A creative Helsinki home with a cheerful & relaxed vibe

As you know (I think I've been harping on about it ever since - sorry!), I finally got to visit Helsinki for the first time last summer. And it exceeded all my wildest expectations. It was such a vibrant city but above all else, it exuded creativity (if you go, don't miss the design walk!). Seeing these pictures of visual artist, Saija Starr's apartment in the heart of Helsinki immediately transported me back to my wonderful weekend in Finland's capital city. On her blog Cosy Home, Saija describes her home life and interior as an amalgamation of: 'swaying book blocks, long breakfasts, art, coffee moments, brightly coloured containers, old furniture and the ever changing sequence.' Let's take a peek inside...

Credits: Saija Starr / Cosy Home.

Love this! It's so charming and relaxed but above all else personal, I also like how the pops of bright colours add such a cheerful touch (take a closer look at how Saija has created small pockets of colour. In the sitting room for example, she has combined a poster, vase and painting which share the same tones).

I also love how the space has a wonderful, lived-in vibe. I could imagine walking in here and immediately feeling at ease. How about you?!

Get the look from Saija's home: sitting room - 'the party' painting source mid-century armchairs like these here, Remix blanket. Kitchen - Marimekko teapot. Iittala Nappula candle-holder in high and low versions.

The big painting is 'A Party' by Saija. You can see more of her art work here.

You can follow Salja's latest projects and home updates on her wonderful blog or over on her Instagram feed.

If you'd like to see more Helsinki homes today I'm also in love with this apartment that artfully blends of danish and finnish style, the home of a design blogger and a graphic designer's penthouse - and many more in the archive. Oh I do love Finnish style!

Have a lovely day!

A lovely small Swedish space with pastel touches

Happy Valentine's day! Are you doing anything special today? In our house we do little things - like eat cake and make cards - oh and my man brought me a cup of coffee in bed (but he always does that anyway, because he's lovely (and knows it's the quickest way to get me up!). Even so, I thought I'd celebrate on the blog with a fab apartment in Stockholm with touches of pastel. The space is pretty small (42 metres square / 450 metres square) - even so, they've managed to create two bedrooms, a dining area, kitchen and sitting room, dividing the zones with colour and curtains.  I love that the owners have kitted it out almost entirely in vintage and retro pieces too (love that sofa!). As a result, the space has such a lovely, cool vibe about it, don't you think?

 

This lovely apartment is for sale through Fantastic Frank. 

I love how personal this space feels, how about you?

Get the look: dining area - vintage Thonet chairs (love these!), Iittala Napula candle holder, vintage terracotta planters. Sitting room - stonewashed linen by the yard, 'the conversation with a Saguaro' print from Lumitrix is similar (look out for the give-away on Instagram later today!).  Bedroom - stonewashed linen bedding.

You can see more pics and the floor plan of this space here. For more great small space inspiration you might also like to check out this archive (so many clever ideas!).

Right....we're leaving for vacation tomorrow and I still need to do a photo shoot, pack and buy all those last minute bits and bobs like sun screen - go go go! 

Have a lovely day!

The relaxed, vintage inspired home of an artist

Why, hello there! I hope you had a wonderful weekend?! While photographing (some beeeeautiful) homes for my book a few weeks back it struck me that they were almost entirely filled with one-off pieces - picked up on travels or found in flea markets, which made the spaces truly special.  I stumbled across this lovely creative home on Apartment Therapy captured by Natalie Jeffcott the other day and it too, is filled with a unique array of treasures, all of which come together simply because the owners Ben and artist Heidi Yardley love them. Situated in a converted stable at the end of a quiet cobbled lane in North Melbourne (what is it with me and Australian homes right now - did you see last week's posts?!), Ben and Heidi's house has been filled with vintage and second hand finds, for a lovely relaxed, bohemian vibe which is as personal as it is fascinating. 

Photography by Natalie Jeffcott / Apartment Therapy.

Every time I look through the pictures I spot something new. Did you see the arm for example (it makes sense when you look through Heidi's portfolio)?! And of course their very handsome cat Nico!

I love the colour scheme in the bedroom... so inspiring!

It's these elements of surprises which make the home so fascinating, don't you think?

Get the look: pick up a mid-century credenza here, macrame plant holder, this is a great source for vintage easels. Vintage tin boxes.  Heidi's art. I love the round chair in the bedroom but haven't found anything like it - any tips?

More beautiful artists' home to feel inspired by: a beautiful Copenhagen home in a former sculpter's atelier, an artist's home and studio in Stockholm, a Swedish artist's home in a former school.

Have a great start to the week!

PS Don't forget my talented friend Maria is offering 15% discount off her fabulous designs in her shop until the end of October. To redeem simply enter 15RABATTSCANDI at check-out - I've already picked myself up the Little Darling lamp love it! (ships everywhere in Europe). 

A beautiful Australian home inspired by nature

There are some homes that are just so unique and personal they're an absolute feast for the eyes and it actually doesn't matter how many times you see them, there's always something new to look at. Kara Rosenlund's beautiful tin and weatherboard cottage in Australia is one of them. Kara is a photographer (I've got one of her amazing seascapes on my sitting room wall), stylist, author and shop owner where she sells her own lifestyle range - in other words one talented, busy, lady!). She shares her home with husband Timothy O and a flock of chickens. The home is decorated with an abundance of treasured finds and 'natural tones and hues inspired directly from the palette of nature'. Let's take a tour....

Photos kindly sent to me by photographer extraordinaire Kara Rosenlund.

Just incredible, don't you think?! The detail, the distinct style, the natural elements, everything!

I love the autumnal colours too - beautiful. 

You can see more pics of Kara's wonderful home here. And pick up items from her lifestyle range here as well as her beautiful photographic prints here (and a signed copy of her fab book: Shelter: How Australians Live).

I arrived in Norway last night for a three day photo shoot for my book - sooooo excited! It will be a hectic few days so I'm afraid I'm going to have to take a short break from the blog - and will be back again on Monday.

I hope you have a wonderful week!

PS don't forget to enter the give-away if you haven't already....

The stunning Bavarian home of a photographer

You know when homes have a friend's name written all over them? This incredible space found over at Vosges Paris  was made for my sister, Cas! She loves vintage pieces (cinema seats, step ladders, tables), art photography and industrial lighting.  But the home of German photographer Petra Reger and her family in Kompton, Bavaria is oh so much more too. Petra's home decorating style is part industrial, part vintage, part designer, part rock 'n' roll. Throw in the beautiful bones of the apartment including the original plaster wall in the kitchen and 100 year old parquet flooring and the result is an incredibly striking and unique home fit for a creative. How cool is this space?

 

Shared with kind permission from Homeowner / Photographer Petra Reger. Inspired by Vosges Paris with thanks.

I'm such a big fan of the graphical monochrome look, it's just so striking.

Is this your kind of style?

A few items I know and love: Designer chairs: Panton, LCW, Knoll Diamond and Series 7 . Choose your own neon light letters here.  Try Etsy for industrial scissor lamps (that's where I found mine), keep an eye on ebay for cinema chairs. An Apple monitor in Petra's workspace. To get the sitting room look try the Zanotta three seater sofa, the Tulip side table is similar and Zettel Z 6 pendant light. Anything I've missed?

Other fab monochrome spaces with a vintage touch here, here and here. Or if you like a touch of colour, did you see yesterday's post?

Time to pack for Dalarna (I'll still be posting!). Before I shoot off, a quick reminder to stop by this weekend to enter the give-away intended to light up your St Valentine's Day. Oooo, intriguing?! 

Have a wonderful weekend!

PS Speaking of my sister, I sent her some uber cosy Swedish fleece tights and they haven't arrived - did Mr Postman accidentally put them through your (London) door?! #mysistersgettingcold!