Fabulous loft living in Arnhem!

Helloooo! We've woken up to a beautiful, sunny day here in Malmö. Shame I've a bit of a sore head (if you've been following on Insta stories you'll know this is totally self-induced!) - perhaps a morning dip in the sea will sort me out?! It's said to do wonders for your mind, body and soul (once you get over the initial shock!)?! Hmmm, I'll see. In the meantime, on with today's tour. And we're over to Holland! Do you remember the fabulous The Loft concept store I shared a while back? Well as of a few days ago, you can now stay overnight too - yup! A former dance academy in the charming centre of Arnhem, has been transformed into two magnificent apartments to form The Loft Hotel.  Loving the sound of that, how about you?! Let's take a peek!

I'm feeling like a trip to The Netherlands is in order - how about you?! 

Many of the items you see are available in the loft stores - and you can also buy online. More info here.

Other lofts I love include Carlson Young's charasmatic LA loft, a relaxed, family loft in Oakland and a truly inspiring, creative loft in Paris.

Ooooh to own a loft - is this your dream space to work with too?!

Well folks, it's Friday - woohooo! Any fun plans?

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, see you Monday! 

PS - a little book news: Thank you so much to the lovely Si from French By Design for the tip for today's post - and also for her lovely review of The Scandinavian Home: Interiors inspired by light yesterday - a true compliment (I love Si's style - take a tour of her San Francisco home here!).

And UK friends - Emerald Street are giving away a bundle of coffee table books including my very own Lagom book to 25 lucky winners, it's super quick to enter too!

A Tour of Magnificent 'Magnolia House!'

I definitely shouldn't complain today - I'm working from home in my cosiest pair of socks, the sun's streaming through the windows and I'm about to wander down to the sea for a coffee. Even so, am I allowed to dream of a winter escape?! Yesterday we took a peek inside the barn and cottage at The Bower boutique hotel, and today I have another dream stay to share with you - Magnolia House.  Situated (once again) in Byron Bay, Australia, Magnolia House is a pure relaxed and sophisticated style haven with lofty ceilings and large, spacious living spaces. Whitewashed walls provide a perfect backdrop for old and new items and a subtle tropical vibe. Could you imagine staying here with family and friends? If so, can you count me (I make a mean aperitif)?!

Photography: Jessie Prince

What a perfect home-from-home? The problem is, I'd never want to leave - how about you?!

Get the look: kitchen - these simple wood stools are similar,  source a vintage scale here ( I spy a couple of beautiful one-off ones but you'll need to hurry!), primitive dough bowl. dining area - this mudcloth cushion is similar. Sitting room - butterfly chair. Outdoors - I love this hanging rattan chair.

If you'd like to hang around for a while and dream, you could always check out my 'holiday homes' archive - from a romantic bed & breakfast in France and a log cabin in Holland to your very own island hide-away off the coast of Tasmania! This is where I'll be all morning...

Have a lovely day

PS So happy to see a write up of my new book in online magazine Deco, titled 'Lagom: Home Swede Home' (love that!).

Dream stay: The Bower, Byron Bay

I seem to be suffering from a real case of wanderlust right now - and the more I travel, the more I realise there's just so much out there I haven't seen. Do you feel this way too?!  One country high up on my list is Australia. Over the past few years, this country has been taunting me from afar with beautiful design, awe-inspiring nature and fabulous places to stay. I mean, take this new hotel for instance! The Bower in Byron Bay, New South Wales was recently converted from a motel into a luxury boutique hotel by eight creatives - all of whom shared a desire to combine urban style with a laid-back beach-side vibe. Made up of 14 suites, a barn, cottage and family house, the calm and laid-back hotel opened it's doors last month - and it's waiting for us to come along and hang-out for a few days. Race you there?!

The cottage

The barn

Photography: Jessie Prince

Soooo. Tempted?! 

Just in case it'll be a while before any one of us make it out there - here's a little guide on where things are from (hey, who's to say we can't re-create that minimalist, Byron Bay beach-side vibe in our own homes?). 

The cottage: dining area - white bentwood chairs, rattan pendant. Sitting room - Moroccan pouf, the Bemz Loose Fit Urban sofa covers are similar to this (see mine here!), this mudcloth cushion is lovely! Bedroom - I like this light grey pillow cover (the ruffles!) and this plain one. Outdoor dining - pick up a similar stool from Lovely & Co (used as bedside tables in my home!).

The barn: buy similar made-to-measure white linen curtains here, try Bemz for chair covers like these. Source vintage school posters here. I like this linen duvet cover (select 'charcoal' for similar).

Oh, and you can make a reservation at The Bower here - on the condition that you make us all jealous by sharing lots of snaps on Instagram - we want to see more! 

Have a lovely day!

PS if you're planning a wedding you might like to read my piece in Ultimate Wedding (sometimes I wish I had another wedding to plan - same guy of course!).

PPS Nest.co.uk are offering the chance to win a copy of my new book Lagom: The Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life together with a fab handmade Giannina Capitani Tic-Tac cushion (just add coffee and you're all set for a very cosy Autumn day!). Find out how to enter here!