Smålands Skinnmanufaktur is a Swedish design studio with their own manufacturing who design products and furniture for life. They just recently released their Black Noir collection, which is an ongoing journey towards a darkened expression. It’s a collection with more courage and the design studio strongly believes furniture may well lean into art earning a spot as a statement piece in a room full of personality.

The designs came to life with respect for the essence of life, honoring hand crafts and our planet’s resources which can never be valued enough. Designer Hillevi Magnell believes furniture should always be designed with a purpose which I think comes forward in these products handcrafted out of smoked oak wood and black leather, which have a powerful expression in the interior.

Art Direction by Hillevi Magnell, styled by Sundling Kickén, photographed by Osman Tahir

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I think this beautiful turn-of-the-century Swedish apartment has been styled to perfection in a wonderful palette of muted beige color on the walls and in the furniture and finishes. The living room seems to be the center of the home, which has this warm grey walls and a black sofa and armchair that really stand out. The large grey area rug covers the white flooring almost entirely and adds a lovely texture to the space. The long wall that extends from the hallway into the living room has been covered with a long unit of open shelves, which is great for displaying accessories and books.

The kitchen is located right next to the living room and the cabinet fronts have been painted in a muted green tone combined with lots of fresh green plants and a horizontal shiplap backsplash. There is space for a large dining table in this kitchen as well, which makes it great for cooking and gathering. There are upper cabinets only on the side of the kitchen opposing the window and the rest has been kept empty, which makes it look lighter. The white farmhouse sink stands out against the green kitchen color palette.

The open shelf next to the window looks very playful in this setting and I bet it’s a pleasure to decorate and change the setting on top of these shelves.

The bedroom has been painted in a warmer tint of gray (greige a.k.a gray-beige) than the living room, which works well with the natural colors in the bedsheets. By the door, you can also find a small home office and I love the way the black desk contrasts with the rest of the colors in the room.

Styled by Linnéa H. Manaberi, photographed by Anders Bergstedt for Alvhem

Acclaimed furniture designer Sami Kallio recently designed the Valet Wall Console for Norwegian brand Northern. The piece combines timeless Nordic wood crafting techniques with modern design values and can be used as a desk, side table or nightstand. It maximises storage without compromising on style. 

The floating curved table can be hung at a height of your choice for different functions. I think it’s an ideal small desk or also perfect for a make-up table. The circular drawer provides a place to tidy away the essentials and is lined with Sørensen leather.

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I’m so in love with this Swedish apartment that is a perfect showcase of what a combination of beautiful textiles can do to a space. The living room is covered with a beautiful hemp rug* and the windows are dressed with those warm beige curtains* that warm up the daylight coming in. The deep window sills are great for adding a lamp and decorations, and one of them has even been turned into a seating area with a simple sheepskin and pillow.

The round dining table with the black bentwood chairs works perfectly in this room, which is on the smaller side and I love the combination of the beige linen table cloth* with the black accent lines in the chairs.

From the living room, you can walk straight into the bedroom, which is shared with a small home office in front of the window. I love the statement white vase in the bedroom window with this huge branch and the console table adds a characterful touch to the room.

The bed has been made with a lovely combination of a beige duvet cover* and a beige blanket*, which goes well with the color palette of the rest of the apartment. Lastly the terracotta tone of the bedside table adds a beautiful warmth to the bedroom, which comes back in the warm color of the living room curtains. The subtle gallery wall above the bed adds a subtle cherry on top to the bedroom decor.

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

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During 3 days of design in Copenhagen last week, just like every year design firm New Works has presented their newest collection of design items in their beautiful showroom. This year they brightened up their space together with stylist Lotta Agaton and created a bright and airy interior that marks new beginnings and lights up the dark season we have ahead of us.

The exhibition is called TABULA, the latin word for tablet, which conveys the concept of a frame for creation, a place to breathe, rethink and nurture the emotional side of creativity. The light coming in from the windows brightens up the furniture in a light palette and accentuates the darker lines that have been integrated in contrast. The highlights of the exhibition are new additions to the Florence line, a new shelving system and the new Margin lighting series designed by John Astbury.

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I’m always so inspired by the beautiful turn-of-the-century apartments that I share here on the blog, and even though I dream of one day living in such a place, I think a building of any year can be made cozy and inviting, just as this place in Sweden proves. They key is to work with your base furniture in natural colors, and then add lots of textures in the textiles and accessories to add character and coziness.

The sofa area in front of the window is the part of the room that gets the most natural light, and I love the way the windows are framed with those sheer beige curtains*. The dark beige linen cover of the sofa is paired up with pillow cases in tints of beige and brown* and I love the vintage Dux easy chair in linen, which matches the look of this space perfectly.

The bench on the opposite wall of the sofa is great for decor pieces and a statement lamp and the area rugs in this combined living and dining space separate the funcitonal areas visually. 

The round dining table with the vintage wooden chairs make for a cozy dining area in the corner next to the bedroom door and the large bookshelf works perfectly against the dining area wall. Even though this room is rather long and narrow, it has been made stylish and spacious. 

The bedroom has a very modest look which matches the beige color palette in the rest of the apartment. Next to the bedroom, there is a small room, which is the perfect spot for a home office. I think the desk looks great in front of the window like that, it makes me want to move my desk in front of the window as well.

Styled by Grey Deco for Alvhem

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I think there are so many things to love about this beautiful turn-of-the-century home in Sweden. The layout with the double doors between the large kitchen and living room looks very spacious and I love the white floors combined with the grey walls and the grey floor-to-ceiling kitchen. It’s a neutral base palette that is enhanced by the details, black cabinet hardware, textiles, granite countertops, and accessories used throughout the space.

The oval dining table in the middle of the kitchen works well as the center of the space and I love the way the fresh white vtitra DSR chairs combine with the beige linen table cloth* on the table. I like the way the String configuration on the wall next to those beautiful distressed doors serves as a place for storing plates and I think it works so nicely in this spot combined with the feather print. You can find exactly the same configuration on the wall in the living room and I think this piece would work well for a small TV area as well.

The grey color palette continues in the living room, where the rust color pillow case*, the grey sofa, the guitar and the LCW lounge chair add a warm touch to the color palette. I think the grey wall color really makes the lighter elements in the interior stand out a lot, especially the white Alma wall lamp seems to just be getting some well-deserved attention in this look.

The small spare room has been used for an inspiring home office and I like that there are two rattan armchairs in this space, it completes the look somehow. The bedroom has been painted in a darker grey combined with a black bed and beige pillow cases* on the bed. The wardrobe is placed behind those white curtains*, which is a great way to hide them away.

via Alvhem

I think this beautiful Swedish home looks so calm and tranquil. The color palette has been kept in the range of beiges and greys, with black accent pieces, which fits really nicely with the turn-of-the-century elements in this space. I think the artworks fit perfectly with the color palette of the interior and even though they don’t really stand out, they add a very powerful touch to the walls.

The living room has a very modest palette, yet the black armchair, coffee table and dining area add such a lovely contrast to the space which just can’t be ignored. The bedroom is connected to the living room and has been decorated very modestly, yet in a very elegant way. The built in wardrobe matches perfectly with the original doors and window frames of the apartment and the textiles on the bed look simple yet sophisticated.

via Historiska Hem

This beautiful turn-of-the-century Swedish apartment is light flooded because of those tall windows and I love the open plan layout of the kitchen and living room, which are connected by those pretty wing doors. The deep blue wall color adds a lot of contrast to the all white kitchen. Without this wall color, the kitchen would be much less characterful, it’s amazing what the paint on the wall does to this space. 

The oak wood dining table with the J39 chairs match perfectly with the warmth coming from the exposed brick wall in between the windows and from the kitchen, you can walk onto a small balcony. The living room has been decorated in a light palette, from which the Vitra LCM lounge chair really stands out. The black and white vitrine against the wall is another addition of contrast and I love that the inside of the cabinet is white, which makes the objects on display stand out in a very nice way.

via Alvhem