'The White Room' - a studio with beautiful one-off vintage pieces

They say that part of the enjoyment of holidays is in the planning. To some extent that's true - but I have to say I've been known to spend hours searching for accommodation that's just right (do you?!). But when you strike upon that perfect place, a real home from home, the anticipation is wonderful! And that's exactly why I was so excited to discover this gem in North Fitzroy, Melbourne (a friend of mine told me I was pronouncing the name all wrong and it should be 'Melben not 'Melboooooourne'!). Anyhooo, The White Room is a simply stunning studio, which as the name suggests, is indeed white and interior designer Lynda Gardner's signature style shines through with a divine mixed of one-off vintage pieces, industrial lighting and layers of pure french linen and handmade sheets. Let's take a tour of this wonderful sanctuary, beautifully captured by Lisa Cohen...

Credit: photography Lisa Cohen / interior design Lynda Gardener.  The White Room. With kind permission.

The funny thing is, as much as I'd love to have a trip to Australia planned, I don't! But the key thing is, when I do, the hours of accommodation searching is out of the way - I just need to decide whether to stay here or at one of Lynda's other places I've featured - The Apartment in St Kilda or The Estate Trentham.

Hmmmmm. Tricky!

Could you imagine staying in this lovely studio?

Get the look from The White Room: kitchen - industrial style trolley / cart, glass fronted cabinet, knitted pouf (absolutely love this!), jute rug. Source vintage industrial lighting here. Bedroom: beautiful charcoal grey duvet cover and pillow case and white linen summer blanket, this leather club chair is similar.

Have a wonderful start to the week!

A charming 19th century house on Gotland

If you've followed my blog for a while, you'll know I have a weakness for homes on the Swedish island of Gotland in the Baltic. That's why I was really excited to come across this beautiful 19th century house. The owners have successfully renovated the property to embrace its history and at the same time bring it up to date.  Think wood burning stoves, tiled masonry ovens, rickety stairs, original wood floors and traditional earthy colours blended with mid-century and modern day finds. The style is laid back, traditional and rustic. Welcome in!

Photography: Jörgen Kristiansson for Fastighetsbyrån. 

Simply lovely, don't you think?

Oh and it's for sale. I know. 

You can see more pics of this lovely home (as well as the exterior) here (just in case your mind's not already made up!).

A few items I know and love from this Gotland cottage: dining area - Bentwood chairs, Gotland sheepskin throw, Klong oil lamp, source a beautiful vintage dough bowl here. Sitting room: chefs hat lamp, Gubi mirror. Bedroom: lampe gras wall lights. stonewashed linen bedding, dark grey quilt.

It would almost be unfair not to share some of my favourite Gotland homes from the past, don't you think? Here goes: a beautiful Gotland home in shades of grey, the bohemian sumer home of a fashion photographer and an idyllic island holiday home. Do you have a favourite style?

My blogging constantly brings new challenges and this afternoon I have another first. I've got a photo shoot with my neighbour's poodle, Daphne. I've been told she's a real natural behind the camera (she comes from a family of models after all) but most of all I'm looking forward to her company - I'm sure we'll get a long just fine!

Have a lovely day!

A beautiful apartment in a 1920s art deco build

Oj oj oj (as they say in Sweden)! The end of the week has really crept up on me. How great is that?! It's probably because I've been virtually padding around this Swedish space and sunning it up down under at a beautiful estate! I think it would be a shame not to complete the week with one final Scandinavian inspired Australian home tour, don't you? Designed, styled and decorated by Lynda Gardener (also the brains behind yesterday's barn conversion and that estate - yup, she's talented), The Apartment is a boutique rental accommodation in Melbourne's St Kilda. It's located on the third floor of a wonderful 1920s art deco building and has been styled in one off pieces, pure french linens, toasty warm blankets, hand crocheted rugs and vintage oil paintings. It sounds like one of those places where you can check out anytime you like but will never want to leave....(eh hem)....

Credit: photos Lisa Cohen, Styling / design Lynda Gardener. The Apartment St Kilda. 

That 1920's building is just incredible?! I love how Lynda's used so many natural textures too, it all looks so warm and inviting.

Could you see yourself staying here? 

Get the look from this lovely apartment:  sitting room - this rug is similar, source lovely vintage portraits here. Chunky crochet blanket. Kitchen: macrame plant hanger, I love this bamboo light shade. Bedroom - reindeer skin, stonewashed linen striped duvet cover. Bathroom - H&M used to sell this shower curtain - I've been looking around on the web for a similar one but no luck yet - any tips?

Have you got any great plans for the weekend? We're having a little birthday party for my daughter who turned 6 this week - so much fun (will need a glass of this to recover though - and while on the topic, how pretty are these simple DIY ice cubes, perfect for the weekend?)!

Have a wonderful couple of days and see you Monday!

PS The nominations are now open for Elle Decoration Sweden's interior blogger of the year award here, I'd be so happy if you feel My Scandinavian Home deserves to be in the running! 

A dreamy home-from-home in Australia

Third gloomy day in a row here and I have to admit I'm not feeling the 'hygge'. And no amount of candles, sheepskins and kanelbullar are going to help. Instead, I'm dreaming about a visit to The Estate Trentham, and it seems to be lifting my spirits no end! Located an hour from Melbourne and inspired by Scandinavian interiors (cue white washed walls and a pared-back look) The Estate Trentham is an original early twentieth century three bedroom federation house surrounded by beautiful gardens. And if that's not enough, it's also been artfully decorated with lovely muted autumn colours, soft natural textiles and a wonderful mix of old and new. In other words my ideal get-away and the perfect antidote to gloomy days! Excuse me while I search for flights....

Photography: Lisa Cohen (shared with kind permission). Book a stay at The Estate Trentham here.

See you there?!

I wanted to be able to use this little space to pick out a small detail but I have to say, the whole house is positively dreamy!


Is there anything that stands out to you in particular?

Get the look (if my home looked even a little like this I'd be thrilled): pick up an industrial pendant here, I like this jute rug. The sofa looks like a Gervasoni ghost (beautiful!). This online shop sells cushions in autumn colours.  Vintage scissor lamps. I like Kara Rosenlund's horse and nature inspired prints.

Loving the neutral colour scheme with touches of brown it reminds me a lot of Kara Rosenlund's home which I featured a few weeks back. Maybe I can do this Autumn thing after all!

More holiday rentals in my archive  here (you so knew that was coming right?!).

Have a lovely day!

An idyllic holiday home in the South of France

I do love the small coincidences in life, don't you? Take yesterday. I was leafing through Hilary Robertson's book The Stuff of Life and the beautiful home of New York designer Annie Moore in Carcassonne, South of France caught my eye. And then last night her home popped up on my bloglovin' feed from nowhere- and I knew at that moment it was a sign - I had to share it with you!  I am so in love with this space, I could quite easily dine out for days on it....the rustic touches, the beautiful garden, the wallpaper, the freestanding baths, everything! And guess what? I also found out it's somewhere we can actually stay (quoted on the website as 'your spiritual home in the south of france')! Why did I not know about this before?

Credits: pictures 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10 by  Montse Garriga Grau / Nuevo Estilo. Pictures 3 and 8 by Nicolas Mathéus / Marie Claire Maison. Shared with kind permission from Annie Moore.

See you at Camellas-Lloret?!

I like the idea of creating a wall with vintage botanical pictures (pick up a second hand 'flora and fauna' book here to create similar). I also love the painting in the middle of the mirror, I've never seen that before, have you?!

Is there anything that stands out to you?

A few other ideas to steal from Annie's home: outroom - this (one-off) zinc sink is similar or source a custom made one here, pick up a vintage demi-john glass bottle here. Dining room - Tulip table with marble top. Bedroom: stonewashed white linen bedding.

Other beautiful places to stay (hey, there's no reason why we can't do a tour right?!...) include a rural hotel in Portugal, a log cabin in The Netherlands, and a boho cottage in Byron Bay. Do you have any tips?

Have a wonderful day!

PS Just in case you missed it yesterday, the winner of the Houseology give-away has now been announced here!

A pared-back Australian beach house with a retro vibe

Spring is in the air...at least in the home tours this week (and outside here in southern sweden, yay!). This pared-back Australian beach house certainly adds to the vibe.  Located in the coastal town of Merrick, Victoria, it's decorated with pretty pops of colour, retro floral prints (my grandparents had curtains just like these in their sitting room, they had fab style), and freshly cut branches from a cherry tree. The owners have completed their holiday home with a mix of vintage, industrial and modern furniture as well as homespun textiles for a relaxed, bohemian feel. An Australian take on the Danish home we saw yesterday? Just lovely! I could wile away a summer here, how about you?!

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Anything in particular you love about this holiday home (or everything perhaps?!)?

 Items I know and love: Try Etsy for retro floral print curtains, Tivoli radio, Moka coffee maker. Wood wool stool sells crocheted items.

I dream of having an outdoor shower, there's something very cool about them and instantly conjure up days of long summer days at the beach. Here are some of my favourites.

The other thing I noticed are the shelves across the window - what a great idea?!

See more pictures and a full write up of the house here.

Other holiday homes in which I could wile away a boho summer include: this tranquil space in Corsica, a white and wood villa on Mykonos, a Norwegian cabin by the sea, and a Scandinavian style cottage in Oregon.

Roll on summer!

Have a lovely day!