Danish Norm Architects and Japanese design brand Karimoku Case Study teamed up for their fourth exciting project, called the Azabu Residence made in collaboration with designer Keiji Ahsizawa. The fine wooden furniture pieces were created as part of this complete renovation projects in a luxury apartment built in 1988 in the quiet Nishi-Azabu residential district of Tokyo.

The Azabu apartment brings Japanese and Scandinavian design together. This project arose from the shared belief in the use of natural materials and a muted, dark toned color palette. This open but cozy apartment is characterized by its tactile, soft-minimal and timeless nature. 

The Azabu project was inspired by a mid-century American and Brazilian modernism which translates into the use of warm dark natural materials and wooden wall paneling, lush carpets and tactile upholstery. I love that the apartment uses dark tones but still keeps a very cozy and welcoming feel to it.

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Last year, Danish design brand Fredericia has visited Børge Mogensen’ former house just north of Copenhagen. Børge Mogensen has designed so many beautiful furniture pieces for the brand, so the brand decided to honor his immense talent and the role this house played in this life. 

Mogensen designed the house together with architects Arne Karlsen and Erling Zeuthen Nilsen. Although, it appears that Mogensen did most of it single-handedly. Mogensen lived in the house, with his wife Alice, for 15 years and assembled it to fit most of his iconic designs. 

Soon, the house got the nickname, “the laboratory”, as it became the place where Alice designed fashion and Mogensen experimented with prototypes for his furniture. The prototypes were always tested by the whole family and were to be found all over the house. Only when the kids were able to jump the couches and everyone could sit on the chairs would they be considered “approved”. 

Mogensen, curious as he is, would often be contemplating about all kinds of improvements to his work. This kept him forever busy with trying to make the furniture and designs more flawless and complete. The house itself, but also the way Mogensen lived, was unpretentious. Just as Mogensen wanted us to live our own lives …

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Swedish concept store Artilleriet has teamed up with Tre Sekel to design a kitchen that is meant to be a piece of furniture. A kitchen created for everyday use, without handles, where everything is uncovered.

Each of these kitchens is handmade by professional craftsmen locally in Sweden. This makes every kitchen special and unique. With its’ solid wood cabinet frames, drawers, and doors, this kitchen has a supreme quality and can stand the test of time. The woodwork is available in smoked or white soaped oak and all of the drawers have dovetail joints and the interiors are draped with Tärnsjö leather, which has a very beautiful look and feel. 

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This beautiful Swedish attic home has beautiful features in the architecture (look at those beams, those windows, and the daylight coming in on both sides), which are enhanced by a mixture of contemporary furniture in white with some black accents. The sofa’s in the living room are very sculptural and I think their curved lines contrast so nicely with the minimal and clean lines of the kitchen and kitchen island.

I like that the kitchen module is a full block of cabinets with a marble countertop in the middle and open shelving on the top. The kitchen island has some open storage as well and I think the objects placed there really stand out.

The floorplan is open and the kitchen also serves as a separation of the areas in the loft. Behind the large module of the kitchen, the bedroom is placed, which includes a small workspace. The desk is combined with a dusty pink chair, which is the only element of color in the space (not taking the green plants into account).

via Wrede

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Other than a smart layout in the bedroom and kitchen, this Swedish apartment has a beautiful living room as well, with a color combination that I’m so fond of: blue and beige. The small blue velvet sofa really stands out against all the beige in this room. The living room walls have been painted in a very subtle beige tone, which is matched up with a darker beige in the curtains* and the two canvas armchairs. The white in the area rug, pouf, and the vintage dining table lighten up this look and make the contrast with the sofa even stronger. I love the statement vase with the branch on the side table next to the sofa as well and the wooden coffee table fits the overall look perfectly.

It seems like the kitchen and bedroom used to be one space, later separated by a glass partition which turns the space into two rooms, yet still lets in the natural light coming from the bedroom window into the kitchen. I love those smart solutions, which tend to be included in smaller apartments in recent years, though this one seems to be older judging from the paint on the glass partition.

via Stadshem

Talented Arminka (@petitsourire on Instagram) has styled my Crinkled no.1 art print in her home and I think she captured it in such a lovely way. She used dandelions as props and the print reflects in the little and mirror on the table. The print matches perfectly with the oak wood of the table and the old details on the window frames.

Arminka is organising a giveaway on her Instagram profile, where you can win one of my prints of choice, go have a look ! The giveaway is open until Sunday.

I think this beautiful turn-of-the-century bedroom has such a daring color palette. The fresh mint green paint on the wall makes the white built-in shelving and the window frames stand out in a very nice way and the green accessories on the shelf complement the wall color perfectly. The color palette in this small bedroom became even more daring by complementing the green walls with a lavender duvet cover* and a plant with pink and purple leaves in the window.

via Historiska Hem

The white walls, soaped wooden flooring, and white linen curtains* in this fresh and airy bedroom make up the perfect canvas for the subtle natural decorations throughout the space. I love the beige rice paper pendant in combination with the beige blanket and the striped burned orange pillow on the bed. Both the armchair and the bench behind the bed add an extra natural look and feel to this space and I love the way the green plants stand out in the window sills.

via Alvhem

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I think this living room looks so soft and delicate with those grey walls, subtle textiles, and wood finishes. The curved wooden chair is a real eye-catcher against the gallery wall and gives the space a modern touch. The art prints in natural colors with black accents match the overall look perfectly and the warm beige curtains* add a warmer shade to the grey wall color.

While the living room combines tints of beige and grey for a more subtle look, the bedroom on the other hand has a bold color palette with a very dark green wall color for a beautiful moody effect. The warm beige curtains, pink blanket, and pillowcases really stand out against this wall color and I love that the artwork on the wall blends yet is visible because of the texture.

Styled by Bon Interior, photographed by Mariah Salander for Bjurfors

This turn-of-the-century Swedish home has some great features, to begin with, like those tall windows and this curved living room corner, which is used so appropriately for the dining table, don’t you think? I love the base color palette of this space, created by the warm grey wall color and the warm beige linen curtains* in front of the windows. The black Soderhamn sofa and round black coffee table add a lovely contrast to this living room area, which is softened out by the grey area rug and the grey velvet pouf. On the wall above the sofa, you can see my Folded no.1 art print, which fits right into this palette.

The vintage white dining table combined with the elegant black dining chairs and the fabric pendant light works wonderfully in the round window area and on the other side of the room a small office was integrated. I love the black desk, chair, and lamp, which add a lot of contrast to this corner.

The black kitchen with the white marble countertop looks so impressive as well and I love that the upper cabinets above the sink are kept white for a lighter look. The bedroom has a simpler look, with a lighter color palette, which makes the gorgeous fabric pendant light stand out so much.

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