An American’s Guide For Getting The Swedish Country Look
With the stresses this world has to offer, it is no wonder why there is such a gravitation towards a home that is cozy and relaxing. Our homes are places where we want to connect with our family and friends amidst the fast paced life we are living.
Country decorating has always been a very popular decorating approach in the US, and around the world for that matter. American painted furniture with colonial elements is often what you would find in many homes in America that are designed to reflect the early America period design, but rarely do you see a home decorated with a Swedish reflection.
Swedish country decorating has a slightly different slant than you find in America. The style and approach to furniture is quite a bit different. In Sweden we find the same countryside looks that are found away from the city with a homestead influence. We give you 5 tips to getting the Swedish look with the common elements that you can find in America online and in your local antique stores.
Here Are A Couple Tips To Getting A Country Swedish Look In Your Home
This Swedish decorated house in Dalarna, Sweden has all the rustic elements
you would expect to see in a house set in the Scandinavian country. Borrow a couple ideas from this home for your personal decorating.
1. Collect The Right Style Period Furniture.
This family house in the Swedish countryside has some very authentic Swedish looking furniture. Gustavian style Rococo chairs through out the home show off a Gustavian look that is famously created in Sweden. The chairs alone tell you this home is from Sweden. Finding these very rare pieces of furniture in America is next to impossible, and buying true antiques can be very costly making a whole home decorated around the Gustavian style a far reach for most people.
There are some furniture pieces in America that double the looks found in Sweden.
– Consider decorating with furniture that is has clean straight lines, and made out of wood. In the picture above the drop leaf table looks much like the early shaker style seen in America. Look at some of the furniture from Chelsea Textiles to get some good ideas. Many of these tables such as this one, and this one, can be found for less. Collect furniture such as drop tables which can be used in the middle of a living room paired with a sofa, they can also be pushed against the wall.
Other items that are universal to some degree are wall shelves. Find wall shelves that are made of wood, and slightly cut with a curve. The top of this cupboard is a great example of a look that is found in the country. Plate racks for the walls are easily found on ebay and can be painted any color to create a uniform look within your home. Collecting plates that can be positioned on the wall or on plate racks is another common element in Swedish styled homes.
– Have a couple pieces in your home which are just plain wood. Consider stripping a side chair down to its bare wood, and waxing it. Beauty can be found in wood, and gives a much needed balance towards an interior with many painted finishes.
–Wood Slat walls are another very common architectural element with Swedish styled homes. Often times these walls are painted a white or a gray with gilt mirrors hung on the wall.
– Another option is to collect Queen Anne furniture which then can be manipulated with paint to get the look of the backroads in Sweden.
-Wooden chairs and old benches can be a stylish approach in decorating your home. You can include a corner cupboard, plate racks and even sideboards and serve as storage areas around your dining room.
–Shop on ebay for the just right pieces to finish off every room in your home
2. Get The Color Right
This pinterest page gives a person some excellent examples of Colonial decorating in America. Much like Swedish decorating, painted wood is a very common element. When comparing the two styles, one thing is very evident, the colors are slightly different. Dark blues are very common with Swedish and Nordic style antiques, as well as lighter hues of elementary colors. In this photograph you can see a wide range of salmon oranges, deep blues and red. Consider bringing the historical c0lors that are found in Sweden inside your home.
Decorating with red and pink can be very country. While pink is shunned these days, it can be a dramatic color which can really speak volumes in your home. Getting the right color, and adding additional painting techniques such as distressing and glazing can give a terrific historical look. Black is also a great color for primitive interiors. Other country colors to consider are yellow, and red, and creamy white. Consider putting more of an emphasis on the bolder richer colors such as a deep red than the light blues and whites found in the castles of Sweden. Borrow from the colors found in Sweden for your wood accessories, furniture and walls.
Wood can be painted and heavily distressed to give you the dramatic looks that
are found in Sweden. Light colored drapes around the windows let in the light, and give this home a soft touch. Antique Swedish mirrors also make this home, and a pair of sofas in blue and white stripe are the colors found in Sweden. Wooden floor with Nordic Style runners sewn together making a large rug. In this home antique kitchen table is paired with Swedish Leksand chairs.
Country style decorating can capture the spirit of the simplicity of country living amidst the modern times. Country decorating is one way of reminiscing the pasts. It reminds us of how we are living our lives. Decorations inspired by country living makes us closer to nature. A cozy home reminds us to live simple lives.
Picture Credits- isogninelcassettodiadriana.blog, Weranda Country
The Principles Of Scandinavian Design
You read and hear quite a lot about Swedish design, these days – or maybe Nordic or Scandinavian design principles. Since the advent of IKEA as a global phenomenon over the past couple of decades, these terms usually conjure up images in most people’s minds of a lot of quirkily-designed innovative flat-pack furniture, often in bright primary colours. Of course, there is a lot of truth in this view, but it rather over simplifies things.
Scandinavian design as an overall concept first emerged back in the 1950s as a design movement characterized by straightforward designs, a general minimalist approach, a focus on functionality, and, yes, the low-cost mass production techniques we’ve come to associate it with today.
It was perhaps the Lunning Prize, which was awarded to outstanding Scandinavian designers during the 1950s and 60s that was most instrumental in making Scandinavian design what it is today – and helping to define it. And if there is any kind of real ‘definition’, then it’s based on the idea that functional everyday objects can be beautiful too – and that such objects should be easily available to all rather than a privileged few.
Julia Foster Decorative Antiques – juliafosterantiques.com
Simply Scandinavian is a book by Sara Norrman- Amazon $19
Simply Scandinavian is a book by Sara Norrman which celebrates unpretentious and simplicity with understated elegance in interior design. Scandinavian rooms are typically light, airy and bright, with modern furnishings mixed with pretty antiques and vintage pieces. Natural materials, especially wood completes the style of cool, calm and uncluttered living spaces. The main focus chapters of this book include, elegant simplicity, vintage-inspired, pared-down modern and contemporary rustic. 160 pages, published in 2010 by Ryland Peters & Small
This thinking reflected the growth of social democracy in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries over the same (post war) period, in addition to the availability of mass-produced low-cost materials and mechanisation of production. Scandinavian design made full use of pressed wood, plastics, anodized or enamelled aluminium and pressed steel, for example, as it does today.
In recent years, the march of globalisation really has taken Swedish design to the world’s masses in developed countries in highly efficient ways – but ways which are also sustainable as care for the environment is very much central to Scandinavian design philosophy.
We can now see an increasing mix of styles and cultures which is an inevitable result of that globalisation in mixing Scandinavian design techniques such as an ever increasing interest in pine furniture.
Many classic dining tables, for example, may owe as much to modern Swedish design principles as it does to a traditional French farmhouse as today’s furniture designs become increasingly eclectic.
KETTNER’S – Restaurant & Champagne Bar
Kettner’s is located in 29 romilly st, soho, W1D 5HP london.
Elle Decor Magazine – Our Little Big House Blog
Home of British Photographer Paul Massey- See More of this home here
Home of British Photographer Paul Massey
Hanni and Steffen’s Swedish Home
Vintage Home by Judith Wilson On Amazon
It is the perfect alternative for modern white interiors, ideal for family
living—as extra scuffs won’t ruin the look—and low maintenance as well as
relatively inexpensive. For home designers looking to develop a new style from
old looks, this essential resource provides information on how to shop and
search creatively as well as how to identify and avoid fakes. Tips are also
included on mixing various vintage objects creatively in order to create
welcoming and eclectic interiors in any room.
Scandinavian Interior- Taken By Don Freeman Photography
Gustavian Style: Warm Or Cool Tones?
Swedish Gustavian Pine Benches
Gustavian style is all about painted surfaces, intricate wood carvings, distressed wood flooring, and beautiful family heirloom furniture. Gray painted furniture are commonly associated with Swedish interiors. Gray can be both a cold and warm color depending on the hue of the paint. When gray is mixed with yellow, it can take on a color that is more warm, where as mixed with purple, or blue, it can appear on the colder tones. Gray is a staple color in old world Swedish homes, and will work with any color palette. Here are a couple examples of cool and warm color tones:
Cool Tone Examples:
The cool color tones can be very attractive and fresh. Light blue can open up the home, and allow it to appear more spacious.
1. As you can see this home has light blue painted walls, and furniture which is painted in the exact same color tones. Furniture is accented in gold, and other pieces are painted in white.
2. This ad for Tara Shaw is based on the cool color tones. A very light blue floor, and a gray wall with undertones of blue are the perfect back drop for this antique piece of furniture painted in blue-gray. As you can see white washed pine furniture adds a touch of wood, and works with the color palette. See more of the furniture here
Some Tips For Cool Interiors :
– Use several glazes when washing your furniture. Look at the color depth with these chairs- Pair of 18th C. Rococo Gustavian side chairs in the original paint From Marston Luce Antiques. The color is very rich and dark, and would work perfectly with a room based in the lighter blue tones.
– Paint your walls a very light blue and accent with punchy shades of blue such as seen in the table cloth. Add in lots of white painted accent pieces.
– A blue painted wall can go a long way to create a cool interior. Here we see a combination of blue gray and white.
– Brighter whites are used in cooler tones, while beige color washes and upholstery are used for warmer palettes.
Warm Tone Examples:
Warmer tones tend to feature traces of yellow, and brown in the swatches. A warmer palette will make your home appear to be warmer in the winter than a room that is painted in a light shade of blue. Rich yellows work so beautifully with gold, and brass.
This ad for Horchow features an interior bathed in the warmer tones of brown. Wood is washed with brown or beige paint allowing the natural wood to show through.
–Olivier & Chantal’s French Home is a great example of a warm color palette. The walls are painted a dark gray, and red painted furniture give an opportunity for color to be apart of this room. Red is also a warm color, making it the perfect choice against the dark gray walls that appear in this room. Untreated wood breaks up the painted surfaces, and allow the eye some rest. Solid upholstery allows this home to remain uncluttered. Simplicity, and clean looks govern the Swedish style. See more of this home here
-This Campagne cover features a Gustavian room with lots of warm tones. Lots of beige is used with a combination of white. Looking closely at the furniture, painted finishes on the clock and the settee reveal exposed warm wood, with beautiful distressed white finishes. See more of this home here.
Some Tips For Warm Interiors:
1. Paint your walls yellow and combine beige and gray into the interior. Work with darker tones instead of light paint colors.
2. Incorporate stone and concrete into a warm interior. Display stone busts or urns on pedestals. Consider leaving the wood raw and untouched without any polishing or lacquer. Add in brass instead of silver.
3. Incorporate black painted furniture into a warm decorating scheme. Black painted furniture often looks terrific against tones of yellow.
4. Consider also working with the darker green color palette. Combine green upholstery with untouched pine frames, or gilt wood frames. Work with a country theme with lots of distressed furniture, or work with brighter Kelly greens such as the colors featured on Lars Scandinavian Design Book. As you can see the secondary color is always beige not white.
Outstanding Painted Swedish Stools And Benches
Foot stools are very common in Gustavian styled interiors. Most every decorative craft was fashioned out of wood in Sweden in the 18th century, and footstools were just one of the most functional, yet decorative pieces of furniture in the home. Fauteuil chairs were very common during this time, yet an additional footstool was needed for relaxing and lounging after a hard days work.
Gustavian styled stools were commonly painted white, or gray and can be seen distressed today. Carved fluted legs or tapered legs are commonly seen in Gustavian styled furniture. Footstools can also be upholstered to match your existing interior. Consider classic check patterns, plain and elegant linen, or stripes for upholstery. Florals are also seen in Gustavian styled rooms.
Benches were often seen in the bedroom, and living room. Footstools are quite versatile that they can be put in any room.
Swedish Gustavian Bench– Kristian Double Bench With Storage
In this photo below, designer Mary McDonald in her Interiors The Allure of Style book shows a lovely bedroom based around pink color tones and exceptional furniture. An Italian chair is painted in dark salmon and finished off with red detailing around the frame. Red and pink work wonderfully together, and this combination shows how wonderful a coral or salmon looks with red painted details. The sideboard has a paneled table cloth with square nail-head brass tacks that nicely finish off the top. Beautiful carved gilt wood fluted stools upholstered in a rose velvet steal the attention in this photo. Consider buying a Gustavian styled stool, either antique or a reproduction to finish off your living room set, or for the bedroom. Upholster them in a coordinating fabric to finish off the look.
Mary McDonald Interiors The Allure of Style
Mary McDonald Interiors The Allure of Style Close Up Of The Gustavian Stools
Swedish Gustavian Stool
Gustavian 1775-1810– A unusually shaped Gustavian stool in gilt wood. Carved
friezes standing on tapered and fluted legs.
Magnus Lundgren’s Home With His Forest Cat
Magnus Lundgren’s Home With His Gray Cat sitting on a fluted leg Gustavian stool
5 Ways to Incorporate the Color Red Into Your Swedish Styled Home
Tullgarn Upholstered Chair By Nordic Style
Red has been known to be one of the richest colors of all colors available to us, and it just so happens to be one of the main colors in the Swedish decorating style. The color red is a fantastic choice to use as an accent color, such as in fabric choices, painted furniture, and accessories.
Red can also be used on the walls, and through out a room if it is done right. The color is rich, vibrant and powerful. Red can have a very distinctive country flavor, when it is paired with certain fabrics such as the Swedish check fabric, or floral textiles. It can also present itself to be a courtly aristocratic look simply by pairing it with the right Swedish furniture.
Swedish country ladder back chairs look very country, compared to the square back Louis XVI dining chairs which are more formal in appearance. Both velvet and raw silk are more stately fabrics which can be used to create a cultured Swedish interior. Cotton or linen based fabrics work in both a stately interior, as well as a country home scheme. There isn’t another color with quite the impact that red has.
Here are 5 Ways to Incorporate the Color Red Into Your Swedish Styled Home
1. Consider Using A Red Check Pattern
There are three main patterns which work with every other pattern, and that is the stripe, solid fabrics and the classic check fabric.
Check fabric is almost a must-have element in a Swedish home. If you plan on decorating around any of these colors, consider adding in a check element of some sort. Whether you decide to go after a country look, or an upscale courtly look, gingham can be used in either decorating styles.
Pair gingham with a painted chair for a country look. Look for off white paint colors, or gray toned hues. Dark gray paint can look terrific against white and red. For a grand more opulent look, consider gold based furniture that is gold leafed for a regal appearance.
You can add in a couple throw pillows, or base your entire room around one single pattern.
See these posts as examples- Ted and Lillian Williams chateau in France, Jeffrey Bilhuber’s Manhattan Check Wallpapered Apartment, or Clare Fraser’s Swedish Bedroom.
Finding an over-sized check pattern can be difficult, and at times I felt like I have resorted to using tablecloths that are widely available online to upholster with. Ebay is one of the best places to buy “lot” fabrics at discounts.
Here are some fabrics that caught my eye:
LinenTablecloth’s rectangular tablecloths are durable, and are made of a heavier fabric than most other tablecloths on the market.
DII Flame Red and White Checkers Tablecloth 60 x 84″ Made of 100 percent cotton
This classic red and white check pattern that features flowers is very Swedish looking, except I have had a hard time finding it in 100% cotton than vinyl.
Decorating With Red Check From Country Living Magazine
House Beautiful Magazine Cover
Swedish Decorating Ideas – White Based Room With Red Check and Patterned Upholstery
Swedish Decorating Ideas – White Based Room With Red Check and Patterned Upholstery
This room is wonderfully Swedish in style! Here you can see they use a white based interior with creamy white painted chairs and a touch of red in the upholstery.
The wood plank floors are bleached and limed for that classic Gustavian look. In this post I mention some products I use for a raw wood look on my furniture and floors.
Beautiful Curved Legged Console Table
Get the look of the table that is sitting next to the armoire for a little over $400 dollars.
Red is used here as an accent, not as the main color. What makes this room Swedish is they feature just SWEDISH elements without any extra fuss. Urn lamps are used on a painted tapered leg table. In fact, a coffee table also appears in the same style.
They pair their country Swedish looking chairs with a Louis XV country dining table. You can find a number of terrific tables on ebay.
Currey and Company sells this lovely french table for $1750
I absolutely LOVE these nesting tables. Again the straight leg is very classy! They have all the classic Swedish looks, and they come ready to go with the right paint and distressing.
If you are wanting a set of chairs like the picture above, consider this 7 piece set which has all the looks of the Swedish country dining chairs. Even the table has tapered legs. This set has 7 pieces for $936, while here they only sell the chair for $75 dollars.
Black Finished Bradford Side Chair $158, in WHITE, and natural wood that you can paint and distress.
This 7 piece set includes a bench, which you may want to use else where in your home. This set is priced at $1239 which isn’t that much more for a stunning bench in that style.
Here is the same set in a vintage green, and they also have a beautiful server available as well. These sets look much like these famous Gustavian interior pictures.
Stein World sells this wonderful drop leaf tapered leg table which easily can be painted. It can be used as a coffee table, with two accent chairs, with both leaves up. Paint it all gray, distress it for a Gustavian appearance. Strip the wood and stain it gray. It sells for $269
Coaster sells a very inexpensive set of three tables for $60 dollars. These tables have a ton of potential if you were to paint them, and distress them. Use them in various parts of your home for a bit of that Swedish appearance. You really cannot beat the price point. While the look isn’t classic Gustavian, they do have the fluted legs which are so hard to find at a reasonable price. You get three tables for $60 dollars. You could even turn them into benches with foam and a stapler.
Butler Sells an oversized specialty Demilune Console Entry Table that could be placed anywhere in the house for a dramatic look. They sell this table for $1200 . Paint this table for a very Swedish look, and add extra hardware to the sides for false drawers. Brass keyholes always add a formal rich appearance to furniture.
A really nice basic table can go a long way with new hardware and new paint. Check out this one for only $120. Exchange out the hardware with some Louis XVI round pulls.
This Winsome Whitman Round End Table with Carved Legs sells for only $84 dollars. What a steal!
Winsome also sells a tapered leg computer desk for $119, and a great drop leaf table that would work terrific along the wall. Buy two for a wall and position them under windows. For $154 including shipping, the price is unbeatable!
Currey & Company Sells a really stunning Console Table in Reclaimed Ebony Finish. It sells for $3200, and is well worth the price point. Paint it to match the furniture in the room you hope to showcase it in.
International Concepts has some of the best furniture out there. Their tapered leg sofa table sells for $119.
They also sell a very attractive bedside table that looks to have three drawers but in fact has two. Dress up this table with some Louis XVI round pulls, and some round keyholes for a Swedish appearance for a LOT LESS!! The table sells for $135 and would be terrific with one on either side of a bed. Think about this PAINTED and distressed! It would be hot! They look identical to the table that got away from me on craigslist so many years ago.
If you like the rounded look with straight legs, International Concepts sells a very pretty round side table that would work in a living room as well as bedroom. They sell this table for $117 including shipping.
Here is your drop leaf sofa table! Think about the possibilities of this table paired with two very pretty Gustavian chairs. International Concepts sells this beauty only for $107 including shipping!
This table offers a bit more of a curve, and is painted in black. It sells for $189
Sweden’s great architect Carl Harleman built Svindersvik in the 1740’s for one of Sweden’s most successful businessmen, Claes Grill, director of the East India Company. Here you see a check pattern on Gustavian chairs. The chairs are very ornate in appearance, and the frame looks to be a blue toned gray.
Louis XVI chairs are quite expensive. I had a good friend who sold me 2 sets which I will be forever very grateful for. If you are looking for a really inexpensive set that has all the looks of these lovely chairs without the price point, consider this set which includes 6 chairs and a table for $650. While they are not high end Louis XVI chairs, they can be re-upholstered with the material of your choice. The chairs do have tapered legs which is the classic Swedish style. The table works really nicely with the set, because it has the same legs.
Coaster also sells these chairs individually, so if you want to get a couple extra to line up behind your 6 piece set along the wall, they sell them 2 for $150. Consider painting the frame a light gray. The white fabric against a beautiful painted gray would be just remarkable. Check out how lovely this Empire chair looks with white upholstery and a painted gray frame. Adding furniture ormolu is a great investment for your furniture. It is amazing what a little bit of detail can do for your furniture.
2. Utilize Fabric To Bring The Color Red Into Your Home.
The right Fabric can really transform a room. Depending on what you plan on using the fabric for, a little can go a long way, and a lot of fabric is an investment for years to come.
Swedish interiors usually have prints that are based on a white background. While that is not the case in all situations, the majority of the time it is.
A floral rose based on white would be a terrific choice for a feminine appearance. Floral fabrics aren’t only for a women’s room, but can be used to create depth on a very ornate chair, or on a carved bed. Floral fabrics on a white background are what draw many people to the Swedish style. The fabrics are not at all like the “shabby chic” floral, but rather upscale, sophisticated while simple at the same time.
Red Ticking is another fantastic choice. The fabric is very ornate in appearance, while at the same time being very simple in design. Ticking isn’t that expensive, and it tends to be heavy, making it a great choice for upholstery, drapes, and bedding. The colors are very vibrant, and often times it is based on an off white background making it antique in appearance.
Velvet is very rich and is a wonderful choice for a special piece of furniture. Velvet is often saturated in color making it a fabric you want to upholster a piece of furniture that will be showcased in a living room or a bedroom. Velvet can look extremely luxurious. Check out these orange gilt French chairs. The color is vibrant, and best of all, velvet is very durable.
While silk taffeta is a fabric you see in most French interiors, Raw silk is something that would work absolutely wonderful in a Swedish interior. Swedish interiors have all the elements of the French style, except the interior choices are more natural and restrained compared to the french. Have you ever touched raw silk? It is much nicer than silk taffeta in my opinion. It has a lightweight feel, and can hold its own form if you use it as drapes. The color is incredibly rich and vibrant, and the texture has a bit of a woven pattern much like linen to some degree.
Some Fabric Sources For Your Consideration:
Antique Vintage European Textiles – They offer a number of like colored bundles for various small projects. Buy a couple of stools, (20 dollars each) and consider upholstering them in red antique fabrics. This ebay store is wonderful!
Antique French Country Linen Buying Sources
Restoration Fabrics and Trims– Keep an eye on this ebay store if you are looking for a bigger project such as a settee. They offer larger yards and nice antique fabrics for some of those bigger projects.
Decorating With Red For Bedroom Canopy Ideas- Use a basic red in a room to make a big impact.
Consider Alaska Quilting Adventures – Red and Blue Fabrics- Check out my post detailing my favorite Swedish fabric picks. Some as little as 9 dollars a yard.
Gustavian Sofa 1900s From Swedish Interior Design
Antique Red Louis XVI Canopy Bed From Eclectic Revisited.
3. Paint Your Furniture RED.
One of the easiest ways to include the color red in your home is to use paint. Not only can you mix the perfect color together, anything that is wood can be painted, and stenciled. Think about wooden baskets that can be painted, and dressed up with hardware or furniture furniture ormolu. I painted my own waste basket a Swedish blue. The tall container had a lid, it just needed to be dressed up with oversized gold hardware. This wonderful wooden bucket can be painted and then distressed heavily. Attach some oversized brass doorknockers to the sides for a very high end primitive look. Lux Exclusive has the same look for $50 dollars.
Get some ideas from this Beautiful Country Red Rustic Dresser. Adding brass hardware and furniture ormolu can dress up a piece of furniture in a room like nothing else. The Chinese Pavilion is a great example of a Swedish room painted in all Red. If you are considering an explosive Red interior, copy this look.
Additional ideas:
12 Piece Artificial Red Apples– Decorate your kitchen with a couple fake apples that look beautiful and realistic
Artificial Pomegranates in Burgundy $30,Artificial Red Delicious Apple, Box of 12,
French Mirror Screen By Wayborn, Solid Basswood, Three panel room divider $474
This wonderful trophy cup has a base that can be painted and decorated with gold decorative accents. For $70, it would make a pretty decorative piece with the base painted in red.
Square Column Pedestal Size – $200
This Classic Large Pedestal Base is only $70 dollars, and can be painted a red, and paired with an oversized urn. 14 3/8″W x 24 3/4″H Urns can be found at your local Hardware store though the summer time. It is best to buy them at the end of the season when they are heavily discounted.
Consider a miniture doll house that could be painted a red, and used as a display.
Swedish Interior Design Ideas- Red Painted Furniture
Bernhardt Martha Stewart Laurel Stenciled Chest
This Bernhardt Martha Stewart Laurel Stenciled Chest shows you that you don’t necessarly have to paint the exterior of a piece of furniture to add a splash of color. If you don’t want a really loud color, consider painting the inside of your furniture, closets, and pantries.
This Red Painted Bombe Chest By Pulaski would look terrific in a Swedish interior based on the color red.
The overall shape is wonderful, and it could be painted the paint color of your choice. The interesting thing about this chest is it is listed for different price points. Pulaski has their chest listed at $716, while here it is listed at $522, and here it is listed at $448
Panels placed between drawers maintain a dust-free environment. Center drawer guides with stop provide years of quiet, smooth service and prevent drawers from sliding out accidentally Fine craftsmanship of English and French dovetail construction add stabilty for longer life Unique designs, custom hardware, multi-step hand rubbed finishes, create a look of timeless beauty and style Made of various types of woods & sculpted resin with veneers over high density pressed wood like MDF Felt lined drawers protect silverware from scratches, tarnishing and wear Corners are secured with wooden blocks to keep furniture solid and secure for years to come Dimensions: 40in D x 18in W x 36in H
Lars Bolander’s Scandinavian Design From Maze Home
4. Consider Using A White and Red Floral Pattern
Consider a Bright RED Neoclassical Pattern – Such as The Jack Country Pattern
Red Chintz Dinner Ware and Brightly Painted French Red Chest With Gold French Hardware
Simple Soft Furnishings: 50 Stylish Sewing Projects to Transform Your Home explores five key areas of the home where soft furnishings can make a big difference: bath, bedroom, kitchen, dining and living room. Best of all, soft furnishings can be easily created by anyone with a sewing machine — even beginners. With an irresistible collection of projects, ranging from simple cushions to elegant curtains and sumptuous bedding, these designs are a mix of timeless classics and current trends with appeal for all ages.
Each project will bring style to any room at an affordable cost. The focus is on quick and easy ideas that can be readily made in a weekend. This beautifully presented book features:
-Fifty original soft furnishing designs for the home
-Projects for cushions, curtains and blinds, seating, bedding and table linens
-Simplified techniques for the beginner sewer
-Illustrated step-by-step instructions
-Advice for alternative fabrics, fastenings, trimming, patterns and color schemes
-List of resources and suppliers
-Tips for adding special touches to customize each project.
5. Consider Using Gold and White along side Red.
Outstanding Paneled Red Painted Bathroom
This picture shows a sensational bathroom with a fabulous shade of red. Here you can see that red is dominant, but the overall look isn’t overpowering. If you want a rich tone of red, this may be a perfect example of how to incorporate it.
Unique Vintage Wooden Swedish Westerstrand Wall Clock From Just 4 fun 8828
You can see how rich gold looks against red. Consider lining your walls with shadow boxes, which allow you to frame objects that are 3 d.
-MCS 16×20 Linen Lined Shadow Bow in Black $36
-MCS 9×20 Inch Linen Lined Shadow Box in Walnut Finish $27
-Consider framing a vintage childs linen dress and antique shoes with this shadow box $44
-Here we see a set of 4 Shadow Boxes for $23 Paint them, and customize them for your own antique findings.
-Class up your pictures with Custom Photo Labels– Make your labels a couple shades darker than your photo mat. $14
– Here is a shadow box displaying keys……… For an antique look, consider collecting old brass keys which could be mounted.
-Sometimes less is more. Lining up items in order can make the items in shadow boxes appear more valuable and special.
– Consider painting the inside of your shadow box the same color, or darker hue than the paint color on your walls. Your shadow box will look deliberately designed for the wall it is showcased on.
-Here you see a regular frame which silverware is painted white. Display gold table ware in dark gray shadowboxes and gilt-wood frames for a very high end look. Red matting also could look very classy for a bold punch against brass.
How Linen Is The Perfect Fabric For Nordic Decorated Swedish Homes
Linen is still the most desired fabric for decorators and interior designers alike. Linen is elegant, durable, and simply luxurious.
Linen is the strongest of the vegetable fibers and has 2 to 3 times the strength of cotton. Linen is from raw flax, a bast fiber taken from the stalk of the plant. Linen is one of the oldest textile fibers known to man. Over 4000 years ago, it was woven in Egypt and used to wrap royal mummies.
Not only is the linen fiber strong, it is smooth, making the finished fabric lint free. does wrinkle easily but also presses easily. Linen, like cotton, can also be boiled without damaging the fiber.
From creamy white to light tan, linen can be easily dyed and the color does not fade when washed. Linen also happens to be highly absorbent and a good conductor of heat, but also has the qualities of keeping cool making it an ideal fabric for summer garments.
-Linen is also prone to mildew in extreme conditions. Don’t make the same mistake that I did and hang drapes in a solarium’s that collects water on the windows, because overtime your drapes will collect mold. Linen on the other hand does well in light conditions compared to all other fabrics due to its inherent resistance to UV damage.
– Linen easily creases and wrinkles, and tends to hold the wrinkles, so if you don’t mind that, it could be lovely for slipcovers. Linen has very little stretch, so be prepared to make your slipcovers a little extra large, as linen will shrink a little. Never put linen in a hot dryer. High heat causes the linen fibers to shrink and break. Consider letting your linen slipcovers dry on a table or on Air dry or tumble.
-Linen should be ironed with a good quality steam iron while it is damp, if you choose to iron at all. The more often linen is worn and washed, the softer it will become. However, if you are looking for a crisp appearance, ironing is a must. Use a steam iron and sprinkle on additional water if necessary to get a smooth finish. Press linen on the wrong side to prevent shiny spots. Use spray-on starch to get a crisp appearance.
-Of all the areas where you could use linen, the fabric looks best with drapery, because it doesn’t need to be washed as often, which also limits the lengthy pressing sessions. Consider linen for your drapes. The material looks elegant, rich, yet very natural in appearance, making it a must have for Swedish interiors.
Modo Textured 100-Percent Slub Cotton 3-Piece Duvet Sham Set only $54 dollars.
Wrinkle Resistant 300-Thread Count Reversible Cotton Duvet Set Stripe– Twin, Full, Queen, and King $45.
Safavieh Becca Grey Linen Dining Chair $249
Sussex Beige Linen Club Chair only $454!
This Louis XVI Armchair Only $319!
- Ethan French Country Dark Limed Gray Oak Linen Dining Chair $499
- French Country Weathered Gray Hemp Linen Dining Chair $499
- Linen Pillow Cover with Jute Embroidery $33.
- Cotton Linen Pillow Cover with Jute & Mother Of Pearl Embroidery Sea Horses
- Ballard Essential Panel Natural Linen 108 Inch-$99
- Springcrest™ Trim Linen Drum Shade $14.99
- Maytex Twill Wing Chair Cover $71.24
- Williamsburg William and Mary Matelasse Pillow, Linen $51.67
- Oval Hardback Natural Linen Shade $30.00
- Tumbleweed Faux Linen Sheer $29.00
- Progress Lighting Off White Shade 1-Inch $16.00
17th Century Primitive Painted Homes
La Pouyette featured a unique post of a primitive painted cabin located a few kilometers from Gstaad. The cabin was originally featured in the 1993 Home and Garden magazine. Gstaad is a village in the German-speaking section of the Canton of Bern in southwestern Switzerland, and home to one of the largest ski areas in the Alps. This home was at one time considered a wellness area with sauna, and built in 1628. The evidence is found in the inscriptions. The walls are decorated with paint in black, green and red. In some areas of the home, formulas of blessings in Roman letters in Gothic characters are seen on the walls. Painted wooden panels, decorated beams, friezes carved into the woodwork, all add to the beauty of this home. Blonde wood is used on the floor boards, and the furniture is found in in natural pine. Visit La Pouyette‘s Blog for additional photos of this spectacular home.
17th Century Primitive Painted Homes
17th Century Primitive Painted Homes
17th Century Primitive Painted Homes
17th Century Primitive Painted Homes
Tour Through Drottningholm Palace, And Drottningholm Theatre
Drottningholm Palace also has a theatre that sits directly beside the palace. The Drottningholm Palace Theatre, or in Swedish called “Drottningholms Slottsteater” is an opera house from 1766. Today it is run by a private foundation, but still functions as a real theatre! The theatre was built for Gustav III by his mother in 1766. Gustav III loved the theatre so much and was often known as the theatre King. In 1792 when he was assassinated, his mother Louisa Ulrika of Prussia decided to close up the theatre at Drottningholm. Then in the 1920s it was rediscovered, and because the theatre had not been used or touched in so many years, almost all the original equipment is still there.
This wonderful group of pictures came from TC4711 on Flicker, and Sim 1 Travels
I am so thankful to people like Hansn’s Flicker who have taken pictures for us to view. King Gustaf III had this lobby made as an addition to the Court Theatre in 1791. It was also used for having breakfast. Musicians then sat on the upper floor making the music sound like coming from the heaven painted on the ceiling! When the King was murdered one year later the theatre was closed and it stayed closed for 130 years. Check out the marble finish on the walls. There are so many colors of faux marble wallpaper that you can put up to give the look of a high end interior marble. Add a tinted glaze over top of the wallpaper to mute the overall look so it doesn’t appear to be wallpaper. There are also many free videos on You tube today with Master Painters who show How to achieve these looks. If you are willing to learn, it just takes some practice.
Inside Drottningholm Palace
The name “Drottningholm” means “Queens Inlet”, a well chosen name as the palace was built for Queen Hedvig Eleonora and it is located on an inlet of Lake Mälaren. It was built in 1662, after the previous palace on this site was burned down to the ground. Drottningholm is often called the “Versailles of the North” because it compares to the famous palace in France. The Swedish royal palace was constructed in the same time as Versailles, and is built in French Baroque style. The architect Nicodemus Tessin the Elder (and later Nicodemus Tessin the Younger, who completed the work) was clearly inspired by the famous French palace. The palace is smaller than Versailles but equally distinguished in style.
Although there are some differences between Versailles and Drottningholm. Many claim that as beautiful as Drottningholm is, it pales in comparison to the grandeur of Versailles.
Spectators say the gardens and the interiors are nothing in comparison to Versailles when it comes to decorations and details. The Swedish interpretation of the glitzy French style during this time was more natural that showy.
Many people who adore French decorating tend to over time love the Swedish styles so much more. The Swedish interpretation of Versailles was muted rather than being showy. Where France used silk brocade fabric, Sweden used natural linen, where patterned wallpapers were common in France, painted walls were just as rich but more natural.
Modestine Blog takes a tour of the Palace and states………”It has been compared to Versailles, a beautiful royal residence away from the bustle of the Capital. Delightful as it is though, it lacks the grandeur of the French palace. The rooms are quite small and the interiors are wood, painted to resemble marble. Trompe l’oeil painting has also been used to excellent effect on the main staircase to give the impression of carvings and bas-relief sculptures, and again within the rooms to create the impression of spaciousness by painting false doors on the walls! There are allegorical paintings, too complicated to understand, tracing the history of the 18th century Swedish rulers. Of particular note is the rococo library room, built by Queen Lovisa Ulrika in the mid 18th century. We have no photos, cameras being forbidden inside the buildings”
The guards outside Drottningholm Palace – Picture Credit Jeremiah Blatz
Unfortunately, photography is NOT allowed inside the palace. Kina Slott is a very colourful place. Many people are amazed by the abundance of colours and how they in a remarkable way blended so well with each other. Bright yellow, orange and greens and pinks are all used in this palace. Inside most tours, you can see the exuberantly decorated bed room of queen Hedwig Eleonora, which took 15 years to complete, a militaristic gallery in baroque style and the impressive library of queen Lovisa Ulrika.
As you approach Drottningholm Palace — the private residence of the Swedish royal family — via boat from Stockholm, you first see the Royal Bath House Picture Credit
The interior of the palace is in early Baroque style of the 1660s and 1670s.
Rooms not to be missed are the beautiful staircase,the Ehrenstrahl Drawing Room and the Hedvig Eleonora’s State Bedchamber.
The library is the creation of Princess Lovisa Ulrika of Prussia. Lovisa Ulrika had quite a few interesting collections, which made Drottningholm a popular spot for leading scientists of that time to visit.
From the windows at the top of the stairs you have a good view over the formal gardens of Drottningholm. The view over the garden is actually the only place where you are allowed to take photos inside Drottningholm.
The formal gardens are the oldest of three garden styles at the palace, and date back to the 17th century and were laid out here by Queen Hedvig Eleonora (who also had the palace built). The garden has very strict lines, dominated by box-hedges and stripes of crushed brick of black granite. There are no flowers in sight though! Lawns, hedges, statues, fountains and ‘manicured’ trees.
The good news is that the gardens are for free! So if you live in Sweden, you can easily pack a picnic basket and a book and enjoy the gardens.
Drottningholm Palace Library
Workshop of King Gustav III.- Picture Credit Check out the color on those walls!
The Billiard Room at Kina Slott, which is also a seperate building. The billiard room is similar in style as the main building and was completed at the end of the the 1760’s. This room was originally used for playing billiards. Today the room gives an impression of how the workshop of King Adolf Fredrik used to look like. It is interesting to know that turning a lathe was a recreation for the royals and the nobility of Europe. And not only Kings would do some handiwork, even the Queen used to work on the lathe! In this room you can see tools and a carpenters bench used in those days. This information and picture was found on Virtual Tourist
Kina Slott consists of more then one building, actually there are quite a few of them. Of course you have to visit the main building, which is by far the most impressive, but you shouldn’t forget to take a quick peek inside the Confidence as well.
The Confidence is a dining room, but not your usual one! The Royal Family could use this private dining room if they wanted to take their meals privately “en confidence” without any servants present. To be able to do this the Confidence was build with a clever mechanism. An ingenious system made it possible to lift a ready-laid table up through the dining rooms floor. Beside the main dining table there are also four side tables, having a similar lifting system.
When the Royal Family was ready to dine, all they needed to do was to pull a handle in the dining room. A bell would ring in the serving region below and the lifting system would bring in the food.
The Guards Tent located in the garden at the Drottningholm Palace (or better known in Swedish the Kina Slott) is a wonderful blue and white striped tent. The tent was built to imitate fabric and yarn tassels. The wonderful tent used to be the quarters for the solders of Gustav III. It was built in 1781 and designed by C.F. Adelcrantz. The idea behind the architecture was to resemble a tent in a Turkish army camp. The tent building certainly has a dramatic and theatrical look that fits into Gustav III’s love for the theatre. The Chateau de Groussay in France was inspired after the 18-century Cooper tents at Hagaparken in Sweden. Both tents almost look identical. Check out this wonderful post by Architectural Watercolors Blog which features 18th century garden tents.
Check out some of the most beautiful pictures from Chasmiller and his travels in Sweden. The architecture is amazing. The pictures of the Gurards Tent are from his website.
From Wikipedia- Hagaparken (“Haga Park”), or simply Haga in Solna Municipality just north of Stockholm, Sweden is a vast and popular nature area, with large parks, lakes, woods and gardens. Within the park is Haga Palace, King Gustav III’s Pavilion, the Chinese Pavilion, the Echo Temple, an older castle ruin (which is not really a ruin as it is the remains of a castle never finished) and several other interesting buildings on the grounds (as the peculiar Copper Tents and also the Butterfly House). Included in the Haga Park is also the Royal Burial Ground of the Swedish Royal family (since 1922), where several members and ancestors of the present Swedish royal Bernadotte family rest. Hagaparken has historically been favoured by Swedish royalty, especially Gustav III who founded it and developed it 1780-1797, and by the famous troubadour Carl Michael Bellman, a contemporary of Gustav III, who is much associated with Haga due to the lyrics of his compositions, poems and his writings. The song Fjäriln vingad is entirely dedicated to the park.
The Sultan’s Copper Tents, originally three buildings for the palace guard, designed by the painter Louis Jean Desprez and built during 1787 to 1790. Desprez proposed that all the façades of the buildings should be designed as three Turkish tents, clad in decoratively painted copper plate. However, tent façades were only built on the side facing the main lawns, which still gives the desired illusion of a sultan’s encampment on the edge of the forest.
The middle tent was destroyed completely by fire in 1953. The front of the tent was rebuilt during 1962 to 1964 under the leadership of palace architect Ragnar Hjorth. The buildings behind the tent facades were rebuilt in 1977-1978, following plans by palace architect Torbjörn Olsson. He turned the stable yard, formerly open, into a tent room with a ceiling. Today the middle copper tent is home to the Haga Park Museum. The tent to the east houses a restaurant and the one on the western side is accommodation. The copper tents are a national monument and protected under law.
Peak of Chic posted this stunning picture of Tented Room at Charlottenhof. Take some inspiration from this room and create a Swedish themed room with blue and white striped walls, and drape your fabric to look like these classic old world tents
A person could spend weeks looking through the many beautiful pictures on Ye Olde Fashion. If you enjoy sewing, and the history of fashion, this site is definitely for you. It details just the best fashion from many centuries. If you are good at sewing and want to be inspired for some new patterns, look at this site, as she has a really great eye for spotting only the best fashion through the decades and centuries.
Stripes were more or less absent from early-18th century fashion which trended heavily towards anything large and flowery. The floral trend eventually transitioned to vines which simplified to a mix of wavy stripes and flowers by mid-century, as seen in this 1760s robe à la française
English Tea Tables : A Must Have Statement Piece In An Outstanding Swedish Room
Tripod tables were designed originally to serve tea. Some were designed to tilt like the pie table which could then be folded up and stored away. You would think the tripod table is English in origin because they have been traditionally associated with England and North America, but it was also popular in other areas of the world as well.
It is not uncommon to find tripod tables in Swedish interiors because they were executed in Scandinavia, Germany, The Netherlands, and France. Dutch painters were known to decorate the oval tops of these three legged tables with landscapes starting in the late 17th century, and this following survived well into the 19th century. In the late 18th century the English style became extremely fashionable, and cabinet-makers in Sweden, Denmark and The Netherlands executed furniture in this style.
- Scandinavian Design by Lars Bolander withHeather Smith MacIsaac
- Swedish Painted Tilt Top Candle Stand From Rhonda Eleish and Edie Van Breems
- Swedish Furniture & Decorating Ideas- London-Townhouse By designer Katrin Cargill
Stunning European Paint Colors For Painted Kitchen Cabinets
The Beautiful colors found in the Farrow and Ball Paint Line
Plain English Kitchen Designs in the UK shows some beautiful kitchens painted in various blues. The kitchen featured lovely English styled cabinetry with recessed cabinet doors. Recessed doors allows the door to be painted as well as the capability to match wall colors because the cabinet face blends seamlessly with the overall cabinet design.
Consider painting your walls a shade darker or lighter than your kitchen cabinets. In the pictures you can see out into another room which is within the same color groups. The natural wood floors breaks up the use of blue in these rooms. The color yellow is also very Swedish and plays off the blue quite nicely. The brass hardware is a nice pop compared to silver which would blend into the blue tones.
Cover Stain in Oil has been my go-to-paint for several years now. It is one of the best discoveries when I used to paint furniture as my full time hobby. Coverstain IS NOT your typical oil paint. It goes on smoothly, than most other oil brands. If the mixture is a bit thick, add a small amount of paint thinner to the paint. The overall finish is levels out when it dries, and it dries to a flat finish which is incredibly unusual for a oil paint.
The best thing about this paint is you can get it tinted almost any lighter color. I have been purchasing my paints at Ace Hardware as we live in a smaller town, and they have been able to tint the paint vibrant colors, and darker shades. If I want something darker, I simply buy a quart size of satin oil paint at my local Sherwin & Williams and mix it in to darken it up.
In addition to the unusual features of this paint, it can be sanded down when it fully dries. The paint dries to the touch within about 3 hours, but I wouldn’t suggest sanding it down. I usually sand my furniture after day 3. The next day you can sand it down, but I find I run through sand paper quickly because the paint is still not fully cured. Because this paint dries flat, you can add any color over top of it, and it doesn’t have to be oil based. What I would suggest is have Cover Stain tinted the color that is close to your ideal choice, and add your ideal color over top. If you do choose to spray this paint on to your cabinetry, PLEASE buy an industrial heavy mask with air filters. I cannot stress that point more.
Plain English Kitchen Designs in the UK
Plain English Kitchen Designs in the UK
Plain English Kitchen Designs in the UK
Plain English Kitchen Designs in the UK
Plain English Kitchen Designs in the UK www.remodelista.com
Plain English Kitchen Designs in the UK
Plain English Kitchen Designs in the UK www.remodelista.com
Butler sells a terrific butter yellow console table that gives a unique Swedish impression. The first time I saw this table, I got so excited as the color and style are so close to Swedish styled furnitre. The soft blue floral set on the butter yellow are both typical Swedish cloors. The Artist’s Originals line is sold through Butler and is a collection of highly desired fine furniture hand-painted by accomplished artists. This stunning table is made from wood construction and features a single drawer. This table is entirely hand painted, and measures 32” H x 35” W x 16” D.
The console table would fit right into the Martha Stewart’s home in Connecticut. The butter yellow is very simular to historical paint colors.
Martha Stewart’s Previous Home In Connecticut , Turkey Hill
Martha Stewart’s Previous Home In Connecticut , Turkey Hill
Martha Stewart’s Previous Home In Connecticut , Turkey Hill
Martha Stewart’s Previous Home In Connecticut , Turkey Hill
