A soothing Swedish space

When it comes to a colour palette there's nothing more calming then soft shades of grey. And this lovely apartment in Gothenburg, Sweden has got the blend just right. It helps that it also has beautiful period features, high ceilings (painted fresh white), and large airy rooms with big windows which flood the space with natural light of course! And I spy a few of my favourite design pieces right now too (more details below!), I'd so love to be padding around here today, how about you?!

Credits: photo - Fredrik Karlsson styling: team Sarah Widman for sale through Alvhem. 

....and breathe!

I recently spotted the Bold chair by French brand Moustache in a home we photographed this summer for my book, and it's equally striking in real life. Love it!

Get the look: sitting room - Bold chair by Moustache, white silk chandelier, TS marble coffee table, crumpled linen throw. dining room - cluster light, pick up a vintage bust here, Series 7 chair, marble chopping board (I love this one-off vintage French one - there's only one though! Hurry!). bedroom - white linen bedding.

Other beautiful grey-scale homes (you knew that was coming....!) include this serene Swedish space, a dreamy urban beach home (love the sound of that right now, how about you?!) and a soothing home on the island of Gotland. I'm not sure if I dare say this, but there are actually over 120 grey and white Scandinavian homes in this archive too!!

Have a lovely day!

PS You'll notice I've been taking a two day breather from Christmas as I do like to shake things up a little! But for those of you looking for a little festive inspiration I'm back with a great gift idea for design lovers this evening and a Christmas home tour tomorrow - eeeeee! There's always my Christmas archive too?! 

A calm Brownstone to brighten up your Monday!

Why, hello! There's been quite a few Christmas posts here on MSH over the past few days (including a watch give-away - still time to enter hurry!), DIY inspiration, a Nordic gift guide and even a few festive touches from my own home! So today I thought I'd give us all a breather and go for something non-Christmassy! A beautiful Brooklyn brownstone dating back to 1910 to be precise. Home to Jeff Madalena, co-founder of clothing brand Oak and Jason Gnewikow, a former musician and graphic designer and founder of Athletics agency- you could say creativity is in their blood! The pair has transformed their four storey home into a magnificent, pared-back monochrome space in which to unwind from their hectic daily lives. Think statement pieces, quirky art and a lovely roaring fire.....

Photography: Pippa Drummond  / Dwell.

Photography: Pippa Drummond  / Dwell.

Photography: Pippa Drummond  / Dwell.

Photography: Pippa Drummond  / Dwell.

Photography: Pippa Drummond  / Dwell.

Photography: Pippa Drummond  / Dwell.

Photography: Pippa Drummond  / Dwell.

Wow! There's so much breathing space it makes me feel calm and relaxed just looking at it (not bad for a Monday!). Loving the large plants and soft textiles too - which give the home a lovely soft touch.

A few items I know and love: sitting room- Serge Mouille floor lamp, sheepskin throws, recreate white side cabinets like these using the bestå series from IKEA (like the top stylists!) - and pep up with Superfront!  Dining room- Salt chairs, bedroom - white linen bedding.

If anyone can shed some light on those fab ceiling and wall lights, I'd be so happy!

See more pics and the full tour over at Dwell. 

And a little link love to brighten up the start of the week:

Three other brownstones I love - including one with a mid-century touch, one with striking contrasts and a cool monochrome space. Got to love Brooklyn!

What a beautiful table setting? (those stonewashed napkins!).

Ten tips for styling a small space.

 Dip here anyone?! How spectacular?!

A new insta favourite! 

Stop, click and dream for a minute.

And that's it from me, have a wonderful start to the week!

Beautiful Swedish studio where a little goes a long way

Who says you can't have it all in 29 metres square (312 feet square)? This beautiful studio / one room apartment in a building from 1880 in Gothenburg, Sweden has made maximum use of high ceilings to build a bedroom over the bathroom, accessed by a ladder. Black walls and cabinets mark out a separate zone for the kitchen and there's even plenty of storage space. Swedish design at it's best!  #feelinginspired how about you?! 

Credits: Photography Jonas Berg, styling Grey Deco for Stadshem.  

What a clever use of space don't you think? I love the period features just above the bed too - lovely!

Could you live here? 

It almost looks like a wall to wall carpet in the bedroom which would be extremely unscandinavian - but it's actually more likely a rug, which I think adds such a cosy touch!

A few items I know and love:  filament light, this marble side table is similar, a selection of linen pillows / cushions in shades of grey (these are so beautiful!), Karlstad sofa, string shelves (love this combination against the black wall!), White linen duvet cover, light grey linen pillow covers.

Other extremely clever small spaces: a beautiful and smart studio in Finland, an ingenious small space in Antwerp, a lovely Stockholm studio with a suspended loft bed.

Just goes to show that a little really can go a long way!

Have a wonderful start to the week!

PS Did you see the latest addition to my daughter's bedroom? If you're looking for a Christmas present for someone big or small who loves to travel, Bold Tuesday are offering 15% off until 12th December - more info here! Think I might have to get one for myself!

The beautiful (and inspiring) kitchen of an interior designer

You can guess that someone who works in the world of interiors is likely to have a pretty great home. And my friend interior stylist Genevieve Jorn's is a fine example of this! You probably recognise the name as we often work together on projects and I love visiting her apartment in Malmö (as you can imagine!). A few months ago I featured her work space, and this week I thought I'd share a tour of her fab kitchen. Despite being a rental space and a fairly narrow kitchen with some awkward angles, she's been able to do so much with a few small updates, great items and lots of imagination. For example, a large window at the end of the room floods the space with light and bounces of a wall which Gen has painted in mat black and used as a gallery wall. And I love the little bistro table with just enough space for an afternoon fika (that stool!), the way the hanging plant catches the light, the row of hooks used for tea towels, and an iron trolley for extra storage - so inspiring! Let's take a peek...

Photography: Me, Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home). Home-owner / styling: Genevieve Jorn

Such a lovely space don't you think?! The plants, wood and textiles bring just the right amount of warmth. And trust me, it's such a great place to sit and enjoy Gen's freshly baked pumpkin bread with her and her little girl, Olivia.

Get the look from Gen's kitchen: 

1. Wall rack and hooks 2. linen table cloth 3.  Iron shelf on wheels 4. Tea towels 5. AURA wall lamp 6. Cast iron pot 7. Cast iron pan 8. Olive kitchen brush, spoon and whisk  9. cast iron tea pot 10. Black wood stool. Although not featured in the montage - I also love this round chopping board and sign.

More kitchen inspiration for the weekend: two Swedish kitchens, a French kitchen with a modern twist (this space had you divided), and a Scandinavian inspired Bulgarian kitchen (great light fixture!).

I'm so excited that Halloween is just around the corner - did you spot the green pumpkin in Gen's kitchen? First one to find it and comment gets a surprise from Nordal in the post (don't forget to leave a way for us to contact you)! If you're thinking of making something pumpkin-based this weekend you might want to take inspiration from these pumpkin pancakes - and that setting?! - beeeeautiful! I like the look of this pumpkin cheesecake too yuuuum!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend -  the clocks going back here mean we get a whole extra hours lie-in - LOVE that! If I'm lucky I might even get this (here's hoping....)!

See you Monday!

PS Since I'm in London for the kids half term there'll be a few less posts next week but I will be dipping in and out so definitely stop by!

This post was created in collaboration with the fab Danish online store Nordal, selling unique furniture and decor. All words are my own and I only ever work with brands I absolutely love and know you will too! Thank you for supporting the brands that enable me to create fresh content for you to enjoy.

An elegant, white Swedish home

It's been a while since I've featured a completely white home, and this one is just so elegant and serene I couldn't possibly pass up the opportunity! It's also a great sign that despite all the colours and patterns creeping into homes right now, the white space will always have a special place in the world of interior design! Looking at this apartment in Gothenburg, Sweden it's easy to see why. It's full of light and despite the white walls and furniture it looks lovely and cosy too thanks to the wood floor, soft textiles and beautiful touches of autumn.  What a lovely space, don't you think?!

Credit: photo Jonas Berg  styling greydeco / Stadshem. 

Long live the white home! 


Oh and this apartment is for sale too. Gothenburg anyone?!

As always a few items I know and love (in case something catches your eye!): sitting room  Vapeur lamp, butterfly chair, söderhamn sofa from IKEA. Dining area: 7 series chairs. Kitchen - it looks like a William Morris wallpaper, but correct me if I'm wrong! Thonet chairs.

Right, better hurry as we're flying to London in a few hours time for half term and my girls are waiting for me by the door!!  Go go go! 

Have a lovely day!

PS My interior stylist friend Gen (you may recognise the name as she frequently contributes to my blog and I featured her previous home here and new home office here)  is selling her fab children's shop - The Youngsters. If you're looking to run your own children's shop but don't know where to start - this is an amazing way to begin! Read more about it here.

Small space inspiration in monochrome

It's the weekend (almost!) and boy do I need it (more later). But first, today's home tour. Following on from what has been a bit of a black and white week, I'm taking inspiration from this monochrome space. Despite being a one room apartment the owners / designers have achieved a spacious, light and airy feel thanks to the two toned colour scheme throughout. If there's one thing I love though, it's the cactus! My grandparents had a similar one and it grew so tall they had to cut a whole through the ceiling (which became a skylight) - no joke! I've been a big fan of these prickly plants ever since, plus you rarely need to water them - what's not to love?!

Stadshem

Is there anything that stands out to you?

A few items I know and love: Thonet chairs, linen bedding, DLM side table, L:A Bruket soaps etc.

I'm so excited to introduce a sponsor today- brand new online shop Blackthumb. Founded by Nicola Fanstone after an inspiring trip to Helsinki, Blackthumb sells a smögåsbord of fab contemporary Scandinavian home and garden items including items from three of my favourite brands Sne Design (I'm in love with this felt storage basket), Ferm Living and Normann Copenhagen (dropit hook anyone?). And the good news? Blackthumb are offering readers 10% discount on any item in the shop with the code MyScandi10 until March 31st.

As mentioned above this week's been crazy. Yesterday I had a visit from TV channel Arte, and I've recently started working on a book (more info to follow at a later date) and to top it all I've also started shooting homes in Southern Sweden. It's all so exciting and what I've always dreamed of doing YAY! I just need a few days rest.... !

I hope you have some fab plans for the weekend lined up?

Have a lovely couple of days!

It all started on an unexpected trip to Helsinki, Finland. While wandering the streets on a cold spring afternoon, admiring all the beautiful and simple designs that Scandinavia is so well known for, Blackthumb was born. - See more at: http://blackthumbdecor.com/about/#sthash.wZ4hCdCE.dpuf

It all started on an unexpected trip to Helsinki, Finland. While wandering the streets on a cold spring afternoon, admiring all the beautiful and simple designs that Scandinavia is so well known for, Blackthumb was born. - See more at: http://blackthumbdecor.com/about/#sthash.wZ4hCdCE.dp

The lovely, relaxed home of a Danish student

I love this relaxed home of communications masters student Julie Wittrup Pladsbjerg which she shares with her boyfriend in Aalborg, Denmark. Julie is a keen writer and interior decorator and recently did an internship at one of my favourite Danish interiors magazines BoligLiv. She loves to mix old with new and has a big thing for plants, which can be seen dotted around the apartment. There are so many details I love about this space - the black and white wall in the bedroom with the low shelf as a side table, the DIY shoe rack in the hall, the open dressing room. Did your home look as cool as this when you were a student (I'd love to say mine did)?!

All photos Julie Wittrup Pladsbjerg

A few items I know and love: Kubus 4 candleholder, string lights, Eames DSW chair, Tom Dixon copper shade pendant, string pocket shelves, Hay clamp light.

Is there anything you love in particular about this space?

Thank you Julie for sending me the wonderful pictures (you can see more pictures of this fab home on Instagram).

If you're a fan of black and white and after a little more inspiration there are tons of beautiful monochrome spaces in my archive here, many of which also have a lovely mid-century touch.

Now, I'd better get back to my 'white floor make-over' - almost there, exciting!

Have a lovely day!