When I was on the market for a new apartment last year I saw so many places here in Munich with a very narrow kitchen and thought this could become challenging to design. I ended up with a living kitchen in my current apartment, so this wasn’t an issue, but I still love to see the solution in this Swedish home for the exact problem.

A combination of high and low modules on the one side with black doors and a metro tiled wall gives ample storage, while the side of the window was kept free for a dining table. The foldable round dining table that is used here fits into the space perfectly with the two bentwood chairs on each side. The curvy sides of the table give the illusion of so much more empty space around it, making the room look bigger.

via Alvhem

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Beige can often add a very warm look and feel to a room and this is also the case in this beautiful Swedish living room, however since it has been combined with light grey and a green plant, it somehow also has a very fresh look.

I love the graphic art work on the wall above the sofa, which breaks all the beige a little bit and the vintage armchair is a really nice touch as well. The little black bench against the wall on the other side is great for displaying decoration items, without being too heavy.

via Stadshem

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Two new amazing projects by Swedish Noridska Kök, in oak this time. Both kitchens are inspired by nature and the modern lifestyle of today. The first kitchen combines natural oak with painted oak cabinets in a dark moody blue color and a limestone countertop in a cold tone. I think this combination of warm and cold works exceptionally well here.

The second kitchen combines oak with light-painted upper cabinets and sand-colored Jura limestone. The open shelving creates a mini island next to the door, which works very nicely as a divider as well.

Styling by Caroline Sandström, photographed by Andrea Papini for Noridska Kök

I’m always inspired by kitchens in darker colors, but I have to say, an all white kitchen can be just as nice to be honest. The tiled wall going all the way to the ceiling in this place works exceptionally well and the concrete looking countertop breaks all the white a little bit.

I like the kitchen island layout dividing the living room from the kitchen as well and the dining table with the black bentwood chairs matches is a nice touch of contrast against all the white.

via Alvhem

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A little while ago, I introduced you to Italian brand GSI Ceramica, who make beautiful bathroom ceramics and combine traditional craftsmanship with evolving technical innovations in Research and Development. I got to see the Color Elements collection samples with my own eyes and made a little moodboard of how I would design a bathroom with both the Cenere and Agave colors. Today though, I will be going into depth a little bit more about one of their high quality timeless collections: Kube X.

When you design a bathroom, rather than focussing on the latest trend, in my opinion you should pay attention to timeless design. You will have the same bathroom for years to come, so it’s best to carefully consider high quality elements that can stand the test of time in terms of durability, quality but also aesthetics. This is actually the case not only for bathroom elements, but for every piece of furniture in your home as well. If you make the investment in a quality item, you want to do it right and carefully consider it so you can have it for a long time.

The Kube X collection was designed out of the need for contemporary elements with paired down lines and slender edges. These minimal designs offer so many possibilities and can be fit within a modern bathroom of any type. The white or Cenere glazing of the pieces can fit in perfectly with any material of wall and floor covering and can easily be paired up with black, chrome or even brass tabs depending on the look you prefer. The clean lines of the pieces have a very subtile and quiet presence, without being shouty. They leave room for adding personality, but look beautiful on their own as well. They can be paired up with different fixtures and the square washbasins offer many different installation options: wall hung, on a countertop or on a mobile support so you can truly design the bathroom of your preference.

The sanitary ware are wall hung as well and come with Extraglaze® glazing which is a new ceramic glaze which minimizes the formation of surface pores. This makes the ceramic surface smoother, brighter and easily washable so that less detergent and water is needed during cleaning. GSI ceramica made a little video where they tested cleaning pencil stains. I wish my bathroom had this, just imagine how much time you would save cleaning !

The collection also includes the Swirlflush® patented flushing system, which uses only 4,5l with each flush instead of the 9l that are commonly used in a flushing system. This is a very nice touch and this feature alone would already convince me of this collection. On their website, you can see a series of tests they did with the Swirlflush® so you can see what happens when you flush different materials (ink and saw dust for example, but also regular toilet paper – they are very fun to watch). The ink is the most impressive one I think, I just don’t want to know what would happen if I were to try this in my toilet at home !

In summary, I think the Kube X collection offers everything you might need to design a timeless and high quality bathroom which you can customise with your own choice of surface materials and water fixtures. The design is timeless yet contemporary, so you won’t get tired of it and the high quality materials and technology make this collection a long lasting option for a bathroom that can stand the test of time.

This post was written in collaboration with GSI Ceramica however all opinions are my own of course. If you would like get inspired for your bathroom project, I highly encourage you to read their latest Bathings magazine. GSI products are available in Germany through Richter + Frenzel, in Austria through SHT, in Switzerland through Sabag.

How cool is the color palette in this kitchen please? You have to be so courageous to pick a pink kitchen wall color combined with dark grey kitchen cabinets, but I absolutely love this look. The stainless steel countertops and white tiles gives this kitchen a more masculine look, which balances things out a little against all the pink.

via Historiska Hem, first seen on Bolig Magasinet

I love how warm and cozy this home looks. The beige walls work very nicely with the dark hardwood flooring and the many art prints on the wall add a personal touch and character. This apartment has some great turn of the century features, which are toned down by the minimal furniture pieces. 

via Historiska Hem

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I think the layout of the Swedish home for sale with the wing doors between the kitchen and living room is just perfect. The kitchen is big enough to fit a large dining table and the cozy sofa area is with its grey walls peeking through has a nice effect.

I like the two &Tradition Formakami pendants* above the table, they add such a delicate yet graphic touch. The light grey of the kitchen cabinets comes back in the kitchen wall color and matches the metro tiles on the wall very nicely. The living room with its darker walls and the eye catching bentwood rocking chair looks so amazingly cozy and moody, I would love to spend an afternoon reading there.

Styled by Emma Fisher, photographed by Alen Cordic for Bjurfors

Maybe it’s because I have such an overwhelmingly white kitchen in my own home, but I’m always so inspire with uncommon color choices in the kitchen. Take this kitchen design in a Swedish home for example, which has warm grey cabinet doors combined with a muted blue backsplash. I think these two colors go so well together and give this space a cool and warm touch at the same time. 

I’m a big fan of the long peg rail above the stove as well and the fact that top cupboards are only used on the left side of the kitchen gives the layout an open look and feel.

Styled by izardHøyer AB, photographed by Anders Bergstedt for Entrance Makleri

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Just imagine this would be where you go to sleep at night ! This bedroom is so stylish with the turn-of-the-century details on the walls and ceilings, it doesn’t need any special decor to make the interior shine. The simple yet luxurious bedding, combined with the light grey area rug on top of the old hardwood flooring and the vintage cabinet look perfectly balanced in this historic masterpiece. I also like the way they have worked with the art prints above the wall panelling.

Styled by JosefssonLjung, photographed by Anders Bergstedt for Entrance Makleri

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