Oh Sweden, what you do to me! Doesn’t it seem to be one of the most stylish countries on the planet? I’ve only been to Stockholm so I’m not sure about the rest of the country but I was so impressed by the design there that I’m thinking it’s hardwired into their DNA to have exceptional taste. Like when you are born in Sweden you automatically will love the color gray, desire a base of white with pops of color in your home, and be slim, gorgeous and friendly. You’ll also know how to perfectly cozy-up a space in a way that seems almost effortless. See?
This home, a seven room house just north of Stockholm, belongs to a graphic designer and busy mom that I interviewed for Cookie magazine online (posted here). Helena Schaeder Söderberg and her family (husband, two toddlers and two cats) have a home that is absolutely charm-filled – she’s a total domestic goddess. I love all of the wallpaper accents and the JOY that I feel when I look at these images, don’t you? It’s so welcoming and positive. View more photos here.
I interviewed Helena so I hope you’ll take the time to read it because her answers are great — especially her decorating tips. I also found out how she made those charming birds shown above in her daughter’s bedroom – she used a free pattern from the Spool sewing blog called “bird pattern” (see left column of this blog under Free Patterns). You can view more of her softies here but warning, you may feel a wee bit intimidated by her sewing awesomeness…
(images:Helena Schaeder Söderberg)
Anna from Absolutely Beautiful Things posted a room she loved a few days ago and when I spotted photographer Malin Ngoie, I couldn’t resist temptation! (I also love the name Malin, by the way.) Isn’t this photo so sweet? This almost looks like it was photographed in Germany, something about it really reminds me of my neighborhood there and the children’s clothing really makes me think of European kids in their colorful brightly patterned clothes!
After browsing her photos I learned that Malin specializes in photographing children and children’s products and the more I looked, the more apparent it became that she not only loves kids but obviously makes little ones feel comfortable and creative alongside with her. It was really fun for me to ’see’ this as I looked at each photo, imagining the work involved in getting children to feel your direction as an artist like she does… I’m so impressed by this.
I selected the above images because each one made me feel really cozy and at home. The first one, with the tulips and open cabinet revealing patterned china and wallpaper inside, speaks to the romantic in me. The bedroom, in white, with those elegant beige drapes pushed aside to reveal such beautiful doors (perhaps to a terrace?) give me visions of living in a darling city in an old, historic building — perhaps in France, England or Germany even. The wooden children’s bed looks vintage and is so pretty but also sturdy and adds a lot of warmth here, it’s sweet yet has presense. The living area, contained in what appears to be a three season porch, feels calm and summer-y. I like something about this room that actually shocks me for some reason, as I am not naturally attracted to this kind of thing – I love that painting of the tall ship. I actually love ships and when the tall ships tour in America and hit Boston each year, I usually go see them and tour as many as I can. My father had a boat when I was growing up, not a ship, but a humble boat with a small sleep space below and I loved going with my family to enjoy the water and the sunshine. I never, until this very moment, considered a painting of a ship as something I’d like to own but now I’m considering this as a future option when I need to purchase something for the walls.
Please visit Malin’s portfolio for a dose of inspiration — you will definitely find some!
(images from malin ngoie)
Last Thursday I talked about the The Happy Shop over at Cookie and I want to make sure you didn’t miss it because it’s the sweetest shop ever! The name is so fitting, it makes me happier the second I click on the link and view the many handmade goodies in stock. The fact that they’re French only adds to their uniqueness and charm. Here’s the link over to Cookie to learn more about this sweet little corner of the web. I know, I’m such a tease! :)
The Happy Shop, in addition to selling handmade products also carries a small collection of vintage finds like this mid century teapot that looks like some of the porcelain I usually find in the German flea markets I hit when abroad. You wouldn’t believe the finds in random, small European town flea markets. The big ones in Paris and such usually have inflated prices for tourists but small villages and less popular tourist cities have some of the best finds and prices. A little tip for you in case you find yourself in Europe over the Spring or Summer – venture outside of the “hot” destinations for some of the best flea markets. If a city does not have a hop on hop off tour bus you may be in the right place for scouring better deals on vintage finds. :)
(images from the happy shop)
I was so excited when Shella Anderson wrote asking to share her home over at Cookie magazine, I immediately agreed and now it’s live over on the site in the House Tours section (look for the square that says Essex, England or link here).
Styled by Selina Lake and photographed by Sussie Bell, this home is so joyful and full of life — I can’t stop looking at all of the little nooks and details. I also love that Shella is NOT scared of color. If you have access to Ideal Home (UK interiors mag), you can find her home in their April 09 issue. I had the pleasure of interviewing Shella and so I asked about favorite things, the shops that she loves, what inspires her design, how she decorates for 3 daughters (and keeps things so neat!), favorite books… I’m sure you will really enjoy reading about her family of 5 right here.
(photography: Sussie Bell)
I have some exciting news to share today! I’m pleased to announce that I’m now a contributor at Cookie magazine (online). I’m quite excited because I wasn’t sure what to do when Domino folded so the timing is perfect. It’s funny to think that the same girl who wrote a Cookie mag review 3 years ago is now writing for them. I’ve been a fan of their publication from the start so I’m happy to be part of their crew.
I’ll be contributing to Nesting and producing a monthly Home Tour in their Home Decorating section. I feel that now I can give in fully to my obsession with all things cute and share kid’s rooms and products on a regular basis. Yay!
I guess this means only one thing for you… If you have children and you’d love to show parts of your home at Cookie please contact me for a possible feature: holly AT decor8blog.com. To get a feel for what their home tours look like please visit this link.
(image from Bodie & Fou – Wallpaper Tick Tock, perfect for the kid’s room!)
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