A Danish sitting room transforms from summer to autumn

Although I'd love the summer to last forever, it seems the leaves are slowly turning here in Sweden and snug winter woolies are just around the corner. One of my friends in Copenhagen, Tina Fussell, photographer, writer and stylist extraordinaire, has completely embraced the new season by updating her sitting room with accessories, flowers and cushions. The dark colours create a cocoon-like feel, perfect for cosying under a blanket and wiling away a chilly scandinavian winter. These lovely pics show the gradual tranformation....

All photos: Valentina Fussell, Traveling Mama

Will you make any changes in your home this season?

A few tips on where items are from: Tom Ford book, silver coffee pot, Grey cabinet, Voluspa candle, desk light, Kartell Papyrus chair.

I couldn't resist throwing in the last pic - I think Monday's are made for long breakfasts, don't you?! Start the week as you mean to go on!

You can see a complete tour of Tina and her family's lovely Danish home here.


Other homes with rich dark grey walls include this fabulous Australian holiday home, a wonderful French home and this luxurious Swedish bedroom. 

Have a lovely day!

PS only a couple of days left to vote in the Amara interior blog awards (sponsored by luxury gifts & designer homeware store Amara). I'm so excited to be one of the nominees - my voting page is here, if you'd like to send a little love my way. 

PPS Swedish friends - I am volunteering with the red cross this month - if you are please interested take a look at this video (in Swedish).

A Finnish home in striking charcoal tones

I love it when I receive an exciting e-mail. This time it was from designer Laura Seppänen sending over lovely pics from her latest interior design project. The client brief was to turn a two room apartment in Helsinki into a stylish, monochrome interior with the slightest hint of a hotel vibe. Laura added handmade and designer Finnish design pieces, and some fab prints to make the space come alive. The result is a pretty cool space with charcoal tones softened with warm wood. Let's take a tour..

Photos kindly submitted by Designer: Laura Seppänen, Photographer: Suvi Kesäläinen 

I love the bedroom! Charcoal bedding is such a great way to channel the broody dark grey trend  (as seen in this home)- but without committing to painting walls. This charcoal linen bedding and throw are similar.

To furnish the home Laura has used items from Finnish brands Adea and Valanti. The prints (in order of appearance) are:  RK Design, Blur, Brooklyn Landmarks.If there's anything in particular you're wondering about give me a shout in the comment section below and I'll dig into it!

I love the last home Laura designed too. Two totally different styles, which do you prefer?

You can keep up to date with her latest projects on Intagram and Facebook. 

More fabulous Finnish homes here!

Thank you so much to everyone who entered The Youngsters give-away. I am happy to announce the winner here. Gen is offering everyone 10% off all the fabulous items at The Youngsters with code MSH10 until Sunday 2nd August!

Have a lovely day!

A calm green, grey and white Swedish space

Well hello there! I hope you had a great weekend? It seems Sweden's starting to wake up from the summer holidays....Stadshem has started selling again. Yay! This home in Gothenburg, Sweden is full of calm green and grey tones mixed in with natural materials in the form of rattan (got my eye on that Tine K chair) and plants. Perfect inspiration for a Monday, don't you think?!    

Stadshem. Stylist: Emma Fischer. Photographer: Anders Bergstedt

What a calm home? I think it's the green tones (according to research people naturally associate green with lush pastures, trees and forests, evoking the feeling of peace and tranquility).  Do you have any green in your home? I recently started to introduce it as an accent colour in my own home (loving my green vintage scissor lamp found on Etsy), I think it works so well in a monochrome backdrop. 

Items I know and love from this Swedish space: various prints found at The Poster Club. Chairs: Rattan, Menu, Thonet 214.  Tulip table, Z1 pendant light in bedroom. Lohals rug.

Quick fix of the day: love how they've brought in a simple bunch of cow parsely from outside for the table decoration. 

Is there anything you love in particular about this home?

More calm homes with just the right amount of green include this english style house in Sweden, and pops of green in a Skåne family home.

Have a lovely, calm start to the week.

PS Don't forget to enter the fabulous children's design give-away - only one day left!

A magnificent brownstone with striking contrasts

This magnificent brownstone in Clinton Hill, New York has the most incredible rich, colour pallette.  It's home (and studio) to event planner, interior designer and stylist Melissa Lee owner of Bespoke Only, and her husband Keye. With the help of Simpson Jacoby they have turned the 100 year old house into an elegant, calm space using striking dual-toned, colour blocked or nuanced lime-washed walls and furnished with a wonderful mix of second-hand, vintage and reclaimed items throughout. I love the way it's been captured by Ty Cole too. Let's take a peek....

Homeowner: Melissa / Bespoke Only. Architect: Simpson Jacoby. Photography: Ty Cole - shared with kind permission. Post inspired by Design Sponge with thanks.

This home has finally tipped the scales for me to give my home a lick of Railings Farrow & Ball. It has to be done. What do you think, could you paint parts of your home in this shade?

I also love the mosaic floor in the entrance way - try Encaustic Tiles for similar.

Other wonderful homes which have gone over to the dark side include this striking dark grey and white home, a fabulous grey australian home and a Swedish home in blue, grey and white.

Have a lovely day!

PS I hope it stops raining soon, this is meant to be our summer. Come on Sweden!

A beautiful Swedish space in calm greys

I've found a way to beat the Monday blues - bring on the greys! This home is the absolute picture of calm with it's all grey colour pallette. And looking at the home tour you'd never guess it's only 25 metres square (270 feet square) - which is itsy bitsy! So what's the trick? Joanna Bagge has decorated it with the same colour theme throughout which gives the space a sense of coherence, the sofa cushions are stored under the sofa-bed by night - ready for the daytime transformation. The dining table is extendable for guests. Wall to ceiling wardrobes have been installed the entire length of the hallway, and the entire home is clutter free. And I bet there's a TV hiding in that lovely cupboard - what do you reckon? Wonderful inspiration for anyone living in a small space or loving grey today!

Stadshem: Photography: Jonas Berg Styling: Joanna Bagge

I could kick of the week here, how about you?

I see they've got a book on noma - one of the world's finest restaurants, in Copenhagen. Oh how I'd love to go! Have you been?

Other details I love - the fresh bunch of peonies on the chair ('tis the season - yay!), the bentwood Thonet chairs. Miro miro  mirror.  Angle cushions / pillow. Hay gym hook (used as towel hook), House Doctor shelves with brass fittings. Hay Bent Wood mirror, Pina low table and beech tote bag (in hallway). Hay work lamp in brass. Artecnica Trianen pendant light. Soft linen bedding. Try Strong White for a similar floor colour.

If you're after more grey inspiration today I'm loving this Stockholm pad, a fabulous all grey Australian home and a small Swedish space.

Have a lovely start to the week!

Duvet day in this monochrome bedroom?

Hello! I must say it's great to be back at my desk this morning after the madness of a three day photo shoot (I do have some lovely memories though- like this incredible view down to a Danish beach - Denmark is just stunning). I'd also love to have a duvet day and still be snuggling up in bed, I'm so tired! Which is probably why I was drawn to this incredible bedroom today! It has everything I could possibly need - calm dark grey and white colour scheme, soft linen bedding, open and closed storage (I love these), a work corner bathed in sunlight and a stack of magazines. Oh yes, transport me there now! Could you take a duvet day here?

 

 

Alvhem

I would sleep so well in this room, how about you?! Zzzzzzzz. 

A few items I know and love:  Hektar reading lamps, white linen bedding. I like this moss knit throw. HAY light, this clothes rail is similar, String shelving system. I like these hooks. Try Farrow & Ball Down Pipe for a similar dark grey wall and I recently painted my floor in Strong White, which comes out a beautiful pale grey.

Other bedroom's I would sleep easy in include Holly Marder's lovely space in neutrals and Tine K's calm Danish room. I'd also quite like a night here, how about you?! You can see my complete archive of bedrooms here (scroll down past the first one as it it will be the one in this post)- warning, it might make you feel like you want to go back to bed (or at least revamp your entire boudoir!). 

More lovely white and grey home inspiration here (Swedish) and here (Finnish). 

Have a lovely day!