I love the work of Swedish interior stylist Linnéa Salmén and have blogged about her stylings here on multiple occasions. This time around, she styled the Bemz sofa covers in such a beautiful way. Bemz makes sofa slipcovers for Ikea sofas and furniture so you can customize them and make them your own.  While the sofa covers themselves already enhance the look of the Ikea sofas, Linnéa brought these readily available and affordable designs to a whole new level with her styling.

I love the warm tones in this beautiful Scandinavian apartment with custom carpentry. The kitchen has dark wood tones combined with a sandstone worktop and leather details in the cupboard handles, which has a very warm and cozy effect in the space.

The sofa has been placed underneath the beautiful metal staircase, which leads up to the bedroom underneath the roof. Especially in the bedroom, I love the way the custom-built wardrobes enhance the space. The entire wall surface behind the bed has been fitted with cupboards, with an indent where the bed goes to have space available in that area for an open shelf. The high cupboards turn into lower ones on the side, which is such a lovely and space-saving solution for a bedroom. If you are looking to implement a similar setup in your bedroom, make sure to take a look at this post which includes a full list of wardrobe ideas above the bed.

via Historiska Hem

While I wouldn’t call myself a minimalist (my love for interesting accessories and pieces of art is just too large) I think so much value lies in a well-designed minimal space like the one in the pictures. When the eye doesn’t go to many objects, it focuses on the quality of materials in a space and it has a very calming effect.

This beautiful Scandinavian apartment has white-soaped hardwood flooring, which has been paired up with warmer yet subtle wood tones, sandstone in the kitchen, and a big plant that adds a bit of color to the space. In the bedroom, the pale-yellow bedsheets take all the attention and I love the way this subtle hint of color transforms this space.

via Esny

This small apartment with a shared living room and bedroom is a perfect example of making an odd layout work and this even in a very stylish way. Having exposed pipelines is not the easiest thing to work with, but rather than dreading them, the owners of this elegant apartment highlighted them with the black paint that stands out against the grey walls. This way, they become an interior element rather than something to hide away.

By placing the sofa against the angled wall, an interesting dynamic has been created between the window, the area rug, and the rest of the space. This leaves enough space for the bed, which shares a room with the sofa. By adding a mirror, the room looks larger and the light from the window is reflected as well.

In the kitchen, a weird niche has been turned into a workspace, which is an elegant solution in this room. This way you have everything you need in just two rooms, by optimally using every nook of the available surface.

via Alvhem

This beautiful and sophisticated interior in shades of green has been decorated fully with items available at H&M Home*, which makes it surprisingly affordable yet it really doesn’t look like it, does it?

I think the large plants in front of the big windows, combined with the deep green tints in the artwork and furniture and the otherwise neutral color palette in the textiles and accessories makes for a very calming and tranquil atmosphere, with a modern touch and a slight Japandi vibe.

The subtle decor in this beautiful Swedish home has such an elegant effect on the space. The neutral color palette combined with custom artwork, a beige sofa, a few vintage pieces, and fresh plants looks very elegant, yet so modest at the same time. 

All the rooms in this apartment come together in the living room, from which you can take a peek into the bedroom, kitchen, and office. The bedroom has a subtle blue wall color, which pairs nicely with the beige elements in the room. The iconic umage feather lamps add a nice texture to the room and I love the way you can see them from the living room. 

The office and kitchen have a slightly awkward layout but work nicely with the other rooms. Even though the office is small, it’s a luxury to have a separate room for this purpose and there is even enough space for a built-in wardrobe, which is a nice touch.

via Alvhem

This insane Swedish waterfront mansion is up for sale, and while the inspiration is hardly applicable to my modest apartment, it is fun to take a look inside this classy house. The historic elements combined with a mix of classic and modern interior elements get me and even though this is a different style of what I usually like and post about, it’s also a different type of real estate I suppose.

via Per Jansson

This small studio apartment with rounded windows has these mesmerizing deep green walls, which makes the otherwise modestly colored furniture and accessories stand out in such a beautiful way. The light wool area rug, which covers a large portion of the room adds a soft texture to the white-soaped hardwood flooring. The white linen sofa combined with the linen pillows and the light oak furniture pieces enhance this soft look, while the red autumn arrangement on the coffee table and the graphic art prints on the walls add a subtle contrast to the space. 

If you are looking for more inspiration on small studio homes, have a look at this blogpost, where I listed the most inspiring small studio home ideas, along with tips and tricks to make them work.

Styled by Grey Deco, photographed by Frederik J Karlsson for Alvhem

Wall colors can enhance an interior so much and take it to the next level. Imagine this beautiful Swedish apartment with all-white walls, it just wouldn’t have the same character, would it? I think the furniture and accessories are selected in a way to either match or contrast the wall colors, which has an impressive effect on the space. The bedroom has a minty green wall color, which comes back in the linen duvet cover, is matched by a darker hue of blue-green in the chair by the window, and is contrasted by the warm beige textiles on the bed. Such a beautiful play between cool and warm in this bedroom.

The living room has a more modest color palette, with tones of beige on the sofa and white wainscoting that light up the darker flooring in this apartment. I love how the green branch stands out against the beige walls and the way the TV has been integrated above a very narrow cupboard that hides all the cables.

While both the living room and bedroom have a very classy and elegant look with the subtle wall colors combined with the wall paneling, the kitchen however has a more rough and rustic touch to it because of the exposed brick wall. I love this contrast between the different rooms.

Styled by Emma Fisher, photographed by Frederik Karlsson for Alvhem

Natural light is the absolute best interior accessory if you ask me. Nothing beats a sunlit interior to help you feel good at home. When designed right, rooftop spaces are often the ones that have the most beautiful daylight coming in, not to mention the exposed wood beams that often decorate the ceiling and the view you have when looking up at the sky or through the window. An apartment or room with a sloped roof can be a challenge to decorate, but once you get it right, it can become such a beautiful, cozy, and well-lit space.

This is why I’m so happy to have teamed up with VELUX, to give you my 5 top tips on how to decorate spaces underneath a sloped roof. You can even win a room makeover designed by me at your place with a budget of €3000 euro! You can find more info on how to participate on the VELUX Instagram or VELUX Facebook page.

Tip no.1: Flood the room with light
Making the most out of your rooftop space all starts with the windows. Did you know rooftop windows let in double the amount of daylight as a regular one? By strategically planning out the windows, you can guide natural light exactly where you want it to be and you can even create more headspace by building out part of the window.

Last week I had the opportunity to style a rooftop space here in Munich which was fitted with a VELUX CABRIO™ which allowed the space to be filled with such an abundance of daylight and a beautiful view over the rooftops in the neighborhood. While the CABRIO™ design doesn’t take up more space than a normal roof window, it can be folded out and opened up like a balcony, how cool is that?

It’s impressive what natural light in the right spot can do to a space. In case you are planning out your own rooftop apartment, VELUX has an online configurator where that guides you through the steps of selecting the right VELUX windows for your space which is a great place to start and they also have a wide variety of solutions to protect your space from heat and sun.

Tip no.2 Strategically place your furniture
When it comes to the interior of your rooftop space, you better optimize the space available as much as possible. Some areas typically require ceiling height (like storage space, or the main part of the kitchen), but other areas can easily fit underneath a lower ceiling. Think about a strategically placed bed, dining table, or office space. The really low spaces can be used for low shelving, either open or closed, and make a great display for your favorite accessories.

Image sources: Alvhem – Stadshem – Bjurfors

Tip no.3 Adjust your furniture to the room

Custom-made storage space is the best option for optimally adapting to the layout of the room, but if you don’t have the resources, you can find many modular systems, which let you design closed or open cabinets to your style and needs. Systems that come in different heights can be placed underneath the sloped ceiling and the open space on top can be filled in with baskets and beautiful storage boxes when you need extra storage space.

Images Sources: Alvhem – Bjurfors – Innerstadspecialisten

Tip no.4 make smart use of dead space
The challenge with attic spaces is usually the lower area, which can be optimally used for a built-in desk for example, or storage space, but often attic spaces come with little niches and corners that are even harder to decorate. Measure the size available and look for a way to turn the nook into a fully functional space like a wardrobe, home office, or even an open-plan bedroom like in the first picture below.

Images sources: Alvhem – Stadshem – Bjurfors

Tip no.5 Embrace your surroundings
Do you have a weird nook, beams in uncommon places? Instead of dreading them, embrace them as part of the room, as they add character and personality. A lower space by the window can be turned into an amazing window seat and that funky beam you have been dreading could be the ideal spot to dangle a statement pendant from, or the perfect spot for your favorite plant. The key to this is to leave yourself with enough time, decorating is a process and once you have the layout of the space figured out, the right accessories will come your way. Rather than seeing the awkward features as disturbances, embrace them, or even accentuate them to make your interior truly unique.

Image Sources: Ahre – Bjurfors – Alvhem 

Together with VELUX, I’m giving away a room makeover designed by me worth €3000. We are looking for the most beautiful home with VELUX windows in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland and I will consult and restyle the winner’s home in person. I myself can’t wait to start with this project and to see pictures of your amazing spaces! You can find more info on how to participate on the VELUX Instagram or VELUX Facebook page.

This blogpost was created in collaboration with VELUX, however all opinions are my own of course. If you are looking to add more daylight to your sloped or straight rooftop you can find all info on VELUX solutions on their website. They have a great inspiration section where you can see example projects as well.