‘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 great concept out of an awkward space

October 9, 2017October 7, 2017 rhubarbgreenLeave a comment

Seeing these photos you might be forgiven for thinking that they are from a high-end luxury spa or hotel. Think again. This is the work of Claesson Koivisto Rune architects, built in the top floor of a historic (1800s) Stockholm building. You can see a video of the space here. I like how it’s decorated, quite simply, but in a contemporary style. This gives the architectural features some space to show off.

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.

Pale green in Stockholm

April 3, 2017 rhubarbgreen4 Comments

This feels so calm. I’ve had a busy weekend and it’s nice to sit back on Sunday evening and appreciate something like this. Hope you find this apartment from Nooks peaceful too!

Those funky boxes hold some Pukka tea. Not much better than your standard herbal tea at a supermarket, but the boxes look nice and they’re exactly the kind of brand I’d expect of the kind of person who’d live here.

These kind of handles are really in right now. I wonder if this is just a fad or will it last? Either way, cheap to replace.

Not a great idea to light a candle next to a window. Looks nice though.

A home isn’t complete without a mood board! (on the left below)

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 view to a lake

March 12, 2017March 16, 2017 rhubarbgreenLeave a comment

This tour today is something special – a penthouse with lakefront views near Stockholm from Nooks. From the top, you can look across Lake Mälaren (Lake Malar in English), one of Sweden’s largest lakes, and see Ekerö island, where Agnetha Fältskog from Abba reportedly lives. I can only imagine what the sunsets and sunrises are like in that top bedroom, especially as the balcony isn’t limited to one face. I think if I lived there I might even go the way of Cato the elder and swim au naturale every morning. Scroll right down to the bottom for a floorplan.

This is such a perfect spot to enjoy with some friends. I would probably add some hardy potted plants, and a spot for tealights though!

This home is rich in two things – balconies and charm!

I love that ceiling light. Also, are rugs in kitchen on trend now or what?

This pale green room below would be my first choice if I were staying here, it looks absolutely serene.

Once again I’m posting the floorplan here. It really helps me visualise a house when it’s more than one storey. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section.

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.

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.