One thing I’m noticing when I come here is the huge amount of white everywhere. I guess when I bought the house it was so dark—dark plastic flooring covered old wood floors, some windows were boarded up… So I really went nuts with the white porch paint!! I wanted white floors, white walls…white everything. I wanted to maximize the natural light, and create a bright and airy house that gave me peace. But I amaze myself, being the color addict I am, when I see all this white!
The foyer is all white and cream. This piece was a thrift store find and one of the first things I got for the house. The chandelier was another thrift store find and thankfully adds a pop of color. I can open a cabinet door when it gets too white for me…I love how a lot of white cabinets in Sweden are painted a bold color on the inside.
It gives a piece of furniture character and makes it less “formal”. It’s also a quiet, surprising way to add some color to a room.
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The stair case I painted….yes you guessed it white. I even left the eighties chair rail, and the wall paper and just made it all go just white!! I really was on a mission when I moved in… I rarely write about, or promote white on this blog, but it really is a great “color” and makes for a great backdrop and a peaceful space. And I don’t know about you…but it gives me peace of mind.
The other thing I wanted to accomplish with this place was an uncluttered space. I hardly have any accessories here as I want empty spaces as much as I can. I wanted simplicity and have something that would be easy to take care of. Sometimes a lot of “things” Just add stress. Clutter definitely adds stress for me. Does it to you?
I did add a carpet that has a little more color in the foyer. This is a basic woven Swedish carpet that I know you might have seen versions of at Ikea. But the “real” kind you pick up for a dollar or two at a local thrift store. Not too long ago a lot of people used to weave these at home. Because everything is white I really enjoy the colors in this.
This chair sits just as you step in. It’s a typical chair from the part of Sweden I’m from live. Notice the space heaters to the left and in the reflection of the mirror…Desperately needed in this part of the world…you think you know cold…
You can see all the way through to the end of the house and can catch the lake view from the entrance. I guess that’s why I wanted everything white so nothing would fight with the exterior.
If you walk further in from the foyer there’s a room which connects all the rooms in the house. This image is from a magazine shoot that’s coming out any day now. It’s super pale teal, parts of the wall was roughly textured so I left that white, looks like giant stripes. It’s one a of just a couple of rooms in the house where I let the floor stay as it was because it had not been covered in linoleum. This room is next to the kitchen and has a great view of the lake and has this…
…stove in it, which makes it a really popular room in the house. We made a fire here even yesterday, today is warmer but we needed one yesterday. You can even cook on it with a fire going.
The mirror and console from the 30’s and a the corner cabinet are in pale hues. Variations of white is a necessity in interiors over here when you go through months of no sun light. I picked some lupines today which were in the car for too long, but they’ve recovered since this photo. They add a punch of color in an otherwise pale room.
This time of year I have to have them in almost every room.
I hope you’re enjoying the summer as much as I am. Since I have some free time, I’m arranging a series of give away’s of some of my favorite interior items on the blog. I’m excited to finally have the time to do it! Amazing what a little peace and fresh air can do…Stay tuned…
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