WINNER of the String pocket is....

And the winner of the fab String Pocket is…..'Mi' of Minidea in Finland, congratulations! Please send me a mail with your shipping details. Thank you to everyone who entered! 

It's no secret Scandinavians love Swedish String shelving (just look at all these homes!). And now I've teamed up with String to offer you the chance to win your very own Pocket shelves in a colour of your choice. Yes, really! And better still, it only takes a second to enter, see below for details.

Image1: styled by Caroline Dahl

This give-away is now closed. 

How to enter:

1. Leave your name in the comment section below, stating which colour String Pocket you would like to win and what you'd like to display on it. 

And that's it! The competition is open to everyone until Monday, 2nd March 2015, Midnight GMT. The winner will be announced in this post on Tuesday 3rd March 2015 so make sure you pop by to see if it's you!

Terms & Conditions

You must be age of majority in your country of residence. We are not responsible for any duties, import taxes that you may incur. Only 1 entry per person. 

Love affair: St Pauls Blue and cognac (in a Swedish space)

Yesterday my heart belonged to monochrome and brass, but today I've fallen in love all over again with this bedroom decorated in St. Paul's Blue, a collaboration between paint brand Jotun and Copenhagen based Frama, and cognac. Sarah Widman and her talented team of designers / stylists have decorated the rest of the apartment for Alvhem in nuances of grey and white and an Eduards cognac leather bag as a statement piece (although I think it would look better on my arm, don't you?!).  Be still my beating heart....

Design / stylist; Sara Widman and team, Alvhem with thanks to Trendenser.

What do you think? Could you go to the dark side in your home?

I'm a big fan of the half painted hallway, something I've been considering in my kitchen.

Items I know and love: this Series 7 chair is not cognac leather but it is beautiful! Eduards vegetable tanned leather big shoulder handbag (handmade in Sweden). The bedroom light looks like the Baklava Tak lamp (correct me if I'm wrong!). Is there anything that stand out to you in particular?

Other homes in grey and cognac include this Copenhagen space, a Gothenburg apartment and a sunny Stockholm studio. 

I'll be back tomorrow with a fab weekend give-away so make sure you stop by!

Have a lovely day!

Back to beautiful basics - monochrome and brass in a Swedish space

Back to basics today with a monochrome space. Oh how I've missed you black and white! This small space 'one room' Swedish apartment for sale through 55Kvadrat is furnished with statement designer pieces (guide below) and black accent walls for a striking effect. Brass has been used as the accent 'colour' -whether in the form of designer lamps or accessories. It looks like it's a trend that's here to stay and I like it! Are you a fan of black, white and brass?

55Kvadrat

Small space inspiration indeed! 

A guide to where items are from: sitting room - the amazing brass lamp could be the Anders Pehrson bumling, Thonet 209 chair,  sheepskin throw, Cross blanket, DLM table, Hay cushion and Ferm Living half moon basket. For black wallpaper try Wilderness by Ferm Living. Kitchen - Thonet 214 chairs, Tulip dining table, Tom Dixon Etch Tea Light Holder in brass, 2015 scratched calendar.

Other fab homes with a monochrome and brass theme include this and this one.  And I've even added a touch to my guest room too!

Out of interest, do you go through waves of inspiration for your home? I've been through a bit of a lull but suddenly I have so many ideas for my house. Yesterday I picked up the most fab vintage Beni rug in Lund which is inspiration in itself (thanks for all your encouragement on IG!). And I'm planning some major projects in the next few weeks....watch this space!

Have a lovely day!

The happy home of Marij Hessel volume II

The Dutch home of My Attic blogger Marij Hessel was one of the most popular posts of 2014, and for good reason! I was therefore soooo excited to discover the Dutch designer has taken some new shots of her delightful home (and I also found some oldies which haven't been showed here before too). Her white walled and floored home acts as a blank canvas for pretty pastel cushions a mix of scandinavian modern and mid-century finds and bold prints. Marij - we love your style!

Photographs / styling / homeowner: Marij Hessel, My Attic shared with kind permission.

The Dutch really do know how to add colour don't they? And this is the year for it, as we starting to see bold colours enter the home in a big way.

A few items from Marij's home I love:  The black and white diamond rug is from Urban Outfitters (who incidentally have the most fab textiles right now, I've just ordered this rug and cushion for my home). Find similar mid-century bureaus on LiveAuctioneers.  Artek 66 chairs in the dining area.

The boho trend has already brought us pom pom blankets and Macrame wall hangings. And now hanging plant holders are sneaking into the picture too, I'm loving these chevron  and macrame ones. 

More Dutch home inspiration here (for fab neon paint) and here (for pretty pastels) - and if you fancy visiting Holland this spring / summer I love this delightful city house and this idyllic cabin for rent.

Have a lovely day!

The calm Finnish home of Anna Pirkola

There's something wonderful about Finnish style. And the home of Anna Pirkola, a concept designer, interior, blogger, prop stylist and set designer is no exception.  Decorated in white, grey and light wood and peppered with design products- it certainly pays homage to the Finnish interior design style. But Anna's home is unique too.  She's added flee market finds in the form of beautiful kilim rugs and a mid-century bureau, DIY pieces (workspace lamp, wall hangings etc) and a large record and art collection. Enjoy the tour (with Nina Persson or First Aid Kit in the background perhaps?!).

 
 

Photography: Anna Pirkola of Da Daa. Inspired by French By Design, with thanks

A quick guide to some of the lovely pieces in Anna's home: Hay bella coffee table, Muuto silent vase, Dark blue painting by Hanna Perälä, Smeg fridge, Gubi Ronde pendant light. Muuto leaf floor lamp, white metallic shelves from IKEA, Visu chair.

Anna's blog is full of inspiration including DIY projects (lamp for your home office),  thoughtful items for the home (I love this little place to put your jewellery at night from here) and an insight into idyllic life in Finland (how nice does her brother's cafe in her great grandparents cottage look?).

See more delightful Finnish homes here - the Finns really do have a lovely sense of style don't they?

Before I head off I also wanted to alert you to a fab collaboration between luxury Swedish brand Hästens and award winning textile designer Gunilla Lagerhem Ullberg. The result? Beautiful 'Herbarium bedding' decorated in a kaleidoscope of clematis and hollyhocks (abundant in Sweden in the spring and summer) and made from the finest Egyptian cotton.

Have a great day!

Just Blush!

 The Oscars are always a spectacle, sometimes inviting, sometimes confusing  or repellant depending on your life view.   I have my issues with them, but that's not what this post is about.

In addition to rooting for my favourite actors and movies, Oscar night is a great opportunity to see how fashion trends (always connected to decorating trends) play out on the red carpet.  The best and worst dressed are a matter of opinion.  This is obvious when you read several sites and compare the observations with your own.

Blush pink and its variants was the stand out colour for me.  Even some of the gowns described as white had subtle pink undertones. 

Blush Pink appeared in late 2014 as a trend in fashion and decor  and is continuing into 2015 especially in the European market.  It is a delicate hue that looks especially good with soft whites and/or pearly grays.

This style board gives a good representation of how the trend plays out in furniture and accessories. 

 And in fashion ...

from the merest hint of blush

 Kerri Washington

 Viola Davis 

Karolina Kurkova

Jennifer Aniston 

 Oprah

Zoe Saldana 

Jennifer Lopez

to its darker depths

Gwyneth Paltrow

and more vibrant applications. 

The pinks have it.  

Could you live with a little pink in your life?

Small space inspiration: a calm Stockholm pad

It was chaos this morning. We couldn't find anything. Breakfast was eaten on the nursery run. P forgot his laptop (the inaugural first day back after holidays- hooray!). And then it was quiet. There's something wonderful about the calm after the storm, sitting at my desk at home, sipping coffee as I type.  Which is probably why this Stockholm home resonated with me.  It's a mere 30 metre square and yet the owner / designer has succeeded in creating a serene,  uncluttered, light and airy space. It has just the right amount of colour for my taste too - a pop of red in the kitchen, a sunny yellow bag in the hall, and pastel textiles throughout. What a great home to start the week with, don't you think?

Fantastic Frank

I can't imagine a chaotic monday morning in this space can you?!

A few items I know and love: the Milk table lamp, &Tradition Raft stools, Kristina Dam Palm 1 print, La Bruket soaps, converse sneakers. 

If you're after some more small space inspiration, you might want to check out the small space archive for some great tips!  And this book is fab too.

Have a great start to the week!