$223 – Swedish Styled Hunting Mirror

 

 

Isn’t this the most unique mirror you have seen?  If you love seeing Swedish, French styled carved wood plaques, – this mirror gives you that look. 

This mirror would look dynamite at the end of a hallway.  I have one mirror at the foot of my stairs, and I get to look at it’s beauty as I am walking down the stairs.  In a hallway, you almost have nothing else to look at.  Hang it there. 

45 Examples Of Country Styled Nordic Interiors

Anna Maria King Upholstered Bed

Anna Maria King Upholstered Bed Found on ballarddesigns.com

Mlinaric, Henry and Zervudachi

Mlinaric, Henry and Zervudachi

Sweden Early 20th Century A great neoclassical Swedish gray. and white painted oval table in Louis XVI style. Good scale with nice carving and a good later painted finish.

Sweden Early 20th Century A great neoclassical Swedish gray. and white painted oval table in Louis XVI style. Good scale with nice carving and a good later painted finish Found on 1stdibs.com

Swedish Longcase Mora clock c.1860 scraped back to original paint.

Swedish Longcase Mora clock c.1860 scraped back to original paint Found on europeanantiques.co.nz

The exhibition of Dala horses in Dalarnas Museum in Falun by Feltangel on Flickr

The exhibition of Dala horses in Dalarnas Museum in Falun by Feltangel on Flickr

 

The furnishings of the Anteroom are typical of the Empire period with very few ornaments and a strict positioning of the furniture ~ Sweden

The furnishings of the Anteroom are typical of the Empire period with very few ornaments and a strict positioning of the furniture ~ Sweden, Found on designdecorreview.tumblr.com

Swedish Rococo Commode 18th century

Swedish Rococo Commode 18th century, Found on 1stdibs.com

Dala Horse

Dala Horse, Found on designsponge.com

Antique Blue Cutting Board From One Kings Lane

Antique Blue Cutting Board, Found on onekingslane.com

Complete Chinois Set of Stencils for Wall Decor and More, Found on etsy

Complete Chinois Set of Stencils for Wall Decor and More, Found on etsy.com

Swedish Mora Clocks

Mora Clock in Original Salmon Paint Found on 1stdibs.com

Swedish Tall Case Clock, ca.1780-1800 Found on 1stdibs.com

Decorating The Swedish Style

Swedish Gustavian Bench, Found on dlarssoninterior.com

Swedish Rococo Mirror Sconces, Found on dlarssoninterior.com

K & Co. Fransk Antik & Industriel Vintage. Vesterbrogade 177. 1800 Frederiksberg C. www.k-co.dk

Traditional Living-rooms from Charles Faudree on HGTV, Found on hgtv.com

19th Century Swedish Orange Painted Wooden Clock Found on 1stdibs

19th Century Swedish Orange Painted Wooden Clock  Found on 1stdibs.com

Decorating The Swedish Style

Gustavian Style Found on houzz.com

Harvest Basket, Found on anthropologie.com

Directoire Bed, Found on eloquenceinc.com

De-constructed Chair – Found on inspired-design.tumblr.com

Swedish Bench Sofa Bed

Swedish Bench Sofa Bed, Found on annetteputtnamantiques.co.uk

Scandinavian tuck-away daybed, 19th c., Found on liveauctioneers

Scandinavian tuck-away daybed, 19th c., Found on liveauctioneers.com

Alden Collections, Swedish Furniture InspirationsAlden Furniture Collections- Curations Limited

Pottery Barn, Restoration Hardware Baby

Embroidered Rose Bird Pillow Cover Pottery Barn

Restoration Hardware Baby

Indigo Washed Nightstand And Chest - Anthropologie

Indigo Washed Nightstand And Chest – Anthropologie.com

Vineyard Stripe Rug Ballard Designs

Vineyard Stripe Rug Ballard Designs

Harbor Springs Floral Duvet Cover

Harbor Springs Floral Duvet Cover, Lands End

Reagan Floral Duvet Cover & Sham From Pottery Barn

Reagan Floral Duvet Cover & Sham From Pottery Barn

Orrefors GlassOrrefors Mirror Mirror Bowl Cut $89 Amazon

Orrefors Mirror 6-7/8-Inch Vase $99 Amazon

Swedish Interior Country Living Feb 1995 Photography By Barbara And Rene Stoeltie

Swedish Interior Country Living Feb 1995 Photography By Barbara And Rene Stoeltie

Swedish Interior Country Living Feb 1995 Photography By Barbara And Rene Stoeltie 2

Swedish Interior Country Living Feb 1995 Photography By Barbara And Rene Stoeltie

Russian Houses

Russian Houses -by Elizabeth Gaynor From $5.73 On Amazon

Replica of a ball gown of Empress Elizabeth displayed at the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo

Replica of a ball gown of Empress Elizabeth displayed at the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo- www.saint-petersburg.com

Delft tile at Rosenborg Castle, Copenhagen, Denmark

Delft tile at Rosenborg Castle, Copenhagen, Denmark

Drottningholm Palace, Stockholm.

Drottningholm Palace, Stockholm

Castle Wallenstein

Castle Wallenstein

Porcelain Kitchen at Tureholms Slott.

Porcelain Kitchen at Tureholms Slott- Jaanasgottoblandat.blogg.se

Ekebyholm fabric - Skattmanso bed Seen at Scandinavian Design Center

Buy Authentic Historical Textiles online at Ljungbergs Factory

Swedish Medallians Biskops Garden

Plaster medallions of Carl Michael Bellman & Ulla Hopken Seen at biskopsgarden.blogspot.com

Swedish Decor From biskopsgarden.blogspot.com

Swedish Decor From biskopsgarden.blogspot.com

Soft Blue Paneling Roche Bobois

Meubles Design – Roche Bobois

Gröna anemone: Lebellska köpmansgården

Gröna anemone: Lebellska köpmansgården

A Black Swedish Rococo Style Desk Circa 1850- Talisman London

Swedish Medallion

Swedish Medallion – www.metropol.se

Swedish Antiques From The HighboyPair of Swedish Sulla chairs with curved and open H-form backs, with original upholstery raised on splayed legs.- Highboy Antiques

Nordic Style Kids Bedroom Decor Ideas

The Best Of Ikea Swedish Style DORTHY Fabric – IKEA

The design of your kids rooms should be an extension of your overall home, and your style.  You don’t have to have a room filled with cartoon characters plastered all over the walls to be a fun mom.

Here are a couple quick tips for decorating your kids room with youthfulness, while maintaining a beautiful design.

  • Limit The Number Of Pieces In A Room- Free up space.  Choose a couple of really nice pieces for your kids rooms, and allow there to be some moveable room for your kids to play.  Many modern homes simply don’t have big second bedrooms, so think storage when choosing pieces for their room.  Functional dressers, and beds with storage options.
  • Add Storage Space For Toys – Teach your kids to put away their toys in a specific space.  We made over all the closets in our home using a simple brackets bought from Home Depot.  Line baskets in the closet where your kids can put away their own toys.  Have one row for their clothes, and use the remaining shelves for their toys.  When their rooms are cleaner, you don’t loose your mind over the mess.
  • Pretty Up Their Space By Adding Wall Shelves- Their real toys can be housed in the closet, while the more decorative antique toys can be on the wall.  If you love design, make their room functional, but use the wall space to your advantage.  Use wood that can be painted and then distressed.  Rarely do you see people using the full extent of the walls.  Create book shelves that go to the ceiling, and use the higher shelves for the decorative toys.  So many of the thrift stores today have porcelain dolls for next to nothing.  I have picked up beautiful porcelain dolls for our daughter for as little as $5 dollars a doll that she can eventually play with.

The Best Of Ikea Swedish Style

DORTHY Cushion cover – IKEA

The Best Of Ikea Swedish Style

The Best Of Ikea Swedish StyleSISSELA Fabric Ikea

  • Invest In The Right Fabric- Printed fabric can make a huge statement in a room.  If you don’t have time to sew, look for bed comforters that gives you the look you are after.  Order curtains in the same fabric for throw pillows, or upholster an accent chair using that fabric to match things up.
  • Go For A Really Nice Antique- An antique toy on a shelf, or a nice bed can really make a statement in a room.  You don’t need a heck of a lot of furniture, or toys…just one really nice piece and few accent pieces to make a room.  The Nordic style is based around simple interiors, so work that look by carefully choosing a few really functional, but nice pieces.
  • Mix in New With Old- You can get the Swedish look by using new modern pieces.  Decorate with pattern, but incorporate new furniture.  Go for the classic check pattern with a new bed.  Work with ribbon, and bring in color.
  • Blow Up A Vintage Print– I bought several picture frames at local yard sales, but the prints were old and outdated.  I took a print that my grandmother gave me from a calendar book, and blew it up at Staples.  This is a very inexpensive way to fill up large frames with beautiful art work.

See these posts:

My Botanical Print Gallery Wall – Her Site

My Winter Projects- My Nursery And Framing Projects- Part 1

48 Books Of Antique Graphics For Mod Podge Fabric And Wood Transfers

Melissa and Doug Plush Dogs

Melissa and Doug Plush Dogs – Amazon

A History of Book Illustration

A History of Book Illustration -Amazon  This collection of scholarly articles traces the history of book illustration from its first notion in cave art to the early 20th century. It is arranged chronologically with the first section covering the beginning of illustration; the second moves from the illuminated manuscript to the advent of printing; the third and fourth takes the reader from the earliest woodcut illustrations to the beginning of the 20th century; and the final part is concerned with children’s books

Continue Reading…

Living In Norway- Norwegian Life In The 18th & 19th Centuries By Elisabeth Holte

Living In Norway- Norway, Scandinavia, Nordic Style, European Countries, 18th Century, 19th Century Interiors, Norwegians, Viking carpenters, Country Nordic Homes, Norwegian Homes

Living In NorwayLiving in Norway by Elisabeth Holte, is a book you need to look though. This book features 250 lovely photographs of Norwegian interiors which specialize on folk motifs, and countryside homes.  The book is divided into the four seasons: fall, winter, spring and summer.

When it comes to antiques, this book shows them in their historical natural settings.  View homes that look untouched from the 18th and 19th centuries.  Many of the “hytta” or cabins found in Norway have been now turned into bed and breakfasts or museums which have kept much of the traditional interiors intact.

Look through many examples of traditional rosemaling on the walls and on the outside of the shadow box beds that show you the sheer talent of country people in the 19th century.  In this book you will find a rich selection of Norwegian homes, interior and exteriors images, focusing on mostly historical homes, with the exception of one home set in the modern style.

214 pages show a variety of pictures, with a special section at the back featuring a visitors guide.  While this book was published in 1999, this book is breathtaking, and be a classic example of the interiors found a long ago that we never get tired of.

The Kristiana- An Elegant Club in Denmark- Norway, Scandinavia, Nordic Style, European Countries, 18th Century, 19th Century Interiors, Norwegians, Viking carpenters, Country Nordic Homes, Norwegian Homes

The Kristiana- An Elegant Club in Denmark

Quotes I found most interesting:

On The Style Of Houses In Scandinavia “As Far back as ancient times, the Swedes usually constructed lightweight buildings with wooden facades, while the Danes, who claim practically no forests, built their (hatched cottages in stone and clay: the Norwegians built their solid valley farms of logs, one farm often made up of twenty buildings for different uses”

On Dragon Viking Style In Norway – “It was only in 1005 that Norway became a monarchy again with the coronation of the Danish prince Charles (the grandfather of the present King Harald), who came to the throne under the name Haakon VII. A renewed national consciousness was expressed in architecture and furnishings by the adoption of the Dragon style, inspired by a pseudo-Viking nationalism. As a people, therefore, we are both old and young, which explains the dominant rural trait in Norwegian culture”

On The Popularity Of Dragon Style “Dragon chairs that had been banished to the attic are now being brought down for a fresh look. The style originated in Sweden at the beginning of the 19th century and spread to Norway. The Swedes and the Danes tired of it in the 1880’s but Norwegians maintained the Dragon style and used it as a symbol of their ongoing struggle to leave the threadbare union with Sweden, which ended in 1905. Considered a pure Scandinavian tradition, totally independent of what was happening on the continent, the Dragon style was an expression of the pride of the Viking age”

On The North Summer Nights “As the days get longer, nobody wants to go to bed. In the south, it is possible to read outside in the garden until eleven o’clock at night and the sun is already up again by four in the morning. North of the Arctic Circle, the sun doesn’t set at all, creating an almost unreal atmosphere. During those ‘white’ nights of the midnight sun. time seems to stand still. In enjoy the beauty of the midnight sun at its most breathtaking”

On Rose Painting Artists “Rose Painting was distinguished as any of the country’s more widely known cultural representatives. Rose-painting was a rustic art made by local masters who traveled from farm to farm, often spending months in one place carving and painting the most magnificent interiors. The tradition of rose-painting started at the beginning of the 18th century and reached a peak towards the beginning of the l9th, surviving until the middle of the 19th century. For the owners of the houses, rose-painting was a way of expressing new-found prosperity, and farmers and peasants wanted to show off their wealth and their improved social status, much as the prosperous merchants and civil servants in the towns displayed theirs”

Norway’s Coastlines “Along Norway’s southeastern coast the climate is sometimes so mild that even herbs like thyme, cultivated on the terrace to flavour summer meals, survive the winter . One of summer’s highlights on the Sorlandet is the Trebatfestivalen (Wooden Boat Festival)
which takes place in August in the fine little sailboat town of Ris0r, whose harbour is lined with white wooden houses. Timber trade with Holland led to the creation of Risor in the 17th century, and it grew to become an important trade and ship-building port in the 18th century without ever losing its charming small-town atmosphere.”

On Rose Painting Art “Rose-painting was an amalgam of local tradition and personal style. Artists generally knew of the major artistic trends and skilfully incorporated this knowledge into their designs. Although rose-painting lagged behind stylistically in relation to the major artistic trends that were evolving on the continent, you can nonetheless find elements drawn from all the major styles—Renaissance, baroque, rococo and Empire. The leitmotif of rose-painting, the elegant, sweeping baroque tendril, could play different roles within a design, in conjunction with flowers, in elaborate geometric patterns or as a structure for other motifs;. Popular motifs included human figures (the artist might paint the farmers wife if he found her pretty enough), flowers, trees, religious scenes, and soldiers on horseback with little dogs running at their feet. Artists chose pure, bright hues to produce vivid but harmonious effects”

On Popular Antique Furniture “For two or three generations, there has been a craze for antique farm furniture and objects in Norways towns, ranging from fine and costly 18th-century tables and dressers to a more basic lyed farm table or the antique wooden bowl. It is only recently that urban antiques have started to attract attention. Mainly of these come from Sweden, Denmark and Norways southern coast, and are made From birch or old English mahogany in the Empire style. However, bondemobler, or old farm furniture, remains the most sought after type of antique”

On Artist Peder Aadnes “One of the most renowned 18th-century painters in the lowlands to the east was Peder Aadnes.  He created delicate, baroque, floral designs in soft blues, but his style tended to be more urban than that of his fellow masters. When rose-painted furniture attributed to Peder Aadnes or his fellow masters appears on the antique dealer’s circuit in Norway today, you have to be prepared to pay enormous sums for a major item such as a sideboard.  The colors and forms are so beautiful that you could put that sideboard in an empty room and need little else”

On Antiques In The Countryside “Even in the most modern Norwegian homes, it is unusual not to find at least one small remnant of the countries rural heritage —a bowl, a table, a rose-painted chest of drawers, or a painted dresser. (It would also be unusual not to find an example of Norway’s innovative contemporary handblown glass or pottery.) Up until the middle of this century, there was little appreciation of antique farm furniture in the rural areas and much of it was bought up cheaply by city dwellers dealers. These days, most farmers value their heirlooms—their painted beds, massive tables, rose-painted or stenciled walls—and take good care of them. On some farms, whole interiors can be works of art. Because craftsmen not only made furniture but also carved and painted entire rooms, including the bonded timber walls and the ceilings. Baroque tendrils and rococo shells adorn the massive wooden walls and beamed ceilings, while carvings of soldiers or king- with sabres drawn, brings doors to life. Many of these 18th century rooms still survive intact in farmhouses in the valleys and on the lowlands of southern and eastern Norway. Some are still used by the descendants of their original owners. Often, though, the present-day owners have made themselves modern houses next to the old ones, with luxuries such as electricity and plumbing”

Rugs Made From Scraps Of Cloth “Yli farm in Telemark is one of Norway’s finest folk art interiors, with 1797-1807 richly carved box beds and exquisite rose-painting. The lush, colourful rose-painting, rosemaling, by renowned local masters, involved far more than mere flower decorations and usually did not include any roses at all. In many valley’s dialects, rosut (rosy) simply meant decorated; rose-painting was the general name for the luxuriant rural decorative art in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the old days, weaving cotton rag rugs (left) was a way to make use of worn household textiles and clothes.”

Get the book  Living In Norway, By Elizabeth Holte, Photography by Solvi Dos Santos from $12 dollars on Amazon

William Jensen Kilm Cushionside sofa in the bedroom in his Oslo Apartment- Keywords Norway, Scandinavia, Nordic Style, European Countries, 18th Century, 19th Century Interiors, Norwegians, Viking carpenters, Country Nordic Homes, Norwegian Homes

William Jensen displays his Kilm Cushion-side sofa in the bedroom in his Oslo Apartment


5 Homes Decorated Around The Nordic Style

New Orleans invid Mälaren Skona Hem

New Orleans invid Mälaren- Skona Hem

Country House Inspired After New Orleans -One hundred and fifty meters from Lake Mälaren is 1800-century house whose decor is inspired after the famous city of New Orleans. Kristina Spur found the house 11 years ago in deplorable condition. It leaked, had no electricity, water or heat.   The building had been abandoned since the 1950s, and the roof was almost completely destroyed as the home had it’s original roof timbers from 1887 when the house was first built.  In February 2001, she moved in with her two sons Oscar and Gustav, then 3 and 5 years old. Read more about this transformation at Skona Hem

A Swedish Seaside Home Decorated Around The Nordic Style- This Scandinavian home is surrounded by rocks and sea. The owner, Jacob is an architect followed in his forefathers steps, as his ancestor designed the the library in 1760, at the Royal Palace in Stockholm.  His home boasts huge windows, which can be seen from the ocean, and lets in a terrific amount of light, and  provides an open concept with the vaulted ceilings.  Interior wood paneling on the walls brightens things up.  The interior decor mingles the new with the old.  One of the oldest pieces in the house is a rococo sofa from 1760, which was completely refurbished. Originally featured at werandacountry.pl

Granholms Estate has been named the the Manor of the year in 2014 in the Great Gods & Farms Gala. Gransholm is also Mary and Jan Åke of Trampes private homes. Granholm’s mansion, built in 1812, has regained its original beauty. With great passion and respect for the history, the family has managed to create a modern functional home while preserving the cultural history behind the home. The mansion also serves as showroom for antiques. See the rest of the pictures in godsochgardar.se

Gotland House- When Asa Hallin and Håkan Jacobsson finally got to buy the house of Hemsedal municipality 20 years ago, it was run down and in poor condition. Håkan is a carpenter by profession, and through the process of renovating the house, they enlisted the help of another carpenter, a mason and a painter. Over a year and a half, they completely restored it back to the style resembling its original condition. Read more at lantliv.com/

Restored Home Built In 1792- There isn’t a lot of information about this last Swedish home on the internet.  The home is decorated with classic Swedish distressed furniture.  It is unclear how many rooms are in this house, but an obvious kitchen/ dining room has a large center table, with two rectangular side tables pushed together.  Off this room, is another bedroom with a twin bed, and rustic wood chair.  A children’s room is the highlight of the tour, with a painted blue doll house situated on a table, with a country style Swedish bed with draperies.  A stenciled floor make this room memorable. Photography Solvie dos Santos

 View the pretty pictures below:

Granholms Estate- Seen In Gods And Gardar Magazine 1

Granholms Estate- Seen In Gods And Gardar Magazine

Granholms Estate- Seen In Gods And Gardar Magazine 2

Granholms Estate- Seen In Gods And Gardar Magazine

 

Granholms Estate- Seen In Gods And Gardar Magazine 3

Granholms Estate- Seen In Gods And Gardar Magazine

Granholms Estate- Seen In Gods And Gardar Magazine 4

Granholms Estate- Seen In Gods And Gardar Magazine

Granholms Estate- Seen In Gods And Gardar Magazine 6

Granholms Estate- Seen In Gods And Gardar Magazine, The Swedish rococo cabinet and rococo chairs in the original color from the 1760s .

Granholms Estate- Seen In Gods And Gardar Magazine 5

Granholms Estate- Seen In Gods And Gardar Magazine,

The houses corner room shows a mirror by Johan Åkerblad 1789

Granholms Estate- Seen In Gods And Gardar Magazine 7

Granholms Estate- Seen In Gods And Gardar Magazine

Vaulted Home Decorated Around The Swedish Style featured at werandacountry.pl 4 (2)

Vaulted Home Decorated Around The Swedish Style featured at werandacountry.pl

Vaulted Home Decorated Around The Swedish Style featured at werandacountry.pl 2

Vaulted Home Decorated Around The Swedish Style featured at werandacountry.pl

Vaulted Home Decorated Around The Swedish Style featured at werandacountry.pl 3

Vaulted Home Decorated Around The Swedish Style featured at werandacountry.pl

Vaulted Home Decorated Around The Swedish Style featured at werandacountry.pl 4

Vaulted Home Decorated Around The Swedish Style featured at werandacountry.pl

Hallin Håkan Jacobsson's Swedish Home3

Hallin & Håkan Jacobsson’s Swedish Home

Hallin Håkan Jacobsson's Swedish Home

Hallin & Håkan Jacobsson’s Swedish Home

Hallin Håkan Jacobsson's Swedish Home2

Hallin & Håkan Jacobsson’s Swedish Home

Swedish Restored Home Built In 1792Swedish Restored Home Built In 1792Swedish Restored Home Built In 1792Swedish Restored Home Built In 1792.

 

Nordic Style Historical Interior Decorating Books – Living Museums in Scandinavia

Nordic Style Historical Interior Decorating Books - Living Museums in Scandinavia

Living Museums in Scandinavia By Per Nagel- On Amazon From $89

An inspiring, interesting and useful insight into Swedish life and interior decoration of the past. This is a lavish photographic guide to 13 historic houses in Scandinavia that have been preserved exactly as their original owners left them. They have now been opened to the public as museums.

The houses featured represent a wide range of types, from the sophisticated Jugend style to simple country dwellings, city houses and studios, and belonged to artists, architects and scientists, as well as ordinary folk. Painstakingly reconstructed and preserved with authenticity, these homes offer the reader a rare opportunity to travel back in time to experience the best in Scandinavian style, characterized by simplicity and by clarity of light and color.

From The Amazon Preview:

The museums chosen for this book are all authentic Scandinavian homes. Their distinctive common Scandinavian origin is evident in the wonderful clarity of light and colour and in the beautiful, simple living style for which Scandinavia is so well
known.

These museums also have in common that they seem especialry alive because they are still intensely reflecting the life that was once lived in them. They are all real, in
the sense that they were created by those who originally lived there. It is as though the residents have just stepped out for a moment! These homes represent a wide variety of types ranging from a sophisticated Jugend style to simple country style, and from urban houses to farms and artist’s studios. The residents have represented many social levels from famous citizens and farmers to well-known artists, architects and scientists.Because of the strong authenticity of these places, they offer us a rare opportunity of going back in time and experiencing different ways of living, and perhaps
finding inspiration for our own lives.

Photographer Per Nagel has collaborated with architect Vibe Udsen for many years in publishing the world-wide distributed architectural annual, LIVING ARCHITECTURE, which is based on his exceptional photographs of Scandinavian architecture.

In LIVING MUSEUMS IN SCANDINAVIA, Per Nagel’s evocative photographs convey the atmosphere of these old residences in such a magnificent way that the reader almost has the feeling of having been there.

Table Of Contents:

8 Melstedgard Farm House on Bornholm, Oenmark
16 Erichsens Gard Townhouse on Bornholm. Denmark
24 Hjorth’s Pottery on Bornholm. Denmark
26 Michael and Anna Ancher’s House The Artists’ Home In Skagen. Denmark
42 Holger Drachmann’s Villa Pax The Artist’s Home in Skagen. Denmark
58 Kauppila Farm House in Finland
68 Qwensel House Chemist’s Shop ana* Home in Turku. Finland
82 Hvittrask Architects Saarinen, Gesellius and Lindgren s Home in Finland
96 Carl Larsson-Garden Karin and Carl Larsson’s Home in Sundborn. Sweden
124 Zorngarden Artist Anders Zorn’s Home in Mora. Sweden
138 Carl von Linne Carl Linnaeus’ Town House and Summerplace in Uppsala. Sweden
163 Siggebohyttan Mine Owner’s House in Nora, Sweden
182 Husantunet Farm House in Alvdal. Norway

Nordic Style Historical Interior Decorating Books - Living Museums in Scandinavia

Melstedgard, Farm House on Bornholm, Denmark

Les Indiennes Fabrics

Elle Decor April 11

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.

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Swedish Kakelugn Stoves

The “Kakelugnar” stove is a Swedish tiled stove whose design is still in use today.  This classic stove dates back to the eighteenth century, and adds a historical element to a Scandinavian room.  These tile fireplaces usually resemble a column, while the shape is generally very simple.   The most popular designs tend to be round or rectangular, and are generally white, and are placed either in corners or against a straight wall.   The heights of the stoves range everywhere from six to ten feet or more.   The stoves often feature two small folding doors where the wood is placed, and the top of the fireplace forms a crown.

Fire was essential for warmth and food in the Nordic region a century ago.  Over time, we have lost some of survival techniques that were passed down through generations.  Houses were smaller, and fires were first and foremost placed in the kitchen areas, where the cooking was done.  The very first buildings were designed as one large room.  An entire family lived in one room, than having many rooms to heat.  Today it is fashionable to have vaulted ceilings, and large rooms, but the very opposite was true in throughout history where smaller rooms retained their heat better.  Families often slept in the same room to conserve t the warmth, and be near the fire to keep warm through the nights where the temperatures dropped.  The earliest homes had no windows, but rather a modest opening to let any smoke out.  It wasn’t until the 1600’s when the chimney was invented, and the fireplace was designed to let smoke out of a chimney through the roof.

Above Picture Credit Gullesen Masonry Stoves

The Kakelugn stove’s design first came about when a shortage of wood became a crisis.  In an article written by Stone Mason, they describe what prompted the stove design: “The period between 1500 and 1800 was known as ‘Europe’s little ice age’. In Sweden, where it was even colder than it is nowadays, it was clear that the constant use of fireplaces from morning till night would eventually lead to the total depletion of the nation’s forests. It was most fortunate, then, that in 1776 Adolf Frederik, the King of Sweden, commissioned Carl Johan Cronstedt to develop a stove that would make better usage of the country’s timber resources.”

The winters were colder than normal, and the people at this time needed to get as much heat out of the wood as possible.  The problem was, too much wood was being consumed, that the government needed to intervene before the forestry was used up.  Carl Johan Cronstedt and Fabian Wrede, had received a government mandate to try to find more fuel efficient solutions, and ended up inventing a fuel efficient tiled stove which burned the wood slower, and retained the heat for hours.

The Swedish Kakelugn stoves are a distinguished piece found in the Nordic countries.  You won’t find these stoves in Canada, where the winter temperatures are just as cold.  During the latter part of the 1800s, the stove found a prominent place in rich mansions and palaces.  Beginning around 1830-1840, large farms were being equipped with stoves which soon lead to the countryside and middle class.

Swedish Kakelugnar stoves produced by Swedish Camina, are one of market leaders in Sweden who make stoves. Lindholm Kakelugnar also sells stoves in their original design.  Lindolm Kakelugnar, based in Sweden, has been selling and building antique tiled stoves for the past 45 years. The company stocks a range of pieces, including a selection of stoves manufactured from the 1860s to the 1920s, or buy a modernized version from Contura.

The beauty of these classic stoves is that they retain the heat for long periods of time.  New modern stoves often heat up fast, but once the flames die out, the stove cools off quickly.  The “Kakelugnar” stove burns wood for a period of 1-3 hours, and then provides even heat for several hours after the fire has gone out.  In fact, these classic stoves have a better design than the modern day stoves that are produced today.

Read more about the tiled stove visit alltomkakelugnar.se

Antique Kakelugn

A Swedish ceramic stove stands in a corner of this panelled boot room
which is decorated with a display of antlers and hunting trophies

Fritz von der Schulenburg, Interior Archive

The Swedish Country House By Susanna Scherman- Buy It On Amazon

Svindersvik Featured On Wikipedia

Kakelugn Stove- Vía: Hus & Hem


A Swedish apartment for sale through Bolaget.

Lars Bolander’s New Book- Interior Design & Inspiration

Lars Bolander: Interior Design & Inspiration offers a fresh take on Swedish decorating. Lars Bolander has been referred to as one of Sweden’s foremost interior designers and a pioneer of Swedish design, yet he doesn’t limit his personal design style to only the Gustavian period style, rather he introduces a new approach to designing around antiques.  His books Lars Bolander: Interior Design and Inspiration and Lars Bolander’s Scandinavian Design offer expert advice about infusing the Scandinavian style into your home, while at the same time mixing in the traditional and modern elements into one’s living space.

Bolander has been featured in House Beautiful, Vogue, Home & Design, World of Interiors, Southern Accents, The Robb Report, American House & Garden, English House & Garden, Chinese Residence, Elle Decor, Architectural Digest and The Wall Street Journal.

Lars Bolander: Interior Design & Inspiration,

Lars Bolander’s Previous Book- Scandinavian Design

Review By D. Fowler

David Lindley claims that Lars Bolander has “the ability to mix objects in a very satisfying, but surprising way.” My first perusal of the book drew my eye to Lar’s affinity for Gustavian and Swedish Country Styles of decorating. The touch of neoclassical furnishing and decor in some settings brought a refined elegance to rooms, especially those with an obvious Swedish Country Style. Bolander has a rare malleability that allows him to not only incorporate what he envisions for a home, but also what his clients envision. One of the more striking examples, shown on the cover of this book, is a magnificent example of his raw talent.

Find Lars Bolander

Lars Bolander NY Shop, The Fine Arts Building, 232 East 59th Street, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10022

Lars Bolander Palm Beach Shop, 3731 South Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach, FL 33405

Contact: Michael Hale email: michael@larsbolander.com

Lars Bolander Official Website- Here

Lars Bolander Blog- Here

Lars Bolander Facebook- Here

Lars Bolander’s Home Featured in Home and Garden Magazine

Click here, then click on the magazine, and the pictures blow up, allowing you to read the full article

Lars Bolander’s Home Featured in Home and Garden Magazine

Lars Bolander’s Home Featured in Home and Garden Magazine

Lars Bolander’s Home Featured in Home and Garden Magazine

Lars Bolander’s Home Featured in Home and Garden Magazine

Lars Bolander’s Home Featured in Home and Garden Magazine

Lars Bolander’s Home Featured in Home and Garden Magazine

Quest Magazine April 2007

Lars Bolander-Veranda September 2007

Lars Bolander- Southern Accents Magazine Sept October 2002

Lars Bolander-Veranda September 2007

Lars Bolander- Southern Accents Magazine Sept October 2002

Lars Bolander- Southern Accents Magazine Sept October 2002

Lars Bolander-Veranda September 2007

Lars Bolander-Veranda September 2007

Lars Bolander’s Scandinavian Design- Residence Magazine

Lars Bolander Quest Magazine- The Palm Beach Issue

Lars Bolander Quest Magazine- The Palm Beach Issue

Lars Bolander Quest Magazine- The Palm Beach Issue

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

Vintage Children’s Set On Ebay

With Neoclassical-style fluted details and a high-gloss finish, this chest is a cross between old and new, says Gambrel—“like a country cabinet dressed up for the city.” Given the playful juxtaposition of form and
finish, the 31.5″-tall piece would be at home in a girl’s bedroom. $2,000; chelseatextiles.com

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

Continue Reading…

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

Krusenberg Herrgård Photo Credit

 

 

 

 

 

the

4 Resources For Swedish Decorating

Paint And Paper In Decoration – David Oliver

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.

 

The Gallery, designed by Geoffrey Bradfield

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

 

Remember this home? 

Look at the detail in the background…..

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

How Important Are Accent Pieces In A Swedish Home?

Picture Credit DEG Furniture Designs On Ebay

Picture Credit DEG Furniture Designs On Ebay

As we discussed in Part 1, Paneled walls can bring the Swedish flavor into your home and give you the Gustavian appeal you are after.

Another element that we see in Swedish historical homes are sitting areas using what we call today as “accent furniture”.  It was common to find a number of sitting areas around the home using accent chairs, and tea tables.

2.  Accent Furniture

Today accent furniture has become more popular again.  We have been used to over-sized sofas, and forgotten what side chairs and tables can do for a room.

Swedish design is based around symmetrical looks.  In the living room above, we see two white painted chairs in a Gustavian buffalo check paired with a black painted Swedish bench.  In other photos of this room the black bench is paired with a Rococo table and the furniture seen in the rest of the home is moved around.  Here we see a round white painted tripod tea table.  Using accent furniture allows you to move the furniture around the house like they have done with Barbro’s home.

Smaller accent furniture became popular in France in the 17th & 18th centuries, and caught on in Sweden.  The Accordion Side Table is one example of smaller scale furniture that existed in France.  The accordion table itself wasn’t something seen in Sweden, but the idea of smaller tables became popular, or functional at the time.

Tables didn’t just look pretty, they served a purpose in the home.  Side tables were practical for playing cards, having tea, and doing fine needlework.   Writing tables were one of the most common uses for tables in this time.  Tables with folding leaves were extremely popular in Sweden.  Tables were pushed against the wall, and were then brought out for dinners, crafts, and schooling.

Sofa tables were designed to appear before sofas.  These tables were long and narrow, and often had folding leaves which enabled the person to sit at the sofa and use the surface of the table without having to move the table closer to them.  Consider adding a table paired with a sofa instead of a modern day lower “coffee table” that is seen in most homes.   Or add a set of upholstered benches in front of your sofa to tie in matching upholstery.

Picture Credits– A Special Thanks to Campagne Decoration Magazine, Photos featured on  Aged And Gilded Blog & Master Henry Blog

Keywords:Gustavian, Gustavian Furniture, Distressed Furniture, Country French Furniture, Shabby Chic Furniture, Scandinavian Design, Nordic Style, Swedish Furniture, Swedish Decorating, Mora Clocks

 

Painting Swedish Looking Furniture – 3 Tips / Part 3

Picture Credit Habitania Work Rooms

As we discussed in Part 2, Accent furniture, such as Gustavian chairs, smaller tables, drop leaf tables, stools, and benches can be brought into the home, and used instead of the larger scaled furniture that we are used to today to achieve that Swedish Gustavian look.

Another element that draws people to the historical Swedish look is the painted furniture.  There is an art to getting the rich patina that is seen on true antique furniture found in Sweden.  Almost anyone can find vintage French furniture in their area which can be distressed using a number of techniques to give it a historical appeal.

In this early post I wrote, I describe some of the paint techniques I have used to achieve great white painted furniture.

Here are some of my best tips to getting realistic Swedish painted finishes……

1.  Work with colors that are muted.  If you have ever mixed paint before, think about the colors that are produced when black or white paint has been added to a color.  In the 17th and 18th century, there was a limited color palette available, so black and white paint was added to an existing color to produce a shade that was darker or lighter.  On one of my pinterest boards, I compile some colors that will give you ideas of ranges of hues that are very appropriate.  Annie Sloan has a wonderful range of colors which all are muted, yet vibrant paint shades which I suspect were based off the French style that she is so attracted to.  She has put together a fabulous palette of colors which would work in any French or Swedish styled home.

Don’t ever work with colors with really bright pigments.  I cannot blame anyone for being confused as there are thousands of shades of paint to pick from.  The furniture should look aged, and color appropriate for the century you are after.  I guarantee you, getting a really nice finish on a piece of furniture doesn’t have to be complicated.

2.  Strip Or Sand To Get Down To Bare Wood. 

A raw wood piece of furniture is always the best to work with.  Although finding a piece of furniture that is untouched with paint rarely happens.  Starting off with a piece of furniture that is not painted is ideal, but if it does have paint, consider comparing the the color you have picked out to the color the furniture is painted in currently.

Would you mind having the original color showing through?

If not, consider spending the time stripping off the paint.  A perfect strip job isn’t necessarily if you plan on re-painting it, but enough of the paint removed will give you a new wood surface to work off of.

I have seen black painted furniture with distressing showing white beneath, and it doesn’t look great.  A base color of red looks terrific with black painted furniture, or just plain wood.  If you don’t want to strip the furniture, (as it is a lot of work) consider giving a good deep sanding to the furniture, especially to the areas you plan on distressing.

Often times if stripping the furniture is something I don’t wish to do, I sand the furniture quite well as a first step, paint it in the color I  plan on working with, and then sanding it again as a third step.  This allows me to touch up the original paint color that shows through, while leaving some of the distressed areas that show off the wood.  It is a lazy way of getting the finish, but the results are quite nice.

If you plan on doing multiple shades such as the chest below, consider colors that work really nicely together.  White works nicely as a top color.

 Swedish Distressed Chest From Atelier September

Distressing gives your piece of furniture a depth, which is often seen in Swedish antiques.  I am not afraid of roughing up my furniture, and I am not afraid of altering an antique.  Many antique dealers caution people from painting furniture, because it does loose the natural patina, and because of that, it often looses the value.  This is a wise piece of advice to those people who are looking to “invest” in heirlooms for the value.

If you always wanted a white distressed cabinet, paint it, and don’t be afraid to do so.  My motto is that you have to first love the piece, because after all, it is in YOUR home.  Your children may have a totally different style in mind for their own home, so do what makes you happy, rather than looking at furniture as items to pass down to family.

I used to sell used furniture for a hobby, and always ran into the problems with paint sticking properly.  Either you tore off your arm by sanding the heck out of every piece, or you ran the risk of the paint peeling later on, which lead me to use oil paint.  Not every oil paint brand is the same.  Some brands are so hard to work with, that they will make you pull your hair out.  It is almost impossible to find oil paint in a finish that is either flat or eggshell.  You won’t find glossy Swedish antique furniture, so don’t use it on your furniture.  The look should either be eggshell, or satin.

Cover Stain By Zinsser is a fantastic oil primer which I discovered by accident, and almost was beside myself when I discovered how well it performs.  You can buy this at Home Depot and almost every Hardware Store, and the best part of this paint is that it is TINTABLE in almost all the lighter shades of paint samples such as Behr, Martha Stewart, and so forth.

High Hide Odorless Oil Primer without Sanding – Odorless Primer

I bought the paint, because I couldn’t send out a piece of furniture which would later peel.  I wanted a paint that could stick to anything and not scratch.  Oil based paints are not environmentally friendly.  The trade off with this paint is that it has a heavy smell which disappears after it has dried.  You will need to use a paint respirator, and I emphasize that recommendation.

The most surprising aspect to Zinsser’s Coverstain Primer is that it is not a thick paint.  It is rather thin, and goes on like spreadable butter.  You rarely need an additional layer of paint, because it is oil after all, and isn’t like water based paints.  Oil paints tend to self level as they dry, leaving almost no brush marks.  Oil paints do cover well, and hold up wonderful.  Unlike other oil paints, which can take up to a week to cure, this Coverstain dries to the touch in 3 hours, and cures over night.

The other reason why I recommend this product, is that it is sand-able.  Almost every other oil paint brand I have tried doesn’t sand very well, and often leaves the finish needing an extra coat.  Because Zinsser’s Coverstain dries flat (matte) sanding blends in rather nicely.  In the past, I often added  two coats of the tinted primer, and then sealed it with a Polycrylic water-based sealer.

Polycrylic is one of the best finishes to use on white based furniture, because it doesn’t yellow over time, like polyurethane does.  With the polycrylic, I would apply it with a brush, and then with a damp white cotton wash rag, I would just wash it off.  This would give me a seal to the paint color, while at the same time, maintain the flat, or eggshell finish that I enjoyed.

Another tip I would recommend is to buy a good quality angle paint brush for water based paints.  I have used these with my oil paints, and my brush sits in paint thinner for weeks, and it is still not damaged.  Regular chip brushes are ok, and inexpensive enough to throw out, but a good quality brush won’t leave paint strokes.  Someone suggested to me to invest in an expensive brush, and I pass on those words of wisdom.

Swedish Accent Chair With A Fabulous Paint Finish $506

18th Century Buffet, circa 1760 Jane Moore Interiors in Houston

Picture Originally Featured on Indulge Decor Blog

Stunning Swedish Styled White Painted Accent Chair

Neoclassical Swedish Styled Accent Chairs Sold In Pairs $983

3.  Glaze Your Furniture With Brown Glaze…..

Glazing is so easy, it takes minutes.  If you can wipe your table after dinner, you have the skills to glaze!  It is that easy.  A glaze is a translucent binder which  paint pigment is added to the mixture to produce a translucent color. You can buy glaze mixed together at your local hardware much like ordering paint, or you can buy glaze alone and mix in paint yourself.

Buying brown glaze already mixed will go a far way if you paint furniture for a living.  I used it on all my painted pieces, including my white furniture.

Blend & Glaze Decorative Painting Liquid

Ralph Lauren Faux Technique Glaze

I have discovered that glaze can be applied in two ways.  You can apply it with a paint brush, let it stand for 3 minutes, and take it off with a slightly damp rag.  With white furniture, even though you may feel you removed a lot of the glaze, the little bit that is left gives your furniture that slight change in color.

With flat finished white furniture, I give some wise words of wisdom.  Add a coat of polycrlic before you glaze.  You could even dilute the polycrylic with a slight bit of water, OR, just brush on a very small amount on to your furniture, such as dry brushing techniques.  The reason for this, is that your furniture can turn a shade of brown, which is not what you are after.  White furniture will have a hue of brown, but you don’t want the glaze to STAIN the paint.

Another trick is to work with a creamy white, not a bright modern white.  Your whites should always have undertones of brown or green in them.  When glazing white furniture, if the finish is flat or eggshell, you will need to work fast in pulling off that glaze.  If the finish is satin, you will have a bit more time.

For painted furniture such as blue, or darker paint colors, glaze can be added, and it makes a world of difference.  Often times I just paint on the glaze, such as you would just dry brushing the furniture.  I use the term “dry brushing” as your paint brush isn’t loaded with paint.  A small amount is necessary to make a dramatic difference.  A brighter colored blue, will be muted when brown glaze is added, so experiment with brighter paint shades with brown glaze, you might be surprised what beautiful finishes can be achieved.

These Swedish chairs were likely scraped down to the original paint

Look how nice white upholstery looks with gray paint.

Originally featured on Romantiskahem.blog

 This beautiful console table featured on The Paper Mulberry Blog, originally from  Appley Hoare Antiques

Tara Shaw Swedish Chest- Coach Barn Now Sells Tara Shaw’s Collection

Reproduction Swedish Tub Chairs From Amazon $775

Swedish Distressed Chest From Atelier September

A Stunning Trumeau Mirror From Tone on Tone Antiques,

Featured on Henhurst Interior Blog

Swedish Aged Paint Finishes From Antiqbr Blog

An extravagant painted sofa in terrific blue gray paint with painted ormolu 

From Tone on Tone Antiques Featured on Featured on Henhurst Interior Blog

Swedish Aged Paint Finishes From Antiqbr Blog

A Few Previous Articles Of Interest

White Painted French FurnitureThe French Provincial Furniture

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

Ideas For Embellishing Painted Furniture– The French Provincial Furniture

French Provence Red Check Textiles– The French Provincial Furniture

Distressing Painted French Provincial Furniture

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

 

Affordable Holiday Dining Décor That Looks Like It Was Done by the Pros- Grace Kelly

Swedish Gustavian Interiors From The Affari Catalogue

Decorating for the winter holidays does not have to be arduous or expensive. A professional look is easy by following even a few of the following hints. There are some simple rules of which to be aware before diving into the list of ideas.

First, one should work with the look that he already has in the dining room. For example, a rustic looking room could be decorated with an abundance of natural outdoor elements. On the other hand, a formal dining room may call for a more ornate look.

Second, one should always decorate in a way that feels comfortable to him. Most decorating can be done simply using items that the individual already has while obtaining a couple other pieces affordably. The key is to use the imagination to take indoor decorations, pieces from the outdoors and a few affordable add-ons to decorate just like the professionals.

Theme and Colors

The first step in decorating a dining room for the holidays is choosing a theme. A few options include rustic, elegant, country, modern or eclectic. In addition, the individual may choose to decorate around one or two simple items, such as snowflakes, pinecones, flowers or fruits. A good point to remember is that a theme does not have to be overdone to be meaningful. Professional decorators often prefer to use one or two main décor pieces that will catch the eye.

The second step is choosing a color scheme. Many prefer using a traditional palette of reds and greens. However, modern options would include shades of blue, shades of green, or an all white setting. A dining room will look quite elegant when outfitted in metallic colors.

 

Plants

Plants are the perfect way to enliven a room. They provide natural bursts of color and fresh scents. There are several ways to use fresh plants in a dining room.

§ Poinsettias are a staple for the holiday season. Because poinsettias come in varieties of reds and whites, they will match a variety of color schemes.

§ An environmentally friendly option is to place evergreen tree saplings on the table or the floor; in the spring, they can be planted outdoors.

The Table

The dining room table is the perfect place for creativity. The ideas for decorating here are as limitless as one’s imagination. First choose the color and design of the dishes, tablecloth and napkin.

§ Napkin rings are essential for a polished look. These can be store-bought or homemade using florist’s wire and greenery from a craft store.

§ Nametags make seating easy. The tags can be decorated with stamps, printed or hand-written on specialty paper, wired to sprigs of greenery or set in spray-painted pinecones.

§ Candles provide ambiance. Floating candles, set in short glass bowl filled with cranberries and water, will not block one’s view across the table. Pillar candles in varying widths and heights will look elegant when placed on glass pedestals.

§ A rustic look can be achieved with branches from evergreens or hardwoods placed in tall, straight glass vases. They will fit into a holiday theme when coated with metallic spray paint or fake snow, which can be found at craft stores.

§ Fruit always looks welcoming and can often be found on sale during this time of year. Citrus fruits provide bursts of color when placed in tall glass hurricane vases.

§ Those who have bulb ornaments left over after decorating can place these in glass bowls or vases for a festive centerpiece.

The Rest of the Room

After the table is decorated, one should not forget about the rest of the room. For a cohesive holiday look, doorways, windows and more can be decorated. For example, wreaths provide a cheery welcome when hung on windows. Fake or real evergreen branches can be placed around doorframes. Holly can be hung from a chandelier.

Holidays are the perfect time to get together with family and friends. Decorating the dining room for celebrations can be done affordably using many items one may already have around the home or yard. A professional look is simple to achieve with a simplistic, themed design.

Author Bio

Grace Kelly writes for Zintro, a marketplace of experts in various fields that helps connect investors, lawyers, analysts, designers, entrepreneurs, and more. Find an expert by discipline on Zintro.com consultant directory.

The main house dates from 1819. Stolper and gable boards are beautifully carved by Per Haugen from Lom, one of the masters in this demanding and traditional art© FOTO: Nils Petter Dale

EPOK Norge – Swedish Furniture

Swedish Gustavian Interiors From The Affari Catalogue

Country Swedish Style From The Affari Catalogue

 

An American’s Guide For Getting The Swedish Country Look

With the stresses this world has to offer, it is no wonder why there is such a gravitation towards a home that is cozy and relaxing.  Our homes are places where we want to connect with our family and friends amidst the fast paced life we are living.

Country decorating has always been a very popular decorating approach in the US, and around the world for that matter. American painted furniture with colonial elements is often what you would find in many homes in America that are designed to reflect the early America period design, but rarely do you see a home decorated with a Swedish reflection.

Swedish country decorating has a slightly different slant than you find in America.  The style and approach to furniture is quite a bit different.  In Sweden we find the same countryside looks that are found away from the city with a homestead influence.  We give you 5 tips to getting the Swedish look with the common elements that you can find in America online and in your local antique stores.

Here Are A Couple Tips To Getting A Country Swedish Look In Your Home   

This Swedish decorated house in Dalarna, Sweden has all the rustic elements
you would expect to see in a house set in the Scandinavian country.  Borrow a couple ideas from this home for your personal decorating.

1.  Collect The Right Style Period Furniture.

This family house in the Swedish countryside has some very authentic Swedish looking furniture.  Gustavian style Rococo chairs through out the home show off a Gustavian look that is famously created in Sweden.  The chairs alone tell you this home is from Sweden.  Finding these very rare pieces of furniture in America is next to impossible, and buying true antiques can be very costly making a whole home decorated around the Gustavian style a far reach for most people.

There are some furniture pieces in America that double the looks found in Sweden.

– Consider decorating with furniture that is has clean straight lines, and made out of wood.  In the picture above the drop leaf table looks much like the early shaker style seen in America. Look at some of the furniture from Chelsea Textiles to get some good ideas.  Many of these tables such as this one, and this one, can be found for less. Collect furniture such as drop tables which can be used in the middle of a living room paired with a sofa, they can also be pushed against the wall.

Other items that are universal to some degree are wall shelves.  Find wall shelves that are made of wood, and slightly cut with a curve.   The top of this cupboard is a great example of a look that is found in the country. Plate racks for the walls are easily found on ebay and can be painted any color to create a uniform look within your home.  Collecting plates that can be positioned on the wall or on plate racks is another common element in Swedish styled homes.

– Have a couple pieces in your home which are just plain wood.  Consider stripping a side chair down to its bare wood, and waxing it.  Beauty can be found in wood, and gives a much needed balance towards an interior with many painted finishes.

Wood Slat walls are another very common architectural element with Swedish styled homes.  Often times these walls are painted a white or a gray with gilt mirrors hung on the wall.

– Another option is to collect Queen Anne furniture which then can be manipulated with paint to get the look of the backroads in Sweden.

-Wooden chairs and old benches can be a stylish approach in decorating your home. You can include a corner cupboard, plate racks and even sideboards and serve as storage areas around your dining room.

Shop on ebay for the just right pieces to finish off every room in your home

2.  Get The Color Right

This pinterest page gives a person some excellent examples of Colonial decorating in America.  Much like Swedish decorating, painted wood is a very common element.  When comparing the two styles, one thing is very evident, the colors are slightly different.  Dark blues are very common with Swedish and Nordic style antiques, as well as lighter hues of elementary colors.  In this photograph you can see a wide range of salmon oranges, deep blues and red. Consider bringing the historical c0lors that are found in Sweden inside your home.

Decorating with red and pink can be very country.  While pink is shunned these days, it can be a dramatic color which can really speak volumes in your home.  Getting the right color, and adding additional painting techniques such as distressing and glazing  can give a terrific historical look. Black is also a great color for primitive interiors.  Other country colors to consider are yellow, and red, and creamy white. Consider putting more of an emphasis on the bolder richer colors such as a deep red than the light blues and whites found in the castles of Sweden.  Borrow from the colors found in Sweden for your wood accessories, furniture and walls.

 

Wood can be painted and heavily distressed to give you the dramatic looks that
are found in Sweden. Light colored drapes around the windows let in the light, and give this home a soft touch. Antique Swedish mirrors also make this home, and a pair of sofas in blue and white stripe are the colors found in Sweden.  Wooden floor with Nordic Style runners sewn together making a large rug.  In this home antique kitchen table is paired with Swedish Leksand chairs.

Country style decorating can capture the spirit of the simplicity of country living amidst the modern times. Country decorating is one way of reminiscing the pasts. It reminds us of how we are living our lives. Decorations inspired by country living makes us closer to nature. A cozy home reminds us to live simple lives.

Picture Credits- isogninelcassettodiadriana.blog, Weranda Country