‘Nordic Retreat’ – first look at John Lewis’ Scandi-inspired AW18 range

August 19, 2018August 14, 2019 rhubarbgreen1 Comment

Scandinavian style isn’t hard to find within the UK – every major furniture store has its own inspired range (and there’s always IKEA). There was something about this one which caught my eye. The palette is quite warm, but also neutral – and then you have some pops of gold. Adding to that are some interesting textures (such as smoked glass and ceramics). Note that the rose gold mirror isn’t a part of the ‘Nordic Retreat’ range, but can be found here instead.

HyperFocal: 0 — Grayson Dressing Table, £350, Mosserud Stripe Rug, £475, Artek 60 Stool, £180.40, Design Project by John Lewis No. 045 Floor Lamp, £115, Pols Potten Chic Vases, set of 4, £225

Spotlight: steal this look

January last year I posted a Gothenburg apartment tour with an absolutely beautiful lighting set-up. The cherry on top was an ethereal yet bold overhead light (available in multiple colours) which currently retails at €752. One striking addition to the Nordic Retreat is the ‘Hiko’ lighting collection, with a very similar overhead light retailing at £175.

A classically styled Stockholm home

November 7, 2017 rhubarbgreenLeave a comment

I’ve been away in Vienna this week. A friend of mine got a job in the diplomat sphere that goes on there (a lot of international organisations known by their acronyms – (OPEC, IAEA, OSCE …) so we were celebrating. And Vienna’s fun in a calm way; plenty of nice cafes, museums, vintage clothes markets, and so on.

But enough about Austria. This week’s home tour is again in the scandi-style capital of Stockholm. It’s much more classically styled than usual, but isn’t fussy or pastiche. I appreciate the simplicity it’s offering. You can also explore the home’s neighbourhood if you’re interested.

This Swedish apartment effortlessly nails the millennial pink trend

October 29, 2017 rhubarbgreen2 Comments

If you’ve got an Instagram account, you’ve probably seen the hype around this colour. Some people call it ‘rose quartz’ or ‘scandi pink’. Some might say there’s scientific evidence of it having a calming effect. From Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, to high fashion, the soft rosy shade was called the colour of the moment for the Tumblr generation.

I’m back to Scandinavia this week to peek inside this Stockholm flat that takes the trend and puts it in a simple, pared back, domestic setting. No chandeliers or overindulgence. Just a nice looking apartment with a small balcony.

A Swedish home with a social focus

May 22, 2017October 22, 2017 rhubarbgreenLeave a comment

This week has been busy, and all the people I’ve been talking to recently have the same impression. Has the good weather inspired a social zeal in my city? Or is this a universal effect of Summer coming? I’ve always been quite introverted though, so meeting a lot of people in quick succession has left me exhausted this Monday morning. A friend sent me this music video to help decompress, and it’s soothing. This week isn’t going to be any quieter, so maybe it’s best I ask for a day off work?

Anyway, this is the reason I chose this apartment from Nooks, because I feel like it’s a very social space. The space that connects the kitchen to the living room was actually opened up, and then shelves were put in between the supporting pillars. It does look stylish, but the reason the owner did this was to be more social and connect the rooms together more for when he had guests over. Max, the owner, also said:

“In the vast majority of home decorating, we focused on the TV, but here in the living room, I wanted instead to the social would be central. The same applies to the dinner table, I chose a round table in order to be able to keep up more with each other. ”

Home Tour: South Stockholm Style

April 24, 2017April 24, 2017 rhubarbgreenLeave a comment

It’s been a busy week for me, and Spring having sprung, I’m sure it’s busy for everyone else too. Take a five minute break and look at this hip home from Nooks.

Contemporary meets classic in this absolutely fabulous Swedish apartment

April 10, 2017April 13, 2017 rhubarbgreen1 Comment

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I love love love the wallpaper in this place. The rest of the apartment is quite starkly white, and the statement the kitchen makes shows that it pays off to take a little risk now and then. You can find more like it at Stadshem.

Meanwhile in my world, it’s finally becoming sunny across Northern Europe now, and I can see people almost smiling in the streets. People playing, children running about and playing, strawberries on sale in the shops. This time of year is definitely a time for optimism.

Cute puppies abound.

I love how all the kitchen fittings are so well fit in. Very traditional. Of course back then, you probably wouldn’t have got a new kitchen every 10 years.

I want that vase! And that closet space …

These hooks are such a neat idea.

Once again I’m posting the whole layout. It’s in Swedish but should be relatively self-explanatory. Sovrum is bedroom for instance, and vardagsrum is living room.

Bergsundsgatan 15

March 27, 2017May 1, 2017 rhubarbgreen2 Comments

This is another from Stockholm, I really like how the place manages to make casual look so cool. If I could change something, I would have more accents like the yellow pillow and pink chest of drawers.

The colours in this bedroom are on point. Also, see the frames above the door in the centre.

This ceiling light is too cool.

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A 19th century apartment with original features

March 20, 2017March 20, 2017 rhubarbgreen1 Comment

This is a show-stopping loft in central Stockholm. Built in the 1800s, the original flooring and beams are still in, and exposed. It’s currently available on Nooks.se and is one of the most viewed properties there. I like it, even though it doesn’t follow my personal style. If I were to move in (which probably means winning the lottery) I’d add a tonne of soft furnishings – throws, pillows, and even more rugs than they already have.

The bright reds really work well with the exposed dark wood.

Somehow the bamboo sticks in the vase work? I would never have guessed.

Such a spacious shower. I love showers with high ceilings.

Most people hide away their washer/dryer. Here they seem to have made it into a statement piece. Love. it.

Once again I’m including the floor plan here.

A bright and spacious split-level studio

March 11, 2017 rhubarbgreenLeave a comment

Following on from last week’s Friday roundup, I was looking at tiny homes and studios. This ground floor studio from FantasticFrank caught my eye. There’s blush colours on a very white backdrop. This isn’t me posting Monday’s regular tour, but it’s a bonus for the weekend as I couldn’t wait to share! Scroll down right to the bottom for a new feature also 😉

The cool shelves in the upper left can be found here, and the poster of New York is by David Ehrenstråhle which you can buy from his website.

I really want to know where to get that globe light. In the meantime, I bought something similar recently (at least with the base), check it out here.

You can find the pendant here. All this black makes such a bold contrast.

I’m also trying something new this week. I’ve noticed that most websites don’t share the floorplan of their home tours so I’ll be doing just that as an experiment. Let me know in the comments if you think this is useful. I don’t believe, given the pictures above, that the labels below need translation.

Found: hip lighting from Clas Ohlson

March 11, 2017April 25, 2017 rhubarbgreen1 Comment

Last week I was shopping in Kingston-upon-Thames’ old market (image credit for the picture). There’s a Clas Ohlson just to the right of the featured photo which I popped in for, just intending to buy a new kettle for my mum.

Turns out they had a really cool range of lighting. They’d nearly sold out but the manager (Jim, maybe?) sold me a display model and picked out the right LED bulb. I’m planning on going back there today to see what else they have left and I’m hoping to get this one as it looks really adaptable, and it’s on sale. The display model I managed to nab is shown below and is a combination of one of these bulbs with the black base.

Unfortunately some of their bulbs have a label on the top that can’t be removed so do watch out for that if the bulb itself is going to be a centrepiece.

Linnéstaden, Majorsgatan 4

March 5, 2017March 11, 2017 rhubarbgreenLeave a comment

The living room has been kept really bright, with light wooden floors and bright white elsewhere. My favourite part of this (hence the featured image) is actually the kitchen, it opens up onto a wonderful little balcony and the fittings look very traditional. The bathroom almost feels Arabesque, too.

This house is no longer for sale, but you can find a lot more like it at Entrance Makleri, which is the source for these images.

International styled house in Fridhem

February 12, 2017February 26, 2017 rhubarbgreen1 Comment

The wood in this house is a treat, and that ceiling height is to die for. If I had to sum up this house in three words based on its aesthetic, it would be ‘clean lines, solid edges’; you can see for yourself below.

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Minimal and cosy interior in a functionalist apartment

February 10, 2017February 11, 2017 rhubarbgreen1 Comment

Found in Sweden, this place manages a warm tone despite the minimalist style. Form ever follows function here, in my mind.

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Elegant and simple Swedish flat

February 8, 2017February 7, 2017 rhubarbgreenLeave a comment

I have one complaint with this place, and it’s nothing to do with the interior. It’s that the apartment is on the ground floor (you might be able to see a car through the living room window). Otherwise, it’s nicely set up and has a very classic look.

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Studio in Sweden with snazzy kitchen and fittings

February 7, 2017February 7, 2017 rhubarbgreenLeave a comment

I am in love with that kitchen, the colour is so bold. This is a great and fun way to design a smaller area (although for my home city I would call this spacious).