WINNER of the String pocket is....

And the winner of the fab String Pocket is…..'Mi' of Minidea in Finland, congratulations! Please send me a mail with your shipping details. Thank you to everyone who entered! 

It's no secret Scandinavians love Swedish String shelving (just look at all these homes!). And now I've teamed up with String to offer you the chance to win your very own Pocket shelves in a colour of your choice. Yes, really! And better still, it only takes a second to enter, see below for details.

Image1: styled by Caroline Dahl

This give-away is now closed. 

How to enter:

1. Leave your name in the comment section below, stating which colour String Pocket you would like to win and what you'd like to display on it. 

And that's it! The competition is open to everyone until Monday, 2nd March 2015, Midnight GMT. The winner will be announced in this post on Tuesday 3rd March 2015 so make sure you pop by to see if it's you!

Terms & Conditions

You must be age of majority in your country of residence. We are not responsible for any duties, import taxes that you may incur. Only 1 entry per person. 

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A serene white and grey home

I love a whites and light grey palette. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea (is it yours?) but isn't there something so calm and serene about this space? I particularly love the home office area with the architects desk and string shelving. So lovely. I could pad around here for the day, how about you?!

Stadshem

Oooo, this apartment really is like a breath of fresh air!

A few tips on where to source the items seen in this home: String shelving. For a mid-century side-cupboard try Lauritz, Sheepskin rugs and lovely dove grey linen bedding.

More white and grey home inspiration here, here and here.

Have a lovely day!

PS thank you for all your supportive comments yesterday about my obsession with the weather, great to hear I'm not the only one! 

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The cheerful home / studio of a Finnish visual artist

Tjena! Hur är läget?! I got back from Milan late last night after a fab few days wondering around Salone del Mobile, various design quarters (including the Brera district and IKEA Festival at Ventura Lambrati) and of course taking in the wonderful city itself. As a result I'm feeling all inspired (if not a little bleary eyed!) back at my desk this morning! Having featured her new apartment here, I couldn't resist returning to the wonderful world of Finnish visual artist Saija Starr today. This time I'd like to share her cheerful former home and fab studio with you. Located in the heart of Helsinki, the apartment has a distinct sixties vibe and a fresh feel thanks to the white walls and bright pastel hues. Keep a look out for her artwork in the sitting room and bedroom - most of which is produced in her light-filled industrial-style studio. Love it!

Photography / home-owner: Saija Starr

What a lovely relaxed home - don't you think? I particularly love all the plants - said to be great for the air and your soul (I've been doing a little research lately - although I can't quite reveal the project yet!).

Is there anything that stands out to you?

Get the look from Saija's home: kitchen - string shelving, string lights, blue Iittala jug. sitting room - paintings by Saija, Ferm Living Remix cushion, source a vintage mid-century arm chair here.

You can keep up to date with Saija's latest projects (and see snapshots of her home and studio as well as feel inspired by the Finnish way of life) over on her blog and instagram feed.

Have a great start to the week!

PS It's the last day to enter the give-away to win a limited edition Palm Print worth 3900 sek (around 400 euros!).... hurry!

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Grey / white and a cute kids room in a lovely Swedish space

It's almost the weeeeekend - woohoo! And this one's especially exciting for me as I'll be packing for my trip to New York on Monday (I'm heading over to work on my book - eeeeeeee!). But first, today's home tour. And what a lovely Swedish monochrome toned one it is. Simple and calm with clever space-saving solutions (desk and wall to wall string shelving in the hall - got to love that idea!). A perfect home to complete the week, don't you think?

Stadshem

How lovely is that children's room?!

Quick guide: sitting room: Paris print / House Doctor rug / Muuto light / Sheepskin rug / Moroccan pouf. Hallway: string shelves / task light / Hay boxes. Bedroom: floor lamp / linen bedding / buy a selection of prints from The Poster Club. Children's room: similar bunting / star cushion / chest-of-drawers / rucksack / throw / train set (Smallable sells beautiful decor for children's rooms). 

See more white and grey home tours here, here and here.And I'm loving all these children's bedrooms.

Have a really great weekend and see you Monday!

PS Next week will be my first time in Upstate New York (Hudson Valley, Catskill mountains...) I can't wait! I'd be so grateful for any tips you might have?! I promise to share a few pics on instagram!

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The Swedish home of a collector

Good morning! This Swedish home belonging to Annika and Mattias was recently captured by Johanna Flykt Gashi and Carina Olander for Hus o Hem. The space has been decorated in lovely earthy tones. But for me, it's about the mid-century touches - the string shelves, the teak credenza, the black leather chair! I was also interested to see they have several collections, including wooden animal figures, vintage glass vases and a beautiful selection of bottles. The latter immediately whisked me back to Milkweed Barn (which we photographed for my book). Bill Hovard had the most fascinating 'poison' bottle collection - not something I would necessarily grab and re-use for some elderflower squash perhaps...... but so much fun for display purposes, don't you think? Anyway, on with the tour....

Stylist Johanna Flykt Gashi, photographer Carina Olander, shared with kind permission. Hus o Hem.

Is there anything that stands out to you about this home?

This is a great source for vintage brown bottles (including old medicine bottle and demi johns) Vintage string shelving,  vintage clear glass decorative vases, black and white striped rug, Mooi random pendant light in black. White linen bedding.

The photographer behind this shoot, Carina Olander, also captured this Norwegian rustic mountain hide-away. Could you imagine?!

Have a lovely day!

PS Do you collect anything?

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A Relaxed Cologne Home with Mid-Century Vibes

Hallo! A German greeting since I'm super excited to share the home of Antonia Schmitz with you today! If you love relaxed, boho style and don't follow Antonia's wonderful blog and instagram already, you must! Her feed is awash with daily snapshots of her and her husband Gabriel's lovely Cologne home. Blending vintage with cool contemporary style, the space is teeming with touches of mid-century, design classics, the odd high street find, home-made arts and crafts set against a backdrop of white, deep blue and sage. Oh and there's her two delightful resident cats Pinkie and Flocke too. Step this way!

I love this wall colour - isn't it beautiful?! I believe it's this shade by Kolorat.  Teak and rattan furniture goes so well with it too. Other items: String shelves, PH5 mini pendant, rattan lounge chair (liking these!).

Look at that cat perched on the radio enjoying the warmth and tunes! He looks like he's overseeing the Chemex coffee brewing too - he and I would make great friends! Also spotted - the vintage scissor lamp (I picked up a similar one here!).

Ah yes, the hottest item in the home (and instagram right now!) - the mid-century teak credenza! I don't think I'll ever tire of these bad boys! Source a similar beauty here.

"It has to be cosy with a personal touch," Antonia tells me when I asked her what she finds important when  decorating. "I love things that tell a story and things that make me happy."

I think this magazine rack would certainly make me happy each day - how about you? Keep an eye on this page for a similar one. 

Antonia picked up the mid-century armchair at Otto - if you live outside of Germany, you can source  a similar vintage one here (so many beautiful ones!).

There are a few beautiful items to pick out from this corner of the sitting room so I'm just going to hop to it: Hay tray table, String shelving, Sitzfeldt sofa (you can create similar look with the Söderhamn modular sofa from IKEA with a Bemz Urban Loose Fit cover like I have in my sitting room - 15% off right now with 15myscandinavianhome - just saying :). Junit configurator light.

I normally shy away from sharing photos with TV's - which is kind of crazy since nearly all of us have one! Plus, they're one of the hardest things to style nicely in the home. I think Antonia's kind of nailed it though, don't you? If you're on the market for a TV - I'd totally recommend The Frame by Samsung - it hangs right next to the wall and looks like a work of art (check out the second film in this post featuring my Greenhouse make-over with Emily Henderson and you'll see why!).  

Photography: Antonia Schmitz / @craftifair / www.craftifair.com

This home makes me so happy. It's just so lived in. Could it be the cats? The relaxed style? Or simply the mix of everything combined? Do you feel the same?

Thank you so much for inviting us into your lovely home Antonia!

I've got two exciting projects in the pipeline which I've been meaning to start for ages - but I just haven't found the time. I've thought about it and the only way to get to it is to skip tomorrow's blog post. I hope you don't mind, a rare move! I'll be back on Sunday with a special My Scandinavian Home reader offer  (I even drafted in the man for a little modelling so it's not to be missed!!).  If you're looking for some inspiration in the meantime I'm loving these home tours:

A cosy, modern boho home
A beautiful retreat in Marseille
A magnificent Berlin apartment
And tell me you didn't miss Hilton Carter's awe-inspiring loft last week?!

Have a great couple of days and see you Sunday!

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A Clutter-free Finnish Home with the Loveliest Childrens' Rooms

I seem to be going through a contemporary Finnish phase right now: there's something about the light, minimalist style in particular that feels like a real mid-week breath of fresh air. Do you feel the same? If so you'll love one of my latest finds: the home of Melina, Niko, children Minea and Noah and French bulldog Pablo. The newly built open-plan house has been decorated in shades of white, light grey, tan and beige and is full of light and completely clutter-free (it's the kind of place that even the mess looks pretty) and yet feels family friendly too (the kids rooms rock!).  Ready to take a peek?

Faces No1 Poster, the cushion looks similar the Malmen velver chestnut one I have in my bedroom and you can just see a glimpse of the lovely Saxe lounge chair. Tips on sofa in the comment section welcome (it looks very much like the Bolia one I used to have).

Tom Dixon Fat Beat light and Tall light, Urban childran's chair. 

I love this combination of the black string shelving system against light wood - so striking! 

Nordström sell a canvas play tent like this one. 

What a dream bedroom?! From the gym equipment (from Suomen Voimistelurenkaat) to the rain drop wall stickers (these are fairly simple to make yourself but you can also pick up some just like these) and of course, the bed (made by Niko).

Photography: Melina / Mini Show

And there you have it, a contemporary, clutter-free home that's perfect for children.

Anyone else thinking of attacking their home with a black bin bag?!

See more pics of Melina's home over on her blog and instagram feed - where she also shares children's clothing finds, toys and recipes (yes, she also bakes a mean cake) -  it's in Finnish, but there's always good old google translate! And as always there are a load more wonderful Finnish homes to explore right here too.  

Hyvää päivän jatkoa! (I hope this means 'have a great day' in Finnish...).

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