Steal This Look: Scandinavian Holiday Decor Ideas

December 14, 2010, 3:15 am

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Why is it that the Scandis always seem to nail it when it comes to design, even holiday decorations? Here's a roundup of easy-to-replicate ideas to consider.

Above: Swedish company Ferm Living offers the felt Garland in natural-colored wool for €34. US company Branch home also offers Felt Garlands for $48.

Above: An advent calendar spotted on Emmas Design Blogg features paper-wrapped gifts attached with wooden clothespins to a felt backdrop.

Above: Candles in simple clay pots filled with moss via Kjerstis Lykke.

Above: A white painted branch with Kraft-paper wrapped gifts makes a minimalist advent calendar, via The Style Files.

Above: Simple garland fencing at Axel Vervoordt's recent Winter Exhibition; photo via Belgian Pearls.

Above: Presents wrapped with Kraft paper and silver ribbon via Fabulissime.

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Design Sleuth: Simple Red Reading Light

December 14, 2010, 6:30 am

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We like this simple red reading light strung from a ceiling hook, which adds a festive, holiday-like note.

             

Above L: E27 Pendant from Muuto; $79 at Design Within Reach. Above R: Utility Pendant Light; $39.95 at CB2.

10 Easy Pieces: Free-Standing Coat Racks

December 15, 2010, 3:15 am

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The unsung workhorse of the entryway, the humble coat rack (especially useful over the holidays). Here's a roundup of good options.

Above: Designed by Tomoko Azumi, the helix shape of the European beechwood Tra Coat Rack can support a surprising number of coats, jackets, hats, scarves. Go to Architonic for pricing and sourcing information.

Above: The sculptural Twist Coat Rack is constructed of eight solid beech prongs connected with steel and plastic. Shown in mocha; $400 from Design Within Reach.

Above: The Sciangai Coat Rack, designed by D'Urbino, De Pas & Lomazzi in 1973, can be easily folded and stored when not in use; $961 at Unica Home.

Above: The Sven Coat Tree made of solid birch with a walnut veneer is $149 at CB2.

Above: The Stretch Coat Rack by Milwaukee-based Misewell Modern Furniture is made of American walnut with pinwheel joinery connecting the three identical segments; $1,122 at All Modern.

Above: The Hi Coat Stand Rack, made in Italy, is available in cherry wood or with a black, green, or white finish; £181.80 (on sale from £404) at London-based online shop A Mode.

Above: The Blu Dot Splash Coat Rack in gray (also available in a bright blue) is $279 at Design Public.

Above: Add a dose of color to a space with Room & Board's Large Six-Arm Coat Rack, available in nine colors; $229.

Above: On the lower end of the price spectrum, the Tjusig Hat and Coat Stand is $49.99 at Ikea.

Above: The Fritz Hansen Coat Tree is shown in white powder-coated steel and is also available in chromed steel, multi-gray, or multi-colored powder coat; $1,211 at Hive Modern.

Holiday Gift: BassamFellows Desk Set

December 15, 2010, 6:30 am

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The BassamFellows team (Scott Fellows and Craig Bassam) are known for their sculptural walnut furniture; the duo has come out with a desk set made from leftover pieces used in the manufacturing process. Prices start at $165 for the BassamFellows Tray.

Holiday Gifts: For the Scandinavian

December 15, 2010, 8:30 am

≫ Next: Holiday Gift: Cinnamon Bark Boxes

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Those of us who grew up in Scandi households (Dala horses, Swedish flags encircling the Christmas trees) might find ourselves experiencing nostalgia for certain holiday accoutrements. Here's a roundup of necessities.

Above: The Small Bag of Swedishness features a white Dala horse, a Pia Wallen felt key ring, and a Kero coin purse; €31 at Swedishness. Other Boxes of Swedishness available, too.

Above: The Northern California-based owners of Heath Ceramics visited Sweden and brought back a clutch of furry felt gnomes; contact Heath for ordering information.

Above: Anyone who grew up in a Swedish household will recognize the classic Four Light Traditional Ball Candleholder; $41.95 at Scandinavian Touch.

Holiday Gift: Cinnamon Bark Boxes

December 15, 2010, 11:30 am

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The scent of cinnamon is a powerful olfactory force for conjuring up holiday memories. Here's an easy gift idea: fill boxes made from the naturally fragrant bark of the cinnamon tree (Cassia) with sugar, tea, or coffee and tie with natural twine or a colorful ribbon. 

Above: Round Cinnamon Boxes from Nom Express; a set of three is £19.99 (also available individually). In the US, similar boxes are available from Ten Thousand Villages for $10 each.

Above: Round cinnamon boxes filled with coffee, tea, and sugar.

Above: Square Cinnamon Boxes from Nom Express; a set of three is £19.99 (also available individually).

Architect Visit: Minnehaha Creek Addition by Albertsson Hansen

December 15, 2010, 1:30 pm

≫ Next: House Call: Annaleena's Swedish Kitchen

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SPONSORED POST

Christine Albertsson and Todd Hansen of Albertsson & Hansen met at the University of Pennsylvania while studying for their Masters of Architecture degrees; they have "engaged in a 20-year conversation about architecture, their shared passion, ever since," as they say. The couple lives and works in Minneapolis, land of Nordic immigrants; together, they create buildings with a strong Scandinavian influence, combined with the simple lines of Shaker furniture and New England Colonial forms. 

For the Minnehaha Creek Addition, the architects merged a small, New England saltbox with an addition faced in the red board and batten siding of a Swedish Stuga to create a new (yet traditional feeling) family home.

For anyone embarking on a remodeling or construction project, Marvin offers the myMarvin Remodeling Planner, a free, easy-to-use tool that allows you to create room layouts for your entire house using your own dimensions. Start with a floor plan, add furniture, windows and doorways. View from above or in elevation view (there's also a budget calculator and scrapbook for storing your own images).

Above: The original house was built in the 1930s and overlooks a creek.

Above: The architects added a Swedish-style addition to expand the living space.

Above: In the dining area, the architects used floor-to-ceiling Marvin wood double-hung windows to capitalize on the creek views.

Above: The sleek kitchen features custom wood cabinetry.

Above: Double-hung Marvin windows add a traditional note to the interiors.

Above: Walls of Marvin double-hung windows bring light to a bedroom

Above: In the bath, the architects introduced color and pattern (a pale blue wall, Josef Frank fabrics).

House Call: Annaleena's Swedish Kitchen

December 16, 2010, 3:15 am

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Swedish stylist and photographer Annaleena Karlsson shares her work (including images of her own home) on her inspiring interiors blog, Annaleen's Hem. We keep going back to her kitchen for inspiration ideas; despite the austere palette (concrete, stainless steel, natural wood) the space feels warm and welcoming rather than sleek and impersonal. 

Above: Annaleena restricts the kitchen palette to silver, white, and wood.

Above: The concrete floors are painted high gloss white.

Above: Open shelves over the double-door stainless refrigerator display a collection of white pottery pieces.

Above: An integrated stainless steel sink adds a sleek note.

Above: Simple storage rails and S-hooks offer ample storage and display opportunities, keeping daily essentials within easy reach.

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Appliances: Magimix Vision Toaster

December 16, 2010, 6:30 am

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The Magimix Vision Toaster (billed as the world's first see-through toaster) features viewing windows that allow you to monitor the progress of your toast (or bagels); $249.45 at Williams-Sonoma. 

Above: The Magimix toaster features durable stainless steel construction.

Holiday Gifts: For the Kitchen

December 16, 2010, 8:30 am

≫ Next: Tabletop: Maritime Mistletoe Tablecloth and Napkins

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Kitchen gifts that are both beautiful and useful (William Morris would approve).

Above: Dish Brush Holder Set; £25 at Ben Pentreath in London (includes seven natural hair brushes, a copper scrubber, and a brush holder).

Above: Set of four White Ironstone Pudding Basins from Burleigh; $111 at Blue and White.

Above: Milton Brook Mortar & Pestle; $25 at Cookware.

Above: The Harimi Dustpan and Broom, designed by Oji Masanori and made of persimmon-stained paper, is available from Analogue Life; prices start at approximately $18 for the small dustpan. The Harimi Dustpan is also available from Mjolk in Canada for CA $50.

 

Above: Canadian inventor and designer Tom Littledeer is known for his beautifully carved kitchen tools with fluid shapes inspired by canoe paddles. Each of the tools in this set is handcrafted from a single piece of North American maple and smoothly finished. The five-piece Littledeer Cooking Utensil Set is $99.95 at Williams-Sonoma; individual pieces are also available.

Tabletop: Maritime Mistletoe Tablecloth and Napkins

December 16, 2010, 11:30 am

≫ Next: Kitchen: Custom Knives from Ferrum D. Gentile

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Bold stripes for the modern holiday table: The Maritime Mistletoe Tablecloth from Chicago-based home textiles company Unison is hand-printed 100 percent cotton; $80 to $110, depending on size. Hand-stitched Mistletoe Napkins are $40 for a set of four.

Kitchen: Custom Knives from Ferrum D. Gentile

December 16, 2010, 1:30 pm

≫ Next: Architect Visit: Ike Kligerman Barkley in New York

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Swiss bladesmith Daniel Gentile is based in Walchwil, just above the lake of Zug in Switzerland, and produces hand-forged one-of-a-kind knives and swords. "Aside from a few modern-day additions (a hydraulic forging press and modern grinders), much of our work is still done the same way it has been for the last 2,500 years, by hand with a lot of elbow grease and passion," he says. For ordering information, go to Ferrum D Gentile.

N.B. Gentile also offers private or small-group forging classes; go to Daniel Gentile for more information.

Architect Visit: Ike Kligerman Barkley in New York

December 17, 2010, 3:15 am

≫ Next: Storage: High/Low Ladder Bookshelf

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We've admired this Tribeca loft by NY architects Ike Kligerman Barkley for a while now—for the light-handed approach to the interior reconfiguration, the mix of midcentury furniture, but most of all, the spectacular floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. To read more about the project, go to Architectural Digest. Photos by Durston Saylor.

Above: The architects designed a wall of zinc-covered bookshelves to house the owner's collection of art books and other titles.

Above: The extra-long dining table and schoolhouse chairs are vintage.

Storage: High/Low Ladder Bookshelf

December 17, 2010, 6:30 am

≫ Next: Holiday Gift: For the Aspiring Artist

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The classic library ladder bookshelf can stand alone or flush against a wall, also good for the display of objets; here are two options.

Above: Mid-Century Shop Ladder Shelving; $499 at Restoration Hardware.

Above: The Folding Ladder Bookshelf is made of iron with mango wood shelves; $279 at Urban Outfitters.

Holiday Gift: For the Aspiring Artist

December 17, 2010, 8:30 am

≫ Next: Accessories: Adam and Viktoria Pillows

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A roundup of gifts for the aspiring artists in your life.

Above: Japanese sensibilities meet German minimalism. Düller products are the result of a collaboration between Dietrich Lubs (one of the chief designers of Braun clocks) and Naori Miyazaki of IDEA. Duller 36 Colored Pencil Set; $37.50 (usually $75) for the set at Design Within Reach.

Above: The companion Duller Sketchbook is on sale for $14 (down from $28) at Design Within Reach.

Above: San Francisco writer and renaissance man Dave Eggers was an aspiring artist in his youth and supported himself after college as a cartoonist and illustrator; his sketchbook of animals, It Is Right to Draw Their Fur: Animal Renderings by Dave Eggers is $27.72 at Amazon.

Above: The Big Daisy Pen Holder keeps art supplies organized; $57 at Less and More's Esty Shop.

Above: One of our all-time favorite pencil holders (good for intended use as well) is a fine bone china Pantone Coffee Mug, inspired by the famous color chart, available in 28 different colors; $10.45 each at Pop Deluxe.

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Accessories: Adam and Viktoria Pillows

December 17, 2010, 11:30 am

≫ Next: Hotels & Lodging: Vorstadt 14 in Switzerland

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Discovered via Lisa Fontanarosa: the textile work of Swedish designers Adam Gistedt and Viktoria Nygren, who make linen and velvet pillows that seem both Old World and modern at the same time

Above: Artichoke Throw Pillow is available for $250 at Tonic Home.

Above: Artichoke Throw Pillow is available for $250 at Tonic Home.

Hotels & Lodging: Vorstadt 14 in Switzerland

December 17, 2010, 1:30 pm

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Located in a 15th-century house in the town of Zug, in Switzerland, Vorstadt 14 offers three suites (of radically different designs) for travelers. The bottom two floors are full-on minimalist, while the top floor (shown below) is a private, under-the-eaves rustic-meets-Swiss-modern apartment designed by Roger Stussi and available for rent. Go to Vorstadt 14 for more information.

Office Visit: Minimalist Fireplaces from RADD Architects

December 19, 2010, 10:25 am

≫ Next: Architect Visit: Div.A Arkitekter in Norway

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A roundup of minimalist hearths from the Remodelista Architect/Designer Directory.

Above: A simple hearth in a beach house by Christoff:Finio Architecture in New York.

Above: A modernist house in Tahoe by John Maniscalco Architecture.

Above: A stone ledge creates a display shelf in the Ten Broek house by Messana O'Rorke Architects.

Above: A simple steel fireplace surround in a New York studio by MESH Architectures.

Above: An apartment in New York by Messana O'Rorke Architects.

Above: A New York apartment by Page Goolrick Architect.

Above: New York minimalism from Steven Harris Architecture.

Architect Visit: Div.A Arkitekter in Norway

December 20, 2010, 3:25 am

≫ Next: Fabrics & Linens: Hand-Woven Blankets from JF & Son

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Admired recently: a collection of modern mountain cabins from the portfolio of Div.A Arkitekter in Oslo; in particular, the Mountain Lodge Skarsnuten in Hemsedal, Norway. The modest cabin is constructed primarily of timber and concrete and follows the contours of the hillside, sitting unobstrusively on the snowy landscape. Go to Div.A Arkitekter to see more images.

Above: Wood slats and a terrace provide a buffer between indoors and outdoors.

Above: The entry provides ample storage and a place to sit and gear up for the outdoors.

Above: The transition between and dining and living spaces is a wide set of stairs that provides stadium seating.

Above: A minimalist kitchen on the top level turns into storage and shelving in the living area.

Fabrics & Linens: Hand-Woven Blankets from JF & Son

December 20, 2010, 6:30 am

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New York designers Jesse Finkelstein and Katie King of JF & Son create their own textiles and handwork, which they produce out of their studio in New Delhi. Although they mainly focus on clothing, we like their line of hand-woven, limited-edition angora blend blankets made in Noida, India. The blankets measure approximately 60 by 90 inches and are available in four colorways; $128 to $178 at JF & Son.

Above: The Hudson Blanket is $178.

Above: The Tan Hatch Mark Blanket is $148.

Above: The Black Hatch Mark Blanket is $128.