Tag: Gustavian

The Light And Airy Furniture Of Sweden

Dawn Hill Antiques

Swedish furniture is in a class of its own. From the exuberant decoration of the Rococo style with an abundance of curves and natural motifs that gave way in the late 1700s to the restrained Gustavian style, Swedish furniture appeals to many. Owing to its clean lines and simplicity, it mixes well with other styles, both traditional and modern.

“You cannot talk about Swedish design without first considering the natural environment of Sweden. It is a country of islands, with the sea on one side and the interior populated by dense forests,” said antique dealer Paulette Peden of Dawn Hill Antiques in New Preston, Conn. “In the winter months there is a very short period of daylight, so the Swedish people craved the light, and created rooms painted with pale colors, and light furniture to make the most of the precious daylight.” The Gustavian style was named for Sweden’s King Gustav III (1746-92), during whose reign the talented craftsmen of the Stockholm Guild made well-designed furniture like chairs, tables, secretaries, cupboards and settees.

Read more – liveauctioneers.com

3 Swedish Style Homes Featured In Magazines

I have been holding on to Veranda’s November / December 2011 issue which featured an 18th century manor situated in Sabylund, 2 hours west of Stockholm. Built in 1780’s in the Gustavian aesthetic, the house has stayed virtually intact as it was back in the 18th century.

In the red room, chalky white finished chairs with gilt wood embellishments are covered in Chinese red damask. A Swedish day bed functions as a sofa and a bed, and is accompanied by a table surrounded by Gustavian white painted chairs. A Swedish Kakelugn stove has gold painted garlands on the tile. A number of small rectangular portraits hang on the wall.

In the main room, light blue painted walls are framed with wall moldings, and hand painted garlands add a romantic feel to the walls. Sheer drapery allows the light to come into this room. A settee and Louis XVI chairs with a blue and white stripe slipcovers form a seating area with a Empire table and crisp white tablecloth. A pale light blue and white scheme pull together a soft, yet delicate look for this room. A pink rug, and lighter pink upholstery seen on the backs of the chairs offer up a subdued, yet tender room to lounge in. Large gilt oval portraits add a historical feel to the room.

A grand library filled with the owners original books offered a taste of the high life. Books were so much more valuable in the 17th and 18 century, and having a library filled with them, suggests the owners were well off. A 1799 white stucco medallion mounted on a simple wood frame depicts the houses first owner. A Dutch or German table centers the room, with English cane chairs backed to the books. Swedish pewter candlesticks sit on the table, along with a brass telescope for viewing nature. The shelves are painted in a blue/ gray, houses natural leather books adding such rich contrast. Furniture is left in it’s natural wood, which adds a rustic effect.

“The most interesting thing about this house is that it has actually been lived in all these years” says Johan who owns the house. His wife Ingrid Lagerfelt and their two children live in this home currently. Their ancestor inherited the house from the original brother and sister who built the home. Johan is a doctor, and his wife Ingrid farms the estates 2,500 acres of land.

More from Veranda:

Johan and Ingrid Lagerfelt’s Home In Veranda

An Up-close and Detailed Look At The Wall Painting

House Beautiful first captured our interest in this Swedish styled home decorated by Carol Glasser and Katrin Cargill. The home bathed in blues with Swedish-style home by Carol Glasser Interiors.

This home was originally decorated around an English country style, and featured in Country Living magazine in the 1990’s.

Later the homeowners decided their taste had changed, and they wanted an 18th century look focused on the styles found in Sweden.

To start this process, everything in the house was sold, as they started the process of decorating their home, completely from scratch. It wasn’t just a change of furniture and a little bit of paint, but rather the house’s walls were taken down to their studs and every thing was given a new facelift, -the roof, floors, windows and walls.

Carol Glasser decided to work with Swedish Style expert Katrin Cargill who brought the eye for authenticity.

In the living room sits a classic style Swedish painted sofa, while on the other side of the room gives the room a modern twist with a Charles sectional from B&B Italia. Walls show off a rustic look with painted planks with a faux chair rail. Antiques in this room are beautiful in their original paint. A French Directoire mantel and Swedish tea table and armchair make the perfect 18th century sitting area. These pictures came from Katrin Cargill’s website and are updated shots of the home.

More From House Beautiful

Swedish-style home by Carol Glasser Interiors.

View all the details behind these Swedish Paint Colors at Home Beautiful

The Devoted Classicist featured the country manor home of Baron Henric Falkenberg, which is located in western Sweden on the shore of Lake Vanern in Varmland province. The property was featured in an article by Miguel Flores-Vianna with photos by Fernando Bengoechea in the April, 2000, issue of Elle Decor magazine.

The house itself was completed in 1774 by master carpenter Johan Georg Reincke, and has been in the Baron’s family since the late 19th century. It has been mentioned that this estate to has over 1,000 acres of property! In the photo below of the billiard room, a portrait gallery features of the baron’s ancestors, and portrait paintings of the original owners of Varmlands Saby hang above a Dutch armoire in the dining room. See more at The Devoted Classicist Blog

More From Elle Decor

More From The Devoted Classicist

5 Faux Wall Painting Techniques That Are Easier Than You Think

If you are wanting depth to your walls, here are some of the very simple faux finishes you can do yourself.

Start by selecting a color theme for your room. In this post you will see a variety of color examples from pale blue, to lighter warm yellows and lighter greens.

Working with glaze, crackle finishes, and distressing techniques can make your furniture appear older than it is. Likewise, layering paint on your walls will also create depth and give you that old world look we all have fallen in love with. Here is how to do it…..

1. Ragged Finishes

Color washes are finishes that are produced with rags and paint.

Color washing is usually is achieved by a using rags which attach to a roller.

The trick to achieving this finish is to work with translucent glaze. Don’t attempt this finish with solid paint. Using a glaze mixture of (half glaze, half paint), paint is applied over a previously painted wall. The effect it produces a subtle textured finish.

A Primitive Effect Using Green, seen on www.ralphlaurenhome.com

Notice the whole wall isn’t ragged, just a small portion of it. Also painted furniture in the same tones are paired in this room to join together the various looks.

Keep All Tones In The Same Color Family

One tip that I have learned through ragging finishes is to have the glaze mixture matched to be a few shades darker or lighter than the wall color. If you decide to do three colors, keep the tones quite close in color. The overall effect will be soft, and subtle.

Glaze + Paint For A Final Top Coat

Another trick I have learned is to go over your entire project with a layer or two of glaze mixed in with a small amount of paint. The entire effect of the tinted glaze dulls the look slightly, and hides the roller effects. The idea behind this is to make your work appear subtle. You want to keep people guessing as to what you used to complete the finish.

2. Dry Brushing

Brushed finishes, is an effect which is achieved by dipping your brush into paint, and then removing most of the paint, on a rag. The small amount of paint allows you to add a very soft effect over a previous layer of paint.

The effect depends much on the brush you use. If you use a badger softening brush which tends to be very large and soft, it will produces a soft effect with paint.

I have used this effect with an old broom handle. The bristles are thicker, and harder, and produces lines than a soft shading.

Again, mixing together paint + glaze will allow you to get the look of an additional layer with a faux effect, and you may not have to wipe off the excess paint.

In this picture, this effect can be achieved by using a dark brown artists oil paint. Most of the paint must be removed from your brush to achieve this look. This look can be achieved using brown artists oil paint over a muted orange base coat, slightly brushing the which highlights some of the raised details.
Achieve depth to your furniture by applying a lighter coat over top of a painted finish. As you can see with this look, a lighter shade of green-gray is applied over a darker shade of green. This look could be achieved by dry brushing.

3. Sponge Finishes

Sponged faux finishes are those which a paint mixture is applied with a sea sponge.

Sponge painting is still the best and most frequently used mediums when it comes to classic faux finish painting.

Using a sponge, you can use multiple glazes layered over solid paint which gives the illusion of great depth.

Ideally, like most finishes, you want to start with a base coat, and build on it using a glaze mixture. The overall effect should be soft and serene.

Sponging can also be used on furniture to give an old world Swedish look.

In the past, I would use a base coat of brown, and then after it was dry, I would apply a base of oil paint in butter yellow and use a rag, or a textured paper towel to remove the paint. Within just a few minutes of applying the paint, I would remove it, and the oil paint which was wiped off on the rag I would then slightly dab here and there, on the furniture to create a very soft effect, making it seem as there was more layers to the paint finish. After it was dry, dry brushing with the same oil paint was used to blend in the textured effects.

4. Faux Leather

Terrific faux effects can be produced using a very heavy garage bag. Again working with a wall that has been painted, apply a layer of a glaze mixture on the wall. More than half glaze to paint.

Tape the wall in rectangular sections and apply the glaze in the taped area.

Next apply a heavy weight garbage bag to the wall allowing the folds to be pressed into the wall using your arms and hands.

Take the garbage bag off, and the folds of the bag produces a beautiful faux finish.

This is a very easy way to create a classy effect on the walls.

– Great Article- How To Faux Paint

5. Stenciling

Stenciling can be very powerful if it is done right.

Create your own stencils using a stencil cutter which is a fine heated tip that cuts through the plastic blank stencils with precision. Lay a piece of glass in between the stencil and the pattern, and cut away.

17th and 18th Century stenciling has always been the very best model of inspiration.

Here are a few very well done Swedish stenciled homes:

– Book Review: Jocasta Innes Scandinavian Painted Furniture

–Ted and Lillian Williams chateau in Normandy, France

-Neoclassical White Stenciled Walls-Petit Trianon

-Antique Original Red Hand Painted Trunk with Rosemaling Floral Motif

-This photo shows a great example of wall framing simply made by stencils and paint

-Here we see a stunning Rococo design stenciled, or hand painted on the walls for a distinct Swedish look.

6. Complicated Faux Finishes – Marble, Tortoise Shell, Walnut Woods

Not all faux finishes are easy. Some of the advanced finishes are rather difficult. To get an idea of a master faux finisher, check out Pierre Finkelstein. He is the author of The Art of Faux– The Very Best Book for advanced faux finishes. He focuses on the advanced finishes such as Marble, Granite, lapis and malachite, and everything in between.

Marble and any stone for that matter can be painted to produce the high end looks that are often seen in expensive mansions and castles. Faux marble can be painted on to columns, trim, doors, crown molding, and fireplaces.

Anyone can learn these finishes with practice and the right guidance.

Check out my inspirational “faux” gallery in the Swedish and French Decorating Group.

Book Friday: Scandinavian Design On Martha Stewart

Found on soderbergagentur.com

Magnus Anesund | Söderberg Agentur

Lars Bolander’s Scandinavian Design

Lars Bolander’s Scandinavian Design Found on US Interior Designs Blog

Faux Marble Bombe Chest- EbayThree drawer Gustavian Chest in a worn black and blue patina- Lief

Lars Bolander’s Scandinavian Design Found on The Essence Of The Good Life Blog

Swedish Interiors- Judith Miller

Antique Swedish canape – Augustus Brandt

Swedish Interiors- Judith Miller

La Cuisine… Before And After,Two Maisons.com

“Dishes are stored in an 18th century armoire from Uzes, very simple, sober lines. It’s a brownish purpley color that I also have in some of the pottery scattered around from the Alsace region of France. (The purpley brown glaze was created using magnesium.) Antique Swedish chairs and French Directoire table that we can extend to feed a crowd.”

La Cuisine… Before And After,Two Maisons.com

“I scraped the paint off of an 18th century door to use on the pantry, inch by tiny little inch.”

Swedish Design – Seen On lamaisonfou.blogspot.com/

Swedish Gustavian Decorating Ideas- Primitive Faux Wall Painting

Haute Design By Sarah Klassen

Small Gustavian Desk in a worn green and black patina – Lief

Gustavian Pale Green Swedish Sofa With Tall Back Stephane Olivier

The Houses of Veranda – ALL the Best Houses Featured in Veranda Magazine $37

The Houses of Veranda – ALL the Best Houses Featured in Veranda Magazine $37

Architectural Digest, Southern Accents, Veranda and others all regularly feature homes that have faux finishes on everything from walls to furniture. Paint finishes have evolved since the 80’s when faux finishing was given a bad rap. With many interior magazines featuring upscale 17th and 18th century European homes with extravagant antiques there has been even more of a push towards painted faux finishes to achieve the same look for less.

Faux finishes can be applied to almost any surface. Paint has been used since the earliest of times to transform walls, ceilings and furniture, and today it is being used on cabinetry, floors, ceilings, walls and all types of solid furniture.

The most popular decorative finish techniques include sponging, ragging and to the harder techniques such as marbling and wood graining. The above finish was likely paint rubbed into raw wood. Multiple layers of blue which are then sanded down to produce the effect above.

Swedish Paint Finishes Lars Sjoberg

Gustavian Side Table with one drawer in a worn green and black patina

A very soft faux finish using two colors

Lindsay McCrum’s Chicks with Guns on Juxtapoz.com

Bunny Mellon’s Garden At Her Oak Spring Estate in Upperville, Virginia

Arch Digest

Bunny Mellon’s Garden At Her Oak Spring Estate in Upperville, Virginia

Chair From Eurolux Antiques $1,001.00

Vreta Uppsala Sweden Taken By Eric Boralv’s Flicker

Scandinavian Bedroom Featured on Decorology Blog Originally Seen on Scandinavian Chic

I ran across Pbc Style Blog featuring larger pictures of this estate I was excited to find out more about this home. The Mount is classical revival in style, complete with formal gardens. Wharton designed it herself, based on the ideas she outlined in The Decoration of Houses. The house is located in the Berkshires, more specifically, Lenox, Massachusetts, and Wharton drew inspiration for its design from Belton House, a 17th century Palladian-style English country house.

Borrow this look by painting molding in a color that stands out. Here we can see that molding can really speak volumes and add so much personality into a room

Layer two greens to get the look of this headboard. Dry brush a lighter green to produce a layered effect.

Decorating Using Green From World Of Interiors Featured on Trouvais Blog

Outstanding Mural Finishes, obviously completed by a very talented painter.

Photographs from Will Pryce – photographer based in London Will Pryce Photos

Louis XVI Style Square Table with Marble Top Bella Cottage

Hand-Painting Faux Marble Photography by Pieter Estersohn

Decorating With Blue: Swedish Style Decorating Ideas

There are so many shades of blue, which one do you pick? Swedish decorating is known for their partiality towards the color blue. Blue is one of the staple colors in 18th Swedish century decorating, so if you plan on decorating with this style, we can give you a few ways to incorporate the color blue into your design scheme.

First decide if you want a formal or country appearance in your home. Knowing which look you are attracted to can help determine accessories, furniture, drapery and wall treatments.

1. Formal Blue Interiors – Blue-gray, painted finishes became popular after King Gustav ruled in 1772, and since then they still remain fashionable.

Formal Swedish Tips- Line Furniture Up Against The Wall- This is a classic Swedish touch that can give the look of finer living. If you have a room where you can line a set of three chairs against the wall, or a pair of chairs and a accent table, this will always give your room that refined, superior Swedish appearance. Push your furniture in the middle of the room, and if you have a tv, consider hanging it on the wall. I find that this arrangement always gives the look of more space. You can never have too many chairs. Collect furniture that have fluted legs, such as side tables, benches, or chairs.

Formal Swedish Tips- Buy A Long Oval Table – Here is a Henredon oval table selling on ebay for just over $1000. Strip off the finish and paint it gray. A long, dining table echoes the simple curves of early Gustavian style. Dress up your furniture in light, greenish blue-gray paint finishes to get the high end looks found in the Swedish castles. Consider investing in a crystal chandelier, which coordinates with white or really pale blue or pastel walls and work with white upholstery. Squared picture moldings, and sconces really can add to this formal Swedish appearance. Consider stenciling your walls with green-blue leaf patterns along the inner edges of the walls, and collect old styled portrait oil paintings with dark grounds which give rooms a dark accent.

Formal Swedish Tips- Go For Gold Accents– Dress up your furniture with furniture appliques and ormolu mounts. You can make any picture frame seem so much more expensive by adding gold leaf. Gold leaf is really simple to apply. Follow this link, and I show you where I buy my gold leaf on ebay. Buy a sconce and gold leaf it. Get ideas from this post, where I wrote about the sconces that are the most sought after from collectors world wide. A thin rectangular mirror on ebay can be a great look, which you can then add on a brass candle holder. This DIY project will give you the Swedish look for less.

– Decorative Mirror Molding, French White Bow- $21 Buy it on ebay

– Decorative Scrolls For Mirrors, and Dressers – $40 Buy it on ebay

– Ribbon Bows Mold, Decorate Mirrors and Furniture- $13 Buy it on ebay

-Ormolu French Gilded Furniture Ribbon Large- $35 Buy it on ebay

Louis XV Antique GILT WOOD handcrafted CARTEL WALL CLOCK estimated $1200- buy it for $350, buy it on ebay

Antique Gilt Wood Cartel Clock $450 on ebay– buy it on ebay

– Formal Swedish Tips- Go Brighter With Bright Blue and White- Go for a home that has white accessories and upholstery. Don’t be afraid to go with bolder blues for drapery, upholstery and bed linens. Brighter blues look great in formal settings.

-20 Yard Bolt – 44/45″ White Polycotton Liberty BROADCLOTH- $61 Buy it on ebay

– Solid Poly Cotton Fabric In Bright Blue – Buy it on ebay

-Fabric By The Bolt – 40 YARD BOLT $190 on ebay- Buy it on ebay

-Sunbrella Canvas Air Blue Outdoor Fabric $21 dollars a yard- Buy it on ebay

Cane Back Cushioned Seat Side Wood Chair Fluted Distressed Hammered Nailheads

(Paint it gray, white, blue or what ever colors you are working with. Great frame, great price)

Swedish Country Rustic Styles

2. Country Keys- Rustic Architecture – Country Swedish style is beautiful and worn. The countryside contains a mixture of rustic elements. Go shopping in architectural salvage yards and collect things that are worn. Wood is the key to getting the look. An old wooden door can be replaced by those builder typical doors you see in new homes. A old ladder can lean against the wall. Paint it in a darker blue and distress the heck out of it. Ceiling beams in their natural wood give an architectural feel to a home. Add some faux hallow wood beams across your ceiling. Get the look without having to hire 5 strong men to anchor it in place. Work with light wood flooring, and natural materials.

–Country Keys- Country Textiles- Skirted sofas, slipcovers in natural blends and textured walls are classic marks of styles found off the beaten path in Sweden. Ebay sells a number of Restoration Hardware’s stone washed Belgian Linen products new in their packages. You can buy new pleated drapes on ebay, along with bedding, pillow cases and more for half the cost in the stores. Raw and natural textures are the key to this look. I ordered this heavy oatmeal linen for several of my drum lamp shades which I am re-covering. The material is heavy, and would be terrific for upholstery.

– Heavily distressed Mora clocks such as these on ebay, give your room that traditional Swedish look.

– Warm Old Barn Finish Table (paint it, and change the color) – $229 Buy it on ebay

– Reclaimed Salvaged Fir End Side Table- $564 on ebay here

– Country Keys – Go For Color On The Rustic Side– Muddy shades of blue work with the country styles. If you like the lighter shades of baby blue, distress your furniture more than you normally would. This certainly helps when the furniture’s wood is raw and stripped. The paint will blend nicely with the raw woods surface giving you a more authentic appearance. For complementary shades, pair blue with orange-red accents, along with shades of green-blues. Gingham upholstery also looks terrific in a country home, along with florals. Work with carvings, such as art that can be hung on the wall, and accessories that are carved such as standing wood birds which are painted and made from wood. Dala folk horse carvings are a Swedish country favorite. Pillows with embroidered blue-and-white folk patterns nicely work in a country home. Think about hand crafts, such as hand embroidered artwork, quilts, delft fireplace tiles, over-sized ginger jars, and colored glass.

Restoration Hardware Shower Curtains

Carved Mango Wood Accent Table Mindi Veneer Hand Finish Robin’s Egg Blue, this table sells for $229 on ebay Buy it on ebay

This Weathered Solid Fir Fireplace Mantel could be used as a bed crown for a rustic country Swedish look. All you need to do, is attach the drapes. Sells for $739 Buy it on ebay

This chair features the pretty shaped backs we see in the Swedish style with a new edge to it. This chair sells for $595 Buy it on ebay

-Hand-Turned Hardwood Accent Table $439 on ebay here

Beige Stripe Loveseat $1500 Buy it on ebay

Buy the matching chair here

– Blue Makes Everything Appear Larger- “Shades known as cool blues―like cobalt, turquoise, and ice blue―have yellow in them and tend to recede, or back away, which can help a small space look bigger. Color experts explain that cool blues encourage calmness (which is nice for a bedroom) and focus (say, in a home office). Sometimes cool blues can go a little further and be cold. But in a bathroom, where you want a crisp, clean vibe, that can be a good thing” Real Simple Magazine

– Decorate With Blue Slipcovers, Drapery, and Linens– One of the easiest ways to decorate with blue is to do it through throw pillows, slip-covers, linens and drapery. Bed coverings are simple to find in the Swedish style. Every time I am at Ikea, I notice their beautiful printed bed sheets. They have a variety of newer patterns, shapes and designs that would work with a Swedish design perfectly. Florals, stripes, and plain sheets are always a design that never goes out of style. If you love the rococo looks like I do, go for florals. Blue and white florals always take the edge of a room, and make it feel more comfortable.

– Dye Your Existing Fabrics Blue– Rit came out with a color called aqua-marine. The color is bright, and light. If you have old fabric that you no longer have use for, or the patterns colors simply aren’t your style anymore, consider dying it. The aqua-marine color can be tinted a slightly different shade by adding a bit of purple to the mix. Their royal blue also is sensational. The ability to dye fabric has been used since ancient times. The earliest record of the use of natural dyes was found in China around 2600BC. Indigo, a blue dye had been known throughout the ancient world for its ability to color fabrics a deep blue. The dye was extracted from several plants, and was imported from India. The shrub was found in India, and was quite expensive to import, so England began growing the plant. Prussian Blue came about in 1774, which was created by mixing iron salt and prussite of potash and aniline and bleaching powder to create bright blue. By the 1800’s, Prussian Blue was known as one of the earliest known chemical dyes.

– Finding the right hue of blue for your room is simply found by what color you enjoy the most. Then, work with the darker and lighter shades of your preferred choice for the trim, drapery, bedding and upholstery. For my bedroom, I found a set of pleated drapes on ebay in blue, and I had my paint colors matched to the drapes. It gave me a starting point. Most important, choose a color which you adore. It makes living in it day after day so much more enjoyable!

– Never Discount A Nice Quilted Throw “Benjamin Moore’s Ashmead Gray transformed the master bedroom’s mahogany Henkel Harris four-poster. Custom drapes from Calico Corners add a hit of pattern, and an antique leather trunk provides extra storage. The duvet and shams are by Area.“– See The Picture At Country Living See beautiful quilts like the one in the picture here……

-Show Off Blue, Brown, Lilac Transferware – “A white background, with hints of pretty gray-blue, is a great backdrop for displaying collectibles and antiques. This dining room’s built-in cupboards show off some of the owner’s transferware collection” View The Picture at Country Living

– Go Bold In The Bathroom With A Bright Shower Curtain. In this photo, a shower curtain has three different white trims stitched on top of it. Borrow this look for your own home by purchasing a plain shower curtain, and dressing it up with ribbon.

-Use One Color Throughout – “Although singular in hue, a monochromatic color palette can have multiple dimensions. Using one color in a room creates a sleek, sophisticated look, but including a few variations on the featured hue will boost character. In this cool blue living room, vivid shades of sky blue pop against blue-based neutrals” See the picture at Better Homes and Gardens

– Cool Tones With Other Cool Toned Pastels “If you like the idea of adding more color to your room but want the bright blue to blend into the overall design, decorate your walls with items in cool colors. Because blue is a cool shade, you’ll create a soothing, cohesive look for the room by incorporating colors like green and purple. Look for prints and artwork that feature shades like sage, mint or hunter green to dress up the walls, or try hanging vinyl wall decals of purple flowers and green leaves. You can even frame squares of fabric with green and purple patterns for a simple but colorful piece of artwork to hang on your bright blue walls.” – Home Guides

– Paint Your Architecture Blue– I saw this picture above on This Old House, and it immediately caught my attention. It is a breathtaking laundry room, isn’t it? One of the best elements about this room that I love, is that the cabinetry, and the walls are painted the same color. Architecture can stand out, even if it is painted the same color of the walls. Doesn’t this look fantastic? Adding extra architectural elements such as crown molding and wainscoting can give your room additional intrigue. Getting the style of furniture to fit into the desired period is often half the battle. Swedish style borrowed much of its style through this time from France, so the two styles mix together quite well. Furniture can always be painted, and dressed up with hardware, so don’t discount a piece of furniture because it is not painted, instead, look at the lines of the furniture, because everything can be altered. Borrow this look by painting a piece of furniture in your room the SAME color.

– Leave Your Furniture Raw With Bold Blue Interiors– With bold punches of color on your wall, consider leaving solid wood furniture in their natural state. No makeup needed! Natural wood when paired with blue, gives a room warmth, because blue often falls in the cooler tones. Having that bit of warm contrast, doesn’t make it feel like an ice palace. In fact, gold, brown and cream can also be neutrals in a brightly painted room. Adding a pretty console table that has been painted and accented in gold can unite the room giving a really elegant feel. Accessorizing with some bergere chairs framed in gold really does wonders for pulling all the elements together.

– How To Use Several Shades Together All At Once “The gentle progression of color in ombre suggests the transition from wakefulness to slumber, especially in soothing shades of blue. The headboard slipcover and matching pillowcases are shrouded in sky-blue linen that’s dyed a deeper, sea-inspired tone, embodying the spare beauty of a monochromatic palette.” Check out the picture at Martha Stewart.

– Display A Collection Of Wedgewood “Tin containers have been manufactured in a very cool color of Wedgwood jasperware. For display on a neoclassic sideboard, we’ve chosen grays, blues, and greens. Symmetrically arranged with eighteenth-century formality, stacks of the circular “Wedgwood” tins can be used for storage. On the wall, a row of lids is displayed like a collection of antique plates or prints.” See the picture at Martha Stewart

– Find Vintage Neoclassical Lamps Which Can Be Painted- In this picture (1 of 9) a classic style lamp is painted a slightly more vibrant shade seen in the wall color. Painting something the same color as the walls allows you to add more accessories to the room without it appearing to be busy.

– Work With Blue Upholstered Furniture, And Then Determine Your Wall Colors – “Keep the background pure with the same color on all four walls and add unexpected pops of color using pillows,” designer Steven Gambrel recommends. Here, aqua paint is just a supporting character; the real conversation pieces are the cerulean sofa and powder-blue-and-white patterned rug.” See the picture here (picture 3 of 9)

– Dark or Light, That Is The Question You Must Determine First “The hardest thing about decorating with blue is that blue can be a hard color to nail down. Blue’s variety of shades can either feel reserved or expressive, subtle or loud. And depending upon the undertones, blue can run the gamut from warm to cool, which change the entire dynamic of a room. When decorating with blue, consider these tricks and tips to creating an interior space that reflects the best of blue’s characteristics” Read more here

– Confused With Color? Work With The Color Wheel- “Complementary Colors- Complementary colors are directly opposite of each other on the color wheel. You can create bold, yet pleasing, color combinations. Nature provides some beautiful examples: the red rose with green foliage, a monarch butterfly against the blue sky, or a purple petunia with a yellow center” See more about this at Home Decorators

– Use 3 Shades To Put Together A Blue Room“Using different shades of blue will work beautifully in a room as long as they complement each other. Blue comes in many different shades from a greenish blue to grayish and purplish tones. One should keep within the same palette, or harmonizing tones, when decorating in several shades of the same color. Use the odd number rule, such as three, when mixing shades of a color.” Examiner

– Create A Bed Canopy And Add Blue Fabric– In this photo, a bed crown is paired with a slightly more vibrant shade of fabric than what is seen in the walls. Curtain hardware nicely hold back the drapery. Borrow this look for your own home.

Swedish Furniture From Bukowski Market

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.

Les Indiennes Fabrics

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.

How To Decorate A Child’s Room In The Swedish Style

Children dream in vivid color, and anything is possible to them, so why not create a room fit just for their personalities? When it comes to decorating your child’s room, you simply cannot go wrong, because almost anything is pleasing to them. Even if you try to create something special, they are overjoyed at your choices! Children love rooms where they can express themselves, and be creative. Imagination and playtime, – think of those two concepts while you are gathering ideas for their room, and you will do well with an overall theme…..

Most parents feel they can go a bit more daring in a child’s bedroom than what they would do for the rest of the house, which is why it is so darn fun to design kids rooms- you can be a bit crazy and get away with it.

Here are a couple tips to getting a great look for your kids room decor……

1. Invest In A Few Key Pieces- Don’t be afraid of buying an expensive piece of furniture for your kids room. A great chest, or genuine chair can stay in their room for years, and stay in the guest room when they move out and get married.

A great vintage reproduction play table would be a great focal point in a child’s room. Functional pieces that are also visually attractive should be the goal. This Louis XVI Child’s chair would match the Swedish styles quite well. Consider upholstering it with material that matches your child’s drapes and bedspread. This play-table would be great in a little boys room where red, and dark blue would say “I am a Boy“.

Get the general look of the Swedish style, by re-purposeing furniture. Change the hardware, paint furniture, and use a lot of distressing techniques to get the old appeal into the overall look. Buy transfer-ware tea sets for your little girl, and use a vintage french provincial end table, and re-purpose it with child’s chairs. Add wheels to the bottom of the end table to lift the table higher to give your children’s legs room to stretch out. French style play tables aren’t so common, so get the look using a vintage french end table.

Decorating doesn’t have to be expensive. Look out for vintage toys at your local flea markets, antique stores and thrift stores for great looking toys to decorate with. Wood has always been a signature style of the Swedish look. Melissa & Doug have great faux food which will make you want to join in for “tea time”

2. Decorate With Vintage Toys- Antique wood furniture can be painted, and roughed up unlike plastic. Greenleaf Doll Houses come in kits which you can set up, and paint. A vintage nightstand from ebay or craigslist might be a perfect match for a dollhouse. Customize the table to match the dollhouse.

Buy a wood rocking horse, and paint it yourself. You CAN get these horses for less than $1800! On ebay some of the vintage horses sell for $150 or so, which would allow you to customize it yourself. Kids are pretty rough on furniture, so putting genuine antiques in their room, isn’t the best of ideas. Buy something that looks great, but also something that if it gets damaged, you won’t be bent out of shape over. Invest in a few key pieces for their room, such as a bed, or a chest. The bigger pieces will set the theme, rather than the smaller items.

3. Invest In Storage Furniture– Kids have a heck of a lot of toys, and spending money on decorating a kids room does no good if there is no place to house their endless play toys. Ikea has a number of shelving which can be stacked and customized. The Expedit series has worked well for organizing kids toy collections. Organize your kids toy collections with shoe boxes. Buy matching bookshelves which you can devote an entire wall to. Back your child’s bed up to the bookshelves, which costs you only a couple of inches of space, but also save you from walking all over their toys.

For more ideas check out my pinterest page devoted to Children’s rooms……

Kids Mark French Chairs

Children Looking Into A Swedish Antique Shop- Credit

This boy is sitting by a lovely Gustavian childs table. The table has hand carved fleur medallions and a hand carved pearl bead border. The small Gustavian childs chair has the same hand carved pearl bead border. –blog.dnevnik.hr

Childrens Room With Swedish Bench

3D wallpaper from an installation by Swedish Deisgn Front Group

This beautiful old house was built in Sweden in 1972 and then renovated with elements of the Gustavian style. Shades of ivory and white make the interior look light and airy. Restored wooden floors, painted beams and old furniture in combination with white create a simple and elegant atmosphere. To see the rest of this renovated 1972 Swedish farmhouse, read the story on the Inspiring Interiors blog.

Wooden Antique Horse – patmonroeantiques.com

Bedsteads were up in the 19th century used a lot, especially in the rural areas in farms . One of the advantages of a bedstead was that through daytime use, the curtains or doors could be closed, making thius style of furniture open to being in the living room in smaller homes. Bedsteads also took on the appearance of a closet, where behind closed doors a bed would funtion through the night, while the day time, a working area with table and chairs, sofas could allow a person functional living. Another advantage was that a bedstead retained heat well. The small space, or closet locked in the body heat of the sleepers.

Kids Photography by Nina Say Cheese

Swedish Gustavian Louis XVI period painted chest of drawers with raised
reeded detail , three drawers and dental molding around the top.- Berkshire Home & Antiques

French Commodes – Available Through Cote France

Photo credit: Marie Claire Maison

Gustavian period – Neo-Classical bench seat,Sweden, end of the 18th century.

A hard and softwood bench later partly painted in white, with openwork decoration in the form of acanthus leaves, painted with gold. Dorotheum

25 Ideas Of How To Incorporate Orange, Pink and Coral Into Your Home- French Provincial Furniture

Domino Magazine

Commode Gabriel- Available Through Cote France

Get Some Ideas From These Colorful Gustavian Chairs sold through Brownrigg

A fine set of six, early 19th century, painted Gustavian dining chairs, retaining the original paint, and been recently reupholstered by us in a vintage linen hand dyed in pink, with a double piping contrast vintage linen, again hand dyed in yellow. Sweden Circa 1800

Karin Laserow Antiques –Gods & Gårdar

Sasha Waddell -Homes & Antiques September 2010

Katie Ridder Rooms Available through Amazon- Seen On Peak Of Chic Blog

Swedish Folk Art hung on the wall can add whimsy to a room.

Consider hanging a colorful handmade quilt on the wall.

Photo Credit- Project Nursery

Swedish Slipcover Ideas From In My Carport Blog

Norwegian Corner Chair With Salmon Background- Jeff R. Bridgman American Antiques

Nordic Style Bedside Cabinet – Nordin Farm Blog- Orginally Featured at Ville Kulla

A canopy bed by Anthropologie is draped with a Pierre Frey cotton; the side table is by Kartell.

A Perfect Boys Bedroom With Classic Swedish Check By Bibelotte

The Norwegian paint company Jotun has created a catalog of inspiring children’s environments to show exactly how best to use their paints

The Norwegian paint company Jotun

French Commodes – Available Through Cote France

Milk Magazine -Norway Photographed by Sandie Carol Dougnac

Use Vintage Cabinets and Dressers and Make Your Own Standing Dollhouse

Krusenberg Herrgård: An 18th Century Swedish Luxury Hotel

Krusenberg Herrgård is an extravagant hotel beautifully situated by Ekoln, a bay in Lake Mälaren. The estate dates back to the mid-15th century and is now a first-class hotel and conference facility that has retained its genuine style and old charm.

The manor house was built in 1802, and the wings date from the 18th century. Enjoy a walk through their large park and apple orchard with more than 100 old apple trees. The artist Gustaf Cederström, who grew up on the estate, painted his best-known work,”Karl XII´s likfärd”(The funeral transport of Charles XII) .

About the Hotel:

When staying at Krusenberg you can take the opportunity to take a tour with a canoe or rowboat which is supplied from the hotel. In winter, the situation is ideal for skating. The latest addition Sjöporten is a newly built house with exclusive sauna and spa. The building is right on the water’s edge and includes two wood-burning saunas with magnificent views of Lake Mälaren. Upstairs there is a spa area with treatment rooms and relaxdel. The house is built and furnished to suit those who appreciate “the good life”.

Manor house accommodates our renowned restaurant serving carefully prepared food in season. The kitchen is home not only cooks but also to their very own pastry chef who bakes fresh bread and pastries for every meal. Meals are served in the main building’s beautiful dining rooms. At this hotel you can also take the opportunity to relax in one of the most prestigious salons.

Manorhouse is 25 minutes from the airport and within easy reach of both the Stockholm and Uppsala. The hotel also offers a historical walking tour with a guide. Active guests will appreciate the petanque court and the tennis court. Meals are accompanied with wines from the manor’s wine cellar.

Krusenberg Herrgård is only 25 minutes from Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport and conveniently situated for both Stockholm and Uppsala. Uppsala city centre is 20 minute drive away. Sweden’s oldest town, Sigtuna, is 18 km from the Krusenberg Herrgård.

See the official website here

4 Resources For Swedish Decorating

Swedish furniture has been sensationally popular the last 10 years as a style that is fresh for decorating the upscale home. Gustavian style has appeared in some of the more prominent decorating magazines in the US such as Veranda, Architectural Digest, World of Interiors and even more frequent in European magazines such as Campagne Decoration.

The casual appearance of lighter colored painted furniture has been popular for centuries. France was credited with the influence of the Swedish furniture in the 17th and 18th century. Many of the formal pieces found in the palace of Versailles were made over in the same shape and form, but painted instead of stained wood. The decadence of the French furniture couldn’t be copied because it was too costly for Sweden at the time, as well as Sweden has their own taste in mind.

In France, side tables were constructed from the most costliest woods, with decoration that took hours if not weeks to complete. French cabinet makers through the 17th century used techniques such as inlay, (pictures cut from ivory or wood, and set into wood), or marquetry, ( veneer composed of numerous woods, and stained which produced a pictorial mosaic), lacquering and japanning, (the application of numerous layers of varnish) were all costly, and time consuming.

While France had the best of the best, some say Sweden did a better job of re-interpreting the design elements seen in France such as the furniture by scaling down the formality. Linen was used instead of silk, paint was used instead of the stained wood, and faux painting replaced marble walls.

Borrow Interior Design Elements From Sweden For Your Own Home

Marks Of The Swedish Style

1. The Use of Paneled Walls (But In A Different Way)

The French were known for their paneled walls. Paneled walls are well known to be the most expensive and rich form of all wall treatments. Originally they were hand carved out of wood, as labor was inexpensive in the 1700′s. Today much of the decorative baroque looking ornaments are made from plaster. Wood panels once served to insulate a room from the cold stone frame of a building. It is also quite apparent that paneling was installed for decorative purposes as well.

Boiserie is the term used to define ornate and intricately carved wood panelling seen in some of the well-to-do French estates. The earliest known examples of boiseries were unpainted, but later the raised mouldings were often painted or gilded. For a great example of painted paneled walls, look at Charles Spada’s Country Home, which gives some great examples of 18th century color combinations. Martha Stewart shows a wonderful example in a green palette. A very formal dining room is done up in blue, and arches painted in oranges and pastel blush tones.

Boiseries were popular in seventeenth and eighteenth century French interior design and the Palace of Versailles. The panels not only appeared on the walls, but were also used to decorate doors, frames, cupboards and armoires as well. Often pictures would be set into the boiseries, the carving framing the picture rather like a conventional frame.

Decorating With Paint -Get This Look For Less….

Many of the wealthier Swedish people borrowed this look for their estate homes. Costly wood paneled walls were a far stretch for many of the Swedish people in that day, as it is for many people today. Paneled walls can cost thousands, and be tremendously time consuming.

Why not fake it with paint?

The Belvedere in the park of the Petit Trianon shows a fine example of what a person could do with paint to simulate the heavy ornamented look of the French style.

In Lars Sjoberg’s house featured in Country Style by Judith and Martin Miller featured walls with blue frames around them. Using two painted frames simulates the look of framed walls. Further in the post, you can see many more frames painted on the wall which do a beautiful job of showcasing furniture placed in front of it.

Picture Featured in Campagne Décoration

In the USA we have a chain of stores called Habitat For Humanity – Re-stores which carry all sorts of architectural elements from wood screens, to paint, sinks, and so forth, which are heavily discounted.

Here we see the paneled wall idea made from doors which are positioned side buy side. Consider purchasing similar styled doors in sets of 3, 5, or 7 which can be linked together using door hinges. As you can see here, it works!

Picture Credits– A Special Thanks to Aged And Gilded Blog, TweedlandThe Gentlemans Club, And
Lars Sjoberg’s Book- Classic Swedish Interiors

Here are some companies to keep in mind:

1. Decorators Supply– They have over 13,000 designs in their carving library. For over 100 years they have specialized in creating finely detailed composite replicas of the hand carved wood ornaments found in the most extravagant homes.

2. Bailey Interiors.com – Decorative Plaster Ornaments and Claws

3. Beaux-Artes offer decorative wall panels which can be used on walls and ceilings. Their products are cast from historic ornamentation and are available in over 20 different Finishes.

4. Victoria Larsen offers a number of ornamental frame molds which allow you to make dozens of your own molds in the privacy of your home. She also offers raised plaster stencils for the wall in a variety of patterns.

Consider a yearly subscription to Veranda, Architectural Digest, World of Interiors and Campagne Decoration.

We will be discussing accent furniture in Part 2, and Swedish painting techniques in Part 3

Check out Classic Swedish Interiors for more photos to get a better view of the far room

Swedish Mora Floor Clocks

Mora Clock in Salmon Paint Sweden, Circa 1820, Tall case clock signed “Matts Jonson/Mora”, Sweden circa 1820. Wonderful salmon paint with gilded detail, all having an exceptional patina. Original clockworks have been newly cleaned and adjusted

Swedish Mora Clock Painted In A Soft Blue With Cream Painted Carved Accents From A Tyner Antiques

Sweden Circa 1790 Early Mora clock, Sweden circa 1790, in original pale salmon paint. The bonnet features beaded detail around the face and the crown, as well as oval glass panels on either side for viewing the clockworks. Both the bonnet and case retain their early, rounded glass. All original with newly cleaned and regulated clockworks Cupboards and Roses

Below:

1. Swedish Painted Pine Tall Case Clock, C. 1780, of the Rococo Style with carved and polychromed case detail. Mora movement and original paint decoration – Lillian August Designs

2. A Swedish tall clock in a rare pillar design with and original faux painting resembling marble. The face is an unusual combination of metal exterior with a gilded center echoing the gilt paint on the feet. The clock is in working order with the added feature of a calendar. Sweden, circa 1800. Dawn Hill Antiques

3. Swedish tall case clock, c.1780-1800, of the Gustavian period, the rococo case carved with neoclassic gilded motifs and retaining traces or its original paint. Mora movement. Lillian August Designs

Below:

1. Mora clock, Sweden circa 1820, with dial signed “P. Svensson / Rageröd.” Scandinavian pine case with reeded panels and dentil molding under the bonnet. The original clockworks have been newly cleaned and regulated. Sold By Cupboards & Roses

2.Sweden Circa 1848 “Mora” clock, Sweden dated 1848, with a beautifully carved case retaining its original painted decoration including the two sets of initials commemorating a marriage. Inside the case is a record of the clock’s provenance which reads,”Carl Nilsson, 1786-1850. Worked as a clockmaker in Northern Slätthult, Jönköping County. Buried in the cemetery of Villstad. This clock was purchased June 13, 1964 by Emil Johansson.” Sold By Cupboards & Roses

3.Antique Black Swedish Mora Grandfather Clock, circa 1850, Antique Swedish Black Painted Grandfather Clock. The lovely curves of this clock are typical of the Mora grandfather clocks, famous from Sweden. Sold by Scandinavian Antiques

Swedish Mora Clock From swedishinteriordesign.co.uk

Swedish Mora Clocks From swedish-clocks.com, rlgoins.com, Swedish Interior Design

Shannon Bowers Home, Swedish Design- Painted Blue Mora Clock

Swedish Painted Pine Tall Case Clock, C. 1780 Lillian August Designs, Swedish Interior Design

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