A Charming Swedish Townhouse Where Old Meets New

There was something that immediately resonated with me when i first spotted this townhouse in the Gamle Enskede area of Stockholm. And then I read the blurb: 'an English townhouse' built in 1909 and designed by Victor Bodin.  

Needless to say, I've seen quite a few two-up, two-down formats like this in my childhood in London. But this is different. It has a distinct Scandinavian twist! Firstly, the wall between the kitchen and sitting room has been removed creating an airy open-space and secondly the decor is undeniably Swedish. It's also very unique. 

Think botanical wallpapers, scalloped edged rugs (I want one!), a vibrant gallery wall, candy stripes, pops of cherry red and a mix of antiques and modern day finds. Let's take a peek inside. 

I love this. It feels so familiar yet so unfamiliar at the same time. Sort of English cottage meets Swedish traditional meets Scandinavian contemporary - making the space truly unique. 

Is there anything that caught your eye about this wonderful house? 

While I couldn't find more homes like this to share, I did uncover a few lovely houses in the archive that I had forgotten about. If you have time this morning, dig into these: 

A Swedish cottage in the forest 

Scandinavia meets the med in a Mallorcan finca

Johanne and Lukas' Copenhagen townhouse from 1927

Have a fabulous start to the week! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Skandia Mäklarna with thanks 

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Interior Designer Saša Antic's Inspiring Stockholm Home

With a population of ten million, Sweden is a relatively small country. And if you move in the design circle, it's only matter of time before you meet - even if you live in an entirely different city! 

Eleven years ago, I featured interior designer Saša Antic's mini yet impeccably designed apartment in Stockholm. It was one of those memorable spaces which I've find myself returning to time after time for inspiration. 

A few weeks ago, I was at the IKEA mothership (i.e. the IKEA headquarters in Älmhult) where I've been working on a project and I came across Saša! A lovely and interesting guy, we got chatting about home decorating and how he loves to constantly rearrange his living space - even making his own furniture and storage to go with it. And then he dropped the bomb shell - after 20 years, he'd moved to a new apartment.

Naturally, I was straight on the case, and this morning these beautiful images shot of Saša's home by Stellan Herner fell into my inbox. So here it is in all it's glory. Välkommen! 

Located in the Vitabergsparken quarter of Södermalm - a central area of Stockholm known for it's hip, boho vibe, Saša's apartment measures a more sizeable 60 sqm (645 ft.sq) - allowing for a seperate kitchen, sitting room and bedroom. 

Saša's a big fan of colour and the tones he's picked out for his pad are inspired by the English countryside (could this be why I was immediately drawn to the space?): Look closely, and you'll notice that the walls are only painted a third of the way up - helping to add contrast to the rooms yet also ensuring a cosy feel to a space with incredibly high ceilings. He's also been careful to apply the same colour to skirting boards and architraves - for a complete look that's very 'now'. 

Art features heavily in the space - with large, bold work creating a focal point in the sitting room, hallway and bedroom. 

Never one to follow the crowd, Saša has been careful to pick out quirky and unique pieces of furniture - like this red bar cart! 

Each room keeps you guessing in terms of tone, furniture and texture. In the bathroom, lace curtains add a soft touch as well as privacy from the busy Stockholm streets - while allowing a glimpse of the trees.

Absolutely wonderful space, don't you think? 

I'm so happy I bumped into Saša, or I'd have never discovered his pad! Funny how life works isn't it? 

You can follow Saša's latest interior design and concept work over on his homepage and instagram feed. 

Take a peek inside a few other Stockholm homes this weekend: 

The Stockholm home of a design hunter

A charming Swedish apartment in wintertime

A blend of old and new in a Stockholm home

Happy Friday friends! I hope you have a fantastic weekend! 

Niki

Photography: Stellan Herner

Styling: Saša Antic

Shared with kind permission

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An elegant Malmö home with Shades of Green, Ochre and Red

I'm all settled in my studio today and it's one of those bitterly cold February days - so I'm not planning on going anywhere! It makes sense therefore, to feature a home right here in the heart of Malmö! 

I have driven past this apartment a thousand times, unbeknown to me that there was an elegant space filled with art, concealed just behind the facade! 

Despite the large spacious rooms and beautiful bones it was actually the choice of furniture that stood out to me - a blend of contemporary finds and the occasional vintage piece as well as the deep earthy tones including forest green, red, ochre and slate - adding. contrast and cosiness. 

All it needs now is for someone to take over the reigns and make it their new home. Could that be you? 

Did you spot the projector on the wall in the first picture? I can't tell if the owners have made a box to conceal it themselves, or it was bought like this (I'm thinking the former), either way it's so subtle - way better than a big TV screen, don't you think? 

Is there anything that popped out at you? 

See more Malmö apartments here today: 

The wood and white home of a creative

The earthy home of a Swedish florist

An artists home in a former atelier

Have a lovely day folks - stay warm! 

Niki

Photographs courtesy of Bo-laget with thanks. 

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A Sprinkle of Colour in an Elegant Stockholm Home

February calls for a little brightness, don't you think? And that's exactly why this Swedish apartment caught my eye! It's sprinkled with colour in the form of art, patterns, furniture and books - yet still feels calm and elegant. Just what I needed to see on a Monday. I hope this lovely home brightens up the start of you week too! 

The Ligne Roset Togo Fireside chair is one to sink into!

Especially when you have a Swedish fireplace like this to sit beside. It's like a work of art! 

A big hallway lends itself to bookshelves and an antique bench! 

Faded kilims are the new favourite here in Scandinavia. But there's no need to do away with your monochrome Beni ourain - they make a cosy wall hanging or headboard! 

The wide windowsills also provide a perfect perch for books! 

To the left and right of the door you can see some wall pockets. Sourced from Norrgavel, these Påshyllor are hugely popular in Sweden as they are great for smaller accessories such as gloves, hats, scarves etc. 

Such a lovely apartment - fantastic bones too! 

It's going on the market this week via Historiska Hem - so keep an eye out for it if you're interested! 

Would you like to see a few other homes with touches of colour today? Check out: 

A fabulous Danish home in a plethora of colours

Lessons to learn from a colourful yet stylish Norwegian home

Home tour: how to add colour the danish way

Have a fabulous start to the week! 

Niki

Photography: Mia Borgelin

Styling: Thomas Lingsell

For: Historiska Hem

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Before and After Vintage Wall Shelf Makeover

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments about our summer cottage master bedroom makeover on Wednesday. Per and I are so happy you like the update as much as we do! 

As promised, here is a post about how I transformed the pine wall bracket.

This wall shelf has been hanging on the bedroom wall in the summer cottage for many years (long before I arrived on the scene!). Needless to say, it belongs here! But the varnish on the pine had yellowed with age and while we all love the shape, the outdated look wasn't quite in keeping with the calm style we had envisioned for the newly revamped room. 

Caveat: I am not quite sure why there's an old mattress leaning against the wall in this picture obscuring the view - but I hope you get the gist as it's the only shot I have! 

So, we took it off the wall and I carried it to my studio where I scrubbed it down with soap and water (an important step!). 

I selected Tidlös paint by Jotun Lady to match the Sandberg wallpaper (the great thing about this paint is that I didn't need to sand down the wood first - but if you are looking to carry out a similar project on a wooden item, it's important to check the requirements first).  

I applied two layers of paint using two different paint brush sizes - one fairly small (featured) and the other very small (the knobs on the drawers were so fiddly!). Afterwards, I lightly sanded the edges of the drawers to ensure they slotted back into place and could be pulled in and out freely. I've learnt this from my childhood home - I had an antique chest-of-drawers in my bedroom and would need to wiggle the drawer for about 20 minutes just to get to my socks, it used to drive me insane! 

Once the paint had dried, we hung it back on the wall using a spirit-level app on the phone (have you tried these types of apps? so handy!). 

Aside from drying time, the entire process took about 2 hours. 

And hey presto! A brand new shelf! 

I hope you like the results and feeling inspired to revamp something unloved too. 

Who knows, perhaps you'll be looking at that piece at home that you were thinking about chucking out with new eyes now? Or maybe you'll discover a tired looking item of furniture in a loppis (flea market) that no one wants this weekend and give it a fabulous revamp? If you do, I'd love to see the pictures! 

Happy Friday friends! 

Niki

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