Picture Credit Scandinavian Antiques Co On Ebay 1800s White Folk Art decorated Antique Swedish Mora Clock From Swedish […]
Category: Swedish Feed
Carl von Linnaeus home, Hammarby 18th century Swedish Today Linnaeus’ Hammarby is one of Sweden’s most accurately preserved […]
Gård & Torp Magazine
Have you ever considered buying or renting a home in Sweden? The prices for a cottage in the country are surprisingly affordable. Expert Home Design Blog details the costs of real estate in Sweden:
Sweden is the largest country in Scandinavia and the fourth largest in Europe, bordering Norway and Finland, within the Arctic Circle. Sweden has large numbers of newly built properties, with over 50% of apartment homes being built since 1960 with the majority being mainly rented. Freehold individual properties are largely owner occupied. Official language is Swedish with a minority understanding Finnish.English is widely spoken. Capital gains should not be charged for the sale of privately owned property.
There are no restrictions on Foreign Ownership.
Property and Real Estate Prices in Sweden
Range Varies, for example:
From around £25,000 / $37,000 for a single family home
From around £25,000 / $37,000 for an apartment
From around £40,000 / $60,000 for a villa
From around £50,000 / $75,000 for a bungalow
From around £85,000 / $125,000 for city homes
Country homes vary from around £150,000 / $225,000
Locations to buy real estate and property in Sweden Stockholm being Sweden’s capital is popular and including the suburbs represents about 20% of Sweden’s total population and with the growth of financial and technical companies around Stockholm this will likely grow. It is situated on the Baltic Sea, at the entrance to Lake Malaren and is built on 14 islands with many exceptional waterside buildings.
Gothenburg, Sweden’s second largest city on the West Coast of the country is a major port and industrial center. Malmo, on the south coast is expected to grow significantly over the next few years following the completion of the 16 km bridge and tunnel linking to Copenhagen in Denmark.
Living Costs in Sweden
Sweden has enviable living standards supported by high tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits.
Buying property and real estate in Sweden
It is usual for a Real Estate Agent to be used for buying and selling of property in Sweden. They will handle the necessary paperwork and communicate buying and selling prices with all parties involved. It is not contractual to have your property valued but fairly common for buyers to hire independent surveyors. When you have satisfied any questions in respect of your purchase a completion date can be agreed through your Real Estate Agent. It is the responsibility of the buyer to apply for deeds of title within three months of the sale transfer and submit for registration.
Carolina Romare is a Swedish freelance photographer. After three years in Melbourne, Australia and a Bachelor of Arts in commercial photography from RMIT University, she decided to move her business back home and is currently based in Malmö, Sweden.
How to Install Tongue-and-Groove Paneling
Beadboard Kitchen Island Cottage kitchen Litchfield Designs
This wonderful picture was taken From House to Home
Tongue and groove paneling is a great alternative to drywall for a home which is decorated around the Scandinavian style. These wood panels are inexpensive, and easy to install. All that is needed is a good nailing gun, wood glue, and a good miter saw, and this weekend project can radically transform any room in your home. These planks of wood are quite thin, making them lightweight, practical solution for walls and ceilings.
The tongue and groove features of the wood make it really easy to put together, and with a surprisingly quick turn around time. The installation of tongue and groove paneling, compared to drywall, (which requires taping, mudding and sanding) is easier, cleaner and takes less time.
Installation Steps
1. Calculate How Much Wood You Will Need
Calculate the amount of paneling that you need. Amazon offers free shipping right to your door, making it easier if you don’t have a truck to transport the wood.
Determine if you want to do the whole wall, or half the wall. Consider changing up your trim. You can add layer on your trim to make it appear more bulky and architectural. In the House to Home picture above, you can see the floor trim is built up giving it more of a presence in this room. Calculate the amount of wood by simply measuring the length and height of each wall, and multiply the height times length to get square footage.
Tools and Wood
-Allwood V-Groove Knotty Pine Planking, 70 SQF Thickness: 5/16″, Width: 3-1/2″, Length: 96″ Package: 70 SQF (5 mini bundles x 14SQF) $110 + Free Shipping on Amazon
– Optional Buy For Walls of Half Pine Planking and half wallpaper – Allwood Wainscot Base and Chair Moulding, Thickness: 9/16″, Width: 2-5/8″, Length: 96″ $13.60 + Free Shipping on Amazon
-Henkel Power Grab All-Purpose Construction Adhesive (Recommended for molding, paneling, chair rails, plaster, concrete) $17 +$7 Shipping Amazon,or add on item for $4 with Free Shipping
– A Miter Saw – Buy re-conditioned saws on Amazon from $45 dollars
– A Nailing Gun and Compressor Combo. Money worth spent.
– Senco PC0947 18-Gauge Brad Nailer Compressor Combo Kit $179 +Free Shipping Amazon
– Porter-Cable 6-Gal. Portable Electric Air Compressor and Finish Nailer $199 + Free Shipping Home Depot
1st picture, white painted paneling shown in a bedroom, designer unknown, 2nd picture, Santa Monica home designed by Tim Barber Ltd. Architecture
2. Remove The Existing Trim
-Before you start installing the wood paneling to the wall, remove the existing trim by using a hammer or pry bar. Be careful with your trim, so you can put it back into place once your wood paneling is up on the walls.
-Locating the wall studs and ceiling joists is a good starting point. Mark them out on the wall using a stud finder. This can be a tricky part of the job, but well worth your time. Decide how you would like to install the paneling. You can either run the planks vertically or horizontal to the wall. As you put up the wood planks, nail them right into the 2 x 4 studs.
3. When installing the paneling to the wall, leaving a gap of 1 /2″ at the edges for expansion. Start installing the plank with groove closest to the wall, and secure the first row by nailing into the stud. Insert the nails into the tongue at an angle and use enough force to have the nail flush with the surface of the tongue. If this is done properly, the groove of the next board should slide easily over the nails on the tongue of your previous plank.
$11M Stockholm Palace is Made for ….Curbed
$11M Stockholm Palace is Made for ….Curbed
Häringe Castle- mogi.metromode.se
If you want to explore near Stockholm Sweden, consider visiting the Palace-turned-hotel Häringe Castle. This stunning 17th-century baroque castle- hotel just 45 miles outside Stockholm is located near a nature reserve. Historic lore suggests that Vikings first claimed the Häringe Peninsula as property in the 11th century. The estate has belonged to many famous people as King Gustav Vasa, Gustavus Horn, and Axel Wenner-Gren. Häringe was a ship yard during the time of King Gustav Vasa and probably even earlier. Häringe manor consists of the castle garden and park facilities, farm buildings, staff quarters, the farms and active farmland. Häringe is a very important link to the City’s history, and is a national tourist destination.
The main building was originally built in 1657 by Field Marshal Gustav Horn. The south wing was built slightly earlier when the castle was built. The castle got its present appearance at a major refurbishment in 1770. Häringe sat as an estate from about 1770 until 1929, when it was bought by the newspaper man Torsten Kreuger. Kreugar added the landscaping and the swimming pool.
After Kreuger, Häringe was bought in 1934 by business and industrialist Axel Wenner-Gren and founder of Electrolux. He filled the mansion with expensive furniture, and it was said he also built the road leading up to the estate. The Wenner-Gren had Häringe many famous guests like Greta Garbo, Danny Kaye, Karl Gerhard. At one point, all the furnishings were sold by one owner, only to be researched and re-purchased by another one years later. After Wenner-Gren’s death in 1961, the lavish furnishings disappeared. The new owner, crab importer Olle Hartwig, pored over Wenner-Gren’s photo albums, and was able to re-purchase most of the items.
Häringe castle is located in open countryside between Landfjärden and Bobäcken. Häringe estate was in the early 1900s, one of the largest in the county. The manor house, which has its origins in the mid-1600s, is today a whitewashed two-story building with mansard roof. It has separate wings on both the north and south side. On the south side there is a large swimming pool and remnants of very old trees. Beyond the grandeur interior, the property lead the way to feature Sweden’s first outdoor pool with a slide from the second floor bathroom, as well as a bowling alley and underground tunnels.
North and east of the castle are a dozen red-painted farm buildings of different ages, which at one time meet the housing needs of the property. These are dominated by a large barn from 1946. On the castle’s west side are the remains of a garden with statues from the Wenner-Gren at the Castle (1934-1961).
There is also a nature reserve south of the property called the Häringe-Hammersta. The land in the nature reserve owned by the Archipelago Foundation. The land immediately surrounding the castle is privately owned. Today the palace is used for conferences, as hotel accommodation. This castle turned hotel is owned by the Ljungberg family since 1999 and is part of an exclusive hotel chain.
Information gathered from Haninge.se
- Website: Häringe Palace
- E-mail: info@haringeslott.se
Additional Links:
– A Bridal Party At Häringe Castle – 2bridesphotography.com
– Most interesting pictures tagged “häringeslott” on Flick River
– An Enchanted Castle in Sweden –remodelista.com
– An Enchanted Garden in Sweden- www.gardenista.com
– Sweden’s most haunted castle: Häringe – Network Europe
– A night at Haringe Palace –Live Like You
Take a trip back in time to Carl Larsson’s turn-of-the-century romanticism by dining and taking in a breath of fresh air of all things Swedish at the Wreta Gestgifveri Inn. Lose yourself in the romance of the 17th century baroque period, and forget the tv, work, and stresses of this day.
When Owner Jim Grundstrom, one of Sweden’s most accomplished interior designers, first saw the seventeenth century building, it was empty, and lacked any sort of style. Seeing beyond the battered interior, he saw the potential of restoring it back to it’s orginal form and opening it up as a boutique country hotel. This hotel gives you the choice of several different styled rooms, ranging from Gustavian, Empire and rustic folk art.
Around The Area
Only 20 minutes out of Stockholm is the Högberga farm and a magnificent view over the water. In about an hour you will find Rånäs Castle, Ulvhälls Estate and Wreta Gestgifveri.
1.5 hours north reaches you Gimo Estate in Northern Roslagen and Söderforsgatan Mansion at Dalälvens beach. Hotels Havsbaden, Chub Estate and Söderköpings Brunn are all two hours away.
The Upper Floor In The Main Building:
The Mamsells Kammare room is one of the oldest rooms in the guesthouse, showing off a country feel with a touch of red. The Kuskens Kammare is another old room, and may have been one of the rooms where the coachmen stayed. The von Fersens Kabinett room, has an elegant feel, and was inspired by the late 18th century frequent guests, Axel von Fersenis. The Bernadotterummet Room is a room decorated around the true Empire style, named after Crown Prince Karl Johan Bernadotte’s visit to Wreta in 1816.
The Gustavianska Gemaket room is a late-Gustavian-style room looking out over the apple orchard. The Hårlemanska Gemaket Room is named after the castle architect Carl Hårleman, who was a frequent guest at Wreta in olden times. The Kolonialrummet Room is an example of how the Swedish East India Company’s journeys to Southeast Asia influenced some Swedish manor houses. The Gestgifverisviten Room is where he Gustavian meets the Empire style. A warm welcome awaits you in this bedroom and lounge.
Darryl Carter on One Kings Lane- Swedish Armoire
Washington, D.C., interior designer Darryl Carter certainly has made a memorable mark on the color white. Fifteen years ago he had a busy career as a lawyer when he decided to change course and open his own interior-design firm. He made a name for himself by transforming rooms that were grounded in a neutral palettes with an appreciation for showcasing art and antiques. Swedish interiors have always been known for their white based interiors. In an interview by Veranda, designer Darryl Carter gives his best tips for using the color white in your home.
1. Pick Your Paint First
“It’s not a cop out,” he insists. “It’s a way to harmonize a house in its entirety.” Once you’ve chosen your paint, select textiles next—preferably a hue that closely matches the walls. “Navigate the drapery into the wall color so that you are not so aware of the window treatment,” he suggests.
2. Paint Your Architecture In White
He says that architecture looks best in white. He gives an example pointing to a bookshelf cabinet in a Virginia townhouse which was painted to blend into the walls. The coffered ceiling was also painted the same color, which added a subtle architectural element to the space.
3. Don’t Shy Away From White Or Cream Around Kids
He tells Veranda, that you don’t have to sacrifice style and serenity because there’s a toddler in the house. “There is a presumption that neutral cannot be kid-friendly,” says Carter.
“Instead of shying away from softer shades, he suggests changing the materials. Try enamel finishes and high-gloss paint in high-traffic areas, as well as durable faux leather and outdoor fabrics for upholstered pieces that withstand the wear and tear of young children”
4. Unite Your Kids Rooms Into The Rest Of The House
Carter encourages parents to integrate their child’s room into the larger experience of the home.
“You don’t want to open the door and suddenly wonder where you’ve landed,” he says.
In one family home, Carter created a space in the child’s room which matched the overall modern style of the family’s home. Over time, parents can adjust the space with different pillows and textiles as the child matures.
Anyone can paint a piece of furniture black, but there are certain tricks to make your painted pieces appear more valuable than they really are. Many of us feel that sensation of discovering a beautiful piece of furniture at a garage or estate sale, and then dreaming of what to do with it next. If you are anything like me, scrolling through pictures of paint chips, and color combinations can be a thrilling experience.
If you love lighter colored interiors such as white, light blue, or mint green, then black furniture might be a consideration for your interior. Painting a piece of furniture black can create tremendous contrast for your interior. Here are a couple tips to making your painted furniture look antique:
1. Use Matte Paint
You won’t find shiny finishes on the old antique furniture in Sweden. This article won’t cover the modern black painted furniture that one would expect to see in the 50’s or 60’s , but rather the aged furniture that someone could come across 100 or more years ago.
When selecting a sheen, consider starting out with a matte finish. Once the piece is dry you can add either a tinted wax or a tinted glaze to the final finish to give it even more depth. The sheen will then produce a look between flat and satin. Starting out with a low sheen will keep the overall finish looking rustic even after you apply additional paints.
2. Paint Your Hardware
While there are so many ways to feature hardware on black painted furniture, painting the hardware can be a smart way to making a black piece look understated yet elegant. Take a look at a French Provincial chest painted in olive by Knack Studios. The hardware was painted and carefully distressed. In this case, a little bit of distressing went a long way. Compare that photo, with this photo of a black painted bombe chest which is also painted in black. The hardware is painted, but not distressed. While bombe chests are considered some of the most spectacular pieces of furniture, this piece falls short for me.
– Darken your hardware with chemicals. Rockler sells a brass darkening solution that ages brass, copper and bronze metal. It allows you to change the color gradually so you can control how dark the final product turns out.
– American Accents by Rustoleum sells an Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint that I have used on many pieces of my own furniture. After the paint has dried, simply distress the hardware with a sponge sander.
– 9 DIY Recipes For Rusty Hardware- Hersite
3. Show Off The Wood With Distressing
Adding a bit of interest to your furniture can go a long way. There are several ways to add patina. Two ways that come to mind is by distressing, and another is by layering paint.
A: Distressing is a sure way of adding depth and interest to a vintage piece of furniture. Some people like a LOT of distressing, and others like MINIMAL distressing. It is rather interesting to see how people fall into those two categories. Look at a few pictures on pinterest to decide what appeals to you. The best thing about distressing is if you go too far, simply just repaint the areas, which will tone down the distressing.
Carl Larsson Alma – 18 x 24 Print $29
Guest Post- Dawn- Bella Visione Blog
Carl Larsson is Sweden’s most recognized artist who depicted his idyllic life, with wife Karin and their children, in exquisite delicate watercolor paintings.
Born in Stockholm in 1853, he grew up in less than idyllic surroundings, being left by his father for his mother to rear. She worked diligently as a laundress, but earned very little. They lived in squalled conditions and he learned to work very hard as well.
At thirteen he was urged by his school teacher to apply for entry to the Stockholm Academy for Fine Arts. He was accepted, but it took some time for him to acclimate to the new, more refined surroundings.
He continued through school, became an illustrator and later moved to Paris to become an artist. He started painting in oils, but in 1882 having moved to Grez, (a Scandinavian artists’ colony) he transitioned to watercolors, which he mastered in six short months.
This is where he met Karin Bergoo and they soon married in 1883. Five years later Karin’s father gave the couple the house Lilla Hyttnas at Sanborn. This was to be the setting for many of Larsson’s paintings, capturing his life as it unfolded with his wife and their many children.
There were two major influences, whether knowingly or not, that shaped the creativity that took place within the walls of the Larsson home.
In 1891 a major exhibition of the Gustavian Style was compiled, this was in response to the look becoming popular once again in Sweden. This happened to be within the same time frame that the drawing room at Sanborn was redecorated in the fashion it still is today. The Gustavian tenets of light, refinement and unpretentious elegance are evident.
In the August 2010 issue of Home Beautiful, an editorial was written up on a garage in Salt […]
Rococo Desk 1700’s
Bukowski is the leading auction house founded in 1870 by the Polish nobleman Henryk Bukowski. Bukowski Market also happens to be Sweden and Finland’s largest on-line internet site for quality auctions. Bukowski Market offers modern capabilities to the auction experience; one that combines online shopping with spectacular antiques and reliable expertise.
Bukowski pairs together buyers and sellers from around the world and allows antiques to be brought to the public for sale. All items sold at Bukowski have been reviewed by experts in showrooms in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, Helsinki, and Norrköping. Bukowski offers a large assortment of antiques, design, art and decorative items for all tastes. Before bidding from Bukowski, be sure to look at their terms of sale, and have your shipping and pick up arrangements set before bidding.
Woodland Chorus by Sanderson Ella by Arthouse Cielo Panel by Designers Guild Take me on a road trip […]
Elements of the 18th century Gustavian style still find their way into our decorating magazines some 200 years […]
Nationalmuseum, Stockholm | by Dimitry B Nationalmuseum, Stockholm | by Dimitry B Armchair Karmstol Mahogany, gilded details, 1820’s […]
5 Design Tips to Live By from Jane Moore – Veranda Veranda featured a wonderfully Swedish home way […]
In the March 2013 issue of House Beautiful Magazine, featured a home with a unique flair for the […]
Braided Rug 80″ Round Off-White $109 The careful selection of your homes rugs can really bring alive that […]
Scandinavia – made up of Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Iceland and Norway -has always had a unique mark on the arts through history. Whether it be needlepoint, embroidery, wood carving, furniture painting, knitting or any other local arts, they inspired each other in these regions, often drawing on the same color tones, motifs, and decorations.
The Nordic style craftsmanship and decorative themes can be seen unique to this northern area of Europe. Chances are if you love Scandinavian furniture, you will fall in love with so many of the different arts that are also found in this region.
Folk art, is celebrated in the international galleries around the world, but it also can be found in people’s homes, garages, and attics around Scandinavia. With access to to the internet, you don’t even have to know the back streets of Sweden, or speak the language to invest in high quality antique folk art. With esty and ebay within reach, you can pull together a collection for your interior without leaving your home.
“Folk art” is the most common term to describe the every day craftsmanship of people from one region or another, which depicted the artistic talent of life and times in art. Almost everyone has a hobby today, and it was more so, 100 to 300 years ago, when the family didn’t gather around the television for three hours each night. People had so much more time that could be devoted to the arts when the children were home schooled, and mom and dad worked off the land. Life was so much better back then, and you could have a little piece of that history.
The art was influenced by the culture, which is why German, Italian, and even American folk art each has their own style and flavor. Many of the popular collectible folk art pieces include handcrafted toys, quilting, wood carvings, and basket weaving. Folk oil paintings can be some of the most expensive range of collectibles within Folk art. Oil paintings emerged in the late 1700’s but only until the 1800’s did it really begin to flourish. Folk artists were often self-taught, and considered amateur artists due to the fact that they were not academically trained in the fine arts. These paintings are some of the most collectible of the wall art, and surprise, surprise,….sometimes they are inexpensive! It is amazing what you can find on ebay, if you are willing to wait.
Here is a collection of 60 books that focus their attention on Folk art, or the Scandinavian region in general.
Country Style Mora Clocks – Swedish Interior Design.co.uk Interior archive is one of those sites where you can […]
Chelsea Textiles, is a family company, which was originally started in the 1990’s by Mona Perlhagen. Formerly a […]
Picture Credit –Scandinavian Antiques Co On Ebay
Featured above are the colors, Top Row: Pratt & Lambert’s Argent 1322, Farrow & Ball’s Claydon Blue 87, Farrow & Ball’s Green Blue 84, Middle Row, Farrow & Ball’s Light Blue 22, Benjamin Moore’s Sea Star 2123-30, Benjamin Moore’s Wolf Gray 2127-40 Bottom Row, Benjamin Moore’s Graytint 1611, Sherwin-Williams’s Magnetic Gray SW-7058, Benjamin Moore’s Stone Harbor 2111-50
Home Beautiful featured an article on 26 Designers who shared their favorite Grays. Gray painted interiors can be the perfect color palette for Swedish Gustavian or Rococo antique furniture. Gray can showcase antiques like no other color, because it is neutral, and doesn’t compete with the furniture and decor. The last thing you want after spending thousands on a piece of furniture, is to have someone notice anything but what you spent your hard earned money on! Pair your painted gray antiques with a backdrop of white gray interior walls and trim, and add a punch of color with your upholstery, accessories, and flowers.
Many of the designers featured in the article, were those of Richard Gluckman, Stephanie Stokes, David Kleinberg, Tori Golub, Stephen Sills, Phoebe Howard, Steven Gambrel, Gerrie Bremermann, and Sharone Einhorn and Honey Walters.
Here are just a few of the designer quotes:
“Mesquite is a flattering light moss green without much yellow. I love it because it doesn’t shout ‘I’m green!’ It says, ‘I’m a very beautiful color.'” –Jennifer Garrigues, Benjamin Moore’s Mesquite 501
“Lago Argentino is a glacier lake in Patagonia, and it’s the most amazing color, an aqua, milky because as the ice melts it pulls minerals off the mountain. I stayed in an inn with a stunning view of the Perito Moreno glacier.” –Suzanne Rheinstein , Ralph Lauren Paint’s Blue-Green GH81
“For me, the most appealing colors in summer are not hot but cool. You don’t need to be reminded of the sun and heat — you’re in it. What you want is a cool breeze through the pine trees, like this chalky gray green.” –Frank Roop, Benjamin Moores Soft Fern 2144-40
“In my cutting garden I have morning glories climbing over a lattice obelisk painted this wonderful silvery sage green. It reminds me of lavender leaves.” –Michael Whaley, Benjamin Moores Cedar Grove 444
“I have a big, hugely functional Georgian Revival lawyer’s desk in tired dry mahogany, bought from a tired dry lawyer. I painted it this pale gray-green in an oil-base stain finish, cleanable, very calm, but not so pale that it dies. The gimmick is the old-fashioned desk in an unexpected color. It catches light and makes for a more interesting surface.” –Carey Maloney, Donald Kaufman Color Collections DKC-10
“It’s kind of robin’s egg blue, and with mahogany furniture and neutral upholstery, it looks great. I see dining rooms as mostly evening rooms, and this has life to it. It’s very soothing.” –Mariette Himes Gomez, Benjamin Moore’s Sage Tint 458
“Green is the great neutral, all the way from pond scum to soft sage or pale celery. I recently moved into a new house surrounded by greenery, and when I was thinking of what color I might use for a drapery lining, it came to me to reflect the green that is present year-round right outside that window.” –Barbara Barry – Donald Kaufman Color Collection’s DKC-8
“This is the color of the sky in Old Master paintings, when the varnish has yellowed; it’s luminous. Paint just the floor and you’d feel as if you were floating.” –Thomas Jayne, Benjamin Moore’s Heavenly Blue
“In my cutting garden I have morning glories climbing over a lattice obelisk painted this wonderful silvery sage green. It reminds me of lavender leaves.” –Michael Whaley, Benjamin Moore’s Cedar Grove 444
Gray Painted Swedish Furniture – Laserow Antiques
18th Century Swedish Tray Table – Jacqueline Adams Antiques
This mirror would have been part of a room paneling. It features a beautifully hand carved and gilded top panel of a basket with flowers and grape bunches before crossed mallets and grape branches and is surrounded with a square, gilt molded frame. Beneath is a square mirror framed with a beaded, molded edge
Andie, from Divine Theatre Blog, posted an amazing transformation of an outdated Mexican armoire, which was converted into […]
This Swedish home takes several chairs and combines them with a day bed. One way to unify several pieces of furniture is to simply paint them the same color, as they have done here.
“Söderbo” is a summer home, and perfect for all those who love history, because this home is practically untouched. Nothing has changed since the house was decorated in the 1920s. In fact, every piece of furniture, every picture, and the decor is such as it was in the early 1900’s. The interior lets in lots of light as large windows reveal the beautiful greenery outside. Elegant white painted furniture makes the home larger than it really is. Reading a book, playing a few games, and having a hot bath might be what you would do in this home in the summer months. Although you may have to haul in the water, and manually heat it! The modern amenities of the home are missing, but that doesn’t stop the owners from getting away and enjoying all the life that this property has to offer. Water must still be carried out and the food collected in the root cellar, so the children of the home don’t have to wonder how grandma and grandpa did things, the old way of live is very evident in the day to day functioning of the home.
“Söderbo” in the past was only used as a summer house. Servants were brought out into the country with lots of luggage, and the residents from the big city enjoyed the summer life to rest and enjoy the rich fresh air, and all that the countryside could offer. Besides the main house, the property is equipped with a boathouse pre-existant from the mid-1800s, a root cellar and a cabana by the water.
Inside the house, white painted wooden furniture shows a classic Swedish design which can be seen throughout the home. The furniture was originally purchased back in the days of the era’s most fashionable department store NK. The various pieces of furniture are seen in the country style which if fluent in the dining room, bedroom, desks, chairs and shelves. The kitchen is set up to function for food preparation, such as cooking, baking and canning. The upstairs of the home is mostly how it was originally. Some fabrics have been worn through time and replaced, but the beautiful Art Nouveau wallpaper in the parents’ bedroom are original. Gather some ideas from this time period for your home.
Images and full article found on husohem.se 
“Söderbo” A Home Untouched Since 1920
A rare pair of Swedish Art Deco 2-arm mirror sconces designed by Gustav Bergstrom. Frames are gilt over pewter and Incised with a serpentine pattern.The frame tops are decorated with a sculpture of a lotus flower flanked by 2 mythical sea creatures. Candles are newly wired for candelabra bulbs. Mirror glass is original and show highly desirable movement in the reflection. Sconces are the perfect example of “Swedish Grace” style.
Delicate gilt wood Swedish Art Deco wall mirror with cared details depicting a sunburst and ancient oil lamps. Mirror glass is original and has a one inch beveled edge
“Söderbo” A Home Untouched Since 1920
Swedish Portrait -the figure of noble women, in courtdress, within giltwood frame The Style Saloniste posted an interview […]
Mary Mulcahy’s designs, first developed for her block-printed textiles, now grace the wall with the Les Indiennes collection by IVM Prints. The 12 hand-screened wallpapers include Rayure, left, and Veronique, both in indigo; additional colors are offered, Seen in Elle Decor April 2011
The company Les Indiennes is known for their beautiful hand-blocked textiles. Founder, Mary Mulcahy had a desire to find naturally dyed cotton, with large scale single colored motifs, but was unable to locate fabrics close to what she had in mind, so she created her own. Her concept started to take form after running into a craftsman in southern India, who knew exactly what she was after. In fact, the craftsman was one of the very few artists who still practiced the ancient art of kalamkari, which was an extremely complex and rare method of printing on fabric.
The Kalamkari Process:
1. Fabric Preparation- Cotton fabric is initially softened and bleached. This process needs to be done before any printing takes place. The process involves bales of organic cotton which are repeatedly rinsed and beaten against large rocks, then laid out on the grass to bleach in the sun. These steps ensure that the fabric will feel soft and luxurious, and so that the color application remains bright and vibrant.
2. Block Printing- After the fabric has been softened and lightened, printing begins. Craftsmen dip hand-carved wood blocks in dyes and presses them into the cotton. The dyes are derived from plants, roots, earth, and rock. One can only imagine the great care, and measurements taken to ensure the patterns are straight and line up with one another. Today we take for granted large printing machinery, when at one time, much of this work was done by hand. At Les Indiennes, the fabric is printed by hand, and hours go into each fabric panel. After the patterns are applied, the printed fabric is air dried for at least two days.
Swedish winters are long, dark and dreary, so historically Swedes have always turned to lighter interiors. Swedish style isn’t all about the gray and the white interiors they are famous for, but many homes feature brighter, richer colors to decorate around.
There are so many shades and tones of paint, that it can be impossible to decide on one color. Buy sample-size colors to help you make the perfect selection. A color can look quite different at night than the day. We recently painted the outside of our home, and the color which looked to be a creamy yellow at night, turned green in the day. Be sure to try your selected colors on a few different walls to determine what suits which room. You’ll thank yourself for making this extra effort before spending $$$ on the wrong shade.
Don’t judge the room until the paint is in place, and accessories and furniture are placed. A color which may seem to bright can be toned down by wall accessories, coordinating drapes, and art work. Consider working with the off shades of the primary colors. Intead of purple, consider lilac, or a raspberry tint.
Consider whether you are a warm or cool person. I once was asked this by a hairdresser, looking to choose a shade of blonde. I never gave it much thought before, but knowing which color you lean towards can certainly make picking colors a lot easier. Earthy reds, dusty warm plums, and rusty golds are in the warm color range. Silver blues, mint, and lavenders are colors which are cooler.
Advice From Pros
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works” Steve Jobs
“Green pigment was expensive in the 18th century, making it a status symbol. So it would have been appropriate for the royal governor’s house. I’ve been a curator at Colonial Williamsburg for 20 years, and when my husband and I lived in a historic house, we had similar green woodwork. It worked with every fabric I wanted to use, and it’s a great mood enhancer—chlorophyll for the spirit!” —Liza Gusler
“People think that they need to use small furniture and light colors to make a small room look big, but that’s not the case at all. Dark colors and just a few pieces of large-scale furniture, with the appropriate lighting and accessories, can give a room a larger, more luxurious feel.” —Mona Hajj
“Everything else in my house is off-white and grey, and I just had to have a break from that. I was looking at my pond, which is this murky shade of acid green, and I thought, ‘I’ll do that in high gloss to make it even more watery and translucent.’ It’s strange, but I love it.” —Stephen Sills
“Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury.” – Coco Chanel
“While looking at one of my first New York apartments, David Hicks told me diplomatically,’Dear boy, if you’re going to paint the walls white, you need art.'” Peter Dunham
“The only time white curtain lining should be used is with white curtains- J Randall Powers
“Use the precious for everyday purposes. We’ll rummage through clients closets and find loads of precious hand-me-downs like porcelain vases and crystal that are a bit out of vogue. We’ll use them for completely ordinary purposes – a case becomes a chic pencil holder, a crystal bowl holds makeup brushes. Turn the ordinary into a special moment” Benjamin Dhong
“I learned that passion about objects and furnishings makes for fearless decorators—and that if you are comfortable in your home, everyone else will be too. That sense of authenticity is what gives a home its soul.”- Courtnay Daniels Haden
“The most elegant interiors are just slightly tatty.” – David Netto
“Playing it safe. Instead, put a large-scale printed fabric or wallpaper on the walls and even the ceiling. It’s easier, safer, and less expensive to be dramatic in a small space. You might get tired of a bold print in the main living area, but it can make a smaller, less-used room an exciting space to spend time.” —Victoria Neale
The “Kakelugnar” stove is a Swedish tiled stove whose design is still in use today. This classic stove dates back to […]
Karen Blixen’s Danish Farm godsochgardar.se After 17 years in Kenya, Danish author Karen Blixen returned to her childhood home in […]
Osterbybruk The 1700 Collection Swedish Furniture produces furniture that combines the elegant shapes of the furniture found in 18th century Sweden. With […]
Make this bee mold for just dollars. Find the original listing here Classic Swedish Interiors By Lars Sjoberg […]
Drop leaf table made in Stockholm, Sweden. Details according to the periods highest fashion such as lion feet […]
Stola Herrgård, Sweden Wallpaper can make a tremendous difference in a room decorated around the Swedish style. It has […]
Curtains in Tisbury | Ben30 | Flickr Picture Credit- Goodhousekeeping Magazine Authored By Curtain Pole Wizard Rooms with […]
Guest Post By Corey Amaro, Tongue In Cheek Blog Crystal chandeliers sparkle like stars above A. Tyner’s Swedish […]
Garbo Interiors was founded by Anneli Ullman and Barbro Sahlin. After training in design and decor, both in Sweden […]
Louis XV Limed Oak Chest In 1975, Frantz Hemeleers opened a small shop in Etterbeek (Brussels), and over time, it […]
French Commode Lacquered Red From Live Auctioneers
The color red is grand, and is a color everyone considers for their home at one time or another. The color red is a symbol of privilege and wealth. Official seals often use the red, as a gesture of confidence and authority. Red can make a statement in your home in a very powerful way, although it can be hard to execute. We show you 5 ways to pull off this color with success.
5 Ways Of Using Red In Your Home
1. Use Red In The Kitchen Or Entry Way
Red is the color of passion and has been known to stimulate blood pressure and heart rate. Red also sparks passion, love, and enthusiasm, so it is color often used in romantic restaurants. What better place to encourage conversation and hunger, than at the dinner table.
Consider painting your dining room table red. Instead of painting the whole table red, leave the top untouched, in it’s natural wood state. To add a Swedish touch, consider painting the details in gold. In this post, you can see how lovely a red can look in a country provincial style.
2. Use Red In A Pattern on Decoupaged Furniture
There are many ways of decorating with red other than painting your walls. One way of doing this is decoupaging furniture. Decoupaging is rather easy, and you can execute the process a number of ways.
One way is to use cut outs. Simply find an image you like from a magazine or on the Internet, and photocopy it several times over, which you can then cut out, and apply it to a piece of furniture. This Swedish tiled stove would be an excellent example of how lovely a red floral pattern would look on a chest.
You can even take fabric and glue it to a chest, with modge podge glue. Add pattern into your home, or finish off a room based around patterns by decoupaging your furniture.
Inspirational Posts On Decoupaged Furniture
How To Decoupage Furniture– The Swedish Furniture
Louis XV Style Red Lacquer Side Table From Hastening Antiques – Provincial Furniture
4 Easy Steps To Decoupage Beautiful Furniture– The White Dresser
Decoupage Is Simple! Update Your Kids Furniture– Kids Room Decor
Swedish Interiors: How To Decorate With The Color Red– The Swedish Furniture
3. Use Red In Acessories
-Add a bit of a modern glam using abstract art with bold touches of red. Consider using a heavy ornate frame with a modern poster. Modern Styled Paintings or Posters would add a modern touch in a home with plenty of antiques.
–Juju wall hats are a perfect way of adding a bold touch of red in a room. You can purchase these hats in a number of vibrant colors, which can be placed above a dresser, a console table to add in a bold touch of color into your room.
-Below you see the Stockholm apartment in Sweden with the red room. Below it shows a picture of the living room based in white with natural wood furniture. If you want a room based in lighter colors, consider a large area rug in red, like they did. An over-sized floor rug can make a bold impression.
– Another way of adding saturated color into your rooms is to accessorize with red wool blankets. Point blankets can add a rustic touch to your home, and can be thrown over the sofa, or used on the bed, or stacked on a shelf.
– Chairs are a great way of implementing red into a room. Chair frames can be painted red, or upholstered in red fabric.
-If red walls are a bit too risky for you to consider then why not consider red and white bedding? Paint your bed-frame red, with touches of gold, and consider getting a comforter, sheets,a pillowcases all in red. Or paint the frame gold and red, and go with an all white sheeting as you see below.
To start thinking about how you would like to include red in your home, here are a couple […]
How would you like to shop for antiques with one of the top Swedish antique dealers? The Antiques […]
Chesa Planta house, located in Samedan, a picturesque village 6 km northeast of St Mortitz, Switzerland featured an exhibition of Rich Owens’s exquisite furniture designs photographed by Adrien Dirand. The collection was minimalistic, evoking a sense of goth meets luxury. Owens’ minimal aesthetic contrasted perfectly with baroque grandeur of the chateau. Some of the highlights included the bone chairs with stag antler backs, and a petrified wood sofa. Built in 1595, the house had been restored to convey the look of an 18th century Engadin aristocratic home. “Engadin” or “Engadine” identifies a long valley in the Swiss Alps located in southeast Switzerland. The Engadin is protected by high mountains on all sides and is famous for its sunny climate, beautiful landscapes, and outdoor activities.
There is a strong architectural presence of the Romanesque style in Switzerland, which can be found in the cathedrals, castles and fortresses around the country. The Gothic and Baroque style became fashionable through the Renaissance, where a large number of architectural masters came from Italy. The hand painting of the walls in the Chesa Planta house shows a Italian influence which is found in the region. Switzerland lies at the crossroads of several major European cultures, which includes three major languages, German, French and Italian which form the national languages of Switzerland, along with Romansh, spoken by a small minority. Therefore Swiss culture is characterised by diversity, which is reflected in a wide range of traditional customs, which also influenced the art and interior design of the country through history.
Folk art was kept alive all over the country. In Switzerland, it is mostly expressed in painting, dance, music, embroidery and wood carving. The most common form of woodcarving found in Switzerland is called chip carving. Chip carving decoration is normally found on everyday objects, such as milk stools, wooden spoons, or walking sticks. In some areas, the façades of houses are richly decorated using woodcarving. Embroidery has been a common element on historical traditional clothing in Switzerland. Embroidery has always been used for the decoration of fabric, but because the art is time intensive, it is sold for premium prices. Embroidery was something that served as an art in the home in past centuries and today is often found in tourist outlets where vintage and antique products are sold.
Interesting Books
–Swiss Furniture and Interiors in the 20th Century by Arthur Ruegg and Arthur Rüegg– For the first time, the development of interiors and furniture in Switzerland from the end of the nineteenth century to the present day have been surveyed and documented. A fully illustrated catalogue of over 300 objects from furniture to ceramics and household objects and around 150 biographies conclude the publication.
–Mountain Houses by Philippe Saharoff and Gwenaëlle Leprat–Nowhere is the beauty of living in the mountains more evident than in the Alps, where the spectacular landscape has given rise to equally
gorgeous homes. In Mountain Houses, photographer Philippe Saharoff takes us to 30 of these lovely chalets, farmhouses, and cottages, located in Chamonix, Gstaad, and other picturesque towns of
the Swiss and French Alps. More than 300 stunning photographs, taken in all seasons, bring the rustic charm and timeless comfort of each home to life. While wood and stone are the predominant materials,
the houses are decorated in a wide range of styles.
–Alpine Interiors (Interiors (Taschen)) by Beate Wedekind and TASCHEN–If you think that laying your hat in the Alps means having to choose between a rustic mountain hut or a log-burning ski lodge, then you’ll be
amazed when you get a glimpse of this latest inspiring volume in the Interiors series. The mountains of the Alps are a unique terrain unlike anything else in Europe, thus when constructing and decorating a place
to live, architects and designers have to be conscious of adapting to the extremes of landscape and climate. The desire to make your home a beautiful thing, to find a balance between Function and elegance,
becomes particularly significant in the Alpine region. Primarily Famous as a location for skiing resorts and muesli, the Alps straddle the borders of so many European countries, and this has allowed for a lively
interaction and exchange between many peoples and cultures. The selections in this book are impeccable. For example Reinhold Messner’s castle. There’s everything From baroque villas to farmhouses, famous
designers/ architects to the ordinary Alp-lander with very good taste.
For More Inspiration See These Posts:
The Romantic Baroque Style: Part 1- Stromholm
The Romantic Baroque Style: Part 2 King Gustav Vasa
The Romantic Baroque Style: Part 3 Skokloster & Steninge Palace
The Romantic Baroque Style: Part 4 – A Collectors Home
Europe -Switzerland- Location, Flag and Coat Of Arms-
A Picture of An spectacular estate in Switzerland
The indoor dining room features doors painted by an artist who lived in the home
in the 1930s. Wallstreet Journal
It is no doubt that the hottest designers are using distressed Gustavian furniture in their own homes. Designer Daniel Romualdez is one of those designers. His Montauk, New York home also shows off a captivating white based interior. Romualdez breathed new life into the home using only splashes of blue, white and black. The main dining room shows a beautiful collection of seashells in weathered frames. The room is furnished with 18th century Gustavian furniture with a geometric blue and white upholstery. Most of all the pictures we picture below are credited to the Wallstreet Journal. Here are a few links to this homes interior from Corbis. Here is a picture of the stairway that was installed in limed pine, in line with the Swedish styles found through the house.
Decorating with seashells can add a natural touch to your home. Here are 10 tips to getting a high end look with seashells:
1. Paint your walls in soft pastels. Keeping the wall color light will create a serene feel and allow you to play off the colors found in the lighter natural tones of seashells.
The ocean and the sky are both blue, so blue should be incorporated into the color scheme. Borrow looks from Daniel Romualdez’s home by choosing upholstery in blue and white. White based backgrounds for upholstery choices keep within the classic textile choices found in Sweden.
-Light blue or green walls are also great colors for a room decorated with seashell decor.
-If you do use brighter blues, consider using it in an accessory as Daniel Romualdez’s does with a vibrant floral centerpiece. Add layers of duller blues in your rooms with accents of brighter tones of blue sparingly.
2. Mix in reds, oranges, and golden hues within your home decor to provide a contrast to the white walls, and white shells such as what Daniel Romualdez’s does with the black hand painted doors, and black frames on the walls.
3. Consider installing wall panelling, which can be stained in a soft cream or white. Wood adds an organic layer that is commonly found in Swedish decorating. Clean, brilliant white walls make a great backdrop for bold color splashes or natural wood accents.
4. Sofa or floor pillows incorporate the feeling of comfort. This Sea Shell Linen Pillow Cover with Jute & Mother Of Pearl Embroidery has both the linen fabrics found in Swedish decorating, as well adds a bit of the pearl shine we find in the sea.
5. Cover furniture or home decor with shells. A neoclassical bust with smaller seashells is a sophisticated approach to using shells in your decor. All you need is a nice looking neoclassical bust, hot glue and a variety of seashells.
-Make a crown for the bust or display it on it’s own.
–Here we see a rustic bust, with a seashell crown.
–Here we see a mirror made with hand collected shells and Ikea mirror frame. All the shells are facing the same direction rather than the sporadic placement that we see with seashell art.
–Here we see a beautiful floral display with an urn decorated in seashells
Plaster Busts on Ebay
7. Consider presenting your collection of shells as a display on your wall with corbels. Instead of displaying the smaller shells, collect the larger seashells, which can make more of an impact. Swedish decorating is known for clean, uncluttered looks, so bigger shells are better in a Swedish scheme. Corbels can be rather expensive, but there are ways of getting corbels that match without spending $300 on each corbel. Make your own shelves for pennies with concrete molds such as this one from Mold Creations. Concrete Success has the perfect mold shelf featuring a sea shell in the design, selling for $34 dollars. This allows you to make endless shelves for your collections, without spending any more than for the mold itself, and the plaster or concrete.
Interesting Finds on Ebay And Amazon
– This square sea shell mold would be a rather interesting texture to cover an entire accent wall in a bathroom with. It has a rather primitive fossil quality to it.
-Silver Tone Decorative Spiny Jewel Nautical Sea Shell Home Decor $27
-Luxury Lane Hand Blown Art Glass Seashell Centerpiece 7.5″ tall by 12.5″ long $25
-White Pearlized Chambered Nautilus Sea Shell Decor 5″ – 6″ $25
-100% Real Sea Shell-4.5″ Original From Haiwaii,$9
-Small Brass Compass Rose Nautical Wall Plaque $50
-Bathroom Decor- Set of 3 Decorative Clear Glass Bottles with Nautical Sea Shell $71
-Luxury Lane Hand Blown Art Glass Seashell Centerpiece 4.5″ tall by 9″ long $25
-Aluminum Sea Shell Decor 4″H, 10″W $36
-Round Rustic Wooden Nautical Porthole Mirror– $70
-Set of 2 Seafoam Green and Cream Sea Shell Pattern Rustic Aged Decorative Bowls $110
-Gorgeous Set of 4 Mini Sea Shell Covered Spheres $48
-Decorative Wooden Paddle $19
-Wooden Nautical Sailboat Yacht Model w/ Shell Sail $24
See our other post Daniel Romualdez’s Breathtaking Late-Eighteenth Century Farmhouse
Daniel Romualdez’s Montauk Home-www.williamwaldron.com
Another View Of This Room From www.corbisimages.com
You can see the trim was painted blue, and the floors limed. In addition, the doors were touched up.
Seglora Church -Relocated From Western Sweden
*Disclaimer*-The pictures contained in this post are to illustrate the BEAUTY of yellow and green paint used in 18th century interiors. We have no knowledge what so ever of the paint used in the rooms or furniture. Emerald Green and Yellow colors are absolutely stunning colors to decorate a home around.
The History Behind Emerald Green
Emerald Green, is the color of the year for 2013, yet what many people don’t know is the color “Emerald Green” at one time, killed people.
This brilliant blue-green color was extremely popular in the mid- 1800s, because emerald green paint was cheap to manufacture, and it had such a great depth of color.
In 1814 in Schweinfurt, Germany, two men named Russ and Sattler tried to improve on Scheele’s green, and made a paint made with copper arsenite. The result was a highly toxic pigment called “emerald green”. This paint was made with arsenic and verdigris and the bright green color became an instant hit within the design community.
The vibrant color was not only used as artist paint, but as well as household paint amongst other things. Many people at that time didn’t know the paint was made with poisonous arsonic, and who is to blame them when we don’t know ourselves what kind of unhealthy additives are contained in our foods. As soon as the color was produced, it was picked up by many companies far and wide. The emerald green dye wasn’t only used for paint, but wallpaper and as liquid dyes.
In particular, in damp rooms where mold grew, the arsonic in the wallpaper paste would be turned into a toxic gas which would be deadly for anyone living in the room. By 1830, wallpaper production had risen to 1 million rolls a year in the UK, and by 30 million in 1870. Tests later revealed that four out of five wallpapers contained arsenic.
Leopold Gmelin (1788-1853), a German chemist, suspected in 1815 that wallpaper could poison the atmosphere, that he made several efforts to warn the people in his day to strip their rooms of the paper, and advocated banning Scheele’s green. He noticed that the substance gave off a garlic-like odor when the paper was slightly damp. Experiments at the end of the 19th century proved that arsenic pigments in damp or rotting wallpaper were lethal. If only they listened to Leopold Gmelin’s warnings!
The color “Emerald Green” became so popular and widely used in the cotton industry which used the chemical in pigments and dyes. It was also used by other industries such as glass manufactures as a de-colouriser, and in the production of leather tanning, soaps, lampshades, pharmaceuticals, agriculture for sheep dips, children’s toys, and candles.
Emerald green was also used to color cake decorations. In a few recorded instances, this dye was used to color icing, much like we do today. In one case, the industry making the dyes employed hundreds of young girls, who later died from chronic arsenic poisoning. At a banquet held by the Irish Regiment in London in the 1850’s, sugar leaves that were dyed with the Emerald Green, and used as table decorations. Many of the guests took the decorations home to give to their children to eat as a treat, whom later died. Another dinner in 1860, a chef produced a spectacular green sugar dessert, used Scheele’s green and later, three of the diners later died. If this is shocking, read this up on our modern day Aspartame. It has been proven that this popular sweetener used in coffee is toxic to your brain. In fact, they say that when aspartame is added to hot waters, exceeding 86 degrees F. the Aspartame converts to Formaldehyde, and then to Formic Acid, which damages the brain….. yet this substance isn’t pulled off the market.
Emerald green was also called Schweinfurt green, Paris green, and Vienna green. The toxicity of emerald green was not initially recognized, until the recipe was published in 1822. Napoleon’s death in exile on St Helena was possibly a result by his exposure to the Emerald green wallpaper in his favorite room. The French painter Cezanne had an attraction for using paris green, and later it was known he suffered from severe diabetes. Later, the use of this pigment was abandoned when it became general knowledge that people who wore clothes dyed with this green tended to die early.
Here is the sad part- Even though they knew all the scientific evidence of its highly toxic nature, production of emerald green paint was not banned until the 1960’s.
See: 10 Tips for Buying Used Furniture Online- Painted Furniture Online
The History Cinnabar Red
One of the most difficult to use and costly pigments on the market. Cinnabar red is obtained from a mineral (the principle ore of mercury). The Romans obtained it from the Almaden mines in Spain, which is still today an important locational source of mercury. In order for it to be used as a pigment, the mineral had to be purified, then synthesized and then ground to the correct fineness. If improperly handled, it could turn black.
“Red’s hard. There are so many bad ones. They’re either too bordello or too raspberry nail polish. Or they’re so brown it’s like eating in a Southwestern theme restaurant, or so primary and overly frank that you want to ask, ‘Where do I put the presidential seal?’ I’m always looking for either a juicy pomegranate red, a Chinese lacquer red, or a really good oxblood. Because it’s such an important color, red needs nuance, subtlety, and depth, so in those rare instances that I break it out, I like to do it as a glaze, a lacquer, a fabric upholstery, or as red leather walls so there’s variation to the tone.” —CELERIE KEMBLE
See: The Top Shades Of Red Paint By The Most Famous Designers- The Painted Furniture
The History Behind Lead White
The poisonous qualities of Lead White have been noted since Ancient Rome, when the color was made in Rhodes (Greece ) where workers would put shavings of thin lead over a bowl filled with vinegar. The acid on the thin metal would cause a chemical reaction and leave a white deposit of lead carbonate which was then powdered, flattened and left to dry in the sun. The small amount of lead white still manufactured today follows this same formula.
The History Behind Naples Yellow
The 18th and 19th century saw the discovery and manufacture of synthetic pigments and dyes, which quickly replaced the traditional yellows made from arsenic, cow urine, and other substances. Naples Yellow is one of the oldest synthetic pigments. Naples yellow was essential to the landscape tradition because it has a quality of appearing to recede, making it perfect for capturing the essence of the sun. The genuine pigment is toxic, and it is believed that Vincent van Gogh’s mental illness and suicide was a result of his frequent use of true Naples yellow.
Have scientists finally discovered why Van Gogh’s paintings are turning brown? Mail Online
Hope For Today
Today we have a wide variety of organic paints available within reach. More than ever paint manufacturers are producing low VOC paints as people are looking at safer brands for their homes and health. Olympic Premium and Benjamin Moore Aura have shown to have lower VOC levels than other tested paints and did a good job in this hiding test, according to Consumer Reports. VOC levels have been toughened because VOCs are linked to respiratory illnesses and memory impairment.
The top paints in the Consumer Report Ratings had among the highest claimed VOC levels, including Behr Premium Plus Enamel low-luster and flat and Benjamin Moore Regal semigloss. They reveal that lowering the VOC levels can affect performance. “When you take out VOCs, you still need strong performance properties, but you have to find other ways to achieve them,” says Carl Minchew, product-development director at Benjamin Moore. Still, some no- and low-VOC paints did well in performance revealed in the Consumer Report Ratings. Posted in the Consumer Reports Magazine issue: March 2009
See: Green Dreams: Environmentally Friendly Restoration Furniture– The Painted Furniture
This information below comes from www.wetcanvas.com
“PY41 is genuine Naples Yellow (Lead Antimonate), tubed paints come in two yellow versions, Light and Dark (sometimes available in a “red” pigment as well). Available from Vasari, Michael Harding and Robert Doak. Genuine Naples offer a smooth blending mild tinting yellow that works in more delicate situations, like portraiture. Here is a comparison of both Michael Harding genuine Naples Yellows along with others similar colors, including OH’s PBr24 imitation Naples Yellow Extra. The lower mixes show the colors tinted with white above, and black below.”
Veranda May June 2012 When you think of slipcovers, you may have memories of the 80’s clunky furniture […]
Rococo & Empire Pulls- House Of Antique Hardware
Most do-it-yourselfers know that adding new hardware to new or existing furniture or cabinetry is a great way to dress it up. These seemingly small touches make a huge impact on the overall appearance of a piece.
You can create the look you want. Hardware pieces are available in a variety of finishes, designs, and styles. You can walk into any local hardware store and find shiny chrome and brass knobs and handles as well as modern sleek knobs that have clean simple lines.
The only time there seems to be real problems finding the right hardware and accessories is if you want antique hardware. However, the Internet has made it easier to find what you are looking for; this article offers a list of the top five online resources for antique hardware. It’s a list you can refer to time and again.
Antique Hardware & More provides a great selection of knobs and pulls for all types of furniture and cabinetry. Whether you are looking for antique pulls or knobs to add an elegant touch to your dining room furniture or to bring out the charm on your kitchen cupboards, this place is worth checking out.
The site includes a search feature to make finding what you need easy. Antique Hardware & More also sells the tools and other supplies needed for restoration and antique refinishing projects.
House of Antique Hardware offers a comprehensive resource of reproduction hardware. You can shop according to type, such as door hardware or cabinet and furniture hardware, and you shop by style and special collections. This online store provides a phone number for questions and assistance. House of Antique Hardware accepts credit cards online, and it is accredited by the BBB.
With more than 25 years in the business, Kennedy Hardware must be doing something right. This shop offers wholesale prices on restoration hardware. You will find a huge selection of all types of hardware. This includes architectural hardware as well as hardware for furniture and cabinetry. This company can provide skeleton keys, glass knobs and handles, furniture casters, and much more. If you are into antique restoration, Kennedy Hardware is definitely a site you should check out.
Rejuvenation has everything from doorknobs to window hardware and light bulbs. Shoppers can search and browse according to category, by room, or style. Styles include such classifications as arts and crafts, colonial revival, deco, mid-century modern, period basics, and Victorian. Rejuvenation provides a phone number as well as a live chat for questions and assistance with orders.
Signature Hardware offers a large collection of hardware pieces in a variety of styles. Shoppers can browse according to departments, and the search can further be narrowed down according to specific categories. Signature Hardware offers an online signup for a free catalog and an email newsletter. The site accepts a variety of payment options including PayPal.
Final Thoughts
A replaced hinge and a new knob or handle is all it takes to make an old piece of furniture new again.
This list is not complete. There are other online resources that offer quality products at good prices. If you know about some of those resources, please share them.
Restoring furniture is a fun and cost-effective hobby. It is a way of preserving our heritage and passing on history. And many times, the simple addition of new hardware is the magic that brings furniture back alive again.
If you have an old piece of furniture hidden in the attic or basement, why not give it new life? Add some new hardware and let it live again.
Debbie Allen is an online marketer and professional writer.
House Of Antique Hardware – Swedish Styled Keyholes
A Swedish Gustavian chest of drawers veneered with elm, walnut and amaranth
Louis XVI Style Matte Black Cabinet Ring Pulls 12 Pulls For $24 Dollars
These beautiful paints are the result of a recent collaboration between Fired Earth and the National Trust.
Founded in 1983 , Fired Earth began as a Terracotta supplier, and later expanded to offer bathroom and kitchen cabinetry, and hardware. Although Fired Earth has a wide selection of house products, they are best known for their beautiful paints.
With their 30th Anniversary, they launched archive colours from their extensive library of paint pigments and featured six new colours named Delias Secret, Mad King George, Jazz Cafe, Hansel and Gretel, Eton Mess and Terracotta Warrior.
Fired Earth has also worked in collaboration with Kevin McCloud, a well known British designer and author and leading authority on colour. Together, they created color formulas from carefully selected pigments, minerals and resins, chosen for their qualities of opacity, density, light fastness and durability. The paint was developed with minimal and low VOC’s. These water-based paints are available in 120 colours in matte and eggshell finishes.
Kevin McCloud is best known in the UK as the color go to guy with a knowledge on every design style from historical to modern. The Telegraph had an interesting article titled “Are Posh Paints Really Worth It?” they ask the question – Why spend the money, when you can get your local paint store to match the shade, and spend less? Here are a few interesting points from the Telegraph interview…..
“McCloud, a self-confessed paint “anorak”, is unequivocal in his defence of posh paints. “Having used many, many different brands over the years, it is very clear to me that the more you pay, the better the paint,” he says. “Cheap paint has more water in it, less pigment and less binder.” Thus, as a rule, the more expensive paint covers better and lasts longer. It is also more environment-friendly, being lower in “Volatile Organic Compounds“.
“There is a place for cheap paint, and McCloud concedes he has painted his own kitchen in “bog ordinary trade white emulsion”, but the cheaper paints are made with synthetic pigments. And pigment, he explains, is what gives paint its quality and depth of colour. – “Traditional pigments tend to be made of rocks and minerals, earth and clay,” he says. “And consequently they are impure, and rather complex. The more complex the pigmentation, the more interesting the colour. It gives redolence and depth, and you get undertones – colours which subtly change in different lights.”
“One can say that this was a colour used in this particular house, on a certain day in, say, 1818, but the colour has probably faded, or gone darker, or yellowed. It’s very difficult to ascribe a particular nuance
of colour to a room for a particular date.”
The book ‘Choosing Colours’ by Kevin McCloud- Credit Nicola Holden Designs
Kevin McCloud’s Books
Choosing Colors: An Expert Choice of the Best Colors to Use in Your Home by Kevin McCloud– Amazon
In this stunningly produced guide, internationally renowned interior designer Kevin McCloud puts together over 1,000 color chips arranged in over 80 palettes. Each palette—which includes anywhere from 6 to 16
color swatches—forms a blueprint for a unique decorative scheme. A palette based on old Chinese silk, for example, is seen reinterpreted in a contemporary New York apartment. Each palette features gorgeous photographs that bring the color scheme to life, along with invaluable advice and tips for using the colors to transform a room. This book provides manufacturers’ paint references and numbers, lists of suppliers, and much more.
Kevin McClouds Complete Book of Paint and Decorative Techniques by Kevin Mccloud- Amazon
From the earthy hues of Italian farmhouses to the cool elegance of Scandinavian interiors, color has always played a crucial role in decorative schemes. In the first section of the book a unique cut-out color selector illustrates the eight essential earth colors on the decorator’s palette and shows how to create and combine them successfully by clever intermixing of pigments. These essential colors, together with five secondary colors, are then used in the techniques throughout the book, so that all the stunning decorative effects can be easily recreated.
The techniques section that follows contains instructions and step-by-step photographs for more than 35 glorious decorative effects, plus countless variations. Each technique contains a list of essential ingredients, step-by-step photographs and a close-up of the finished surface or object.
Decorative Style: The Most Original and Comprehensive Sourcebook of Styles, Treatments, Techniques by Kevin Mccloud- Amazon
Using innovative, easy-to-master techniques and surprisingly inexpensive materials, Kevin McCloud — a brilliant young set designer turned interior decorator — shows you everything you need to know to design and create your own stunning adaptations of today’s most popular decorating styles.
There are forty styles in all — from Santa Fe, Shaker, Miami Deco, and Caribbean to Bauhaus, Biedermeier, Mackintosh, and French Country (to name just a few) — each designed and created especially by the author and stunningly photographed, with literally hundreds of styling options and color variations to choose from.
The decorative effects and other components of each style are analyzed, rephotographed with a full range of imaginative alternatives, and cross-referenced to all the techniques, tools, and materials needed to create each unique effect.
Kevin Mccloud’s Colour Now by Kevin McCloud- Amazon
Love blue but don’t know which shade to choose? In this dazzling new book, Grand Designs presenter Kevin McCloud has taken over 120 particular colours into 70 tried-and-tested palettes that are guaranteed to transform your home. A short introduction describes the history of colour and its replication, colour theory, how to combine colours into a palette and advice on how to use the book. Thereafter the bulk of the book is devoted to the colour palettes themselves – each made up of a collection of between 3 and 8 colour swatches and featuring an inspirational photograph demonstrating its possible use. Every palette is also introduced by a short piece of text describing its influences, potential and variety.
Choosing Colors: An Expert Choice Of The Best Colors To Use In Your Home by Kevin McCloud– Amazon
This decorating guide explains techniques ranging from craquelure to marbling, colourwashing to liming wood, and provides information on tools and materials. The step-by-step photographs show exactly what to do, while the life-size details show the effect being aimed for.
Kevin McCloud’s Complete Decorator by Kevin McCloud- Amazon
This lovely 272 page book is filled with dozens of color photos showing many different decorating styles. It includes a unique cut-out graduated colour section, step-by-step instructions for a vast range of paint
techniques, easy colour mixing, working with different surfaces and objects and so much more.
Techniques of Decorating (Dk Living) by Kevin McCloud– Amazon
Kevin McCloud is a leading influence in interior design. His unique and refreshing approach stems from a background in art history and the theatre. Using a repertoire of techniques ranging from the traditional to the self-invented, he offers an unsurpassed array of rich effects and a sure guide to effective styling. Each of the more than 30 creative effects – including gilding, verdigris, clair bois, stained glass and woodgrain – is explained in detail, while close-up, step-by-step photographs show exactly how to achieve it. A comprehensive section at the back of the book provides details of tools and materials needed and lists the addresses of suppliers.
‘Blue-ish greys are military and came into their own as World War I battleship camouflage. The really interesting greys, however, are those made with purple. They have a warm, brownish cast that flatters flesh tones and brings natural woodsy materials to life. They’re not popular, but they should be.’
‘Often the most stimulating colour combinations come from strong cultural influences – from the environment, from food or from nature. Here’s a pretty worldly palette: one of stone and sea and earth and sky.’
Principles Of Home by Kevin McCloud– Amazon
‘On my list marked ‘fastidious obsessions’, getting the right fine old French grey comes pretty high on the list. If you were a colour expert, you could take some chalk-white casein distemper, add raw umber and a little raw siena and you’d be there. Note I didn’t mention black there – when you mix black and white the resulting colour is so cold you might as well call it blue. No, for a good grey, go greenish and go with earth colours. Fine complex colours are the tinctorial equivalent of a fine old French wine.’
“The hardest colours to get right are the four optical primaries: red, blue, yellow and green. The colours that will make your life a positive misery are tints of those colours. Most modern paints are coloured with a limited range of powerful synthetic dyes. The most interesting colours are those made with muddy, traditional earth pigments or complex arrangements of colourants.”
“The best pinks – those that change colour under different lighting conditions – are those on the cusp of red and purple, made with red oxide pigments. The best yellows or creams – those that can withstand bluish northern light and never look green – are made with yellow ochre.”
Lars Bolander: Interior Design & Inspiration offers a fresh take on Swedish decorating. Lars Bolander has been referred […]
Rococo Period Clock– The Dial Is Marked Stockholm.
Uppsala Auktionskammare is known to present some of the finest collections of antique furniture. Uppsala Auktionskammare has been known to feature exquisite collections of silver, furniture, and art from Swedish private homes at their auctions. In the spring of 2008, Sweden’s most expensive furniture ever was sold at Uppsala Auktionskammare, a unique bureau by Nils Dahlin for 18 million.
They carry a beautiful selection of European art; everything from the Renaissance until the late 19th century. They are known to collect an array of antiques from mirrors, table clocks, chandeliers, table lamps, candlesticks,bronzes, figurines, and much more.
They are known to carry mirrors, candlesticks and bronzes by the following masters: Burchard Precht, Pierre-Philippe Thomire, Carl Henrik Brolin, Ehrhart Göbel, Johan Åkerblad, Fredrik Ludvig Rung, Niclas Meunier, and others.
Uppsala Auktionskammare features many prominent furniture designers such as Gottlieb Iwersson, George Haupt, Nils Dahlin, Christian Linning, Ephraim Ståhl, Jonas Hultstén, Anders Lundelius, Gustaf Foltiern.
They also are known to feature silver from Pehr Zethelius, Jonas T. Ronander, Petter Eneroth, Gustaf Stafhell, Arvid Floberg, Isak Sauer and Kilian Kelson
Check out some of Gustavian furniture and decorative collections from Uppsala Auktionskammare below…..
A Gustavian Chest of drawers, attributed to Jonas Hultstén.
A Swedish Gustavian Chest Of Drawers, by Nils Petter Stenström.
A Pair of Swedish Gustavian Armchairs.
If you have seen the previews for the movie The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, it features a captivating estate many Nordic lovers would instantly recognize as Swedish. This striking castle featured in the movie is “Yxtaholms Castle”, located on an island in Sörmland, just like it is seen in the movie. Yxtaholms Castle was built in 1753 by Baron Gustaf N. Clodt.
Released in December 2011, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, tells a murder mystery family saga, a love story, and adds political intrigue to produce a multilayered story line.
The movie sets around a charactor- Harriet Vanger, whom is from one of Sweden’s wealthiest families, and had disappeared over forty years ago. Years later in the film, her aged uncle (billionaire Henrik Vanger), continues to seek the truth of her disappearance. He engages Mikael Blomkvist (a journalist ) into his quest to find the truth, by offering to financially back the struggling Millennium magazine if the journalist will solve the mystery.
The thriller, set in Sweden, shows the beauty of the Scandinavian cold winters and elegant interiors, which are highly contrasted by a pierced and tattooed punk Lisbeth Salander, who is a computer hacker with photographic memory. She joins forces with Blomkvist to uncover the truth about the 40-year-old disappearance.
The Yxtaholms Castle Website tells us that the castle, stables and wings were built in 1753. Yxtaholm began to flourish in the 17th century and today it is a modern hotel, restaurant and conference centre. Design Guy University Blog tells us that the castle is now owned by owned by female Polish millionaire Iwona de Jong who bought the property for $35M in 2010. Today it functions as a hotel, and has been
updated. The conference center is now located in the large stable building. Yztaholms castle has 79 rooms and is about an hour and a half drive from Stockholm.
Additional Pictures of Yxtahoms
-A picture of Yxtaholms Castle on Flicker
–Design Guy University Blog– Historical Details on Yxtaholms with great pictures!
–Lovisas Guldkorn Blog– Showing pictures of the suite in one of the wings, and in the hall where an amazing wooden ceiling is painted.
-Another picture of Yztaholms Exterior- Flicker
-Another look at this hotel from John Haudi’s Flicker
-Another picture of Yztaholms Exterior Halsokallan.blogg
Yxtaholms Castle – www.svenskamoten.se
Sturehov or Sturehof (also spelled Sturehov castle) is a manor house in Botkyrka, Sweden. Sturehov manor is located […]
Masreliez was born in Paris and began his education at Ritakademien, which was a drawing academy at the […]