2010-02-09 @ 19:13:41

Stockholm Design Week 1

This week is Stockholm Design Week, with lots of press shows and parties all over town, and the Furniture Fair in Älvsjö as well. I started it all off yesterday by going to four press shows/parties! I'm planning on going to the fair tomorrow afternoon, and then on Thursday there are some more parties to attend, so expect more reports here during the week.

The first press show was called Check In, showing the work of ten up and coming Swedish designers. The ones I thought were most interesting was Alex Gunnarsson with her "wooden fabric" (which for some reason won't upload right now, but I'll try again later), Asshoff & Brog ård's drop shaped hooks and haute couture inspired upholstered stools, Johan Lindstén's embroidered chairs and Studio Yra's plywood letter candlesticks.

After that I went to Elle Interiör's Design of the Year Awards, where we got the best goodie bag ever! It was sponsored by Design House Stockholm, so all the goodies were packed in their shopping basket, and inside it was a tealight holder from Orrefors, the latest issue of Elle Interiör, a beautiful note book from Mateus, a package of very tasty knäckebröd plus a smoothie and a candy bar.

I also visited Monica Förster's exhibition of enormous (like 6 meters high) paper lights at Berns, and architectural magazine Rum's party at Sturecompagniet. I have to say though that the goodie bag we got from Rum was very strange... Just a pile of bathroom catalogues. I was like: What?! Why would I want a pile of catalogues, that I can get for free from any bathroom store? I'm not greedy, if they had just thrown us an issue of the magazine I would have been totally content, and if they had added a piece of chocolate I would have been really happy. But no. I got bathroom catalogues...

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2010-02-06 @ 19:27:38

White House by Jeltje

I found Dutch photographer Jeltje's blog through the style files, and the moment I saw this home I knew it would fit like a glove on this blog! The massive amounts of white in this home gives an amazing impression of space and light, but if you look closer you will see that this is actually a quite small place, and the windows are all placed on two of the walls. Somehow the light seems to be coming from all over the place anyway, it is as if the whole house is glowing! That is of course an effect of the glossy white floors, and the fact that the sheer drapes in front of the windows filter the light to prevent any hard shadows from appearing.

So these are my tips to all of you out there struggling to make your small space look bigger; keep the floors light! (You can either paint your existing floors, or put in new ones. A poured resin floor is a dream for many, but if you are on a budget Ikea makes a nice white laminate floor that would work just fine too.) And filter the light through sheer white curtains to make sure any shadows from the furniture are kept to a minimum. Another great trick is to keep all your furniture off the floor by using casters, legs and wallmounted options wherever possible. This ensures that a maximum of floor surface is visible, and thus makes the rooms appear airier and bigger, and also makes it easier to clean.

Jeltje's blog and portfolio is full of fantastic spaces, you really must click over there and check it out, I promise you won't regret it!

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2010-02-04 @ 22:05:32

Swedish summer house deluxe

I was just over at the Dos Family blog, and found this amazing house! It was first bought as a summer house, and was quite ready to fall apart, but after years of renovations, the owners Patric and Sophie and baby Iris moved in permanently. I can totally understand them, who would ever want to leave a house like this?

With a white base and concrete floors, you would think that it would look cold and sterile, but with the mix of styles in the furniture pieces and the addition of warm wood hues and colourful art and textiles, this home looks very relaxed and welcoming in my eyes.

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2010-02-04 @ 17:21:55

Introducing my latest sponsors!

I would like to introduce my latest sponsors to you!

First up is Artic Design, a webshop selling Scandinavian design with free shipping within the EU for all orders over €200 (they ship outside of EU too, but with normal shipping rates). Artic Design is having a winter sale right now, with up to 50% discount on lots of products, to make rooms for new brands like Normann Copenhagen, Design House Stockholm and just in are some lamps from the famous finnish designer Eero Aarnio! Below are my favorites from the sales:

The second sponsor is Icelandic Designmarket. They sent me an email a few months ago when their webshop opened, and I loved the products! I recognised many of them from my trip to Iceland last year, and I think it's great that they are now available for international customers! They carry both home decor and fashion for men, women and children.

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2010-02-03 @ 22:03:55

I won!

I'm still in shock, but I have to share this with you. I won! I actually won Stora Bloggpriset in the design and interior decorating category! It's the biggest contest for blogs in Sweden, so this really means a lot to me. A huge thanks to everyone, all who voted and all who reads this blog and encourage me to keep going!

I'm celebrating at a hotel room in central Stockholm, trying to get a sip of white wine in between the phone calls from friends and family, and even some journalists. I still can't believe I won...

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2010-02-03 @ 01:03:54

Story Hotel + Wonderwall = Story Collection

I've written about both Story Hotel and Wonderwall before (please use the new search bar to the right to find those posts), but I haven't written about their cooperation called Story Collection, which is a series of five different prints, used in the Story Hotel and also available for purchase at Wonderwall. The artists behind the prints are all big names in Sweden, and the art is truly beautiful.

Artist: Cecilia Carlstedt

Artist: Julia Hetta

Artist: Jenny Mörtsell

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2010-01-31 @ 01:14:20

Dixie's Spring Collection 2010

One of the companies I really liked on Formex was Dixie. They are pretty big in Sweden, and they have salespoints in Norway and Finland as well, but I'm not sure how easily available they are in the rest of the world. Nevermind though if you can't get their products, I want to show you this because of the styling and photography! Sue, the products are very nice as well, but I'm sure you can find something similar where you live, to achieve the same look.

All photos by Nina Barne

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2010-01-29 @ 14:04:33

Kitchen inspiration from Sköna Hem

In their latest issue, Sköna Hem has a kitchen special, highlighting the trends of 2010 and showing off some beautiful kitchens in real homes around the country. I choose my favorites here:

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2010-01-28 @ 22:49:58

DecorMaison did it again!

Swedish wallpaper company DecorMaison has the best styled campaigns! Do you remember these wallpapered halfed trailers I posted back in August? Well, DecorMaison has just released a new collection, and this time they outdid themselves! The new collection, called WallKotyr, was inspired by Parisian haute couture, designer's sketches and fashion runways and consists of five panorama wallpapers and 40 different patterns.
Can you believe they made that white outfit below out of wallpaper? I love the big retro flower pattern, and the black dress panorama wallpaper in the top photo would look fabulous on my wardrobe door!

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2010-01-26 @ 23:18:33

Introducing my latest sponsor!

I would like to say welcome and thank you to my latest sponsor; Barnvänligt.nu, that would be Child-friendly in English. Barnvänligt is a webshop (shipping within the EU) brimful of stylish toys and interior products for kids, and I just had to place an order for myself when I browsed their shop! I can't wait for the things to arrive, and I'm sure they will give me the kick in the *ss that I need to decorate Lo's nursery! I ordered the owl lamp, Tam-Tam stool and the wood letters (and some more things I couldn't keep away from).

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2010-01-26 @ 17:38:31

Report from Formex 3

Yes, there were even more nice things on the Formex fair! Here are two more, but I have been saving some favorites for last, who will get their own posts soon.

Cozy lambskin throws, cushions and poufs from Shepherd

Cute posters, books, puzzles and bags from Littlephant

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2010-01-23 @ 01:06:00

Report from the Formex Fair 2

Here are some of the goodies I found on Formex, please click over to the designers respective homepages for more info!

Love is in the air, textile pattern by Karin Mannerstål for Frösö Handtryck

Modern Folklore adhesive tile decor by Fuldesign

Dinner Stories CTC Cotton Cloth and Weft Porcelain Bowl by Chen Karlsson (Please read more about these on the homepage, the products have very interesting stories behind them)

Braid stackable chair, Elsa easy chair and Cubelight table lamp by Fagerström & Abrahamsson

Ester, Inga and Rolf candleholders by Freemover

Kyoto and Istanbul window panels by Josefine Wiel Fredén

Porcelain bird jars and piggybank Pinklady by Camilla Engdahl

Silicone coaster by KG Design

That was all for now, but I have more coming!

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2010-01-22 @ 00:05:03

No kitchen + last days for voting

Nope, I didn't win the kitchen in the moodboard contest. The girl who did win, Maja with the blog Cactusvit, really deserved it though, her moodboard was very well thought through and harmonious, and I wish her the best of luck building her new kitchen! I want to send a big thanks to all who voted for me, I wouldn't have had a chance without you! Now I atleast made it to the final 5, and that is pretty big to me!

But there is still one competition left, and that is the one for Stora Bloggpriset (=The Big Blog Award). It's a very big thing here in Sweden, and if you think this blog is the best Swedish design blog, I'd be very happy if you voted for me! Just click on the logo below, scroll down until you get to the "Design & Inredning" category, mark my blog and send it in. The last day to vote is tomorrow, January 22. Thanks!

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2010-01-21 @ 23:46:59

Report from the Formex Fair

Today was the opening of Formex Spring 2010, a big trade show for design, decorating and toys here in Stockholm. I was there, of course! I didn't make it through the whole fair area today because I had Lo with me and she didn't really enjoy all the impressions with stuff and people everywhere, so we took it kind of slow. But I plan on going back tomorrow! I have lots of news to share with you, but I'd like to start with showing you some pictures from the curated exhibitions and specially designed cafés. I always like these the best anyways...

These first four photos are from the Handmade exhibit created by designer Synnöve Mork together with K.H.V.C; The Swedish Arts and Craft Centre.

“The exhibition is based on things that have been made by hand. The focus is on the power of the hand, the physical and the beautiful. But it’s not just about beautiful things; there is also humour, folklore and colourfulness, such as crocheted messages and embroidered stories. The craftsmanship embodies both pleasure and attitude,” says Synnöve Mork.

The exhibition includes material such as birch-bark, woodchip, iron, glass, ceramics, textiles and wood; classic handicraft materials, but in a different context. Gossamer versus thick, twisted material; the roughly-hewn contrasting with the ornate.

These two pictures above are from the Creative Flow exhibition which is really the theme of the whole fair this year. I copied the whole text below from the Formex site, because I think it is so inspiring and well written:

"We’re embracing the workrooms and studios of designers and creators – settings that get ideas moving and really fire the imagination. It could be industrial premises, converted shops or loft spaces, the gardener’s greenhouse, the author's den or the artist's studio.
It’s about exciting, inspiring spaces; places where people go to create. Or where creativity and living space merge. The kitchen table becomes a sewing corner; the living room a painter’s studio. Sketches, notes, collages lend atmosphere to the interior decor. Natural, raw surfaces blend with bright colours and high finish. Upmarket designer items live alongside unusual jumble-sale bargains.

Recycled classics meet innovation and revolutionary ideas. Shelves that are heavy with books. Tables strewn with decorative piles of coffee table books. Walls covered with frames. Artist paraphernalia such as brushes, cutting tools, frames, penknives, desk tidies, canvases are interesting product groups, as are gardening tools and products from industry.
The natural feeling is mixed with cast-offs; things that used to be thrown out are transformed into something new.

Textiles and patterns are important, particularly graphic and organic patterns. Art has recently been given an increasing amount of attention in interior décor, both in terms of traditional paintings on the wall or perhaps a huge illustration direct on the wallpaper. Sculptures and purely decorative figurines are now reclaiming our homes. Individual, personal interior design has never been so important.

In the colour scheme, poppy primary colours meet muted natural colours. The feeling is sophisticated, but also very relaxed. The keywords are: Inventiveness, Ground-breaking, Sustainability, Creative environments, Graphic patterns and shapes from nature, Glossy basic colours + mellow earth colours."

If you are all still with me, I'd like to finish by showing some photos from the different cafés that were built and designed especially for the fair this year. The first is the Young Design Lounge by designer Jarl Fernaeus. The second pic is from Buffet Urban Dining by designers Geir Oterkjaer and Maria Nordin. And the last two pics are from Café Popup designed by Saša Antiç and Lo Bjurulf.

All photos were taken from Formex press image gallery

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2010-01-19 @ 18:46:29

Bright and child-friendly Stockholm apartment

With a bright white base this family home from Sköna Hem is warmed up by antique furniture and fun colorful art and toys placed in unexpected places and some oriental influences like rugs and lacquer boxes. It's a classic Stockholm flat, but the quirky details made me fall for it.