SOUTHBANK

We took a walk along the Southbank to visit the Christmas Market, which to be honest, I don't think is in full swing yet. There was no Christmas music, and half the stalls were empty, HOWEVER, there were churros, mulled wine, bratwurst, and carousels, what more do you need really?

I love the book stalls on the Southbank, could get lost for hours rummaging there!

 

RIDE

Carousels are electrifyingly nostalgic. I absolutely love them. This one is at the Christmas Market on the Southbank.Sometimes, simple is best.

MAJA

Hello and welcome to "Your Hjem." Peeking into the homes of people with inspirational interior style. All different styles, from all over the globe.

This week I am joined by gorgeous Maja, who lives in Croatia. She's Mama of two, wife of one, and runs a wonderful business with her partner called pinch • toys - handmade products for kids, which all makes for one lucky woman!

Maja! Hello and welcome! Thanks for agreeing to let us snoop into your gorgreous home! How would you describe your interior style?

I would say it's minimalistic with homey feeling - a mixture of clean lines, wood and mostly white with touches of black and grey. And lots of diy's!

Let's start in the living room, what is your favourite thing in here?

It has to be few things: the open space with a view of the hallway and stairs, natural light and the big exit to terrace. Although, it's the only room in the house that screams for finishing touches. We miss some details and a sofa, but for now we still love hanging out on the floor with the girls. The room is not very representative at the moment but I have a little corner for my work, so I actually really enjoy spending time here as I use it both to work and play.

Favourite thing in the kitchen?

My favourites here are black chalkboard wall, and the worktops cause I like functional space. The kitchen was very important to me and it was our biggest investment when we were moving in. I find it the most important part of the home and we definitely use it the most because we love to cook. For the color I've chosen white that is fresh, eternal and easy to clean.

 

I love the chalk board paint idea! Your bedroom:

I'm a big sleeper, so the bedroom is definitely my favourite! We don't have a bed but only a mattress  and we love it. Super comfortable! For my side of the bed I use a big box instead of a night stand as I'm crazy for the storage – can't get enough of it! Also I'm a big fan of lamps, so I always use small lighting to create the atmosphere, especially in the bedroom. The things I love the most are diy hanger and the grid board which we just put up recently. It really gave the room a touch of warmth though it's very industrial.

 

The grid is such a cool idea!! I might have to steal that for our next project! Now onto the girls bedrooms:

We have two smaller rooms for the girls on the upper floor. Katja is the older one and next year she will be a primary schooler, so we have already bought her a big table which she adores, and I'm a big fan of her bed with big drawers for storing all the extra bedding. Greta's nursery is really basic. After she was born I really tried to embrace the pink which I added in details in both of their rooms. I've chosen the soft pink and it really goes well with the soft grey half painted walls. My favourite thing about both rooms is the calmness.

 

 

Bathroom:

Here, I love the black glass sliding doors that are mostly decorated with tiny fingerprints! It's a very minimalistic bathroom with the combination of black and off white tiles plus the open shower.

 

What are you inspired by when you shop for your home?

Mostly by Nordic design. When I was little and once dreamed of my home, I used to steal my fathers AD magazines. Now, as a big fan of interiors, I find my inspiration on pinterest and instagram. I could spend hours just watching beautiful homes, especially kids rooms!

Any brands you'd like to claim your undying love for, or any new brands you'd like?

Well, the most of our furniture is Ikea cause of the price, design and availability combination, but I really love and admire Prostoria, Hay, Eames, Hem, Kartell and Muuto.

Finally: What's on for wish list?

As I'm crazy for changing I always have something on the wish list. And then I dream and dream. But I do want new dining chairs. And if certain someone thinks it's too much, he can always buy me a Hay feather duster haha!

Thanks so much for the interview! Your home is absolutely stunning! I will leave you all with some more snaps of Maja's amazing minimalist haven!

 

CONCRETOPIA

I picked this book up from the Barbican last week, and have just started reading. It's a fascinating read on the rebuilding of post war Britian (as stated on the cover!) There's a nice little section on Newcastle too!

SPECIAL

Paul took me to see The Specials last week at the Roundhouse. The Roundhouse is one of my favourite venues in London. I have so many memories here. Here's a pic from when they performed Ratrace.

PANTONE

I love Pantone mugs. They're so simple, but the colours are incredible! This is my favourite, and they do an amazing grey. It's nice to have a pop of colour every now and then though!!!

LAURA

Hello and welcome to "Your Hjem." Peeking into the homes of people with inspirational interior style. All different styles, from all over the globe.

 

This week I am joined by Laura! She is 27 and living in Kent with her husband Dan, and their little girl Bertie, and two sausage dogs. Currently on maternity leave, she is enjoying having the time to not only embrace being a new mum, but also pursue lots of creative projects that have always been on the back burner while Topshop ruled her world! Sounds like a winning combo!

 

 

How would you describe you interior style?

 

Quite straightforward really; I like simplicity and maximizing light. Scandi design and graphic prints will always have a place in my heart. Overall though, there has to be a balance of form and function, especially important now there’s a little person around.
 

 

Tell us a little about how you selected and acquired your lovely home:

I guess you would call it a funny story. I grew up in a huge house, which at one point homed four generations. In 2006 came a time when we were all ready to spread our wings. My parents took over a great pub, and my grandparents moved into a lovely little bungalow. Dan and I were ready to buy but hadn’t truly begun the hunt. The couple who ended up buying the family home were selling a three bed terrace, and somehow or another we ended up viewing it. We fell in love with the large open space downstairs offered, and the rest is house swap history! It probably wasn’t the most financially savvy purchase in that it was the peak of the market, property prices were at an all time high, but it felt right, and I’ve no doubt it will be our family home for a long time to come.
 

 

What a lovely story! Let's start in the living room, what is your favourite thing in here?

I’m having a bit of a love hate relationship with this room at the moment. By having a white space it flows really well with the rest of downstairs, and takes advantage of the differing lights day-to-day, season to season. I’m dying to add some bold prints and a splash of colour though. I love the original Victorian doors throughout the house, and they work especially well with the white. My most recent purchase is the mustard dipped leg side table. So lets count that as my three favourites; light, doors and table!

 

I love that table! Favourite thing in the kitchen?

Both Dan and I love cooking, we are total foodies. The kitchen may look tidy, but behind every drawer front and cupboard door is every cooking utensil and saucepan you could ever need. The kitchen itself isn’t to my taste at all – roll on the day I can get a white kitchen, concrete work top and mint green Smeg, so my favourite thing would have to be the accessories; crockery, cutlery, chopping boards and mugs!

 

Your bedroom:
 

This room is next on our hit list! We haven’t touched this room since we moved in (6 years ago!) so the walls are still a hideous custard colour and its really cluttered. I have an ideal in my head; a light-filled, serene and peaceful space. Nothing will stay except our bed, and my collection of linen.

 

Baby's bedroom:
 

Oh I really love Bertie’s room. I found creating this space very cathartic through a really hideous pregnancy. It was a shell, so its filled with everything we hand picked. I particularly like the Victorian chest with china handles. I spent a good few months hunting down the perfect one. At the moment it doubles up as a changing table, yet has longevity, and will be used long after the days of nappies.

 

What are you inspired by when you shop for your home?

I feel like I’ve really started to find my interior style in the last couple of years. I’m drawn to midcentury furniture from the likes of Eames and Ercol, and accessories and prints which you don’t see in every high street store and show home. Supporting independent businesses is so easy now with the likes of Etsy and Instagram, I love that you can hunt down treasures.

Any brands you'd like to claim your undying love for, or any new brands you'd like?
 

As a designer Sir Terence Conran is synonymous with style for me. I love that nearly everyone will be familiar with his design, without perhaps knowing who he is. He’s a hero of British design.

Danish super brand Ferm Living is another favourite. In their own words “it is modern, but also has a reassuring homelike quality”, which, alongside being well made, is all you could really need.

 

Finally: What's on for wish list?

We have been threatening to install some filament light bulbs for forever, we just can’t quite decide where!

A few pieces of white Le Crueset would be ideal, as well as some marble serving platters.

Finally, my sanctuary like bedroom, and everything I need to create it!!!



 

 

EGYPT

Our little Egyptian Gods. Clarence and Alabama are Egyptians Maus, (translated as Egyptian Cats, surprisingly.) They are the oldest domesticated cat in history and have been house cats since the great Egyptian dynasties. This is part of the reason we chose this breed. We wanted cats that would be happy with being indoors, as I couldn't even bare to think about letting cats out in London, and I can genuinely say, they've never shown one ounce of interest at the outside world, and I swear I can see them laughing at other cats at the window when it's raining outside.

 

They're relatively new to the UK, and we still get vets asking us what breed they are. I believe a Russian Princess took them to the USA in 1956. They are fiercely loyal to their owners, known to be a bit timid around strangers, but very "dog like" with their family. They have all sorts of chirrups and vocabs, that i've never heard in any other cats. They are also the fasted domestic cats, running up to 30mph, this is due to their hind legs being a little longer than their forelegs, so they always look like they are on their tip toes! They can also jump 6 feet into the air from standing.

 

Apparently in Egyptian times, people would worship them as "Gods" and when one died people would shave their eyebrows off as a mark of respect?! Crazy!

 

The famous "egyptian eye make up" is also copied from the Mau's, such trend setters.

 

So there's a little fact file on our little Maus! Hope you enjoyed! MIAOWWW.

 

 

ORANGE

Breakfast. No need for any explanation. Just a perfect breakfast.

BARBICAN

Here we are AGAIN. The Barbican. I am fortunate enough for the Barbican to be right near my work, literally a hop skip and jump away. This week we visited for a talk on Brutalism, using Jonathan Meades' documentary Bunkers Brutalism And Bloodymindenness as a springboard for discussion. Meades was joined by Sir Simon Jenkins, Douglas Murphy, Piers Gough to discuss the power of Brutalism, as well as the misconceptions and misunderstandings it has been subjected to. The concrete poetry is obviously not to everyone's taste...

We also managed to make it to the Constructing Worlds exhibtion. which brings together eighteen photographers, from 1930s to the present day, documenting monumental change in the way we view buildings. From the first skyscrapers in New York and decaying colonial structures in the Congo.
It's showing untill 11th Jan 2015, so if you have the time, and inclination, it's definitely worth a visit.

MARIELA

Hello and welcome to "Your Hjem." Peeking into the homes of people with inspirational interior style. All different styles, from all over the globe!

This week I am joined my Mariela from Puerto Rico! She is wife to one, and Mama to three. A 9 year old boy, and two dogs, Rocco and Lucas. She takes great influence from Scandanavia, with whites, blacks, soft colours and wood furniture. The juxtaposition of the palms and tropicalities, and the minimal Scandi- style, makes for a wonderfully unique and exciting habitat!

Hello Mariela! Thank you for inviting us into your gorgeous paradise of a home! Please tell us how you came about your house.
Hi! I'm so happy to be featured on your blog. My home was my grandmother's home, so my husband and I have been fixing lots of things for the past few years. It's a small house but we make the most of it.

 

How wonderful! I love the idea of homes passing through generations! Tell us, what is your favourite thing in your living room!

That's a tough one because I like everything, but I could say the Eames plastic side chair my husband gave me as a present, I always loved those chairs, so I'm really happy about it. Also I can't leave my Andy Warhol print that a dear friend from Italy sent me for my birthday last May.

 

 

 

 

And venturing over to the kitchen. What is your favourite thing here?

My favorite thing in the kitchen is our wood table that my husband made. I love that it's all wood, the dark color and that he made it.

 

Wow! That's very impressive! Moving over to your bedroom?

Our bedroom is one room we need to start renovating but I always like our bed.

 

 

 

 

Super important to have a cosey bed! Your son's room?

I like very much my son's room because all the walls are white so I put color in accessories like the curtains, pillows and prints, it's a happy room.

 

Bathroom?

Oh the bathroom! This is in a renovation phase! So I can only say that I like my Aesop products that a dear friend from Australia sent me haha! I can't lie it's not beautiful right now.

 

What are you inspired by when you shop for your home?
I get inspired by lots of things specially magazines, I love interior magazines, I love to see different spaces, specially small ones.

Any brands you'd like to claim your undying love for?

I always loved Eames, Artek, for the sake of my friendship with my friend Elia I can't leave Hay haha!, love Fine little Day, Depeapa, Snug studio, 45 wall design, Le Train Fantome and I'm going to stop here or I will not finish!.

Finally: What's on your wish list?

Oh my endless wish list haha! well right now I would love to have the Fine Little Day book and the LTR low table rod base by Eames.

 

Thank you Mariela! I love how you've styled your home! Truly unique, in a jaw dropping setting! I may have to find an excuse to come visit!!

PK COPENHAGEN

I love these prints from PK Copenhagen. They do amazing limited digital prints. We have our three in our dining area, above the table. Head over to their website to check out their collection. We got ours printed up 50 x 70cm.

 

 

SUNDAY

I love the rituals of our Sundays. It is our dedicated lie in day, cats and all. We eat breakfast in bed, watch Friends, and read the paper, and get up whenever we feel like it, with the cats getting in on the action too... As pictured! I absolutely love Sundays.

 

Linen: H&M Homeware

PUMPKIN

Mini pumpkins are so cute! I don't remember mini pumpkins as a child? Were they always a thing?

LATE

Everyone who knows me, knows how much I HATE, hate, hate the late shift at work. There is one benefit though, a little lie in. I'm enjoying the last few weeks of our fully finished flat, before we are back in overalls every spare second we get with the new property! I love our little flat, but am equally excited to get our teeth stuck into the new place!!