property offers the best of both worlds, which I'm hoping will also tick the box! Located on the outskirts of Kungsbacka, it has the benefit of having the town's facilities in walking distance, yet backs onto woodland (which looks especially pretty at this time of year).

But it's not the location that caught my eye (although if you'd like to buy it, this could be good to know!), it's the decor. Built in 1906, the house has been completely renovated in keeping with the age and style of the property. I especially love the wood panelling (ever since building our little cabin, I'm even more of a fan!), and the way doors, ceilings, skirting boards and architraves have been painted in a darker tone. The upstairs bedrooms have also been painted in deeper soothing tones, adding a cosy touch. Oh, and the owners also have impeccable taste when it comes to furniture and lamps too! Ready to take a look?

Notice how the kitchen is painted in two subtle tones, which immediately adds difference. Although rather spartan in this picture, you can imagine how lovely it would look when the whole family gathers round!

What a wonderful house! I could definitely see myself living here, how about you?

Whoever snaps it up is extremely lucky. Hmmm, maybe I should speak to Per, although it is a little out of our budget! In case you're curious, there's more info about it here.

Love to see some Scandinavian apartments today? Here some goodies:

Playful touches in Erik's calm Swedish home

A smallish Swedish home, that's big on character

A calm one room oasis in the heart of the city

Live small? Get inspiration here!

I'm off to take some photos of a lamp now - it's such a gloomy day, I think it will need to be switched on. I'm looking forward to showing you the results on Friday!

Vi ses!

Niki

Photography: Mika Ågren

Styling: Epok Interior

Listed Fastighetsmäkleri

Found via Planete Deco with thanks

FILED UNDER: swedish home

A Cosy Country Home in Snowy North Sweden

*This post contains affiliated links

Here in Malmö in southern of Sweden, it's been unseasonably mild - so much so that it's still considered to be summer meteorologically. But Sweden is one looooong country, and in the far North they've already had their first flurry of snow.

Frida Lindgren shares snapshots from her everyday life in Tvärålund Northern Sweden - including glimpses inside her cosy country home, which she shares with her husband Anders, two sons Axel and Viktor as well as a host of pets! If you've been following my blog since 2018, you might recognise Frida's house - but as someone who loves to tinker with interior design, it's being constantly updated, so I felt it was time for a new feature!

Think maximalist rather than minimalist, lots of pattern and prints, vintage finds and layers of texture to keep the cold at bay. Oh, and I love the swing and star lanterns - keep your eyes peeled!

We had jars exactly like this in our kitchen growing up. I remember there was a really long one for spaghetti! They create such a nice display and are really practical too!

According to reports, the more you have your food on display and can see what you have, the less you are likely to waste food. Do you organise your food into jars or keep it in its original packaging? We're kind of a mix but I'd love to be better! I love these labelled spice jars*.

Side cabinets like these are massively popular right now. The good news is, you can easily find simple inexpensive ones second hand and then give them a new lease of life with a lick of paint!

Checks and gingham patterns are also having a moment - and tablecloths* and bedding* are a perfect way to bring your home up to date. I'm really happy with my gingham ironing board cover too (something I never thought I'd hear myself say - although it still doesn't actually prompt me to do any ironing ). Since then, I've found a whole market out there for them like this one for autumn and one for spring - who knew?

How pretty is this peacock chair? Such a great find!

The sitting room area is layered with texture including a large rug, blankets and sheepskins for a cosy feel.

Now that I've just updated my laundry room (thank you. so much for all your lovely comments non Friday!), I have a new found love for the room. Frida has gone for a traditional look with wallpaper, a chequered floor and plenty of baskets.