Live Breathe Decor

I have been helping my gorgeous friend Chloe redecorate her Victorian home in a style that borrows a lot from a modern Scandinavian aesthetic (it’s looking great but that’s a subject for another post!). It’s got me thinking a lot about pale timbers, simple styling and white, white, white!

Then I came across some pages of this Swedish-inspired home (in the U.S.) I took from Verandah magazine awhile ago:

I love the patina of antique painted furniture and the pale washed-out colours. I also love simple linen curtains (ikea does some great ones which I have used at my own home) and the white shutters. The aged furniture in French and Gustavian styles is beautiful.

Another romantic take on Scandinavian style is this Stockholm home listed with real estate agency Skeppsholmen:

image via splendid willow

But Scandinavian style can also set the bar for modern design:

What a great library/dining room! Images from casa petrie

We used the above ‘artichoke’ light fitting in Chloe’s front hall, isn’t it fabulous? Note the absence of rugs in the above rooms – beautiful bare (and pale) floorboards are enough. Alternatively I can picture a cow hide rug in plain black or white.

Oh! Just found one: 

image via Splendid Willow

 What a light fitting! Is that tablecloth fabric from Ikea?

photograph by Per Gunnersson via Home Trend

White, white and more white is made interesting by the antlers on the wall and the black and white rug (looks like the one currently at Ikea!).

images from skona hem via the style file

Wouldn’t you love to come home to this stunning Swedish house every day?

home design decorating

This room is typically Scandinavian in that it has pale wood floors and tongue’n'groove walls and ceiling, but what do you think about the inclusion of the dark timber furniture instead of white?

the kitchen designer

willow decor

Pale floors in a matt or satin finish tend to look more casual than darker, glossier floorboards, but Scandinavian style can be made more formal through the use of more sumptuous fabrics:

traditional home magazine

I remember swooning over this home when it first appeared a couple of years ago in Traditional Home. When you see the ‘before’ pictures of these rooms it’s hard to imagine that it’s the same home! The owners did an amazing  job lightening it up, opening the staircase up, and adding architectural detail. Of course it doesn’t hurt that they own gorgeous antique furniture!

I love how they have picked up on the subtle green in the mirror and used it in the silk curtains and the cushions. The silk and damask fabrics and the shape of the sofa make the above living room more formal.

I want that clock! And again, the shade of subtle green.