Welcome to the lovely world of Anna Kvarnström

I thought we'd celebrate the fact that it's Friiiday by entering the lovely world of Swedish photographer, interior and food stylist Anna Kvarnström. Anna is one talented lady, who also counts 'designer' among her skills (many of her own prints can be seen throughout her home in Örebro and she also creates brochures, logos and other materials for companies). I love how Anna has decorated her home using rich contrasts, beautiful patterns and interesting pieces. Let's take a tour...

Soure: All photos by Anna Kvarnström / Concept by Anna. Shared with kind permission.

*sigh* simply lovely. There's something so romantic about it, don't you think?

A few items I know and love:  workspace - artist's wooden hand, Le paper bag, Helmut Newton poster. Kitchen / dining: linen tablecloth, Skultuna candleholder and Lily candlestick, Lindform vases (love these ceramics), vintage terracotta pots. Upstairs landing - Emma Von Brömssens 'Dancing Crane' wallpaper (beautiful!). Hall - William Morris 'Seaweed Silver' wallpaper. Bedroom - 'guide to manhattan' print.

You can keep up to date with Anna's latest projects (as well as beautiful snapshots of her home) over at her blog and instagram (see you there?!). 

And before I head off and leave you to have a wonderful weekend, here's a little link love to enjoy over the next couple of days:

Just how amazing are the colours in these rooms shared by Gudy Herder (who I had the pleasure of meeting at the Amara blog awards last year - she's awesome).

15 floors that totally steal the show! 

And this blue colour blocking?! 

Where I'd like to be right now.

My latest instagram find - Swedish blogger and photographer Jaquelina Mikuta. So inspiring!

Pretty weekend hair. 

Mouthwatering moments: no churn ice-cream and spice-rosemary and seasalt brownies mmmmm!

Have a great couple of days!

PS Don't miss the reader offer on Sunday....

Could you go grey like this fab (small) Swedish apartment?

It's pouring with rain here this morning - in that cosy way you only feel when you actually don't have to go out in it?! I was actually planning on posting something vibrant today but actually this beautiful grey Swedish apartment matches the day far better  - so I'll park the other one for tomorrow's post! There's a lot to be said for grey - it's calm, it's elegant and it's sort of 'adult' in a way that I love. Do you know what I mean? This Swedish apartment combines grey (in the form of doors, skirting boards, radiator covers, window frames and textiles) with black and white and a hint of cognac leather. And there's some fab lighting going on too! Let's take a tour....

Source: Bosthlm

I love how the kitchen cabinets extend around the corner - what a clever way to add work surface and storage in a small space ( this home is a mere 38 square metres / 409 square foot)?

A few items I know and love: dining - Thonet chairs (absolutely love these!), aim suspension lights. sitting room - Sinnerlig daybed, linen throw, sheepskin throw, sinnerlig stool, leather ottoman. bedroom - charcoal linen pillow cases, light grey linen sheet (in fact my latest linen love has got to be anything and everything from this etsy shop - be still my beating heart!!

After something a little er brighter today? Why not dig into my (dangerous) archives for a few hours and check out this white Brooklyn home with vibrant touches, a Swedish home with black floors and fun, colourful touches, and the happy home of a Dutch illustrator (you can always count on the Dutch for some wonderful pops of colour!). 

By the way, I loved the discussion in the comment section yesterday (a home tour not to be missed by the way)  - so interesting! If you have any constructive thoughts on the homes I show, please do leave a comment in the section below and join the chat! It always adds a huge amount - plus it makes my day too! (if you don't have gmail you can click the anonymous box and then add your name or initials against the comment. 

Have a lovely day!

You can stop raining now Sweden. 

An idyllic Swedish country home

I first discovered Sweden when I was 7 years old when I came to visit a friend (Ullis) who had been at school with me in London. We spent the summer at her family's summer cottage in Dalarna,  swimming in a lake, eating homegrown lingonberries on waffles, and dancing around a midsummer maypole with wild flowers in our hair*. Seeing this lovely country home at the end of a winding track in Mockfjärd, Dalarna transports me back to that magical summer. Sanna and her family have furnished their country home using simple yet lovely flea market finds and even items found in the outhouse (including a table which they dusted down and use as their dining table). Wild flowers from the garden can be seen dotted throughout the space. What a charming family home?!

Could you imagine enjoying the midnight sun here?

Personally I've got my eye on that afternoon tea (such a fan of the mon amie tea cups too)....but if I can drag myself away from that - I also absolutely love all the flea market finds - they create such a lovely, relaxed feel.

Is there anything that stands out to you?

Get the look:  dining room - vintage mirrors,  this black factory light is similar - you'll need to be quick, there's only one! Pick up vintage crates here, bar cart in brass. Source a cactus print here. This shop is currently selling five gold frames like the ones seen,  paper pom poms.

If you'd like to see more pictures of Sanna's home you might like to check out her instagram gallery And if you live in Sweden, there's a full feature in Lantliv (6/2016). 

I've featured quite a few of photographer Carina Olander's home tours here in the past (with kind permission of course) including the home of a collector,  a lovely home with a mix of old and new, and a dreamy master bedroom - oh how I could go back to bed here today - how about you?!

Have a lovely day!

*Who would have thought that same friend would introduce me to my Swedish husband twenty years later? Today we live a few hundred metres down the road from each other and our little girls start school together this autumn - just like we did 3 decades ago.  

Sponsored post: getting organized with Post-it® notes

We're all familiar with Post-it^® notes. After all, they've been around for 35 years (where would we be without the trusty canary yellow Post-it?!). That's why last week I was super excited to receive a package containing a whole load of Post-it^® products including the new larger size Post-it^® Super sticky Notes! Oh yes! With new size ranges from from XL to XXXL (yes, it's true 'super-size me' stuff going on there), lined or unlined - and in all kinds of vibrant colours such as yellow, pink, orange, purple, green and blue, I finally have a place for my extra long to-do-lists. And no excuse not to get my home office in order (a bit of organisation was well overdue *red face*!). I thought you might like to see the results...

My Scandinavian Home - photo / home Niki Brantmark styling Genevieve Jorn

Looking pretty organised don't you think (my man did a double take when he got home!)?!

I defy you not to love the larger size Post-it^® Super sticky Notes. I noticed they really are super sticky, super long lasting, can stick on almost anything and are super restickable too (that's a lot of 'supers'!). The only thing is my girls love them too, so they're disappearing at a rapid rate....another box please?

If you'd like to put them to the test, you can sign-up to receive a free sample in Sweden.

Notice how I still put the trusty smaller canary yellow ones to good use too?

This post is sponsored by 3M. However, all words are my own. I only ever collaborate with partners that I love and which I think you'll love too. Thank you for supporting the sponsors which make My Scandinavian Home possible.

Delightful dark tones in a Stockholm space

Hello Monday! How quickly you came around? But I was already prepared, oh how I was prepared. I'd already ear-marked this fab Stockholm apartment to share with you. The space features everything hot in the world of Scandinavian interiors right now. The love'em or loath'em dark walls in greys and blues (which camp are you?) - in some places two-toned. Dark earthy accessories in indigo, plum, and grey, and a touch of metallic. And perhaps the hottest chair right now - the fabulous Beetle lounge chair! Let's not forget the Flos 265 and IC pendant light and stone-washed bed linen too. I think it'd be rude not to have a nosey around, how about you?!

Bosthlm

I think my favourite part of this home is the guest bedroom in fact. It's so simple, yet so significant (and achievable). You?

Get the look: sitting room - rug, metallic cube table, Äng vase, Beetle lounge chair, Flos Flos 265. Dining - wishbone chairs, Flos IC pendant light. Master bedroom - grey washed linen bedding, moss blanket. Guest bedroom - indigo / denim linen, cork stool.

Try Farrow & Ball paint for similar dark colours. 

See a full tour of this home over at Bosthlm (where it's currently for sale - yup!).

A little link love from around the web:

A room with a view.

Mini refigerator with attitude.

Take a peek inside Tyra Bank's dressing room (the shoes!).

Love this lighting for a narrow passageway / garden.

Check out the vintage beni ourain and kilim rugs by my new sponsor Maroc Tribal - *In love*!

Have a wonderful start to the week!

PS May your monday be less like this and more like this.