A series showcasing reader spaces was launched in ‘06 here on decor8 and since last year I put that on pause, for 2008 I want to start up this series again. To kick things off I thought today you may like to see the home of readers Samantha and Grant (and 18 month old daughter Charlie) who live in beautiful Malm? Sweden. Sam loved this post featuring Liza Giles’ apartment and believes her style is quite similar so she wants to welcome us into their world. This apartment just so happens to be on the market, so if you’re interested in owning in Sweden, please contact Sam and Grant for more information sam_nixon{at}yahoo.com.
Sam says, “I didn’t know what our style was, but I think Boho Modern might describe it. We have collected our stuff over years and years and it’s not all the same style or era, but we love how it goes together.”
About the space, “It’s a not so good 80’s attic installation but we repainted everything white, including the so-so quality wood floors and it made a huge difference.” Ah white wood floors. So many dream of these beneath their feet. I asked Sam what inspired her to paint them white, “We loved the look (first spotted in Elle Decoration and Living Etc.) but at the time we had beautiful floors so we didn’t want to take the risk with the white paint. When we bought this apartment the light was not as good, we thought the white floors would help with that, which they did — They made quite a big difference to the light in the apartment and give the illusion that the apartment is bigger than it actually is.”
When I asked her about the actual task of painting them, she said that is was hard to find someone in Malm? to paint them, their painter did not want to do it! They asked a friend who did the job for them using a, “long armed paint roller and lucky for us he did an excellent job. They do take a lot of work to keep clean, more so than unpainted floorboards. You tend to notice dust and spills a lot sooner! But when they are clean they do look fabulous.”
Since Sam is such a sweetheart, she allowed me to ask a few more questions about her style that I was curious to know. Like where do they find such great furniture? “We found most of our furniture in the UK, and our favourite shops are metro retro in London and Castle Gibson, also in London. We really love metro retro and we have had excellent service from the owner Saxon.”
After looking at their style, I think this stylish couple would love to connect with my favorite shop in northern Germany for vintage modern furniture, ComingHome Interiors (shop tour here, they ship all over Europe and to America). In addition to brick and mortar stores, Sam and Grant are also keen on flea markets and find their favorite ones are in Copenhagen.
I asked if she had a favorite piece and of course it was hard to pick just one, “But if we have to, then it would probably be the big desk which you can see in the picture with the computer on it. We found it in Zurich and it was originally used in a Zurich hotel,” she adds, “And maybe also the 1930’s theatre light you can see by the sofa.”
How does she keep it so clean? Sam tells us, “The apartment as seen in the photos is a bit more tidy/sparse than usual as we are selling it, and the Swedes are not so into the Boho Modern look, so some of our collections and art (which includes more than a few etsy finds found via decor8!) are packed away for the minute.” That explains how amazingly tidy things are, which also makes me breathe a sigh of relief as I can’t imagine anyone with a toddler living in such absolute perfection! Thank you Samantha and Grant for allowing us to visit your home today, it’s both beautiful and filled with fun decorating ideas and inspiration. May you sell your home and find another amazing space to fill with your well curated selection of beautiful things. Lovely!
(images from samantha and grant nixon for decor8)
January 7th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
What a gorgeous home – stylish and serene with lots of personal touches. I adore the distressed dining table with the modern chairs, the computer desk, those white floors, the seltzer bottle collection, the artwork, the lighting… just wonderful. Thanks Sam and Grant for sharing your home!
January 7th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
I hardly think this is an appropriate venue for advertising a home for sale. Maybe you should rethink that Holly. And i disagree with Sam comparing her place to that of Boho Modern like you were discussing in previous posts.
January 7th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Anon – No one is “advertising” a home for sale, it’s simply a fact both Sam and I wanted to mention because some readers may wonder why it looks so “staged”, so perfect… But I didn’t list any specifics except that it is for sale and if someone is interested then contact them because I wasn’t about to go into details on decor8. I hope you understand the point now!
And I would term this more Industrial Modern than Boho, but people can term things however they’d like – it’s her home and I respect her vision.
Have a nice week!! :)
January 7th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
I was just going to comment asking “Where is all the stuff?” It’s a wonderful home, but doesn’t look lived in at all.
Having just sold my condo, I can appreciate the “keep out the clutter and personal stuff” mantra. Even still, it’s a cool home.
January 7th, 2008 at 10:52 pm
Great space, wonderful taste! Does anyone know who the artist is of the cat poster pictured above the wood church pew/settee?
January 8th, 2008 at 12:10 am
I think the article is fabulous! I love (and wish I had access to) all of the different types of storage – shelves and cabinets. Inspiring – thanks for the peek!
January 8th, 2008 at 5:01 am
i love the simplicity of these rooms – the use of white space and (i hate to say it) i even like that ’staged’ look. i’m such a stylist that a lot of my home tends to look staged (when it’s clean!) i especially love that clean open kitchen, and the yummy chocolate tiles in the bathroom…
January 8th, 2008 at 7:16 am
I think Anon and Holly may be right, perhaps Industrial Modern is more accurate for our style. The ‘boho’ side of things is something I would love to work on more in the next apartment! I really love the homes shown by Holly of Liza Giles, Victoria (sfgirlbybay) and AB Chao.
For Susan, the painting of the cat above the pew is by Linda Nilsson, a Swedish artist. You can contact her on lindasweden{at}hotmail.com.
January 8th, 2008 at 12:04 pm
I think its really nice… good work!!
January 8th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Lovely. I’m a sucker for all things Scandinavian, but this is something special. Really lovely. I am surprised no one wanted to paint the floors since painted floors are everywhere in Scandinavia! I love the look, we just painted the floors in one of our rooms a very light/soft gray. There’s something about a light floor, maybe it looks like the objects are floating on them.
And, Malmo is a great town! It has a lovely, old, town center, beautiful parks from what I remember, and offers lots of great shopping and beauty overall. I recommend it as a destination, a must on the quick train from Copenhagen as one easy way. Enjoy your lovely home!
January 10th, 2008 at 3:26 am
What a lovely apartment. And its on the market, so what! Its great to see what people with such a good sense of style and balance can do with a space. So refreshing not to see the same old bland furniture. Thanks and good luck with the sale!
January 10th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
Those white walls are screaming out for a little tickle with some Wall Glamour (even white ones)
http://www.wallglamour.co.uk
January 27th, 2008 at 4:30 am
Does anyone know where one can get the excellent shoe racks with the wheels at the base? I love them and they would be great for shoes or magazines..which I once saw.
thanks!