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My Scandinavian Home - Best of 2016

Well friends, this has been one crazy year. I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed blogging in 2016 - it's been a little oasis of calm each day (I hope you've felt the same).  I've absolutely loved reading all your thoughts and ideas on here, Facebook and Instagram (if I've missed your page please leave your link in the comment section below, I'd love to check it out!). It's been a wonderful year of home tours, styling updates and give-aways. Here's a round-up of the...

Top six My Scandinavian Home blog posts of 2016:



 1. Serene, small space living in Gothenburg. Photo Alan Cordic, styling Emma Fischer for Bjurfors.



2. My home at Christmas - photo - me with help from my little six year old), styling Genevieve Jorn.



 3. Six beautifully simple DIY Christmas decorations - credit: Marij Hessel for VT Wonen



 4. My bedroom tour - photo by me, styling Genevieve Jorn.



 5. Decorating my home with posters - photos / styling  by me



6. A romantic Swedish home with vintage touches - home-owner - Cattis sold through Entrance.

I've also developed a slight Instagram obsession (haven't we all?!) and am so happy to have amassed over 50,000 friends! It's a perfect place to share little snippets of Scandinavian life  - including rustic cabins and wonderful corners of Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark. Looking at the top five most popular instagram posts of the year it seems you share this passion too...yay! Here's a round-up of my...

Top 5 Instagram posts of 2016



 1. A canoe trip in Finland - Photography - Henrik Koskelo / @hentus (featuring Konsta Punkka)


2.  Christmas in a cosy Swedish home - photo Carina Olander stylist Anna Truelsen.



 3. A snapshot of Nyhavn, Copenhagen I captured on a visit to Denmark's capital city.



 4. Pink chair by a desk - Photograph - Anders Bergstedt for Kverteret Mäleri.



5. A charming Little red cabin - this little pic has been separated from it's owner- can anyone help?


And last, but not least - Pinterest!! Where mood boards come together and ideas come to life (if you can tear yourself away from the screen!). Here's a round-up of the My Scandinavian Home...

Top 5 Pins of 2016




1. This little pic I took of a corner of my home has had over 1.5 million impressions in the last month alone! It must be that little guy at the top?



 2.  Quite a few (million) of you like the idea of a bench at the end of the bed like in this Swedish home captured by one of my favourite duos photographer Carina Olander and stylist Anna Truelsen.



 3. Stonewashed linens have been everywhere this year - and these lovely ones in the home of Vintage Piken are possibly yours and my favourite!  Photo by Line Kay.



 4. On Pinterest it's all in the pink it seems, as the fourth most popular pin was this lovely picture of an Amsterdam bedroom captured by my talented friend Holly Marder.



 5. And finally, we do love a gallery wall - and Maaike Koster of My Deer certainly knows how to create one! See the rest of her wonderful home here.

I have to say, these are also my favourite posts and pins from 2016 too! But do you have an absolute favourite?

On a different note, back in the spring I was excited to launch my first interiors book - Modern Pastoral (exploring my passion for rural retreats, and sharing beautiful homes like Milkweed Barn in the Catskill Mountains below!) it was such an amazing feeling to finally get it in my hands and I'm so happy to see others around the world enjoying it too! Thank you!


Photography: James Gardiner from Modern Pastoral by Niki Brantmark, published by CICO Books.

This summer we photographed 10 more fabulous homes across Scandinavia for my second book The Scandinavian Home - which will be out in the shops next March - I am so incredibly excited as I know it will be right up your street! Creating the book was the most amazing experience, even when lost on a Norwegian mountain in the dark. I tell you, the site of that magical rustic ski cabin full of layers of sheepskin at the end of the dirt track at 1 am is one I'll never forget! But more on this in the new year....

Before I head off I'd also like to say a huge thank you to all the amazing photographers, interior designers and stylists out there who have filled us with inspiration this year - and also to my wonderful sponsors who make My Scandinavian Home possible. Many of them are small online shaops, and when you buy something an actual person does a little dance!

And finally - thank you to you all for all your wonderful support and words of encouragement this year, you're wonderful!

Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a *fabulous* new year!

PS If you feel like being horizontal this holiday (isn't that what they're for?!) but would still like to feel inspired, you can always explore my archives (full list to the left) - days of inspiration, I promise! And don't forget to enter the HUGE Houseology give-away to win an amazing gift voucher to spend on your home in 2017 (think all those Scandinavian design items you've always wanted!).

PPS see you on January 9th!
 

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Duvet Day In This Cosy 'Forever Autumn' Bedroom?


The walls in my bedroom were white for years (take a peek here) and it always felt so fresh and light. But it's only when I painted the back wall in a 'blushing peach' hue that I realised the power of colour - and how much more cosy a room feels with slightly darker, warm tones (I'm sure you've seen it, but just in case, there's a tour of it here). It's funny how that can happen don't you think? Yesterday I came across a tour of this beautiful bedroom belonging to Jeska Herne of Lobster & Swan and it reminds me so much of the colour in my bedroom - except she's gone all out. All four walls and the radiator have been painted in Warm Mud Brown by Cassandra Ellis. The result is a bedroom with a calm yet inviting 'forever autumn' feel and a warm, relaxed vibe.

Oh my word - while searching this picture for details to write about I spotted my very own book 'The Scandinavian Home' - what an honour! Thank you Jeska!

The pair are a big fan of antiques and many of the pieces have been collected on their travels to places like India. They also like to shop for fair-trade antiques at Ian Snow.


When it comes to DIY, Jeska and Dean are on a whole other level (their garden retreat which they created on a shoe-string budget is a fine example of this!). Dean made the bedside shelves in this room and Jeska pieced the lights together with various items collected over time. You can find similar pretty vintage lights like this on Etsy* (I particularly love this hand cut glass lamp*  and art deco vintage lamp* but you'd need to be super quick, there's only one of each!).


Sheer lace curtains (source similar here*) slip in a soft pool of filtered light giving a calm feel to the space and glass cabinets provide a place to store magazines and bed linen while keeping them dust free. 



Layers of linen complete the relaxed feel of the space (I love the look of this linen bedding*!). The picture above the bed is vintage. 



It seems like Jeska and Dean's cat Marlo looks totally at home in their new bedroom - and who can blame him?

Is it me or have feline friends been stealing the show in home tours lately? Just look at yesterday's home and Audrey Rivet's lovely apartment!

Are you a cat person? I grew up with rescue cats and my husband and I used to have a cat called Fredrik-Bo. He was a real character - he used to go to the local cafe and eat muffins. He was really charming when he wanted to be (namely when he wanted a muffin!) but was also massively vicious, to the extent that we had to run passed him when he wasn't looking for fear of being attacked!! Needless to say, my husband has vetoed ever getting a cat again. Bah! I miss them purring away while curled up on my lap and climbing over my keyboard as I type!

Back to this bedroom though - could you imagine spending a duvet day here? There's something so calm about it and it makes me feel really nostalgic - it reminds me a little of my grandmother's home on the South Coast of England, which was really lovely!

Oh and if you love the look of the Cassandra Ellis paint - Jeska's holding a very exciting give-away to win 10 litres of it on her blog here! Hurrah!

Have a lovely day!

Niki

PS Only three days to go before the launch of my online interior design service - scary Mary! There's only a couple of spaces left for the big discount - thank you so much to everyone who has signed up so far! If you'd like to be one of the first twenty to get help re-designing a room in your home from the My Scandinavian Home Studio team just send me a mail and I'll add you to the list and notify you as soon as it launches!

Photography: Dean Hearne for Lobster & Swan
Affiliate links marked with *

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Irina's White, Light-Filled Family Home

I love to share all kinds of homes on My Scandinavian Home - from the more relaxed, bohemian style to the clean and minimalist look. And today is a fine example of the latter. Irina's home in Munich caught my eye for several reasons: it's light and airy (which feels important right now), it's void of clutter (which is extremely intriguing since she and her husband have a little four year old son at home, so I wanted to hear more about how she achieves this, and hopefully pick up some ideas for my own home - yep, forever hopeful!). And finally, there's one piece of furniture that I've never seen before - but absolutely love. Read on to find out more and feel inspired!  

What is your home decorating philosophy? 
I really do believe that less is more. I feel better when I'm surrounded with less things and only items which I like and find useful. My favourite quote is "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful."

How do you keep your home so neat and tidy with a small child around?
Of course, it requires a bit more effort to keep the home looking like this, when you have children. I need to clean up a little bit more often, but it's my choice. And I have a rule to never get mad at my husband and son if they leave things / toys in the wrong place."

I love your wooden screen! 
The oak screen is from Hubsch and I use it all over our home - sometimes to soften light, sometimes as a room divider. 








Your home stood out to me in the 30 Day Home Love Challenge because of the way you play with shadow and light in your photography - is this conscious? 
Photos with beautiful light / shadow patterns are my favourites. Luckily, we have huge panoramic windows at home, so usually there is enough light to play with, but I sometimes think about adding some curtains to make the light softer. 

Do you have curtains in your bedroom?
We don't have curtains in our bedroom - but we do have electric blinds. If there's anything that wakes me up in the morning - it's my son! 

Children tend to have a lot of toys and other things, how do you keep your sons' room so neat?
I like to go by a less is more approach - buy less toys, but really good ones. We prefer classic toys and almost never buy on impulse. 

I see you focus on child-friendly home decor in your shop mysoulmateplace, how did this come about?
I started my shop in 2017 in Russia, while on maternity leave. I actually have a higher education in finance and worked as a marketing manager / specialist in various companies from the Forbes500 list, but always dreamed of working in the interior and product design sphere. When I first opened my studio, I was selling only my own designs and the shop quickly grew. After we relocated to Germany, I had to start all over. Now I focus on children-friendly home decor / decor you can play with. My goal is to help families keep their homes beautiful without worrying about decor pieces and child safety. All the pieces are very smooth, lightweight and made from natural wood. 

With everything going on right now, has your perception of 'being at home' changed?
It's a strange time now. Maybe it's time to slow down, rethink and be closer to family. Usually my husband has a lot of business trips and my son is at kindergarten, so I'm home alone (I work from home). And now, we are all together at home 24/7. It's a unique opportunity for us and we try to enjoy every minute, despite all our worries and concerns.  

Thank you so much for transporting us to your lovely, light filled home today Irina! 

If you'd like to see more snapshots of her lovely Munich living space, take a peek at her beautiful Instagram feed @mysoulmateplace. And don't forget to browse her online shop mysoulmatespace - so many beautiful things! 

Is there anything that stood out to you in particular about Irina's home? Do you also live by a 'less is more' philosophy? I'd love to hear your thoughts below! 

Niki

*affiliate links

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Colour tips and Inspiration from a Danish Interior Stylist's Home

A new dawn, a new day... and a whole new month! Let's kick off with some colour! What struck me most about the Danish home of Charlotte Kruse is her home office - a hot topic these days, and this one is very inspiring indeed! But there are some other corners of her home I love too - not least because they include some wonderful pastel hues. I caught up with the interior stylist in Herning, central Denmark, to find out more about her home, sources of inspiration and favourite online stores. 

What do you do for a living? 
I have my own company Studio Decor where I style and take pictures for interior and lifestyle companies. And I also teach small business owners and instagrammers how to style beautiful pictures. 

Who do you live with? 
I live with my boyfriend and our two dogs (Pomeranians) in a small house. 

The arch was added last week - what a lovely addition, I love the soft feel it adds to the space. The white opal glass pendant* is by Louis Poulsen. 

Your house has lovely high ceilings, when was it built, and can you tell us more about the size and layout? 
Our house is from 1926. It's 87 m2 (935 f2) and we also have a workshop that's 27 m2 (290 f2). It consists of a kitchen, living room, dining room, a master bedroom and a second bedroom which I use as a study - it's where I run my business from. 

I love that your home is so colourful, can you tell us more about the tones in your home?
I absolutely love colour and use it as much as I can in my home. Colours make me happy and give the room a special feeling. I really like pastel colours, rose and other warm tones. I love to play around with colour, mix my own (the colour in the kitchen is a mix of leftover paint) and see how the rooms turn out. For the most part, I love the result - if I don't, I'll just try again!

Would you say it's unusual for a Dane to have lots of colour in their home? 
Over the past few years, colourful homes have become more and more popular in Denmark, especially on instagram! We want our homes to be as full of life and personality as we are! 

What colours have you applied to the walls in your home? 
Bedroom: Green Harmony from Jotun Lady
Kitchen: a home-made blend of NCS s2010-Y50R and NCS S3020-Y70R (I used a little more of the latter). 
Living room: Hummus from Jotun Lady

Do you have any tips for anyone looking to apply more colour to their home?
If you'd like to add more colour to your home, opt for toned down hues. They are softer and add a pleasant feeling to the room.
 
You have lots of art in your home, where do you. buy your prints? 
Most of my prints are from instagram collaborations - they are from Desenio and Juniqe. I also have bought some from Permild-Rosengreen and Little Detroit

Can you share three styling tips? 
1. Give your home a whole new feel by adding colour
2. Always be on the lookout for cool inter items in thrift stores or Facebook marketplace. You can buy a lot of unique items for a little less! 
3. Use plants and fresh flowers in your home. They bring joy to the room and create a nice atmosphere. 

The patchwork curtains seen above are taking the Danish interior world by storm right now. They are made in Denmark by Arvestykke. I also spy a little wooden stool* just like the ones I have by my bed and vases by Ljungby

What are your three favourite online shops? 
Where do you do you find inspiration?
I like these instagram, including these Danish accounts: @mariaharmuth, @christinedelmar, @trinesblend and @danicachloedk - but also look a lot on Pinterest! 

Thank you so much for telling us more about your home and sharing all your styling tips, shops and sources of inspiration! 

***

If you'd like to see more snapshots of Charlotte's home and find out about her courses, hop on over to @decorstudiodk or Decor Studio

For a total colour fest today, you might also like: 


Do you use lots off colour in your home, or do you prefer neutral tones? I'd love to know!

I'll be back tomorrow with a tour of a wonderful home in Finland, watch this space! 

Niki

Styling and photography: Charlotte Kruse / Decor Studio


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