NORDIC STYLE SWEDEN

Now you see it...now you don't!

2012-02-03T08:19:00.001-08:00

It's all about savvy, sophisticated and Swedish storage in 2012 (note clever use of alliteration). Now, we're not ones to blow our own trumpet but we can't help but give ourselves a pat on the back for this wonderfully practical yet GORGEOUS Gustavian computer cabinet that we now stock.

Everyone needs their fix of modern technology nowadays - after all how else would you be reading this blog? - but a bunch of cables and a 20 inch black monitor with a dodgy screensaver lurking in the corner of your beautifully chic lounge/family room some what ruins the effect.

De-clutter with Nordic Style and get your cabinet with 10% off until the end of February from Nordic Style. We also sell a great range of sideboards, cabinets, bookcases and desks to hide away those unsightly bits and bobs.

Visit the full range at the Nordic Style website or call us for more details.

Swedish Shabby Chic at its best!

2012-01-27T08:56:00.000-08:00

Swedish country style meets Gustavian glamour in this gorgeous dining room.

This is a classic example of the two kinds of traditional Swedish style meeting and marrying beautifully. The understated and distressed furniture combined with the elegant and elaborate chandelier captures the essence of Gustavian design in a quirky and intriguing way.

There is a consistent yet subtle sense of symmetry throughout the room which compliments the neutral colour scheme, over all creating a haven-like sense of complete calm, and we love it!

What do you think? Leave us your comments!

Colour Blocking - Swedish Style!

2012-01-20T05:21:00.000-08:00

Though many people think that colour blocking only works in the contemporary home, we disagree! We were absolutely inspired when we saw how colour blocking has been used here to bring this traditional Swedish room to life.

As a general rule we would usually recommend a subtle approach in combining the colour blocking theme with the Nordic Style, blocking only in accessories and soft furnishings and repeating the same colour tones and fabric patterns. But we can’t help but love that the designer here has done the complete opposite in style whilst still capturing the essence of traditional Scandinavian design.

The colours of the walls, furniture upholstery, window coverings and soft furnishings are thrown together in a way that on paper would seem hectic; however in this instance,the unmatchable is matched, clashing colours and patterns splashed over the furniture, walls and fabrics sit side by side like they were always meant to be together – a kind of organised chaos.

The best bits:

1. Stencilling and hand painted details are a long established characteristic of Swedish design, the hand painted details that feature on this room’s walls maintain this tradition but add a quirky and interesting twist.

2. The classic Gustavian furniture used in this room is brought to life again with colourful upholstery. We love how the designer has chosen to choose both different colours and patterns in the fabrics used to upholster the pieces, the eye is drawn to every piece in the room individually whilst still creating a sense of harmony and consistency.

3. The light streams beautifully through the vibrant yellow fabric used to frame the windows, contrasting to the usual neutral and sheer dressing of Scandinavian windows yet still elegant.

This may be the equivalent to Marmite in terms of interior design but here at Nordic Style we'd spread this all over our toast in the mornings if we could!

What do you think? Can colour blocking and traditional Swedish design live together in harmony or frankly, is this just all wrong? We want to know, leave us your comments below.

To visit our website and pick up a few Nordic Style pices of your own to get started on creating this look, go to nordicstyle.com. We have a whole range of fabrics, paints, accessories and furniture to choose from.

Happy Hilarymas Day!

2012-01-11T06:29:00.000-08:00

"Tjugondag Knut dansas julen ut!"

(Dance Christmas out on Sankt Knuds Day!)

Today officially marks the last day of Sweden's Christmas celebrations.

After just under a month of eating, drinking and gathering with friends the Swedes are saying goodbye to the festivities by, well, eating, drinking and gathering with friends.

In Swedish tradition Hilarmas day, otherwise known as Sankt Knuds Day, is the day when family and friends literally throw the Christmas tree out of the window (or, more conservatively, box away their artificial tree and place it neatly in the attic) and plunder it of all its edible decorations - yet another excuse to eat ginger bread and sweets! We're beginning to see a trend here.

Here at the Nordic Style showroom we may have taken down our decorations already but we'll still be getting into the spirit of this final celebration of Christmas and gathering all of our Nordic Style girls for drinks and nibbles.

Although we're rather sad that the festive celebrations are now officially at an end as of tomorrow, we're looking forward to the many other Swedish festivals throughout the year that provide us with the justification to fill our bellies with Nordic treats and be silly with the ones we love. We'll be sure to keep you updated with the Swedish calendar so you can join in too!

(p.s If you're feeling too sad to say goodbye to Christmas just yet, we have 50% off on all of our Christmas items...visit us in store or online!)

Happy New Year...say Hello to the trends of 2012!

2012-01-06T03:23:00.000-08:00

The new year is here and although we loved all of the Swedish festivities over Christmas, we're looking forward to beginning 2012 a fresh and equipt with a long list of new year's resolutions (failing catastrophically already at the no chocolate rule), starting with giving our Nordic Style showroom and homes a new lease of life.

The tomtemars, tomtefars, miseltoe, wreaths, fairy lights, Christmas tree and red and white decorations have all been taken down and tucked away neatly in their boxes ready to be put to use again next Christmas, and now in their place is a whole range of accessories and furniture in fresh, spring-like colours and prints.

This year the new trend is all about colour blocking. We like to incorporate this trend into our Nordic style by keeping our walls and floors in the traditional muted grey and white tones and injecting colour through fabrics and statement furniture pieces.

The use of fabric in particular is an easy and often cost effective way to uplift and revamp any room without having to worry too much about making any massive changes. Reupholster your existing furniture in a new colour or print and repeat those tones throughout your soft furnishings to add a whole new lease of life without breaking the bank. Lampshades and lampbases, cushions, throws and curtains are all great examples of how to incorporate a scheme in an understated and smooth way.

Why not be daring and give that shabby looking chest of drawers or table you have lying around a 2012 makeover by repainting it to match your new colour scheme?

A word of caution needs to be said here, please make sure you keep these colour themes subtle to achieve that sense of effortless style. We are NOT suggesting that you should dye your shagpile rug raspberry pink to match the new cushions, this kind of matchy-matchy theme is NOT a good look and you're new lounge may end up looking like it's had a makeover courtesy of Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen.

Visit our website or our showroom for inspiration on getting started with your new year revamp! Incidentally, we offer both reupholstery and repainting services, as well as an interior design service for those feeling a little daunted by taking on a new design project alone, or even for those who'd like some simple advice! Give us a call for more information on 020 7351 1755.

A Swedish Christmas!

2011-12-23T04:42:00.000-08:00

God Jul readers!

Its Christmas Eve-eve and we’re busy preparing for tomorrow’s festivities.

Unlike English culture, the Swedes celebrate mainly on Christmas Eve. With Christmas day itself usually spent in Church, tomorrow is the day when we enjoy a whole host of traditional activities. Starting with…

…The feast! Eating is a huge part of the Nordic Christmas. In Sweden we dine on the delights of the Christmas buffet (or smorgasbord) such as Christmas ham, meatballs, sausages, herring, sweet and sour red cabbage and potatoes.

And we must always leave room for the Ricgryngrot (you’re quite literally allowed to undo the top button of your jeans at this point), the classic rice pudding. One lucky eater will find the hidden almond within the pudding, said to bring good luck throughout the year or, even better for all of the single gals’ out there, a marriage proposal! Warning - avoid seating all of your single Aunties together for the almond finding, it could get messy.

Although this comes as quite a bizarre revelation to all non-Swedish people, an integral part of Christmas eve for the Swedes is the annual Christmas special of Disney’s Donald Duck! At 3pm the entire family – children and adults alike - gather round the television to sit patiently and wait for the animated character to come and shake his tail feathers on screen.

And last but definitely not least, the arrival of Tomten! This is the part of the day most greatly anticipated by the children. A member of the family dresses up as Tomten; likened to a Swedish version of Santa Claus and originally derived from the mythical Scandinavian folklore creature Tomte, this bearded character was believed to protect the farmer’s home and family from misfortune. The modern Tomten brings gifts to all the Children, often attaching a silly riddle to each of the wrapped packages containing clues as to what’s inside.

We hope you enjoyed reading about our Swedish Christmas, we’d love to hear about your own family and cultural traditions. God Jul!

Carl Larsson's Christmas Scenes

2011-12-19T08:24:00.000-08:00

Carl Larsson continues to epitomize the Nordic Christmas atmosphere through his charming and iconic paintings. We could prove it by boring you with a recycled review of Larsson’s life and art similar to those found on the likes of Wikipedia, but we won’t… the paintings above speak for themselves. Enjoy!

Glug the Glogg!

2011-11-21T02:49:00.000-08:00

All this talk about celebrating Christmas is thirsty work. Here's a recipe that we found for the traditional Nordic mulled wine...the less glamorously named Glogg.

To make roughly 1.5 Liters you will need:

1 bottle of red wine

0.5 liters of brandy or vodka, it doesn't have to be the expensive kind.

10 cardamom pods

1 cinnamon stick

1/2 orange peel (dried or fresh)

1/2 lb sugar

Optional additions: 5 cloves, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 cup almonds, 5 dried figs

Method:

Heat the wine, brandy/vodka and all other ingredients in a large sauce pan.

Simmer for 45 minutes but do not bring to the boil.

Strain the liquid through a sieve, add the sugar and serve with a good dose of Christmas cheer!

Please share your own Glogg recipes with us or let us know how you got on with ours!

Last but not least: Nordic Style makeover tip three.

2011-11-16T02:59:00.000-08:00

Symmetry is a reoccurring feature of Swedish interiors, furniture pieces and light fittings are often skilfully placed in mirroring positions to demonstrate to the admirer both the individual beauty of the piece and its contribution to the
whole ambiance of the space.

As gurus in all things things Swedish interior design has to offer, the best advice we can give you is not to fill an empty space if it does not need filling. To accomplish the famously calm spaciousness of a Swedish space, furnish your rooms with just a few well chosen staple pieces, rearrange your existing pieces into positions that compliment each other and frame the room, and finally, DE-CLUTTER - this is your chance to finally get rid of that corner cabinet crammed with the painted china figurines that you you were left by your great Aunt. These rules apply not only to traditionally Gustavian inspired design, but also to more modern Swedish interior styles.

When combined, all of the underlying elements of Swedish design that we have talked about - paint colours, light, fabrics, symmetry - create a wholly Scandinavian interior.

Here at Nordic Style we're not averse to the combination of Gustavian design features with other classic styles either; we've found that mixing the Nordic Style with an English farmhouse theme for example works beautifully. This particular marriage of styles presents a chance to stray away from the typically light grey
tones of a traditional Swedish space and inject more colour into the room. Muted greens, blue's and reds are all colours that convey the essence of Swedish design with just a little more punch, as seen in our Rococo chairs painted in Nordic Style's Lichen Green (above).

We hope that you have enjoyed reading our tips and perhaps even applying them to your own Nordic Style home.

Please send us your own pictures of your own home and furniture, the best of which will feature on our blog!

Need help with your home? Nordic Style offers an interior design service, please contact us for further details.

Fill your advent calendar with Nordic Style goodies!

2011-11-14T02:06:00.001-08:00

During the past few weeks at our Chelsea showroom we've been enjoying unpacking all of the new Nordic Style Christmas stock.

Carefully unwrapping each precious Christmas trinket out of its bubble wrap cocoon and responding with the appropriate "Oohs" and "Ahhs" has been much like unwrapping a gift from each window in the Christmas advent calendar.

So, a sudden wave of domestic goddess-like inspiration has overcome us and we've decided to come up with some ideas to help you fill each pouch in your advent calendar, as follows...

Candy: Take a trip to the local sweet shop and pick up some traditional sweets - the kind that come in big glass jars and are served over the counter by a little old man wearing spectacles. There are so many to chose from, rhubarb and custards, pineapple chunks, pear drops, candy canes, sugar mice. And of course if you're feeling particularly Nordic in your taste buds you could go for some of the traditional Swedish treats like Daim bars and salted liquorice.

Ginger snaps: a classic Swedish Christmas treat, we'll be posting a recipe to make the perfect Swedish ginger snap soon. You could also place a few differently shaped cookie cutters around the calendar and do a batch of Ginger snaps in each shape.

Satsumas and nuts: certainly the healthier option but delightfully festive nonetheless!

Nativity finger puppets: these are great for the Kids and relatively easy to make. Just draw your nativity characters on a piece of card (or use our good friend Google images) and cut them out separately.

Make some finger loops using strips of card and then stick a character to each and dot them around the calendar. Go crazy with felt and pipe cleaners to make the outfits if your feeling especially confident with the arts and crafts!

Jokes: you can't beat a naff Christmas joke...something along the lines of "Who hides in the bakery at Christmas? A mince spy." will always do the trick. Get your 'hilarious' joke-telling uncle to help you come up with some crackers.

Hand written coupons: For the children, tokens for an extra bedtime story, a day out, their favorite meal etc.

If at this point you've read our suggestions and are lacking as much enthusiasm as a Blue Peter presenter in the arts and crafts department then we have a gorgeous range of Christmas tree decorations that will sit perfectly among the pouches of your advent calendar.

If at this point you've also read our suggestions, started hand crafting your own finger puppets and have now realized that you don't actually own an advent calendar, then as luck would have it we happen to sell our very own beautiful fabric advent calendar.

Order your advent calendar soon at nordicstyle.com along with any bits and pieces you fancy and have it filled, ready and waiting for the first of December!

We'd love to hear what you think and any of your own suggestions, please leave us your comments.

Get ready to start the Christmas frivolities with Advent Sunday

2011-11-10T08:11:00.000-08:00

Tis’ the season to be jolly – well, almost – and here at Nordic Style we’ve been busy preparing ourselves for the forthcoming weeks of festive frivolity (say that five times over). Aside from the usually frantic last minute present buying and slaving over vats of mice pies, the Swedes have a few other traditions which they like to practice during the Christmas holidays.

First in our very busy schedule of events is the fast-approaching Advent Sunday, which falls on the fourth Sunday before Christmas day, this year on the 27^th of November. Advent translated means arrival or coming, which would have originally referred to the anticipation of Christ’s arrival, although these days it is arguably an event designed more to generate cheer and excitement for the Christmas holidays in general.

The first Advent Sunday is marked by the lighting of the first of four candles in the advent candlestick holder, and of course, an opportunity for the Swedes to gather together, eat ginger snaps and drink Glogg (the Nordic term for mulled wine) until they’re rather merry! Another candle is subsequently lit every Sunday (and no doubt more Glogg consumed) until Christmas day.

This is also a fantastic event for the whole family, it’s amazing how much excitement one candle can generate among the children – no Glogg required.

We can't wait to light the first candle in our pig advent candle holder and we recommend that you fight your inner Scrooge and join in with the first of our festive Swedish celebrations early this year too. Get yourself an advent candle holder in time for the 27^th November and throw yourself into the Christmas spirit with Nordic Style.

For other bits and pieces to help get you in the mood for the festivities, visit our Christmas range online or come into our beautiful showroom for inspiration!

Nordic Style: Tip Two

2011-11-08T08:40:00.000-08:00

Here it is...our next installment in how to give your home the Nordic touch.

Fabrics and Window Dressing:

Classically Swedish fabrics usually take the form of checks, stripes or delicate floral prints, are almost always cotton or linen, and favour colours such as white, blue, pale green and yellow and red. Inject this theme into your space in the form of upholstery, bedding and soft furnishings. A simple re-upholstery using this approach can transform any piece of old furniture, replicate your chosen colour or pattern in your soft furnishings to achieve a sense of subtle continuity.

When it comes to window dressing the main point to stress here is to maximise any gleam of light that enters the space, the Scandinavian curtain is there merely to filter the light as it streams through. Ideally stick to a modest Muslin swag, adding a traditional blind in the Swedish style fabric of your choice if desired.

If you'd like help in revamping your old furniture then contact us for our re-upholstery service.

What do you make of our tips? Any of your own? Leave us a comment!

Add a touch of Nordic Style to your home: Tip One

2011-11-03T04:20:00.000-07:00

Whether you live in a humble cottage, a country farmhouse or even a London studio, we’ve put together some tips based on the fundamentals of Scandinavian design to help you add a touch of that simple and unassuming Swedish elegance to your home. Starting with…

...Paints

The ability of a cleverly chosen palate of colours to elate a room should not be underestimated here. Living in a country that spends half of the year in darkness, the Swedes have developed an expertise in enhancing and making best use of light through the method of painting. Classic Gustavian colours that feature most predominantly are greyish whites and soft pastels, muted and chalky in tone.

Repeat variations of the same tone in your woodwork, walls and furniture to get the restful character of Swedish design. And fear not, general wear and tear of the paintwork over time will only add further dimension to the basic colours.

Have fun sprucing up your existing furniture and walls with our selection of paints and keep us updated with your Nordic Style makeover!

For more inspiration go to our website at http://www.nordicstyle.com/ or visit our beautiful showroom.

Late Summer Evening in Dalarna

2011-09-09T02:34:00.000-07:00

Nordic Style in Dalarna, Sweden

Summer is almost over, and with it comes the last chance to enjoy those long, warm summer evenings.

Here is an inspiring picture taken this summer at Moussie ‘s home

Gustavian Look Inspirations: As seen in ...

2011-07-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

The Gustavian Nordic Style is ever so timeless, always right and on trend!

Here is our signature look, as seen in the Swedish Interior Design Magazine "Skona Hem", July 2011 issue. Check out this summer house, styled in white and painted wood for a, classic serene space.

To get the look, visit: http://www.nordicstyle.com/ - and find the furniture, paint and fabrics to recreate this interior!

Glad Sommar - Enjoy the Summer!

2011-07-07T06:27:00.000-07:00

Summer is in full bloom and with it, it's time to enjoy company of great friends. Picnics, lazy lunches and dinners on long and warm summer evenings.

A perfect occasion to bring out those lovely white table linen and antique white napkins for an authentic gustavian style!

Set the classic Swedish table with stylish cutlery and wonderful white tableware. Authentic and true scandinavian living! Find it at http://www.nordicstyle.com/

Happy Easter!

2011-04-21T02:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter to everyone!
We hope you will be celebrating in the sun. For any last minute shopping visit our website www.nordicstyle.com for beautiful tableware and gifts.

Spring is on its way!

2011-03-21T13:25:00.001-07:00

This week end we all saw a glimpse of the long awaited London Spring... In Scandinavia, we know when it's approaching just by looking at the wild flowers filling our parks and gardens... It is a truely magical time of the year!

Win a Classic Swedish Mora Clock

2011-03-16T10:48:00.000-07:00

Just go to our website and join our Nordic Wire and find out if you are the lucky winner on April 1st.
Good Luck!

2011-03-11T10:11:00.000-08:00

After a few month absence we are now back blogging. We will try to keep you up to date as much as possible with any news and stories related to our Classic Swedish Interiors.

For those of you who can't make it to our showroom, here is a small taste of what is to be seen in our NEW Spring Look. This season we wanted to show the more Rustic side of Swedish interiors, the one seen in many old houses and castles in Sweden, perfectly illustrated in Classic Swedish Interiors, by Lars Sjoberg. Along this more Antique look, we are also launching our NEW Nordic Green paint colour (as seen below). Enjoy!

Midsummer

2010-06-24T14:56:00.000-07:00

Midsummer is here!
This is one of Sweden's most important holidays. It is centered aroud the time of the Summer Solstice and has become a family festivity bringing many generations together. In fact, it is a time for families to celebrate around a traditional Swedish "smörgåsbord", some snaps songs and the famous Midsummer pole which they all participate in dressing with birch leaves and flowers. Garlands for the girls are also made for them to wear when dancing around the pole.

In History, Midsummer was also believed to be a time of magic and fertility. This is why, traditionally the young girls picked 7 different flowers, put them under their pillow and hoped to dream of their charming prince.

Long may the Magic lasts...

Happy Midsummer from us.

Swedish National Day

2010-06-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

Today is the National Swedish Day!

Here's something for inspiration...

Lexington at Nordic Style

2010-06-04T02:47:00.000-07:00

Wondered where to get your Lexington bedding in London?! Now you can come to us and the good thing is that we've kept our prices lew, well below Harrods! You can view it in our showroom or order it over the phone. Remarkable quality and stunning designs... Just what the Swedes are good at!

Below is just an illustration of the beautiful things on offer.

Nordic Nursery now in store!

2010-05-15T09:41:00.000-07:00

Nordic Nursery is now in store. Come and have a peek!

It's a complete range of beautiful Gustavian nursery furniture which can be painted in all Nordic Style finishes.

Beautiful May...

2010-05-10T04:13:00.000-07:00

"Skona maj, valkommen

till var bygd igen!"

"Beautiful May,

we welcome you to our land again!"

This is how Spring has been sung in the North for centuries.

Why not celebrate this season with flowers and light?

Some tips for the New

2010-04-29T07:45:00.000-07:00

Here are a few ideas for an easy way to renew your home:
1. Bring in some colour with a new lampshade. They can be made in all our voile checks and stripes.
2. Add a few scatter cushions.
3. Revamp your chairs with new seatcovers. Frilly for the romantics.
4. Fitted for a more formal look.
5. Re-upholster your headboard in any of our new fabrics.

Out with the old to make room for the new!

2010-04-27T09:42:00.000-07:00

In Sweden we are 'spellbound' by tradition. The last day of April is still, and has always been, celebrated by lighting big fires all over the country.In pagan times, we lit the fires to try to expel the evil powers. In Christian times we continued this 'age old' tradition but called it a celebration of Spring. The time of the year is, of course, around the time of the spring equinox, when the days are beginning to get longer than the nights, with the return of the light. We are all inspired to burn away the old to make room for the new!

Nordic blog launch

2010-04-22T07:55:00.000-07:00

With April coming to an end, Nordic Style is launching its new blog perfect in time for Spring.
Through this blog you are invited to share with us all Swedish traditions, festivities and myths as reflected in our classic product ranges as well as in our new creative designs.
You will also be the first to hear about any exciting news and special offers.

Become a follower and let the tales of the North lighten up your every day.