Sabtu, 15 November 2014

A cosy weatherboard cottage interior

The final home tour of the week always needs to be fabulous. I search in particular for somewhere that warms the heart, somewhere perhaps where you could see yourself spending the weekend. And this home hits the mark. Spotted over at blog extraordinaire Design Sponge, the 1890's weatherboard cottage in Queensland, Australian is home of photographer and stylist Kara Rosenlund and her husband. It's crammed with beautiful treasures collected over the years from all their travels as well as local vintage finds. Kara takes a lot of her inspiration from nature and you can seen this in the autumnal colours and mix of browns and whites. Could you spend your weekend here?!








Photography and styling by Kara Rosenlund via Design Sponge with thanks.

Oh so lovely. What a home!

I've actually shown Kara's home before here. Can you believe it's the same home? It looks completely different (beautiful in another way) which just goes to show how you can transform a home!

Some of the items such as the horse and outback print can be found in Kara's shop (don't miss her limited edition sea print too - so stunning!).

You can see more images and read more about Kara's home here.

This is the second brown and white themed home this week (other one here, in case you missed it!). What a beautiful combination.

And how cute is this autumn outfit (found in the archives while I was looking for inspiration)?!

Don't forget to pop back tomorrow to enter my weekend give-away!

Kamis, 13 November 2014

Two Apartments In Modern Minimalist Japanese Style (Includes Floor Plans)

As we have explored before, the Japanese style interior design aesthetic is highly tied to the idea of minimalism and negative space. In these two small apartments, you will see that there is truly nothing there that does not have a purpose. The spaces never feel cluttered or cramped, no matter what the actual area measurements. Instead, air and energy can easily flow from room to room in a relaxing and comforting way. Natural wood is another common element in Japanese design, and both of these spaces use it to great effect. Combined with swaths of sunlight and warm, light colors, even a small space can feel open as well as orderly when utilizing this style.



The first apartment is a renovation, done by the team at Sinato Architects. The house is known as Fujigaoka M and is more than two decades old. The purpose of the renovation was to create a space that was both more modern and more comfortable for the married couple who was to live there.


The architects sought to make the house more open and give it the connected feeling that comes with living as a couple.


None of the rooms in the home are closed off by walls and doors. Instead, half walls create some division and necessary privacy while sunlight from two sides of the home is allowed to flood in.





Of course, the use of sturdy natural wood, for the inner terrace as well as furnishings and flooring, is distinctly aligned with the Japanese aesthetic, giving the entire space a warm and cozy glow.


The central portion of the house, referred to as the “inner terrace” by the renovators, acts as a room separation but does not close anything off. Instead, it offers space for storage as well as display walls for personal photos, art, and books. The central wall therefore becomes a personal element of the house that is easily updated for seasonal changes or the occasional redecoration.






The second apartment is also a renovation, this time of a 75 square meter (800 square foot) home in Western Australia. The renovation was undertaken by Clare Cousins Architects and was necessary to make a warm and open home for a young family who was expecting their first child.


With such a small space for two adults and soon a child, an effort was made to minimize the sleeping area while maximizing the living space. This meant that every element had to be truly necessary, in the Japanese style, and when possible each space had to have multiple functions.


This was partially accomplished through the use of sleeping cubbies, that are no larger than a mattress. These areas can be closed off at night for privacy, or during the day to hide the bedroom away.



A young family of course will also want to be able to entertain on occasion and perhaps have overnight guests. The lofted area of the apartment accomplishes that goal with a spare guest bed as well as access area to hidden storage compartments. The lofted storage is actually home to more furniture, made from plywood, that folds flat to save space.



Moveable partitions throughout the home give residents the option to change the layout as they see fit, from day to day.



A simple but chic bathroom uses clean white tiles and gold plated fixtures for a modern and minimal – if not traditionally Japanese – look.





Fan of the Japanese style? Do check out these then.

Senin, 27 Oktober 2014

A Malmö apartment with a mid-century touch

Well hello there Monday! I hope you had a great weekend?! It's half term here in Southern Sweden so I'm gearing up for a trip to London later this week - sooo excited! Are you up to anything fun? Today I'd like to share this lovely apartment here in Malmö with you. There's just something about it I love - could it be the mid-century touches? Most likely! But also the elements of surprise such as the bright floral printed cushion against the green harlequin wallpaper in the hall or the pom poms in the bedroom. So pretty! What do you love about this home?








Bo-laget

Could you live here? If so, you're in luck, it's actually for sale! Come join the Malmö massive!

A few items I know and love: Prints: apple papple, pirum parum, Martin Lannering insect alphabet. String shelves. Hay industrial lamp

I know it sounds crazy but my family and I are already talking about what to do next summer! I think it's because the days are getting so short. A few weeks ago I received a mail about Villa Pia in Lippiano, between Tuscany and Umbria in Italy. I immediately started dreaming about sipping a cappuccino while looking out over the olive groves, vineyards and a 10th century castle in the distance. And Villa Pia sounds totally family friendly too. The 5 acre grounds offer two swimming pools, play areas and a trampoline. And children are welcome to join cookery and art classes (my girls would be in heaven!). And for us adults they offer cookery classes, pilates and wine tasting (I guess not all at the same time!) among other things. Could I have found my summer vacation 2015?!

I hope you have a lovely day! 

Kamis, 23 Oktober 2014

The striking monochrome home of a Swedish photographer

It's the weeeekend. woohoo! As you know I love to go for a striking home tour to celebrate.  This monochrome home, which I think totally fits the bill,  is in stark contrast to the colourful spaces I showed in yesterday's post. You won't be surprised to hear that this beautiful black and white home is owned by a creative duo: talented Swedish photographer Magdalena Björnsdotter and her husband Eric who's passionately into music. The country home was built as a farmhouse in the 1920's and has been carefully restored into a modern graphical home.  I've featured over 100  black and white homes here over the years and love how each and every one is unique. And this one is no exception. I love how they've draped fabrics over furniture,  the cool artwork throughout and interestingly displayed photography. What do you love about this home?










Magdelena Björnsdotter. Boligliv
Is this your kind of space? Are you more a black and white or a pops of colour interior person?

A couple of items I know and love: White Tolix chairs, Women: Annie Leibovitz coffee table book, Svenskt tenn elephant cushion and textile on the piano seat. Magnetic herb tins and seat cushions on bench by Granit.

More beautiful interiors shot by Magdalena include Ylva Skarp's Christmassy home and  a rustic farmhouse in Skåne.  Oh so fabulous!

I hope you have a fantastic weekend! 
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