A Berlin Home of Many Colours

Guten morgen! I hope you're feeling fiiiine? Looking through the survey responses a few weeks back I noticed the request for more 'colour' (gulp!). You know me - I'm kind of colour shy. I think it comes from living in Sweden for 14 years! Don't get me wrong, Scandinavian homes often feature colour - but it's often exercised with a huge amount of restraint, and hues tend to be of the muted, earthy variety. Done right however, splashes of bright hues and accent walls can put a real spring in your step and make your home that more interesting. A fine example of this can be seen in the Berlin home of Franziska. I caught up with her to find out more...

 The green in the kitchen is a mixed 'Schöner Wohnen' color, code 04.031.02

I love the use of colour in your home it's subtle yet bold in equal measure, do you have a go-to paint brand?

I love the colors by Farrow and Ball. The color choices at Jotun are great too, but unfortunately they are not available in Germany.

The green is carried through to the hallway to give the flat a cohesive look. I once styled a home with a black hall (for The Scandinavian Home) and the owner told me the darker colour does wonders to hide a messy entrance-way. Got to love that!

It's fun to see two different accent walls in one room. How did you choose the colour combination?

My all time favourite colours are blue, green and pink. To these, I combine 'playing colours', for example in the form of pillows, pictures or flowers that change frequently. Everything inspires me: films and series, art, fashion, nature...

Franziska's home office is painted in Farrow and Ball 'Hague Blue' and Jotun 'Warm Blush'. A zingy yellow eames chair adds another dimension to the colour scheme. 

Do you have any tips for anyone looking to introduce colour into their home?

In order to choose a color you always have to consider the light, the room and the surrounding colors. That's why I would use a large color sample, pinning it on the wall and watching it change over the course of the day. Otherwise: Just try it! A wall is quickly re-painted and gives the room its own character.

The dusty rose bed linen (source similar here) and ochre cushion (this is similar - and budget friendly!) look pretty against the calm Farrow and Ball 'Light Blue' wall.

Where did you get the painting your bed, it's so beautiful?

It's a photo from Billy and Hells, two photographers from Germany. I bought it from Lumas.

And finally, what do you love most about your home?

The cozy, relaxed atmosphere in which I can live my creativity. The apartment is so beautiful with its high ceilings, the old large windows, the hinged door and the floorboards, that it is the perfect canvas that looks good with everything.

All photography ©Franziska / Lieblingsblicke

I especially love the tip to just go for the colour - as it can always be re-painted. Words to live by indeed!

Here's a summary of the key colours used in Franziska's home: 

From left to right:  Schöner Wohnen' color, code 04.031.02, Farrow and Ball 'Hague Blue', Farrow and Ball 'Light Blue' wall and Jotun 'Warm Blush'.

You can see more snapshots of Franziska's lovely home over on her instagram feed Lieblingsblicke. 

Thank you so much for inviting us into your home Franziska!

Looking for more colour inspiration? This archive has tons of it (if this home pops up first, you know the drill... just scroll on passed!). 

Have a härlig dag!

PS If you're intrigued about what's going down at Milan Salone del Mobile it's all on my Stories!

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Trend: Greige Walls

White walls are almost becoming extinct. As the year wears on, more and more of my friends seem to be getting weary of their walls and trying to find a middle ground between the straightforward trend of whites and the color palettes of late, which are filled with pinks, indigos and desaturated (and gorgeous, I might add) greens.

Greige is the perfect example of an in-between. It is not grey but it’s also not beige. That’s why it’s become increasingly popular–and it deserves to be for its diversity and subtleness. Greige is the color that says “I’m grounded, reliable, wholesome but also unexpectedly classy.”. To me, it’s one of the best colors of the year; it matches perfectly with light woods... and let’s be honest, it’s quiet a needed break from whites.

If you, like me, are not quite ready for the bold-color movement, consider this for your end-of-year home refresh.

Niki is in Paris for the launch of the French version of her book Lagom (Le juste équilibre) - if you're passing Galeries Lafayette between 4 - 6 pm this Saturday,  pop in for a signed copy and join in with a fun DIY session! I believe she's sharing the adventure over on instagram stories too!

Beautiful images by: Evalotta Sundling and Elin Kickén, with thanks!

About The Author

Ana Degenaar → My Scandinavian Home Contributor

Author, Graphic and Web Designer.
Mindfulness is at the heart of everything Ana does—from work to life and everything in between.
For over five years she's focused on creating honest, intelligent and refreshing projects—believing that the best way to accomplish this is to dedicate herself to the essential and making things speak of their intrinsic beauty and purpose.

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Trend: Pink's Big Comeback

Pink has slowly but surely sneaked up on us and created its big comeback this year. Thankfully we are talking about a new range of pink: the shades that we are seeing right now are filled with character. The color is making an inherent romanticism resurface—and oh, boy!—aren't we all for it?

By now, we all know pink mixes well with neutrals, making it all the rage in Minimalist homes. No matter how safe or how bold you want to play it—whether you want to bring just a couple of pink accessories to your home or whether you’re ready to paint walls from top to bottom, pink will be the color of 2017.

From beautifully textured walls to dashing pink velvet chairs, scrumptious bedding, wallpaper and more—if you ever wished to be surrounded by pink, this is your time to shine.

Image Credits:  
1-4 Ferm Living 5 Little Upsidedown Cake 6 Menu 7 Notary Ceramics 8-10 Studio Oink, with Thanks! 

Get The Look

1. Pink linen bedding
2. Pink linen cushion
3. Pantone: Sheer Pink
4. Vase 

5. Gubi grasshopper Lamp
6. Roar + Rabbit Swivel Chair
7. Open Candleholder
8. Dogwood

About The Author

Ana Degenaar → My Scandinavian Home Contributor

Author, Graphic and Web Designer.
Mindfulness is at the heart of everything Ana does—from work to life and everything in between.
For over five years she's focused on creating honest, intelligent and refreshing projects—believing that the best way to accomplish this is to dedicate herself to the essential and making things speak of their intrinsic beauty and purpose.
     

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Karolina Modig's Beautifully Creative Stockholm Home

For those of you wondering if the week is ever going to end - it's FRIDAY friends - and that aperol spritz is inches away! But before we all reach for the Prosecco, I've got one final home tour to share with you, and it's a real goodie! Welcome to the Swedish home of Karolina Modig - a journalist, editor and author of two art books Värdet av konst (The Value of Art) - 2013 and Häng konsten lågt (Hang the Art Low) - 2015, her husband Erik and children Elliot and Mio. The family live in a three bedroom turn-of-the-century apartment in Södermalm (affectionately known as 'Söder'), an area of Stockholm known for it's relaxed, creative vibe. The 85 metre square (915 square foot) space is adorned with art, a ton of plants (check-out the greenhouse!), books and interesting artifacts set against a backdrop of pale pink, white and grey. I caught up with Karolina to find out more.


The shelves have been placed higher up to create space for the art underneath. The large portrait is by Jesper Waldersten. A Ferm Living wire basket and top doubles up as a table (note how the pink wall colour has been replicated in cushions and the basket to create balance).

How would you describe your style?
Our interior style is a mixture of my arty/airy taste and Erik’s arty/crazy taste. Erik is fond of experimenting with building projects, rare objects etc, I love rare objects but love a bit of light and air as well.

Your home is beautiful and full of fascinating items! Would you say it differs from the usual Scandinavian style? 
Thank you! Yes, I blame Erik for all the stuff haha. And our kids:) I guess it has a bit more ”cosyness" to it than most Scandinavian homes, it’s not very simplistic/minimalistic. We have a lot of books, can’t get rid of a single one. They take up a lot of space:)


A classic Swedish Orust chair by Staland is made a little more comfy with the help of a sheepskin cushion (source similar here). And I spy original Nagel candleholders! Erik has collected them at auction over several years.  Originally designed by Werner Stoff for Hans Nagel in the 1960's, the STOFF candleholder has recently been re-launched by Danish firm Just Right and you can buy it piece by piece to create your own sculptural masterpiece! See my guide to indoor climbers here!

The pair also love to paint. A portrait of Elliot by Erik can be seen here.


An antique Sputnik light (this one is similar) adds a glimmer of gold to the dining area. The chairs are from Stalunds (as before). 

I noticed you also have a lot of plants, including an indoor greenhouse! Can you tell us more about it? 
Erik loves plants, I think he would rather live in some kind of orangery than in an apartment. The greenhouse is his third baby, he fell in love with it just before we moved in to the apartment. It weighs 50000000 kg and everything we plant there dies, but it’s lovely - isn’t it? :)


It sure is! I also appreciate the use of colour - how did you choose the tones?
We actually painted everything white in the beginning, but realised we needed color to keep the rooms together. The bedroom wasn’t really a room before we painted it, just a bunch of stuff placed in a square space. The color made everything "melt together". I believe there was a home in Danish interior design magazine ”Rum” that inspired us to pick the colors for the living room. It changed the room completely, making it the most cosy room in the apartment. The tiles in the kitchen are old  English school-tiles (from The Winchester Tile Company).



IKEA units have been fitted with pale blue Superfront doors and brass handles (Norse Interiors sell similar in the US). Art by Alexander Tovborg. 

You have so many fantastic works of art! Where did your passion for collecting come from?

I’ve always been interested in art, but I started buying when I wrote my second book Häng konsten lågt (Hang the Art Low). I wanted to investigate how much you could buy for a certain amount of money and where you could buy it, as a guide for interested people without experience. It is a book on how to ”approach” the art world in your own conditions.

Do you have any tips on how to choose art and display it in your home?
Try not to match too much, give the art some room and let it stand out. Don’t put it too high on the walls and select your art with your heart and stomach rather than with your brain.


Where do you buy art? 
I’ve bought it at galleries, over the Internet (selected digital art shops) and directly from artists.


Vintage storage has been given a new lease of life using Superfront doors (see previous).  There are some beautiful old botanical school posters available here (ships worlwide).

And finally, what do you love most about your home?
That it is very ”livable”. It doesn’t matter if there are nicks in the tables or the floor, or if the furniture has flaws and faults. I think the ambience is welcoming. At least that is what we want it to be.




The children's room is decorated with Coud wallpaper by Ferm Living and a wonderful bespoke playhouse (I wish I had one of these when I was growing up, how about you?!).

Photography: Nadja Endler for Houzz

Karolina's world in 30 seconds:

If you could own any artwork, what would it be?

A Rothko or something by Louise Bourgeois. 

What music are you listening to right now?

Hanna Järver, James Taylor, Mura Masa and The Secret Sisters. 

What is Stockholm's best kept secret?

Not very secret maybe, but Carl Eldh’s ateljémuseum is a little piece of wonder. 

Thank you so much for inviting us into your home and telling us a little more about your passion for art Karolina!

You can read more about Karolina's home over on Houzz. 

If you'd like to see more arty spaces today I'd totally recommend taking a peek around the lovely home of a Danish artist,  a Copenhagen home in a converted artist's studio and a Swedish artist's home in a fomer school house. 

Have a fabulous weekend!

Niki

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The lovely handmade home of Ingrid Jansen

Hello Monday! And what a sunny one you are. Today I've chosen a home to match the mood - light, bright and colorful with inspiration around every corner. It belongs to Dutch business owner Ingrid Jansen. Ingrid started her company a few years ago when she designed her first recycled wooden stool with a crocheted cover for her home. Requests started flooding in and WOOD & WOOL STOOL was born. Ingrid's Holland based home is the perfect backdrop for her colorful handmade, wood and / or crocheted items she creates and sells.

Photography: Ingrid Jansen - WOOD WOOL & STOOL, with kind permission. Post inspired by Style Files. 

What a lovely home. Personal, white with pops of color and a very warm homespun feel. I would love to have some of Ingrid's colorful crocheted items in my home wouldn't you? They look especially great against the white backdrop. 

Other homes I'm turning to for inspiration today include this, this and this one. Bring on the brights! 

Have you got any plans for the week? It's all go in my home - last week we put up these shelves and now I'm starting my bedroom make-over - slightly scary but soooo exciting. Hint: the project involves tins and tins of Strong White by Farrow & Ball and quite possibly some bold swathes of color! Post to follow soon. 

Have a great start to the week!

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