Åhléns: move over Ikea

Throughout the history of this blog, I have intimated several times that I am a fan of Scandinavian design.  If you share my predilection for the minimalist, simple, look imbued in all things Scandinavia.  This post, my friends, will be particularly exciting- it was for me!

This morning, while skimming the Freshly Pressed posts on WordPress, I decided to click on one post that caught my eye by Another House Blog. There was a segment on Another House related to the blogger’s travel in Trondheim, Norway and, wait for it, a post about Åhléns, the most magical, wonderful, exciting, interior design department store I have ever seen (Heal’s, in London, is a close second, followed by Muji!).  Hailing from Toronto, I have never heard of Åhléns before but now that I have discovered it, it is one more reason why I have to get myself to Sweden + Norway.

The Åhléns low-down is as follows for those of you who to know a bit about the history of this design shopping mecca:  This is a full department store, that got its start in Sweden in 1899 as a mail-order company which eventually evolved to a brick and mortar operation.  They carry everything from fashion and beauty to home furnishings and their stores in Norway are interiors only.  Åhléns states on its website that the company’s goal is “to be a woman’s favourite and first on her shopping list.”  Talk about a clear brand position and identity.  I love this company’s home line.  It has such cute, colourful, simple stuff that would look amazing in any home and what I have shown below is only scratching the surface.  Happy Wednesday.

via nancy and i

via ellmania

via miss-maries

Anna Malmberg: Photography

Anna Malmberg is a Swedish fashion photographer based in Paris and I love her feminine, soft, style.  She has been honing her aesthetic since the age of 14 when her parents built her a dark room in their house in Northern Sweden. You can see a lot more of her work on Elle Sweden’s site here.

via anna malmberg

via anna malmberg

therese sennerholt prints

I recently started collecting black and white posters and prints about love which I am starting to display around my condo.  I think I was inspired by all the beautiful and incredibly scandi-style black and white interior shots and prints on Lotta Agaton’s blog.  I have three “love inspired” prints so far from different artists around the globe and plan to add more to my collection from my new-found source, Swedish designer/artist Therese Sennerholt.  She works with words and images and creates the most wonderful black and white graphic prints which are exactly my taste and sense of humour.

If you are interested in learning more about Therese, Nordic Designs posted an interview with her here. 

Here are a couple of my favourites:

via therese sennerholt

via therese sennerholt

via therese sennerholt

via therese sennerholt

room colour

Why do people shy away from colour when considering interior design? 

I love how these three photos bring colour in to the space through furniture and accessories while still maintaining white walls/a neutral backdrop.  I wonder who the artist is behind the painting in the second room shot below?  By the way, Elle Interior Sweden is a gem.  Amazing design ideas.  Thanks for bringing my attention to the site, blogger from Hei!

via elle interior, sweden

via hei

via elle interior, sweden

Pillows

via plastolux

These pillows styled by Sweden based, Mikael Beckman made me smile this morning!  More pictures from Mikael here.