Christmas Preparations

My Christmas preparations are slowly getting under way with a few decorations here and there, a couple of gifts already wrapped and ready to go. I was surprised to find spruce branches in florist stores for the first time, and despite the needles probably not holding for very long, seized the opportunity to bring a bit of Nordic familiarity into our home. 

Since we are having Christmas in the middle of summer (something I will most likely never get used to), it's all about those little details that I need to get into the Christmas mood. Some familiar foods (certainly not all, as it is too hot to eat the traditional Finnish Christmas meals), traditional songs and decorations from my childhood, as well as sentimental scents are the most important part. 

These candles from my favourite candle company Skandinavisk are essential for Christmas, but the new collection with the most stunning porcelain vessels make a beautiful gift all year around. I will be burning the Heia* candle this Christmas, and its familiar scents are bringing back so many lovely memories from home.

Wishing you a positive week ahead, I will try and drop by again before Christmas to share some more photos, so stay tuned!

*This candle was sent to me as a gift from Skandinavisk with no strings attached. All opinions are my own.

Making room for summer

It is starting to feel more and more like summer and I am instantly drawn towards lighter decor, new plants and a few new pieces to celebrate the season. After nearly six years in our apartment, I have finally convinced my husband to consider renovations, and I cannot wait to share the results (hopefully!) soon. Short term plan is to change the colour of our floorboards, and longer term we want to add an extra room in our apartment. I've pinned heaps of ideas on my Pinterest page, so if you want to have a sneaky peek, feel free to do so.

In the mean while, I'm swapping heavier throws to lighter ones, like these Turkish towels. I've also added a few new plants that are relatively easy to look after. I am getting our outdoor area ready for summer too, so I will share all that soon.

After a busy week at work I am looking forward to relaxing this weekend, have a good one! 

Life in Style

I am filled with inspiration after spending the day at Life in Style here in Sydney. So many great vendors with beautiful new products! I especially loved seeing so much Scandinavian design available, even some Finnish products! 

These cool Arch:You concrete houses were one of my absolute favourites today. There was definitely a lot of marble, concrete and copper everywhere, and to my delight quite a bit of dusty pink and leather details as well. Those two will have to make an appearance in my home in not too distant future. 

Graphic By D

I am absolutely in love with this Light Stones IV print from Graphic By D. It brings the much needed change in to our living area and fits the space perfectly. Go check out the other prints on Dorothee's website, there are heaps of different styles and colours available. I am planning a few more small changes here and there, so stay tuned!

I am off to Life in Style this weekend. Looking forward to seeing some new-to-me vendors and products, but most of all getting tons of inspiration on the way. Have a great weekend everyone!

Updated Workspace

Updating my desk with bright accessories and pretty stationery is a great way to keep the inspiration flowing! Add a bunch of pink roses from the growers markets and I'm all set and ready for a new week.

PS. The gorgeous black and white woollen throws (peeking from a basket under my desk) are now on sale at my online store! Check out www.pikkukota.com for more information.

Bathroom Styling

A couple of new things in the bathroom and the overall look is a bit more colourful, glam and girly. I am obsessed with Australian brands MOR and Glasshouse at the moment; their products smell amazing and feel luxurious without being overly expensive. 

Large rattan hooks (in natural colour) are sold at my online store www.pikkukota.com

Inspired By - Pink & Gold

I am obsessed with pink and gold at the moment and my work space, the ever changing mood board of mine, is reflecting the latest craze. I am the first one to admit my love for pink and now that I'm desperate for some colour in our home I try to incorporate it with our current decor. I love the pop of colour and golden accents add just the right amount of glamour in to the space. 

A Quest for Colour

I'm done with the black and white look and on a quest to add some colour and patterns to our home. I'm starting quite conservatively with these water colour cushions. I love the subtle hues and the unsymmetrical splashes. Although I don't mind winter in Australia, these colours remind me of spring to come. 

Saturday Morning

A cup of coffee and some online shopping on a Saturday morning.

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

* Leather iPad case and woolen cushion cover are from www.pikkukota.com

Easy Bedroom Fix - Night Stand and Bedhead in One

I have looked for yonks. but I can't seem to find night stands for our bedroom that I'd be happy with. They are often too bulky and have too much or too little storage. They are too low or too high and end up taking too much space on both sides of the bed. I have tried so many different options and looked everywhere for perfect pieces, but with no luck. Now I have finally found a solution: a shelf above the bed that works not only as a night stand but also as a bed head. And it takes no floor space! I'm really happy with this simple and ridiculously low-cost fix!

Day Dreaming

I've been doing some serious day-dreaming lately. I'm always obsessed with Scandinavian design and would love to have some of the classic pieces in my own home. Gubi Grasshopper Lamp and Wegner Wishbone Chair have been on my wishlist for ages, but I do love that pink sofa as well as the gorgeously elegant andTradition dining table! One can always dream, right? 

I would love to hear what are some of your favourite Scandinavian designs!

Rainy Days

Autumn is finally here and the weather has been quite grey. It's been lovely to spend some time indoors though; having a cup of tea and getting cozy with a magazine. 

Have a lovely weekend!

1kertaa2 woolen throw and cushion covers are from my online store.

Hallway

I needed to do some serious decluttering in our hallway. There is ample storage, but somehow everything always ends up on the table. I love the clean look and I hope it will last!

Have a nice weekend!

Muuto Favourites

Here are a few of my favourites from Muuto. Wish you a dreamy weekend! 

1kertaa2 - A New Textiles Collection Available at Pikku-Kota

I'm so pleased to announce a new textiles collection available at my online shop Pikku-Kota!

Finnish brand 1kertaa2 has a beautiful selection of high quality knitted textiles made in Finland and designed by duo Piia Kalliomäki and Marika Lehti. All 1kertaa2 products are made of 100% wool and have a soft luxurious feel. They are easy to take care of and have a modern, sophisticated look.

Available at Pikku-Kota are the following 1kertaa2 products (with more products hopefully available soon!)

Rihmat - throw

Kylä - throw

Kihlat - cushion cover

Sormus - cushion cover

All images in this post are by 1kertaa2

B & W

I thought I'd share a few recent snapshots from our home. I've slowly replaced a lot of the wooden features and decorations with mostly white ones and recently more and more black has crept in as well. I'm in no means making our home completely black and white, but I do love this combination with grey and wood. We still have a big splash of colour on our living room wall, provided by this Marimekko fabric (stretched over a frame) and although I am constantly keeping an eye out for new fabrics, I'm yet to find one to replace it.

           

Sewing a new cushion cover is such an easy way to update the look of the sofa; this time I used black and white fabric with little elephants in it. I think it brings a fun detail to our otherwise rather serious interior.

Once again, these shelves are the first to see the change. I made a quick trip to IKEA last week and bought more storage boxes for books, craft items, papers etc. I'm not a big fan of small decoration items, but I rather complete the look with a few simple vases in the same colour scheme.

Even my afternoon tea looks (unintentionally) matchy with the recent colour addiction! A few pieces of licorice with a cup of black tea, this gorgeous magazine and a black notebook on my desk.

Lundia

I just stumbled across the gorgeous Lundia catalogue while researching storage solution for our home. Lundia is a Finnish family business making wooden furniture; mainly shelving units, but also side boards and beds, even lighting. I love the simplicity and the amazing quality of these products and I'd swap all our side boards to these in a heart beat, if I could.

All product photos by Lundia