This small Scandinavian interior has a shared living and sleeping space and a separate kitchen. The building has historic features, with high ceilings that make the small apartment seem more spacious. In both rooms, you can find a subtle touch of green, which ties the designs of the adjacent spaces together and adds a fresh touch to the space.

I recently wrote a roundup blog post about inspiring small studio apartments as well, in case you want to decorate an even smaller apartment.

A classic gray living and sleeping space with a Scandinavian interior design

The beautiful crown molding on the ceiling in the living room really stands out against the gray paint color on the walls. The natural light coming through those white turn-of-the-century windows is softened out by the beige curtains and the light-soaped oak hardwood flooring.

The white fluffy area rug contributes to a light palette in the living space and also visually separates the sleeping and lounging area from each other. The white sofa and soft furnishings really stand out against the warm gray walls for a sophisticated look with a Scandinavian design touch.

The black mirrored side table and the black String shelf on the wall add so much contrast to the white fabrics and the gray paint color, while the cognac leather pouf and the terracotta duvet cover add some lovely warm tones to the mix.

The green coffee table is about the only piece of color in the living room and it has such an impressive effect on the space. It adds freshness, while still being subtle and modest and I think it contrasts nicely with the warm undertones in the light gray paint on the walls.

A basic white kitchen with a cozy dining room area

The kitchen has been painted in an off-white that is barely noticeable, yet it does make the white kitchen cabinets and the white trim on the ceiling stand out in a subtle way.

The dining room area consists of a small round dining table in light oak, which is so typical in Scandinavian interiors and stands out nicely against the light color of the area rug. The Ant chairs in white are joined by a single green one, which makes the look so playful. I love the way the touch of green comes back here in one of the dining chairs and adds a green tone just like in the other room.

Mid to light gray paint colors to give a try to achieve this look

If you are looking for a gray paint color with subtle warm undertones like in the living space, you can try out a swatch of Farrow and Ball’s Lamp room gray*, which has a soft look in well-lit spaces.

Styled by Linnéa H. Manaberi, photographed by Henrik Linden for Alvhem

The open-plan kitchen with solid wood cabinets in this beautiful apartment is a true focal point in the space and perfectly fills out the floor plan. The entire apartment has light grey walls, which provide a subtle backdrop for the dark solid wood kitchen cabinets and furniture pieces in the living room.

The bedroom features grey walls and a wardrobe in the same color for a hotel-style effect where the bed and nightstands have been integrated.

A living kitchen with wood cabinets and soft grey walls for a lovely contrast

The kitchen stands center-stage in this open-plan apartment which used to be two rooms that have been opened up. The kitchen cabinets are made out of dark wood, which adds so much character to the space and the beige limestone countertops match this natural color palette perfectly.

The kitchen layout has been spread over two opposing walls, with the area closest to the window containing only lower cabinets for a lighter look. The beautiful open shelving above the counter by the window provides a perfect spot for pretty ceramics and picture frames and I love how the lighter wood of the natural finish hardwood flooring is combined with the solid wood cabinets of the kitchen.

The gray paint in the space has not been painted all the way up to the ceiling, but rather a white trim mimics the effect of crown molding for a lighter and more elegant look. In the living area, an antique white-painted built-in closet adorns the corner, which stands out so nicely against the grey walls.

The dining table connects the kitchen with the living space and introduces two more wood tones to the material mix inside the interior. The light and dark blue elements in the wall hanging add a pop of color above the dining table, yet the color palette of the rest of the space has been kept very minimal and based on natural materials.

A bedroom with a tone-on-tone wardrobe

The bedroom has grey walls as well, a perfect backdrop to the subtle color palette, just like in the rest of the apartment, yet what’s interesting here is that the cabinet doors and the frame of the bedroom wardrobe have been covered in the same paint color as the walls, resulting in a custom cabinets solution that integrates storage on both sides of the bed.

The bed is decorated with a brown velvet headboard and a small space has been carved out of the wood cabinets. This niche serves as a bedside table and this whole setup resembles a hotel-like setting with the wall color tieing the look together nicely.

The bed is made with a peach-colored duvet cover combined with a chequered throw blanket and white wall lamps with gold details, which complement the grey walls of the bedroom and the paint color of the wardrobe.

I recently compiled a list of built-in wardrobe ideas that go over the bed in case you are looking to implement a similar solution in your bedroom.

Wrede

via Innerstadspecialisten

For the occasion of this year’s Salone del Mobile in Milan, Danish design brand Vipp has turned a 13th-century Italian palazzo into a pop-up hotel that displays an excellent fusion of Scandinavian minimalism combined with maximalist Baroque architectural elements of the Pallazzo.

The palace is decorated with beautiful frescoes and founder Edoardo Monti has hosted more than 200 artists in residence. The BAroque setting of the palace is turned into a liveable installation realized by Danish interior designer Julie Cloos Mølsgaard and the palace is the 7th hotel concept that has been added to the list of Vipp’s portfolio of hotels and guesthouses.

You can take a peek inside of the Vipp Cabin by the lake here, their loft in an old pencil factory here, or the Vipp Chimney house here.

The Vipp guest house is located on the first floor of the palace, reached by a staircase adorned by pastel frescoes. The rich color of the terracotta tiles in the living room and bedroom is lightened up with Vipp furniture pieces in off-white sofa fabric materials enhanced with pieces from the Vipp lighting collection that spread a soft and diffused light throughout the space.

The modular V1 kitchen in matt black takes center stage on top of a jade-tiled floor in the living kitchen, where modern interior elements contrast with the historic features of the palace. The art pieces add another dimension to the design of the pop-up hotel and tie this mixture of modern and historic together in an elegant and sophisticated way.

For the occasion of the pop-up hotel, Vipp is releasing the Monti Edition Swivel chair in a limited quantity, which is upholstered in a rich Italian textile made by renowned textile company Torri Lana. Palazzo Monti typically showcases art exhibitions and now, for the first time is hosting a liveable installation where guests can check-in to the palace.

This small apartment in Sweden has such a minimal color palette, with the subtle light gray paint color on the walls that has a beige undertone (greige, or gray-beige), light soap-washed hardwood flooring, and an abundance of natural light that comes through these beautiful historic windows.

The lighter shades of the walls and flooring set the stage for black accent furniture pieces in a high contrast, yet minimal look. The crown molding and the ceiling have been painted white, while the window and door frames and the floorboards have been covered in a greige paint color that is slightly darker than the walls, making them stand out in a subtle and elegant way.

A warm gray living and dining space with black and white furniture pieces

The combined living and dining area is the biggest room in this rather small apartment, which has been designed to look more spacious with the selection of only a few elegant furniture pieces that are not too big so there is enough white space around them.

The white fabric sofa and off-white area rug brighten up the lounge area, with the black coffee table and PK 22 leather lounge chair adding a lot of contrast. Subtle black details come back in the ceramics on the floor and on the window sill as well, which is a nice touch. The wall art has a lighter color scheme as the wall color, which results in an interesting aesthetic.

Opposed to the sofa, in between the doorway of the kitchen and the bedroom, a low black bench is placed against the wall for displaying artwork, and a small HAY Matin table lamp fits the look perfectly. The greige and gray colors in the artwork complement the greige and gray paint colors of the wall and door frame, which looks very balanced.

The dining area next to the historic fireplace follows the clean and minimal lines of the rest of the living room interior and consists of a small black dining table and black Ant chairs which add so much contrast.

A small white kitchen with a black countertop

The kitchen has been fitted on both walls of the hallway, which is quite a challenge, however, I think the result is functional while still being aesthetically pleasing. The kitchen has been covered with ceiling high subway tiles and both upper and lower cabinets allow for enough storage space on a small surface.

Warm greige-gray walls in the bedroom combined with a wardrobe in the same paint color

The bedroom matches the same color palette as the rest of the apartment with a very modest and subtle look. The greige paint colors are used both on the wall and on the custom-built wardrobe, which results in a very integrated look.

The bed has been made with a mixture of gray, and beige textiles, and similar to the rest of the apartment, you can find just a hint of color in the green plant next to the bed.

Best greige paint colors to recreate the look

If you are looking for greige or gray paint color swatches to achieve a similar look inside your own home, you might want to give a swatch of Farrow & Ball’s Cornforth white* a try, which combined with white trim, might give this subtle and elegant play between colors. Combine this with Purbeck Stone* on the window and door frames for a greige paint color that is just slightly darker.

Gray-beige paint colors tend to be a little tricky to get right, so it’s really important to try out paint samples first. The daylight hitting your room can bring out more cool or yellow undertones and many warm colors in the furniture can bring out similar warm tones in the paint color as well. That said though, once you find the perfect neutral color palette for your walls, it’s easy to combine with black and white pieces in the furniture and soft furnishings to finish off the look.

Styled by Lingsell, photographed by Sjöström for Historiska Hem

This beautiful one-bedroom apartment in Sweden has a mixture of cool grey walls, combined with a nude pink kitchen wall color to add some warmth to the palette.

The three different wall colors: two different shades of cool gray walls and deep nude pink in the kitchen really enhance the interior design of the apartment, while the accessories and artwork picked out by the interior designer elevate the look of this small space.

Cool light gray walls in an art-filled living room

The living room features light gray walls with clear cool undertones, which almost look like light blue walls depending on which angle the daylight hits the walls. The cool undertones of the gray walls are warmed up by the many different wood tones in the hardwood floors, accessories, and furniture pieces.

Rather than opting for a feature wall, the entire living room has gray walls, highlighting the crown molding and the historic window and door frames which have been kept white.

The beige sofa adds warmth to the cool gray walls and the large fluffy area rug adds so much texture to the sofa area, while also reflecting more light coming from the windows. The beautiful mixture of throw pillows on the sofa brings variety to the color palette along with a selection of art prints on the wall.

The wall next to the sofa has been adorned with a beautiful gallery wall which gives so much character to the living room and the light gray is the perfect backdrop for this lovely combination of art pieces. The gallery wall is the main focal point of the entire apartment, which is finished off with two off-white boucle lounge chairs and a bar cart underneath. The TV is paired with art prints as well to make it blend in with the interior.

Nude pink wall colors in a basic white kitchen

The kitchen connects the bedroom and living room, which have both been painted grey with cool undertones. Painting the kitchen in a deep nude pink was a design choice that sets the rooms apart and adds a nice play between cool under warm hues to the space.

The kitchen itself is a basic model with white cabinets and stainless steel appliances, nothing special really, yet I think the wall paint color combined with the vintage round dining table really stands out against the nude pink walls. The neutral color palette of the dining room area combined with the wood peg rail on the wall really sets the kitchen space apart. The white area rug underneath the table, combined with the rice paper pendant and the sheer white curtains enhance the natural light coming through the kitchen window, a combination that highlights the deeper color of the wall paint.

A darker gray paint for more contrast in the bedroom

Just like in the living room, the interior design of the bedroom combines cool and warm tones for an interesting look. The bedroom has been painted in a darker gray, which has subtle cool undertones. To contrast the cool tones of the wall, a combination of textiles in warm tones is decorating the bed. The nude pink duvet cover on the bed has the same color as the kitchen walls, which ties both rooms together in an elegant way.

How to achieve a similar look in your own home

If you are trying to achieve the light grey color on the walls in the living room, try a light grey with cool undertones like Skylight* or light blue* from Farrow & Ball which is more of a light grey contrary to what the name suggests.

I you are looking for a nude pink paint color like the one that is used in the kitchen, you might want to try out a sample of Farrow & Ball’s Dead Salmon*.

Styled by Emma Fischer and Annica Clarmell, photographed by Henrik Linden for Alvhem

Pastel tones can make an interior look so characterful, soft, and inviting, which is exactly the resulting effect in this gorgeous penthouse apartment in Sweden. The mix of pastel colours with unique wall art and classic furniture pieces turns into a wonderful space with an eclectic touch that shows a lot of personality and character.

The pastel colors are what stand out most in this apartment, yet the architectural details of this beautiful penthouse are really quite something, to begin with. Just look at those high sloped ceilings with the exposed wood beams and the abundance of natural light that hits the widows of this two-level home.

Pale pink and pastel hues in the living room

While the walls in this spacious living space have been kept white, the furniture and soft furnishings have a beautiful pastel color palette that brightens up the space. The living area is softened out by the Flower field patterned wool rug from Layered, which adds tones of pink, red, and a touch of buttery yellow to the space.

The art pieces on the open shelving combined with the wall art and the throw pillows in pastel colors turn this living room into a characterful space with a soft look.

Classic furniture pieces in a bold-colored dining room

The dining room is nestled into the niche area of the large living space, which kind of makes it feel like it’s in its own room. The white marble oval Saarinen dining table combined with the Panthella floor lamp are classic pieces that are enhanced with a mixture of brighter hues Vitra Panton chairs in white, pink, and mint green, resting on a round light purple area rug.

The focal point in the dining room however is the scalloped mirror by Gustav Westman which stands out so nicely against the white walls and follows many design trends. The dining rooms I see tend to either be playful or classy, yet this unique setup combines both with great style.

A greige kitchen enhanced with pretty patterns

While the main interior design is all about pastel colors in the rest of this rather eclectic apartment, the color palette of the attic kitchen is more modest with a light greige color on the kitchen cabinets combined with a beige natural stone. The same color combination is used on the custom-built kitchen island as well, which is more of a bar-type kitchen dining table with beautiful patterns on the upholstered bar chairs.

The white walls and ceiling combined with the light palette of the kitchen itself really make the aged exposed wood beams stand out in such a lovely way.

A mint green bar in a winter garden leading up to the balcony

The winter garden connects to the beautiful and spacious penthouse balcony. Inside you can find a custom-built bar module that has been covered in green pastel paint and enhanced with a custom mirror to reflect the bottles, which is a nice touch.

The same bar chairs as in the kitchen are placed by the bar, where just like in the kitchen, they add unique accents to the space.

A deep purple Togo in a room solely for lounging

Next to the living room, there is a separate lounge room behind a glass partition. I’m not sure why this apartment has two rooms with a sofa right next to each other, but the design scheme and color setup match perfectly with the adjacent living room.

The deep purple colorway of the Togo sofa adds another contrasting tone to the pastel colors in the space and enhances the interior design of the apartment in a subtle yet powerful way.

A bedroom with a purple wall

To match the pastel colors in the rest of the apartment, the bedroom has a purple accent wall combined with a light purple area rug underneath the bed, a deep green scalloped headboard, and a combination of pastel yellow, pastel blue, pink, and red tones on the beautifully patterned blanket. The bed is placed in the cozy nook underneath the sloped ceiling, which makes it such a snug spot to get a good night’s sleep.

A bathroom with a pink accent wall

The two bathrooms in this apartment are decorated in different ways: there’s a pastel version and a minimal and clean bathroom style in the penthouse. The small guest bathroom with the washing machine has light purple, pink, and mint accent walls, which brighten up the basic components, while the main bathroom has a very clean look enhanced with a dark floor and wood accents. The look of the bathroom stands in sharp contrast with the rest of the pastel interior design.

A pastels interior design as a red thread through the entire penthouse apartment

The pastel colors in this apartment can be found throughout the interior design and they give you a warm welcome as soon as you step into this spacious penthouse. I think it’s wonderful; how the combination of pastel blue, yellow, pink, and green can have such a playful and inviting effect in the space. Even though it’s quite daring to go for a look like this, with pastels that often remind of children’s rooms, it can certainly brighten up the look of an interior.

If you want to introduce pastel colors in your home yet you don’t want to go as far as decorating the entire interior with it, you can always try out just a hint of pastel colors in an otherwise neutral color palette.

I find pastels usually go best with a lighter base palette so that the contrast between two elements is softened out. Think of a few pastels in the throw pillows on a light sofa in the living room, or wall art with pastels against off-white or ivory walls. You can always play with mixing in geometric shapes, metallic accents, and different materials to make the look more interesting and less playful as well.

Styled by Åsa Copparstad, photographed by Elin Sylwan for Historiska Hem

The interior design of this beautiful turn-of-the-century home in Sweden is based around a color palette of dark and light grey walls combined with a variety of different wood tones and a neutral color palette for a subtle yet interesting effect.

A classic gray kitchen with stainless steel appliances and wood accents

The classic shaker-style kitchen cabinetry in light grey is placed in an L-shaped layout in the large kitchen space, with upper cabinets only on the wall furthest away from the window for a light and airy effect.

The stainless steel appliances, chrome faucet, and chrome cabinet pulls match the light gray palette of the cabinet fronts and as with most gray kitchens, this design also benefits from warm neutrals in the palette to add some life to the interior design.

The wood open shelving stands out nicely against the light gray walls and they additionally offer a great spot for placing pretty objects in the kitchen. They are a great alternative to classic spice racks. The marble countertops are extended to a low backsplash that gets higher behind the stove, where it’s most necessary.

The hardwood floors in the kitchen already add a certain warmth to the space, which is enhanced in the dining area by the oak wood dining table and the J39 dining chairs in light oak. The Formakami paper shade lamp* and the top of the dining table match the white paint on the ceiling and on the crown molding, which is a refreshing touch.

Light gray walls and wood tones in the living room

While the walls in the kitchen have been painted in a very light grey, the living room has gray walls that are a bit darker and have cool undertones, with white crown molding, and window and door frames that stand out so much against this wall color.

The hardwood floors continue from the kitchen into the living room and a large doorway connects both spaces, allowing more light to flow freely. Just like in the kitchen and dining room, the gray walls have been warmed up with wood pieces all throughout the space. The clean lines of the open shelving add warm hues to the cool undertones on the gray walls and the white area rug and lounge chairs add a lovely texture to the setting.

A dark gray sofa has been decorated with a mix of throw pillows in natural colors, which makes the living room appear soft and inviting, yet I think the real focal point in this living room is the dark wood vintage cabinets which stand out against the perfect backdrop the gray walls provide.

Darker grey walls in the bedroom

The bedroom has been painted in a shade of gray that’s even a few tones darker than the wall paint in the living room. The natural light is softened out by the off-white linen curtains by the windows and the white accents continue in the white bedding, in the bed skirt, in the fabric pendant, and in the white cabinets of the wardrobe.

A hallway with light gray walls and dark wood vintage furniture

The hallway features the same color as in the kitchen, which has been accompanied by beautiful wood tints in the door, in the antique wardrobe, and on the herringbone hardwood floors. These dark wood tones add depth to this small space, while the crystal chandelier adds a classic touch.

In the entire apartment, rather than using a feature wall, the interior designer or owner of the apartment always opted to paint the entire room in gray for a more impressive effect without the need for a white wall next to it to balance the look out.

via Alvhem

via Alvhem

This beautiful Swedish home on two levels is painted a with subtle light gray paint color all throughout the interior in the different rooms. The decor is modest, yet shines in its simplicity and elegance.

A living room in a brown and beige palette

The subtle light grey walls and dark wood flooring in the living room have been decorated with a beige fabric sofa, an off-white area rug that lightens up the hardwood flooring, and a dark wood coffee table with matching side tables in a minimal design.

The throw pillows on the sofa are picked out in a mix of browns and beiges, which matches the color palette of the space perfectly. Black accents in the table lamps, artwork, and accessories add a contrasting elegance to the living room and the fiddle fig tree is a nice finishing touch.

A light grey kitchen and black outlines on the dining furniture

Adjacent to the living room, you can walk into a minimal kitchen with light grey cabinets, chrome hardware, a chrome faucet, and white marble countertops.

The dark wood dining table goes in line with the color and material palette of the living room and the white fabric chairs have a black metal outline that is matched by the beautiful black and white pendant light above the table.

A classy bedroom, home office, and bathroom

The second level of this beautiful house follows the same minimal design aesthetics as in the living kitchen, with hardwood flooring matched by a subtle color on the wall and a neutral palette in the furniture and soft furnishings.

The bedroom has been decorated with beige curtains and a beige headboard that go nicely with the light greige wall paint on the wall. The beige striped pillows add a lovely pattern effect to the bed and the white structured area rug adds a beautiful soft texture to the room.

The bathroom is completely tiled with white marble tiles for an elegant effect that is enhanced by the minimal white bathroom furniture.

via Simon Crest

This tiny apartment has one main room, where a sofa area, bedroom, and dining table are combined into a single space. You enter the apartment through the small kitchen, yet the biggest room is also the one with the most impressive color palette as it features beautiful sage green walls that brighten up the apartment and highlight the natural light that comes in.

Have a look at this apartment if you are looking for a warmer shade of subtle sage green and a dark sage green bedroom, or have a look at this blog post if you are looking for sage green kitchen inspiration especially. I recently wrote up a blog post with my top selection of stylish small studio apartments which gives you a great overview.

A sage green paint color in the main living space

The floor and ceiling of this apartment are painted white, which is a great choice, as it makes the rooms appear bigger than they are. To add interest to the space, a soft sage green paint color was used on the walls of the living space, adding so much interest and character to this small room with shared functionality.

The sage green pairs up so nicely with the warm elements in the fabrics, leather dining chairs, light wood furniture, and the warm beige fabric pendant light above the coffee table. The blue undertones in the sage green color add a cool touch to the space, which is contrasted by all the warm naturals in the details.

The white fabric sofa, combined with the structured white area rug and the white-painted vintage cabinet next to the bed form the perfect basis for the subtle green on the walls and the warm tones in the details. The area rug looks great paired up with the sofa but also serves as a visual separator of the different functional areas.

The bed has been made with a combination of white linen bedsheets, beige throw pillows, and a wood open cabinet at the end of the bed, which warms up the cool undertones of the sage green walls. The green branches on the bedside table bring out the fresh element in the sage green paint color.

In the dining area, the sage green works beautifully with the light wood dining table, the leather chairs, and the dark green tones inside of the art print on the wall. I love sage green combined with a different shade of green, dark, or light for a tone-on-tone effect.

A separate kitchen combined hallway with a small dining table

Next to the sage green living area, you can find a small kitchen where the walls have been kept white for a more neutral look. Also here you can find a combination of warm materials: the wood folding table, leather chair, and hemp rug really warm up the all-white kitchen. While I could have imagined the kitchen with sage green paint on the walls as well, it kind of makes the color choice on the interior walls in the living room more special.

Sage green paint colors to try out a swatch from

Try out a swatch of Farrow & Ball Teresa’s green* for a fresh sage green with blue undertones, or go for Farrow & Ball Cooking apple green* if you want to avoid the blue undertones and go for a warmer look that still has the impressive character sage green can add to an interior.

Always try out a swatch of sage green paint colors in the space, as the daylight a room gets can highly influence the undertones that appear. A sage green bedroom can be a great alternative for other cool color palettes often recommended for a bedroom as it’s a bit more subtle and sophisticated.

via Kvarteret Makleri