A White Swedish Apartment with A Small Space Hack

Anyone in need of a little calm this Monday? This elegant apartment in Södermalm, Stockholm is blessed with 3.30 metre high ceilings and beautiful period features. Plus, if you're looking to make an extra bedroom out of your living space or work wonders with paint, this is the inspiration for you! Let's take a look at what's at play in this 75 metres square (807 ftsq) apartment. 

In an open-plan space, it makes sense to place the table in the natural light of the window and the sofa in a cosier spot with less light. I love how the living room is full of contrasting textures too - something you'll see throughout the apartment. 

A subtle hint of colour in the children's bedroom does wonders to the overall look and feel of the space. 

I'm guessing the kitchen previously occupied the entire space just off the living room and now carved into two - a children's bedroom and a small space to cook. Once again, contrasts are at play - with the use of both industrial stainless steel and painted wood cabinets. 

Old wood windows allow the flow of light into the kitchen. 

Paint is a budget-friendly way to breathe new life into a space. In the hallway, the owners have painted a geometric pattern on the hall floor and also added a fun modern twist to the doors and cabinets by painting the lower section green. I love this! 

The owners have adopted the same industrial feel in the bathroom for a cohesive look. 

The children's bedroom may be small, but it's certainly pretty, cosy and well organised! The use of white helps the storage to melt in while splashed of colour draw the eye in. 

Sometimes, it can be hard to figure out a layout from the pictures, so here's some more info courtesy of Historiska Hem: 

Glossary: sovrum - bedroom, kök - kitchen, vardagsrum - sitting room, badrum - bathroom.

Absolutely lovely space - it's a total breath of fresh air and I really like the mix of materials. 

Is there anything that stood out to you? 

The room shuffle reminds me a little of the home I featured recently in Copenhagen here.  

Have a fabulous start to the week friends! 

Niki

Photography: Historiska Hem

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Explore A Dreamy Swedish Pool Villa on Gotland

With much of Scandinavia basking in sunshine and warmth this week, it would be rude not to transport us to the Swedish holiday of Gotland today! After all, there's only one month left until the school holidays, and the start of summer cottage life! 

While it would be wonderful to spend the summer at this house on the southeast of the island (the pool looks heavenly for starters!), I could quite happily pull up a seat by the fire in wintertime too. 

True to Swedish style, it has a light and airy open floor plan and features traditional furniture and rugs so often seen in country homes. But perhaps what stands out to me the most are the pops of red and orange in each room - which add so much warmth against the cool stone floors. 

Välkommen in! 

Could you imagine living here? 

And what do you make of the pops of red and orange? I think they add a lovely personal touch and lots of warmth. But even if you're not a fan, the use of colour is a great example of how to add a favourite accent to each room. 

You can currently see more pictures and discover more about this Swedish country home here (it's for sale!). 

Shall we take a moment to drool over a few other houses on the island of Gotland today: 

A rustic summer cottage on the Swedish island of Gotland

Elsa's inspiring summer cottage

A beautiful barn on the island of Gotland

Step inside a converted old schoolhouse

And if you're thinking if visiting the island (it's a must!), you can read about some of my favourite spots in this travel guide of the Baltic coast. 

Have a lovely weekend all! 

Niki

PS I can't tell you how much I have enjoyed reading all your comments recently, I still have some left to reply to, but rest assured, I devour each and every one of them, they add so much to each post. Thank you!

Photography: Bertwig via @hemnet with thanks. 

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A Danish Cabin That's All About The Hygge!

Once upon a time I shared a lovely apartment belonging to Sarah Bjørumslet. The title of the post read 'keeping it real in a Danish family home in the heart of Copenhagen'. And I still remember how refreshing I thought it was to see an unstaged home complete with milk cartons on the table and toys strewn across the bedroom floor. Hooray to everyday life! 

I've been following Sarah's instagram feed @look_good_in_blue ever since and was excited to see that her 'cosy, old school' cottage is available to rent this summer! Situated between Rørvig and Nykøbing North West of Copenhagen, the cabin was built in the 1950s as an artists atelier, before becoming a relaxed getaway by the sea. Read on to discover more! 

Sarah says it's full of games and DVDs - a perfect way to wind down, especially if the Danish weather isn't playing ball! 

Mismatched crockery and glassware adds to the laidback vibe of the cabin and a glass cabinet keeps everything at hand! 

The cosy kitchen is leaning towards the cottage core vibe we are seeing so much of right now and reminds me a little of Hannes Mauritzen's little Swedish allotment cottage (if you haven't seen the tour, head on over!).  

I'm guessing the big chest is full of toys - or maybe blankets! What do you think? 

The sofa pulls out into a bed for extra guests - essential in a Scandinavian summer house as friends and family often stop by for a night or two (always bringing their own bedding, as is customary). 

I love how books are never far away - perfect for a rainy day! 

The ethos of the Scandinavian summer is to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Here, a little play house has been set up for children, and simple outdoor furniture serves as a spot to sit around the fire. After all, it wouldn't be Danish without the hygge! 

Guests don't need to wander far to reach the most magnificent sand dunes and beaches! I personally, love that part of the world - so beautiful! 

If you're curious about renting Sarah's cabin this summer, the best way to reach out / book is via instagram: @look_good_in_blue. 

Is there anything that stands out to you about this cosy cottage? 

It would be rude not to share a few other lovely danish cabins with you today - after all, summer is fast approaching and the weather here in Scandinavia is beautiful right now! Why not pour yourself a cup of coffee and take a peek at:  

A charming and relaxed Danish cabin by the sea

A white, light and airy cabin on a Danish island

A fresh cabin by the sea with vintage finds

Take a tour of a Danish family's log cabin

Have a lovely day!

Niki

Photography courtesy of @look_good_in_blue

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A Bright White Swedish Apartment Where Old Meets New

Last Tuesday I celebrated my twenty year anniversary of living in Sweden. Can you believe it? I simply don't know where the time has gone. But it's been two wonderful decades! Over my years here, Scandinavian interiors have evolved a lot. Even so, there are some looks that are timeless - and one of those is what I like to call 'the Scandinavian blonde look'. 

Think a less is more approach where light colours and blonde wood take centre stage. The look is bright and airy, with touches of nature found around every corner. 

This lovely two-floored Swedish maisonette offers a beautiful bang up to date version of this style, complete with a contemporary stainless steel kitchen,  traditional wainscoting, wood beams, and a painted checked floor. Ready to feel inspired? 

You quite often find a painted wood floor like this in Swedish homes - particularly in the countryside. It's a technique that stems back to the olden days when tiles were considered very expensive, so people would imitate with paint. Today, it's a well loved feature - and relatively easy to achieve with some stencils and a little patience! 

I've seen more and more green tiles like these appearing in homes lately (only last week we saw something similar in St Oak apartment!). I love the old school touch! The loo with the raised cistern reminds me so much of the ones we had at my primary school too, although I'm sure the owners of this place have better loo roll!! 

All in all, a beautiful home, do you agree? 

Take a look at similar 'blonde wood' Scandinavian-style homes: 

A dreamy Copenhagen home full of books and art

The blond Nordic apartment

A bright, light and playful Swedish apartment

But the look isn't reserved for Scandi homes - take a peek at the kitchen of this Normandy family home! 

Wishing you all a bright start to the week! 

Niki

I am home with a very tired gymnast today. Thank you for all your well wishes! We had a great weekend - it was so fun to watch Alice and her team perform - and we were so proud of them for coming 5th in the nationals (although it will take a while for my pulse to drop!)! Per and I also spent some time afternoon in the breath-taking Stockholm archipelagos too - it's so peaceful there. If you haven't already, I hope you can visit one day!

Photography courtesy of Fastighetsbyrån, found via Nordroom with thanks

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