NEW YEAR: OLD LOVE & NEW LOVE

vintagemorrhar.blogspot.com

I can't think of a better way to kick off the new year than with an old love - the Mora Klok (clock).  While watching my favorite Swedish show, Historieätarna, I got inspired again by the Mora clock.  Let me say that Historieätarna is easily one of the best shows out there.  The concept is that they live, eat, dress and sleep like Swedes of a particular period in history for several days.  Sounds boring, right?  But it's not.  The production value, the way it is shot and the interaction between the two program leaders is fantastic.  I'm a little obsessed, actually.  Lotta Lundgren is stunning and it seems they make a point of showing you a little glimpse of Erik's rumpa (yes, that means what you think it means).  If you're in Sweden check it out on SVT.  Now, back to the Mora clock.

wilke.nl

 
There is such an understated elegance to the Mora design and it is easy to understand why its popularity has lasted for so long.  The girls over at Remodelaholic have not only updated Mora with a fresh bright yellow look but have also shared a DIY tutorial.  Warning: this particular DIY is a little on the advanced side.  Maybe it's a project for the future.  Check it out here.

remodelaholic.com

 And, again, if you are in Sweden check out Historieätarna on SVT or SVTplay.  I think you'll love it too.

Historieätarna via SVT

THE FIRST COLOURS OF A SWEDISH CHRISTMAS

Pine is not the first thing associated with a Swedish Jul.  Around the beginning of December Swedes fill their homes with newly sprouted bulbs of hyacinth in white, pink or "blue".  In about a week after you water them at home they begin to flower and the house is filled with the colours and scent of a spring garden.

Photo: Angeline Eriksson

At first, I thought the whole thing was strange but now I can't imagine Christmas without them.  Here's our kitchen with our hyacinth in full bloom.

Posh DIY Christmas Tree

Stockholm is dark this time of year.  We get about seven hours of daylight now and by Christmas that number will fall just below six hours.  If that weren't enough, we also had one of the darkest Novembers in history.  As of three days ago Stockholm had had 3.5 hours of sunlight ALL MONTH!  We were blessed with a few more hours this weekend which I think may have even doubled that number bringing us to approximately 7 hours of sun for November.  Things were getting gloomy.  I decided to get the tree up early so we could add a little cheer and light to our dark Nordic lives.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, everything in Sweden is expensive and Christmas trees (Julgranar) are no exception.  Last year the cheapest one I saw was 450 kr, which is about $70 Canadian.  So, my middle guy and the dog went to the park and collected some sticks.  We tied them in the shape of a tree and hung it in the living room.  The decorations are Brian Gluckstein Home, that we brought with us from Toronto so the only thing we paid for this year was twine.  This DIY tree is bright, makes no mess, takes up no space, cost nothing and no tree has been chopped down.  I think we may have a new family tradition.

DIY - IKEA Task Lamp Update

Copper and bronze have slowly been coming into the limelight over the past few years.  Earlier this year at the Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair, during Stockholm Design Week, it was everywhere.  I decided to update a pair of old black IKEA Antifoni task lamps by spray painting them copper. 

IKEA Antifoni Task Lamp gets a Copper Update

The process is easy but a little smelly so better to do it outside if you can.

1.  Protect the areas you don't want painted (cord, bulb socket and switch) with masking tape.

2.  If you are super thorough and love prep work, then you can give the metal a light sanding with fine sand paper.

3.  Spray paint the lamp.

You can find acrylic spray paint at most hardware stores but the selection may be sparse.  I went to a little shop here in Stockholm (HL Store) that specializes in street gear, skateboards and graffiti and other more "urban" arts.  The spray paint colour selection was very impressive and the prices were better too.

4.  If you go with a copper or bronze look you'll need to seal it with a spray lacquer otherwise it will show fingerprints.  Wait for the original colour to dry for about an hour or 2.  Wait 2 hours between lacquer coats.

And, that's it.  

5 Things You Need to Know About Swedish Easter

1.  Påsk

Swedes call Easter Påsk (posk) and when they speak English to you they call it Eastern.  For some reason Swedes can't grasp dropping the "n" sound.  It's one of their very few hiccups with the English language.

2. Eggs

Anyone from North America has this down pat.  The Swedes decorate eggs in just the same manner.  Easy, except for one difference, they hang them on branches around the house.  Which brings us to our next point.

3.  Feathers

Swedes don't stop at colourful decorated eggs for decoration at Easter, there are colourful feathers too.  Like the eggs, and often with the eggs, feathers are hung from branches in or around the house or from a tree outside. Because I'm fussy and I think it looks silly, this tradition, no matter how logical the connection between eggs and feathers may be, has been hard for me to fully embrace. 

4.  Witches

Sorry kids, there is no Easter Bunny.  Not in Sweden.  Here's where things get a little confusing.  No, there isn't an Easter bunny but there are witches.  Nice witches of course who look like wholesome country folk. They fly to their annual witch conference with a pot of coffee on their brooms.  Swedish kids reenact the flight of the traveling witches by dressing up (kerchief on head, apron, freckles, broom and empty coffee carafe) and then visit the neighbors.  And this brings us to the final necessity for Swedish Påsk...

5.  Godis (Goodies) and Greeting Cards

Swedes eat the most candy (godis) per capita.  If there is any way to get godis on any other day than Saturday -the designated godis day- the Swedes will do it.  Those empty carafes that the kids bring with them around the neighborhood at Påsk are to hold candy.  Like Halloween, there is an exchange, the witches prepare little greeting cards and the receiver gives godis in return.  It must be said that this particular aspect of Påsk is reserved for the more entrepreneurial kids - the go-getters.

Our youngest dressed as a witch at his Dagmama's* house

*Dagmama is the person (woman) who watches the children during the day at a private daycare.

Round Up - Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair 2014

Top 5 Chair Designs

1. Deli by Skandiform

These are certainly not new to Scandinavian chair design but the Deli is just simply a great looking chair.  Deli works in meeting rooms for office spaces or on an ultra-Modern dining room.


2. Frame by Materia

Materia specializes in furniture for office spaces.  Frame is their latest design introduced at the Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair 2014.  Practical? meh... Fun?  Absolutely!

3. Chippensteel 0.5 by Zieta

Chippensteel is made of inflated steel.  The process involves "lots of pressure".  The result is a super sturdy chair that looks like a plastic pool toy.

4. Cowrie Chair by Made In Ratio

Simply a great looking chair that would be a showstopper anywhere you put it.

5. Lavitta by Poiat

Finnish design, this chair has only 2 components.  It is so Scandinavian in appearance with its smooth wood surface and ultra clean lines.  It can also be stacked horizontally, which looks fantastic.

Top 5 Street Furniture Designs

I covered urban street furniture at the Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair 2014 for Sweden's English newspaper The Local.se

Click here for the intro and a direct link to the gallery here

Top 5 Designs for Kids

Design for kids was an article that I also did for The Local.  Click here for the introduction and for the gallery here.

 THOUGHTS?

Apartment Hunting - Sodermalm Classic Gustavian Dining Room

Let's move over to the dining room of our Södermalm apartment.  I am posting from my ipad today so please forgive any wonky formatting.

I  found a fantastic dining table at NK last month and I thought it would look great in our Sodermalm dining room.  The colours easily fit into the Gustavian look and as I mentioned last time (click here for that) it breaks up the sameness by being rustic and contemporary.  I love the high sheen lacquer of this table and I want to play that up as much as possible.  We are going to make the dining room very glamourous and exciting in just a couple of steps.

Piet Hein Eek Dining Table at NK Stockholm

For paint, I think we should go with Farrow and Ball's Calluna.  It won't compete with the blue in the table, instead it will compliment that very difficult shade of blue.  Remember that paint colour never translates well on-screen so go check out the paint in person at a local dealer.

Farrow and Ball - Calunna

Now, lets put a classic Gustavian crystal chandelier above the table.  We can go with one big chandelier or 2 smaller ones;  that's a completely personal decision.  This one is an original Swedish chandelier from Lundgrensantik.se but you can find a reproduction, perhaps not as stunning as this one but something close.

                                         

                                                                     Lundgrensantik.se


I like either of these dining chairs.  The classic rounded chair will give the least competition to the show-stopper table but the Swedish Demi is a really, really great chair.  As I said, both work, so again this one is up to you.

Vintage Round and Swedish Demi - Restoration Hardware

The next thing that we can do is to fill that room with mirrors.  The mirrors will act as reflectors for the light that sparkles from the chandelier.  I like this Hemnes in gray brown from IKEA.  The natural wood colour will bring out the rustic elements in the table and will look great against the blue-gray Calluna paint.  

                                           

                                                              Hemnes mirror - IKEA

The final step would be a rug.  That table gives you so much freedom as far as what colours will work well.  Swedes would likely go with a light coloured rug, which will give the room an airy feeling.  I think I would go with medium gray.  The darker colour will ground the room and add a nice contrast to the light colours in the table.

Apartment Hunting - Södermalm Classic Gustavian Living Room

My phone died and with it my internet connection so I am playing a bit of catch-up this week.  I thought it would be a good idea to go back to our Södermalm apartment to get that finished (click here to get caught up).  So lets move on to the living room.

I was going to do the walls a light green but I changed my mind.  Better to save the green for the dining room and go with a nice antique white in the living room.  Farrow and Ball has a great shade for this called Dimity.  I think the best choice for a finish is matte.  Practically, not the best because of washability but the look will be soft and classic.

I found some great antiques at a local antique dealer.  A console with straight Neoclassical lines and some matching stools to flank the console and serve as extra seating.  Above the console we are going to use these fun round mirrors / candle holders.  They break up all the straight lines and keep the room moving, so to speak.  I love the fussy fruit ornamentation too.  

Before we move over to the main seating area, let's talk about the show stopper.  That gem that is going to make this room sing.  I introduce to you the Mora clock.  Swedes know all about these beautiful clocks but in other parts of the world they seem only to have a bit of a cult following.  There is something so intrinsically Swedish about the Mora clock;  Quiet and stately, modest yet commands a room.  The green will make the transition from the kitchen stools and the ochre will tie together the golds and yellows in the living room elements. The round flowing lines of the Mora pick up where the mirrors left off and take us to the main seating area.

Antiques are lovely, but if you fill your room with a bunch of antiques, all from the same era, it comes off as not only impersonal and unimaginative, but boring.  You need to pepper it with other types and eras of furnishings.  With that in mind, I chose the Kensington sofa from Artwood (we'll paint the feet white).  It certainly doesn't hurt that this sofa will be comfortable to sit on and it serves the needs of everyday living.  The tufting picks up the round movement of the mirrors and the clock.  The design is classic enough to not take over but gives just enough resistance to the dainty antiques.  Now we are going to put some straight lines back in with these bold stripped Gustavian armchairs.  Again, we are making the room interesting and engaging.

So now the floor - rugs.  I love big, thick wool or silk rugs.  Like art, rugs should be seen as an investment - buy the best you can afford.  I have two options for you.  If you want to really give this room zip we can go with the bright, bold IKEA rug.  The pattern compliments both the curves and the lines in the room.  The colour says attitude.  The only catch with the IKEA rug is that we may need to fit two together to hold that seating area.  There are slightly differing opinions on this but aim for your rug to be big enough to comfortably fit all the seating area furniture without spilling over to the wood areas.  Option two is this stunning Persian, less of a yellow and more a gold, this is a perfect option if you want to play it safe and is big enough for the space.  It is, however, significantly more expensive than the IKEA version but will certainly last a lifetime

Remember that many of these antiques can be found in reproduction, yes even the Mora clock.  Now you know what you need to look for.

Fresh Design at Formex 2014 - Looking to Spring

I have always been a big lover of winter.  I'm Canadian, Toronto to be exact, and when it gets cold, it gets really cold!  I love snow, the more the better but around the end of January I'm pretty much over it and ready for spring.  Formex showed the Spring / Summer 2014 best of Nordic design this week so let's look forward to Spring.


Scratch what I said last year about my dream BBQ (click here for that), this is the new grill of my dreams!  Stunning design.  This is the type of BBQ a proper Texan could feel fantastic about (isn't that the gold standard? Texas = BBQ), design buffs and fancy Chefs too.

http://www.biggreenegg.eu/se

To get your groceries for the BBQ parties you'll be having you are going to need a couple of these chic plastic grocery bags.  These are an original Swedish design first produced in the 50s.  They went out of production when stores went from paper to plastic bags.  Now that we see the err of our ways and are taking care of the environment, these plastic bags are back and recyclable too.

hinza.se

To set the table, you can try these colourful napkins.  Designed for Duni by Swedish Designer Hanna Werning these will look lovely in your beautiful garden, or create a garden in your city digs.

www.duni.com

A lovely napkin is a waste if someone doesn't spill something.  Spilled Snaps is always an option of course but why not coffee too?  Here we have a perfect carafe for any occassion - Stelton from Denmark.

www.stelton.com

Et le pièce de résistance!  Whether you have a green thumb or not, you won't be hiding this garden hose in the snickarbod.  This is called Garden Glory and no kidding!  I got the stink-eye last year when I said we needed a new yellow hose.  Good thing we waited!

www.gardenglory.se

Stockholm Directory - Indiska

In the spirit of yesterday's post about Indian colour inspiration here's a place to find all kinds of Indian inspired home decor.  Indiska is both a clothing and home decor shop.  They carry the nicest tea mugs as well as some really fun finds - coat hooks, boho curtains and lighting, even crazy chickens. Pop in every now and again to see what's new.

There are Indiska locations all over Sweden.  The website will list the ones closest to you.
www.indiska.com

Radiant Orchid - Pantone Colour of the Year 2014

Before the holidays Pantone announced their colour of the year for 2014: Radiant Orchid.  To the rest of us this is mauve, or simpler still, purple.  This is a difficult colour to decorate with.  Not too may people like purple, much less use it to paint one of the rooms in their home.  It took a few weeks for me to come up with a way to introduce the colour in a way I could feel good about.  There certainly are very few Swedish examples.  When I think of bright colour I think of India.  India has a rich culture of embracing vibrant colour.  Here are some examples of how Indian fashion, décor and architecture have incorporated into their designs shades similar to this year's Radiant Orchid.  It seems to go nicely with almost every other colour, non?

The above images came from Pinterest, They are not my own.  If you know the origin of any of these images please let me know and I will credit it accordingly.  Thanks.

Stockholm Directory - Iris Hantverk

image via irishantverk.se

I'm not sure why cleaning has become synonymous with the new year but it has been a hot topic this past week.  Cleaning is not how I like to mark the special times throughout the year - I do it ALL. THE. TIME. anyway.  If you, however, are itching to clean in the deep dark corners of your home then I suggest you check out Iris Hantverk.  They are a small company specializing in cleaning brushes, handmade by visually impaired crafts people (you can read their story here).  Their product line is small but each piece is lovely and well crafted.  In addition to a carefully curated line of bathroom, kitchen and gardening products, Iris Hantverk carries some of the nicest cleaning soaps.  I've always been partial to natural smelling cleaners, derived mostly from natural sources.  Iris Hantverk's cleaners are delightful for the senses.  So, treat yourself to a cleaning event that smells more like being at the spa.  You deserve it.

www.irishantverk.se
(If you are not in Sweden, Iris Hantverk has distributors for their brushes all over the world.)

Iris Hantverk
Kungsgatan 55
111 22 Stockholm
 

Västerlånggatan 24
111 29 Stockholm

Top 5 Posts of 2013

While we're all recovering from the holiday season, let's take a look back at five of the most popular posts from 2013.

 Savory Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

With most of us thinking about a healthier lifestyle, this soup is delicious and full of vitamins.

Japanese Paper Maché Lamp

A fun DIY that looks great and even the kiddies can do it.

Custom Red Paint

How we got a gorgeous dynamic red paint from basic exterior applications.

 Beautiful Draperies from Inexpensive Tab Curtains

Here's an IKEA hack converting their inexpensive tab curtains into beautiful, lined drapes.

Furniture and Lighting Fair - Stockholm Design Week 2013

Stockholm Design Week 2013 is where Design Stockholm began, so how appropriate to say a final goodbye to 2013 and kick-off 2014.

Swedish Countryside Mudroom at Christmas Time

Things are quiet these days.  People are enjoying time with family and loved ones.  We are spending our holidays at the country house.  It was an unusually nice day yesterday and after many days of rain combined with the seasonally short days I couldn't help but take some pictures of the house.  We've been fixing up the country house for nearly 2 years now and the mudroom, while still not completely finished, is one of my favorite transformations. 

The country house has always been a special retreat for the family at Christmas time and that is something I've kept in mind when designing each of the common spaces.  The red paint is custom, mixed with rödfärg and black facade paint (click here for the recipe).  The draft curtains were shipped with us from Toronto and are a thick, wonderful linen, which I managed to get for a steal from Robert Allen.  The patchwork of rugs are from a late beloved Aunt.  The elk head was found in the forest near the house this summer.  I couldn't help but think that the elk was a little gruesome so I painted it a shimmering grey-blue, which is carried out in accents throughout the house.

and those are the pea green wellies I mentioned here.

White Christmas Centrepiece

A centerpiece doesn't have to be big or fancy or expensive.  Here is our centerpiece this year. White poinsettias, white tulips and white hyacinth.  We painted the some pine cones white then covered them and some birch in white glitter.

Christmas Wish List

As I was looking for some last minute shopping ideas for one of our Julafton countdown posts, Emma over at Emma's Designblogg, reminded me about wish lists.  Wish lists are one of my favorite things to do because they don't have to be based in reality.  So to kick-off the last shopping week before Christmas, here is my ultimate Christmas 2013 wish list.

Hermès Silk Scarf

I love Hermès everything but their scarves are quintessential elegance.

 

La Marzocco Espresso Machine

I've said many times since coming to Sweden that one can't get a decent cup of coffee here.  Back in Toronto there were a couple of small coffee shops near our house that had the best coffee.  One of them used a La Marzocco machine.  I know my way around an espresso machine and am a bit of a coffee snob so if I'm wishing for stuff then this beauty makes the list ... and costs a little less than a small car.

 

Hunter Quilt Detail Wellies

My pea green Hunter wellies are nearing the end of their days.  They've been fixed a couple of times but the pure science of it is, rubber disintegrates.  Nothing can be done about that.  These are the new ones I have my eye on.

 

Restoration Hardware Versailles Chair

I'm an incurable francophile so naturally a Versailles chair is on the list.


 

Tiffany and Co. Aviator Sunglasses

Luxury.  And they would look great with the Hermès scarf, non?

Apartment Hunting - Södermalm Classic - Gustavian Kitchen

And back to our little castle in the sky.  In the space planning post (click here to get caught up) we decided that the client would be looking for a traditional Gustavian interior. Today we'll start with the best room in the house, the kitchen.  For a bit of context, let's first break down the Gustavian look.  Gustav III took the French Neoclassical look back to Sweden then simplified the look and muted the colours. A typical Gustavian colour scheme features muted grays, blues and greens.  For this project, we will source the paints entirely from Farrow and Ball.

I would like to make the cabinets a nice soft gray like Dimpse by Farrow and Ball

Dimpse - Farrow and Ball

Although Gustavian is characterized by a scaled-down Neoclassical look, we still need some detailing otherwise we risk having a kitchen that nods toward Modern.  The Ramsjö profile from Ikea is simple yet has the detailing that mirrors the columnal look of the Neoclassical period.

Ramsjö Profile via Ikea

 

I'd love to really highlight the island by painting it a darker gray like Pavilion Gray.
 

Pavilion Gray - Farrow and Ball

A nice light marble countertop on both kitchen and the island will compliment the grays and give that element of luxury.  When shopping for marble, shop around and buy the best you can afford.  This is a major purchase so have fun with it and don't rush.  Make sure your grays jive with each other.  Bring a sample of your paints and fabrics.

Marble Countertop

 

 

And here's an idea of what the furnishings will look like.  We'll put these around the island to give the kitchen that ever important feeling of community.  You will need reproduction chairs for this purpose as they did not make stools to the heights we need these days, like this reproduction from Restoration Hardware.

 

 

French Round Chair via Restoration Hardware

And for the upholstery.  I love this heavy linen in "Spruce".  This will also carry us to the living room ... which we'll cover next time.

Spruce Swatch via Restoration Hardware

 

Advent

Advent is a countdown to Christmas Eve or Julafton as they call it here.  On the four Sundays preceding Christmas Eve the Swedes light a candle and apparently eat rice pudding (risgrynsgröt).  The Swedes are famously non-religious so the fact that they celebrate Advent is a little perplexing to me.  My Bible toting, Jesus lovin', year-long hymn singin' Grandmother doesn't even celebrate Advent.  Swedes do love their candles though, and their gröt*, so I guess that's it then.  There are a couple ways you can do this.  You can use an advent candle holder or simply use four candles upon which you stick the numbers, 1, 2, 3 and 4.  I think the latter is super ugly, I don't care how glittery or fancy those numbers are.

Speaking of the Ekdahls, this advent candle holder reminds me of the opening scene of Fanny and Alexander.  The angels spin making a slight "ting" sound.

 

 

Advent Candles at P.U.B.



 For the lover of clean, Scandinavian and Modern.

 

 

Allas by Andeas Engesvik for Iittala at P.U.B.

If you absolutely must go the number route, then here's an option from Indiska.
 

 

Advent Candle Numbers at Indiska

 

 

 

 

 I like these the best.  Simple yet versatile. They come in different colours too.  These candle holders work together as a unit without actually being the exact same.  This creates visual interest and asymmetrical symmetry (you'll earn points with the design snobs for that one!)

 

 

Candleholders from MIO

We'll continue to look at the ways that the Swedes worship their sources of light at Jul as we approach December 13th which is the celebration of St. Lucia, the patron saint of light. 


*Gröt:  Basically this is porridge.  It comes in oat, rice and some other grain "manna" that I have yet to identify.