When wonderful blog friend Ally, over at the From The Right Bank, asked her readers for wallpaper suggestions I immediately knew where to send her. It sounds crazy but I go all the way to Sweden, to a wonderful store in Malmoe called Tapetorama, for inspiration.

Their on-line selection is heavenly, I trust the Swedes to always be, tuned with current design trends. (And wallpaper is hotter than ever, people). They also carry a lot of historical & vintage papers. It struck me that I have not looked at their selection for almost a year, since I did some shopping over there myself. Here are a few lovelies:

This is what Elisabeth herself is saying about her work: ”We live with so many conventions in interior design. Even if not identical, we all have pretty much the same things in our homes e.g a sofa, a sofa table, a book shelf etc. Same with wallpaper. I just took what I know from the art world and applied it to the world of interiors. It is a crossover between art and home design.”

Happy new week, friends! It is pouring in Seattle right now. It is gray, gray, gray and I lust for airy, light & uncomplicated Swedish rooms. Who better to capture that then the very talented Stockholm-based photographer Martin Cederblad.

I have a pair of similar Swedish baroque chairs (ca 1750) as the gray ones around the table. And hundreds of years later they – with their heads high - work so beautifully hand in hand with contemporary pieces  (in my opinion one of the few antique styles that can). That is why Swedish antiques never will go out style (especially the old, gray painted furniture). They are beautiful, simple and fit in just about anywhere.

Also don’t be afraid to mix different time periods and build your own cluster of objects for the eye (and soul & heart), like these silver candle holders.

Lovely cottage living.  Nothing matchy-matchy. Nothing contrived. Just relaxed.

White in different textures.

Imagine starting your day with a cup of tea in this setting!  Look how much a simple linen table cloth adds to the atmosphere. Now envision the image without it!

Happy eating in this lovely & cheery setting where vintage china adds color to the table.

Sigh. Simple and so beautiful.

Can’t wait for the sun! Can’t wait to get my hands dirty and put a whole row of lovely white blooming plants on my own stone steps! Spring can’t come quick enough for me.

I am sure that you are already aware that the declared design color of the year is Turquoise. I must have overused it in the 80′s ( I remember strutting around in high gloss turquoise shoes together with a green and turquoise jacket! No wonder I never looked back!). And I have never really reconnected with that color shade since. Until I saw this room. Just the right amount of turquoise with all that crisp white and with a little bit of black as a contrast. I think it really works well. Maybe we will become friends again!

Turquoise and light blue are quite lovely paired with brown (as in pillow no. 2).

And pink, people! I see pink/violet everywhere.

Perhaps the new purple.  Lovely nevertheless.

Words, numbers and quotes as acccents in wall decor continue to go strong. Here is a fun one.  A limited-edition oak framed print with quotes from well known movies.

This image I have saved in my great gift file. My husband is an avid cyclist. How fun would it be to present him with this table on his upcoming birthday!

Don’t take your interiors (or yourself) too serious! And go with your heart.

Happy rest of the week, friends!

Images: 1. Burcu Avsar via Desire to Inspire, 2. Burcu Avsar, 3. Desire to Inspire, 4-6 Living etc, 7. Coulson Macleod via Lotta Agaton

Happy Monday, Friends! (And Dream Big on this Martin Luther Day).

I consider myself very lucky to be close to not 1, not 2 but 3 Anthropologie stores within a 30 minute radius! I have not been lurking at any of the stores for quite some time but I think I will be going very soon (like later today!) after visiting their on-line home section. It’s all to do with that “vintage industrial look” that is so hot right now. I personally can’t do a whole room in this style (but many others do it beautifully!) but a single piece here and there as an unexpected touch, I am all for.  Some lovelies here, wouldn’t you say?

How fun this distressed Ordinal dresser with a metal top is. (And if you don’t want to spend the money think consignment store +  stencils + black paint+ labor of love).

Handsome and sleek rocker. The Bresson Rocker

I think this Decker End Table is fabulous. It is made of iron and mango wood. (Can see that top packed with white orchids in weathered pots).

Who said a folding chair can’t be handsome and comfortable? Just look at this Terai upholstered chair.

Feminine and pretty Rose bathmat.

Ingegard pendant. Simple and lovely.

Nice, toffee colored leather Battersea sofette . I don’t know about the quality. But this two-seater with a fan back sure looks nice!

Add a touch of color to your room with this Iris Bolster pillow.

And for your sushi loving friends these twig chop sticks  make for a splendid gift.

What a unique & fun mirror! (Also, a great DIY project!). It is called Collected Memories.

I am about to start working on Prince William’s (2,5 y) big boy room. I know I will use some vintage looking numers as decor, but I am always concerned about the lead level in old signs. So this Take a number sign might be an option. ( (But I have invested in this great little lead test kit from Home Depot that I use when in doubt!).

And finally, there is always space for a simple & lovely recycled vase from Spain. Something, perhaps, to put your stunning cherry branches in. I think that combo actually makes for a really wonderful gift.

I can’t believe that I still have not managed to get my act together and get started on one of my own favorite must-do-projects. Well it is a new year and I am so going to to put together an artsy and sentimental wall of framed vinyl records. (Just the ones we truly love)!  There are so many wonderful graphic artists behind some of the classics LPs. Actually there is a whole industry out there called Vinyl Art. Did you know that?

A recent picture in  Hus & Hem, reminded me of one of my old posts. The home owner has framed Talking Heads “True Stories”. (An easy and inexpensive way to add a personal touch to your home).

Personally, I am going for all white frames and a full wall! (White frames have been on my mind a lot lately!). Now I am off to do some research on vinyl cover frames. 

On a much more important note, I earlier today turned a “I-must-do-this-now-or-I-won’t-be-able-to-sleep” thougth into reality.

As relief efforts begin to mobilize,  officials estimate staggering loss of life from Tuesday’s disaster in Haiti. A grim road faces these quake survivors, and even the littliest support from all of us can make a huge difference. There are many help organizations,  I personally chose to donate via UNICEF. If you would like, join me.

Click here for a direct link to UNICEF, where you can donate via mail or phone.

Happy rest of the week, friends!

And Dear Kiki, if you read this. I hope your trip back to Sweden went smoothly. I miss you. All of Seattle misses you!  OX Monika

When I need to declutter my mind and find some peace in & harmony I often gravitate towards my old home country. Swedish interiors can at times be considered cold but when done right and with some heart, I find those rooms calm, serene and easy to breathe in. They are often filled with less stuff but instead things with a purpose. Let me introduce you to such a home in beautiful Sweden.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Anna-Malin is a friend who I have met in wonderful blog land. We have been sharing e-mails cross the Atlantic about  life issues and thoughts on design. Not only is Anna-Malin a wonderful person but she is also highly creative and talented. Her home is so inspiring and so is her Swedish blog Helt Enkelt. Take a deep breath – this is not staged, this is how she actually lives. Lovely or what?

Anna-Malin loves mixing Scandinavian design classics with heirloom pieces and vintage finds. She is an expert at taking flea market finds and turning them into must-have objects.

Just take a look at this vintage chair (Anna-Malin is well aware that I have a very serious crush on that particular chair!). She found the chair at a Swedish flea market, nobody wanted it (where was I!!), she paid about $40 dollars and voila. Hello?! Can a chair get much lovelier?

And now that chair lives here. In her kitchen. With sheep skins and everything. Oh no, that was 2 weeks ago! Anna-Malin changes furniture around on a daily basis and the kitchen of the week now looks like this!

                                                                                                                                                                                     She constantly moves things around and prefers to try new ideas before she would even consider going out and buying anything new.

As with most Swedes, Anna-Malin finds inspiration from nature. She is drawn to simple lines, organic materials and neutral colors. And she like to be good to mother nature by reusing things. She says: ” Being from the very North of Sweden, I get good energy from white and cripsy snow, complete quiet and branches from simple, wispy trees”.

Who said you need a whole roll of wall paper to make an impact? Just a little piece will take you a  long way!

My friend is a resourceful lady who is not afraid to use a hammer and nail on any given day. This sofa table is one of Anna-Malins own creations, put together on a weekend. (Maybe Hubby was involved in that project too, I can’t remember).

Another dining/work area in the family room.

All over the house you will find cozy and calm areas to relax and just be.

The rooms of her two boys are no exceptions.

I hope this gave you some good food for thought. Just writing this post got me so inspired that I am heading to a nearby consignment store – today! Thank you Anna-Malin for your friendship and all your wonderful ideas & inspiration! Happy Monday blog friends!

All images, curtesy of Anna-Malin @ Helt Enkelt.

Before and after pictures are always so fun to look at! Don’t you think? Hope you find some inspiration here.

A wonderful move-in-ready living room without the stuff. A blank canvas to work with.

This homeower kept the traditional bones and the neutral color scheme but actually made some serious changes like adding all new Herringbone high glossed hardwood floors, crown mouldings, elegant mesh built-ins and a wonderful window seat with built in cubbies for the firewood.  (I would have added a rug though, to warm it up a little). Love the chairs!

This room gets my favorite makeover. Here is a fabulous room that with its hand-me-down furniture and neglected style needs some love.

Much cozier and more interesting!  The tall white bookcases with the bold accent color behind the sofa and the carefully handpicked furnishings really pull the room together. I don’t think that I would dare to go with that green wall color myself- but it works!

Here you have a white, stark dining room that I think would at least make my guests  nervous! Nice furniture but no warmth & personality.

The guests will not leave now! The same furniture but with a lot more texture and color. Love the new settee! The vintage dining chairs got new slipcovers and the window new coverings. I really like  how they took wall paper panels  and attached them to the wall. An easy & inexpensive way to add some color and interest to a room.

For being a guest room, this room feels pretty impersonal and not very welcoming.

A much cheerier  room and definitely more of a retreat. The striped rug gives the room a much needed punch and I like the 2 rug effect. Note how they wallpapered the ceiling.

Images via House & Home

Happy New Year to my wonderful blog friends! I hope you created some fun memories this winter holdiay. I sure have missed you! I am very exited about this year. 2010. I feel it’s going to be a good one – for all of us!

I am starting the new year with one image that has kept me occupied for the last couple of weeks. Seriously, I can’t get it off my mind. I am drooling and drooling and thinking about this picture that I picked up at the oh-so-lovely blog Delight for Design.

To me this it the ultimate way of displaying treasured family photos – and because of it I have now decided to repaint my bedroom all white and adopt the concept myself on one of the walls!

Why I am so obsessed? Because of the large cluster of photos collected in one spot. (I like things organized. And I don’t like things skimpy). The monochromatic all white walls, ledges and frames make a quiet but stunning statement. I like the smaller frame sizes in different constellations. Reminds me of an art gallery. (And everything is hung in perfect eye level postion). I also love that there is no fighting for attention in the room. I would die for a room with just the artsy display and a cocktail table. What a hit! Nothing else is needed.

Yep, this I am so trying! And 2010 is off to a good start!

The sitting areas from that same home are also wonderful. The owner obviously has a great eye for art too.