Pretty Wallpaper Inspired by Swedish Nature

What's your experience of patterned wallpaper? As a child in London I recall people covering lots of their home in a pattern of some kind (often DIY - which of course sometimes resulted in entire rooms of upside down roses!). I'm excited to see wallpaper steadily growing in popularity again (it makes me feel nostalgic, and done right it can look really pretty). So, imagine how happy I was when an invitation arrived from Sandberg wallpaper for the launch of their spring summer collection Arboretum at the beautiful Holmanäs Gård in Trelleborg. Small side note: if you're looking to get married in Southern Sweden, this place is your gig. It's so beautiful! I love everything Sandberg does so I knew I'd be in for a treat. Here's a sneak peak of the new wallpaper and some behind the scenes from the prettiest of evenings....

“This spring, we want verdant and patterned wallpaper on the walls. We have moved on from four white walls and we are much more adventurous in both pattern and colour. In our new collection, Arboretum, you can find everything from crisp to more dramatic colours which create a soft and fresh ambience in the home."

"We are leaning towards wallpapering the whole room. but there is absolutely nothing wrong with just papering one or two walls to give more life to the room." 

Wallpaper in order of appearance: 1. Harsyra 2. Harsyra 3. Hassel 4. Ek 5. Notebooks 6. Arboret 

Do you have a favourite? Being a softer tone kind of girl, my heart is set on the last one (Arboretet) -  it would look so pretty in one of my daughters rooms, don't you think?

The party was styled by the Sandberg team, led by creative director Katrin Bååth - who's studio I once featured (I sat next to Katrin on the night and she's so much fun too!). The food was created by the amazingly talented Diana Dontsova (AKA Diadonna) - such a treat!

Thank you so much to Sandberg for a wonderful evening!

(If you're feeling inspired and looking for more wallpaper ideas - there's lots in this archive. If this pops up first just scroll past!). Tempted?

Have a lovely day! 

Photography: Wallpapers styled by Sarah Widman and captured by Kristofer Johnsson courtesy of Sandberg. Party courtesy of Katrin Bååth. 

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3 Beautiful Christmas Decorations You Can Make From Wallpaper!

If you've wallpapered your home in the last few years, the chances are, you'll have a few rolls left over - and its way too pretty to waste! Swedish photographer and stylist Malin Mörner (@poppyloveyou) and her daughter created these wonderful Christmas decorations using wallpaper from Boråstapeter. Think bunting, paper chains, and beautiful baubles that can be hung in the window or the branches of your Christmas tree! No wallpaper at home? Pick up some from Boråstapeter, vintage rolls*, or use heavyweight patterned paper instead! 

Bunting and paper chains

To make the bunting, gather wallpaper (Malin has used in Bloom 7203, Northern Stripes 6852, Graceful Stories 7274 and Northern stripes 6854 from Boråstapeter) scissors, string, paper, glue and clothes pegs - and then follow the step by step instructions here (in English!). 

For the paper chains you'll need wallpaper (as above), scissors, a stapler or sticky tape. The instructions can be found here. 

Paper baubles:

The kit required to make these baubles includes: wallpaper (these ones have been made using Thistle 7203, Harvest Stripe 6854, Rosenvinge 4501 and Dusk Green 7981 from Boråstapeter), wire, a hole punch, wire cutters, round-nose pliers, wooden beads, jute twine and scissors. Once gathered, hop over here to follow the step by step instructions (in English!).  

Aren't these pretty?!

I actually have a few rolls of wallpaper knocking about at home and might give these a whirl! Could be fun to do with the girls! 

Could you imagine making these?

See more pretty Christmas inspiration from Malin Mörner over on her instagram here - and check out the complete Boråstapeter wallpaper collection here. 

FYI this is not sponsored in anyway, I just loved the idea and thought you might feel inspired by it too! 

If you're in the mood for crafting, there are a load more Christmas decoration ideas here! 

Niki

Photography Malin Mörner for Boråstapeter

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The Beautiful 1920s House of a Swedish Creative

Is it just me, or is the week moving at an alarming rate? If you feel like taking a breather with me, come and enjoy this beautiful Gothenburg home for a moment! It belongs to Swedish graphic designer, artist and photographer Cecilia Hedin (see her former home here), sambo (meaning 'live-in partner') Johan, their baby Björn and dog Bertil. Built in the 1920s, every room has been painted in a different colour - from a deep, luxurious green to soft blues and warm greige and they've also made use of some fabulous wallpaper, and yet there's a wonderful flow to the space. Cecilia's friends Alice Johansson and Johanna Bradford paid a visit and snapped these lovely pics. Välkommen in!

Kitchen cabinets painted in NORDSJÖ simplicity greige and wall panels in the same shade by 40% lighter. 

A circular table and series of Mogensen J39 chairs are surrounded by geraniums for a wonderful 'winter garden' feel! 

This is the kind of 'snug' you can imagine the family spending the lion's share of their time in. I love the classic Jetson chair and indoor climber. And that rustic wood wall adds so much character to the space too, don't you think?!

Sitting room painted in Farrow & Ball Oval Room Blue

This Blackthorne wallpaper by William Morris is so pretty!

Bannisters painted in Farrow & Ball Estate Eggshell

Source vintage botanical prints like these here*.

This lovely desk area reminds me a lot of the home office in their former apartment. The walls have been decorated in luxurious yet calm Chicken Coop by Alcro. Source a vintage architect's desk like this one here*. 

Björn's room has been partly decorated in Jimmy Cricket Woodland wallpaper in charcoal.

So fun with the vintage gymnastics equipment (source similar here*), don't you think?! Although not vintage, my daughter has a set of wooden gymnastics rings in her room and she absolutely loves them - she even gets ready for bed hanging upside down (you can imagine how long that takes *rolls eyes*!)! Rattan lounge chair from Tine K Home.

If I was merely considering adding more colour to my home before, I'm fully committed after seeing these pictures. It's also amazing how much the right wallpaper can transform a room too - Björn's room is just lovely!

Are you tempted to add more colour / wallpaper to your home too?

If you love Cecilia's home you'll also love her online shop where she sells her photography, art and badges (the latter of which remind me a little of our time in the Lake District, England as a child - my sister had a ton of badges showing all the fells she'd conquered - me, not so many!).  

Other inspiring Swedish homes with plenty of colour and pattern include Johanna Bradford's former home, an eclectic 19th century Swedish house and snapshots from Ida's vintage-inspired home in Dalarna. Oh and there's actually an entire archive dedicated to 'decorating with wallpaper' too! 

Do you have a favourite wallpaper?

Ha så bra! 

Niki

Photography: Alice Johansson. Styling: Johanna Bradford. 

Affiliate links marked with *

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Wallpaper that will put a smile on your face!

There's been a fun trend creeping into the world of interiors for a while now: patterned wallpaper. And Wallshoppe is looking to ensure everyone has a chance to get their hands on bright and fun designs which will put a smile on your face! Made in the USA and printed from 30% recyclable material with non-toxic ink, you can choose from whimsical and charming to edgy and sweet designs - or even mix and match your favourites. Since they come in a choice of paper rolls or removable panels - you can also decide whether to cover your walls for one night or over a lifetime.  Here's a peek at some of my favourites....

 Quick guide in order of appearance: Malibu wallpaper (blue on white), George the Octopus wallpaper, Pacifico Palm removable wallpaper (ivory), Malibu removable wallpaper (cadet blue), Goldfish wallpaper (indigo).

These all come in an array of colours, and there are a ton more designs too! Definitely worth hopping over and taking a look for yourself here.

Aren't they fun? All of the above (except George the Octopus) were designed by interior designer Nathan Turner exclusively for Wallshoppe - and inspired by California living - a little nautical and a little tropical! Love that!

I also love that many of the Wallshoppe papers are really easy to clean - making them perfect for children's rooms or family homes. You might even want to opt for the removable panels so you can take them down and exchange as they get older (it doesn't leave a mark!) - or if (like me) you love to shake things up a lot!

Are there any designs that you love in particular?


This post is brought to you in collaboration with Wallshoppe. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too! Thank you for supporting the businesses that help bring fresh content to your mail box and make My Scandinavian Home possible.

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Before and After: A Rundown House Becomes a Dream Swedish Country Home

I first discovered Johanna's house, in the southern Sweden county of Smålland, via her instagram feed  Vårt Lilla Gröna (our little green), through which she shares pictures of her not so little, but definitely green and very beautiful country home. Although I didn't find a huge amount of 'before' pictures, the ones I did find go a long way to show the sheer amount of work Johanna and her family have put into transforming the house into a beautiful home. Not only that, but they also demonstrate what you can do with a little vision, DIY, up-cycling and a lot of wallpaper! 

Let's take a peek. 

Exterior before

In this glimpse of the exterior, you can see how run down the house was when they first acquired it.

Exterior after

Cladding and period details were added to the exterior, along with a practical terrace - all of which completely transformed the look and feel of the property.

Johanna and her husband are a real dab hand at DIY and carry out many of the projects themselves. The flower tubs above are just one of their many creations! 

A perfect spot in the sun! Just add tea and a book. 

Interior before 

The interior needed gutting and new walls and ceilings were put in - in other words, it needed a massive amount of work! 

The kitchen was stripped right back, and the old stove area was completely reconstructed to create a practical cooking area. 

Kitchen after

Today the family benefit from modern appliances with a traditional country style feel. 

A built-in window seat provides a place to gaze out of the window from the kitchen.  

Clever use of earthy paint colours and traditional wallpaper help to add interest in a time-honoured way to the many rooms. 

Above, the 'skafferi' (larder) door has been painted in two tones), giving it added impact. Incidentally, I have noticed that the traditional larder is coming back in a big way these days. I wish we had the space for one, they remind me so much of my grandparents' house - they use to store my grandads home brewing kit and lots of chocolate clubs! 

Do you have a larder? 

Fireplace before

Fireplaces and woodburning stoves are already coming into their own this autumn in a bid to avoid the escalating electric and gas prices! These masonry tiled ovens are incredibly efficient. 

Johanna was careful to protect this one while they undertook the renovations. 

I love this before and after comparison between white walls and wallpaper. There's something so homely with wallpaper, don't you think? 

Johanna is great at finding second-hand treasures which she then upcycles. This traditional Swedish bench was sanded down, slightly reconfigured and then painted - before becoming a lovely children's bed! 

At the far end of Johanna's daughter's bedroom is perhaps the most magical homemade dolls houses I've ever seen. Click here to see the tour on Instagram (and what the cabinet looked like before the transformation). 

And finally, I couldn't resist sharing this pretty Autumn touch - wreaths on the garden gates, such a lovely idea! 

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into Johanna's life in the countryside of Smålland.

Feel like you've seen it somewhere before? No, you're not imagining things, I once showed some snapshots of Johanna's lovely home all decked out for Christmas! 

See more pictures and feel inspired by her latest projects here. 

Do you have lots of wallpaper in your home too? I grew up with Laura Ashley wallpaper, but we don't have any in our house right now. 

Would you like to see a few other country homes today? Take a look at: 

An idyllic red and white Swedish country house 

A cosy rural home in North Sweden

A Danish artist's thatched cottage

This afternoon I'm heading up to our little cabin with a friend - it's such a lovely sunny, autumn day, I can't not make time for a long walk by the sea! Maybe it'll even be warm enough to sit outside? If per asks though, I'm working of course! 

Have a lovely day, I hope the sun is shining where you are too! 

Niki

Photography: Johanna / @vartlillagrona

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