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.

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.

The styles may vary but you can be sure to find the following design elements in a Stockholm apartment:

• White. Swedes embrace gallons and gallons of white paint.
• Hardwood floors with individual rugs (we stopped using wall to wall carpeting decades ago).
• State of the art kitchens (yep, nearly all of family & friends back home have fab kitchens!).
• State of the art bathrooms.
• Books! (See my earlier post).
• A great mix of old and new. Just look at that old Swedish wood burning stove and the old beams. A true Swede will rather have no furniture at all than to get rid of historical elements.
  

Images: Lagerlings

Here is some eye candy for you. This incredible attic apartment in Stockholm is owned by the interior architect and artist Carouschka Streijffert. I am going to keep quiet for a change and let you go through all the details yourself. Take your time.

Okay, just one comment! Let’s talk about books for a second. I do not know of one home in Sweden (unless they are somehow staged) where books are not prominent. Back home we surround ourselves with books and display them with pride. I get totally nervous when I don’t see books in a home. I am so pleased to be reading more and more about how formal living rooms in the US are fading away. People instead are opting for libraries. Yeah! I hope that trend stays!

Images via Skona Hem

Ok friends, I have a crush on this mirror. Isn’t it stunning? So unique. Simple and yet it makes a statement. The mirror is 69 cm in height (about 27 inches), so it is not too wimpy, which I like.

The company behind the mirror is BTC by Design from England. The Leafy Mirror in Oyster Gray is made of metal and is, according to BTC, Swedish inspired. No wonder I was immediately attracted to it!

Have a wonderful weekend blog friends from all corners of the world! You are the best!

One of the leading interior design magazines in Sweden, Skona Hem, has come up with a new catchy name for the new design movement taking place right now (especially in Sweden where being current and environmentally correct are two key factors within design. Well actually with just about everything. It is a very progressive country I come from!).

The term they use is “Slow Decor”. A close relative to “Slow Cooking”. And it means design that is meant to last. Both from an esthetic and material standpoint. Invest for the future. Try to buy local. That is how people think and buy right now. (And if they don’t – maybe they should).

Yeah!!! I am slow!!! That is how I have always tried to decorate. (With an emphasis on try because this girl is far from perfect!). I prefer to save for a long time to get that perfect, classic object that my childrens’ children one day will appreciate rather than to buy a ton of trendy things that I will say goodbye to shortly.  (And here flea markets and auctions also come to play. Not everything has to be bought new and/or for a steep price tag if you only train your eye and add some patience and a little bit of luck).

Let’s take a look at the first picture again. Love it BTW ! An old Swedish table from the 18th c. holds a collection of “new” and old Swedish classics of different textures. I love the beautiful and decorative bowl and the lamp from the 60′s next to the small, so typical Swedish, hand carved wooden bird. Pleasing to the eye. And a good investment for the future.

The table  “Twin” has a reversible table top – black/birch. For every table made, a new tree is planted. I love the tall vintage striped (originally) lemonade glasses (I have to look for them when I go to Sweden next!) and the wonderful collection of classic plates from different eras. (Reminds me that I need to get my own mixed collection going).

Only classic pieces from different epochs mixed here. And a beautiful old Swedish mirror. Hey, who knew that an old tuba could be so decorative!

A Tripode lamp shares the room with a classic Divan and a book shelf made of large, sturdy paper rolls (!) and Velcro that you put together any way you want (by ReturDesign) . The room is filled with more classic accessories.

Textile art in blue by Verner Panton from 1966. The chair by Carl Malmsten from the 50′s is called “the lazy servant”.

The Tolomeo lamp is always “right” and it brings a nice contrast to Carl Malmsten’s table from the 50′s and the eco friendly bedding.

Mix people – and by smart!

All images from Skona Hem.

…everywhere I look around…

Photos: Flickr – “Wanderlust”

… and I am drooling over all the lovely things that I have come across that will keep me warm & very content while the air is getting crisper and the days much shorter. Imagine me whistling when I am putting together the list of some of my fall FAVES!

Fall = boots! ! A lady needs a nice pair of boots! How about these lovelies from Coclico.

Image via the lovely blog Bliss

I also like these from Cole Haan.

I have a real crush on these boots from Italian Fiorentini & Baker. I can’t obtain a good image, so go to Barney’s if you want to take a real good look. (Check out the image with the cool zipper!)

It won’t keep me warm – but very happy! – this lovely leather and silver bracelet called Jumbo from Hermes. Simple. elegant equestrian.  Not cheap. But I am a hard worker – so, yes, please!

This sweater from Nordstrom would keep me both warm & purring!

And of course anything from Swedish Odd Molly will do. I was a lucky owner of this cardigan below (in a different color) but it magically disappeared from the back of my chair at a fancy bistro… I am still mourning it and am determined to  get a new one. ( I know that Mint Julep, among others, sells them).

This gray dress from Odd Molly together with boots. It would make me pretty happy!

I bought this scarf from the Etsy store Karlita last year. People went nuts over it. It is still one of my favorite scarves.  It looks so good with jeans and a simple shirt or sweater.

I am eyeing this one in rust for fall.

My husband can’t stand strong artificial scents. (What is wrong with him anyway?!!) So, when he is on business trips it is my chance to indulge! I love the elegant Mandarin Tea collection from Aquiesse. Their soy based candles are handmade in the US.

Fall = curled up in a cozy chair right next to the fire place reading a really good book. A nice throw is then a must! I love this one from Swedish Inredning Etc. It is a high quality wool throw made on Gotland, my favorite Swedish island. (The store ships internationally). Let me know if you need any help with the Swedish language.

Also from Inredning Etc are these adorable baby slippers! What a cute gift! (And they are not too expensive).

With my good book and throw I also need a great cup for my green tea. This one from Dean & DeLuca in NY can move in with me anytime.

I recently ran across this tea infuser from the MOMA store in NY. Very slick!

Sheep skins have been on my mind a lot lately. They are warm, cozy, and make so many of the minimalistic chairs so much more comfortable and inviting. (How lovely during cold winter months).  I am saving up for a whole bunch. And I will only get them from my lovely Gotland where sheep farming is a key industry.

Photo: Stellan Herner for Elle Interiör. Stylist: Tina Hellberg.

Photo: Flickr – Scott Dungan

Now I am ready for fall! Are you?

I absolutely LOVE these colors and style combinations! Take note! Mix mix, less is more & create balance and harmony for the eye and the soul. And if you are going for color, rich muted color tones in purple, blue and green are part of the trend right now. If you want to play it safe: pick a good base color that you love and complement with a color that works well as a contrast.

I saw this one-of-a-kind yellow console table at a new, fun store in Stockholm and took some pictures myself. (I will share with you in an upcoming post). I am so in love with the old Swedish wooden plate.

The wooden bowl is moving in with me!

Images via Sköna Hem

For you who have been following my blog you know that I am gearing up to revamp our guest bed room. All I know right now is that it is going to be white, fresh and crisp. The accent colors are still up in the air. But this new, lovely wall paper “Emma” by talented Emma Von Brömssen for Swedish Boråstapeter will likely be featured in a small area in the room. Maybe as an extended headboard.  I love the peacocks!

Hello blog friends! I am back after a few weeks off filled with pure summer bliss. I am rested and happy and I hope the same goes for you. I have missed you all but was often reminded of your wonderful existence through your lovely and kind e-mails. Thank you!

I live in a big house, with many rooms but no single white wall in sight! How is that even possible? I am a true Swede after all and have cocooned in white rooms most of my life. In my house I have chosen muted colors (and a lot of light gray) that all flow nicely together but I really miss a white atmosphere. Especially after my trip to Sweden.

So my goal for the next few weeks is to do my own guest bedroom makeover with white as the prime shade. Who knows where this exercise will take me. I might just keep on going!

Images above from Sköna Hem

2 last images from Livingetc.