A beautiful basic weekend cabin

In Scandinavia I sometimes hear about people enjoying their free time in a basic cottage without running water and electricity. Now it's becoming popular in the UK too. It seems everyone's keen to escape the demands of daily life - the more disconnected the better. In fact people will pay a small fortune to go back to basics. No WIFI? No worries. No mobile reception? Bring it on! This beautiful, basic 'Ermitage' cabin designed by Paris based architects Septembre is just the tonic for a weekend retreat if you need some alone time.

Septembre via Lotta Agaton and Wabi Sabi with thanks

Could you spend your weekend here?

If you love this, you'll also love this Finnish family cabin in the snow. And this Swedish cottage is so cosy (love the bed in the wall!). There's always this oh so fabulous eco-friendly holiday home out in the Finnish forests too! Or for something further away - may absolute favourite - a beach retreat in Uruguay, heaven! Which one would you pick?

Before I leave you to get on with your weekend - I've got an exciting new sponsor to introduce. Made in Design is an incredible online modern and contemporary design shop and are offering my scandinavian home readers 10% off any orders over 90.00 GBP until 15th December 2014 using the code SCANDI-HOME (terms and conditions apply - for more information visit Made in Design). The Signal ZigZag floor lamp and Signal wall lamp are top of my Christmas wish list!

Have a wonderful weekend!

A Danish home in monochrome

It feels like quite a while ago I showed a black and white home and no one does it better than Danish firm Norm architects. Despite the abundance of white, the space is given interest and depth by the use of different textures and materials while the architecture is designed to allow light to flow through the small apartment. I love how the black really pops.

Norm Architects via La Maison D'Anna G

A truly stunning home. What do you think?

I spy classic white Eames DAR chairs around the dining table and a beautiful black Eames RAR rocking chair (15% off with code MYSCAN). The one thing I can't find though are where those amazing pendant lights over the table are from - any ideas?

I love this home and this restaurant also designed by Norm Architects (I told you no one does the black and white look better?!).

Have a lovely Thursday!

The stunning home of a dutch photographer

Every now again I stumble across an extra special home and this is one of them. It belongs to Dutch photographer Dana van Leeuwen and her family and is situated just outside Amsterdam. Dana and her husband bought the land and demolished the existing house before building this beautiful home. A brave move which has certainly paid off. Not only do I love the way the couple have decorated the space with white and concrete floors and muted tones (with the odd splash of colour) but I also love the way Dana has photographed it for Est magazine.

Dana van Leeuwen with kind permission. Inspired by a post from the Style Files with thanks

What a fantastic home don't you think? You can read more about it  in the latest edition of Est magazine  and take a look through Dana's incredible portfolio here.

Spot the little kitty cat?

More devine Dutch home inspiration here, here and here!

Have a lovely day. Oh and please bring back the summer so we can throw open our doors and pad around the garden bare foot again please!

The making of an interior decorator

  What's your interior design aesthetic?

             "

"What's that you ask?  Design aesthetic?

Should I have one ?  Perhaps I do! " 

This is not a question I could have answered in my teenage years, but it was those early years that laid the foundation for what I would come to understand and appreciate about design in my adult life.

 I believe our  interior design aesthetic (aspects of interior environments we are attracted to) is developed from what we've been exposed to  through our life experiences:  the house we grew up in,  homes of friends, your home town, reading, travel, and various forms of  media, etc. 

 The road to my house just before my birth

My house age 8

 Is this a town that raises a design conscious gal? 

"Yep!" 

 How did that happen?

I was exposed to very functional decor growing up in a small town in Newfoundland in the the  50's and 60's, but there were always  handcrafted  items in our home and I was encouraged to participate in their creation. There always seemed to be lots of scraps of wool, fabric and thread around.  I  appreciated what an individual could create with very modest materials, and I  believed at an early age that I could create anything I wanted.  That's a pretty powerful beginning.

The Singer sewing machine got lots of use in our home. It was a sound I did homework to, read to and even made it hum myself. 

What came off it was varied: curtains, quilts, bedspreads, and even mini skirts and tent dresses. Fabric remnants came from family members in New York.  That link assured I was current in textile designs! When not sewing I was busy with  crocheting , knitting , and hooking  rugs. All added warmth to our home.

At 13 I discovered the library in the next community and my design world expanded. 

Good Housekeeping

 There were books and magazines  that took me well beyond the small town I grew up in.  I devoured them, imagined, sketched, and rearranged our bedroom (with my sister's help) numerous times.  Mom took it all in stride. 

 Quite the design statement!  I had nothing to do with this decor, but I did make the dress! Not bad for a 15 year old.  At the time, I thought I would be a fashion designer, but good old Newfoundland practicality took over. 

TV programming added to my understanding of what was in style. I jet setted around the world with The Man (Men) from Uncle without ever leaving my living room. 

 And got my first taste of that famous British style on the Avengers. 

What we now refer to as Mid Century Modern design was in its prime in my formative years.  For the youngun' reading this think  Mad Men. 

 

source 

When I was 19 I spent the summer in New York. It was a trip of firsts.  First time I went to large department stores,  first time to see art galleries,  first play.....   And what about what I saw on the streets and in store windows?  It all went in and somehow came together into a feeling, a sense of what I liked and wanted in future interiors.While this type of decorating was happening in New York....

Albert Hadley, New York, 1971

The average homeowner was living in this.

That was a pivotal time in my understanding of the broader world and the vast discrepancies among the homes I was used to and the homes of the "out of reach". I began to read more and think about what elements and principles interested me  in the designed interiors I was viewing on TV and reading about. My design aesthetic was forming.  

In 1973 I got my first apartment and  it had a lively colour scheme of white with red and navy accents.  All very fresh and simple.   All second hand and dressed up with lots of covers and paint.   I moved from being a university student to a teacher - a different kind of designing! I continued to read about design and do lots of DIY projects. 

It wasn't until the mid 80's that I decided to study interior decorating and it would be another twenty years before I officially advertized as a decorator.  I would contend I was always one. During that time I also began to paint.  It was this activity that honed my colour sense and gave me a firm understanding of the elements and principles of design. 

 My design interests today can be traced back  to my roots as a mid century modern girl.  I still love clean design without too much "fussy".  I like  furniture with straight lines,  geometric motifs especially circles, lots of texture, light colours, hand made items and abstract art.  I describe my look  as casual contemporary with a quiet edge.

What's your design aesthetic?

Swedish interiors from the portfolio of Sara Landstedt

Morning! Today I thought we could dine out on the fabulous portfolio of Swedish photographer Sara Landstedt. Sara is a self confessed 'happy, laugh-out-loud' person who finds it hard to sit still and absolutely loves her work. Her portfolio is full of inspiring interior pictures which she has taken for magazines and other clients as well as portraits and commercial images in collaboration with stylist Johanna Pilfalk. Here are a few examples of her wonderful interior shots.

Stylist: Johanna Pilfalk. Photographer Sara Landstedt with kind permission. Inspired by a recent post by 79 ideas. 

Oh so fabulous don't you think?

I spy....the Muuto Wood Table Lamp, the Copper Kubus4 candleholder from By Lassen, the white Bestlite used as kitchen task lights and Normann Copenhagen Block Side Table (drinks trolley). The Eames RAR rocking chair (15% discount with code MYSCAN). A selection of wooden chopping boards. Copper pen holder/ plant pot which is unfortunately out of stock - as an alternative how about this Tom Dixon copper candle - it's on my birthday wishlist anyway!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

A white and grey Malmö apartment

I hope you had a great weekend? It rained the entire two days here. Grrr! But we realised that the saying 'there's no such thing as bad weather only bad clothing' really rings true when you have frustrated pent-up kids at home. So we got our head to toe rain gear out and headed to the forest with a barbecue. Not only did we feel very virtuous but we had a lovely time too! Recently I've covered black, white, concrete, light wood and even green floors. So this week I thought I'd start with a Malmö apartment with grey floors. It's nicely balanced with the grey pendant light and bed linen and pastel shades seen in the rugs and cushions. What do you think, is a grey floor for you?

Bo-laget Via Do you Fancy This with thanks

I'm totally into linen bedding at the moment ....and it only gets softer and softer the more you wash it - perfect for a Monday morning lie in (dream on....!).

For more grey inspiration you could always take a scroll through my 'decorating with grey' label.

Since Christmas (wait...did someone just say the c word?!)  is only 6 weeks away (eeeek) it's time to start planning (mentally anyway). Which is why my new sponsor Self Packaging couldn't have arrived at a better time! The idea behind Self Packaging is to apply the DIY concept to the world of packaging, demonstrating that making your own gift boxes is not only easy and cheap but fun too!  I'm loving their Christmas collection including this very cool make your own advent calendar kit and little cardboard decorations.

Have a great start to the week!