House tour: Christmas Scandinavian style

December is here so festive planning has well and truly begun chez Decorator’s Notebook… and it also means I can share the first Christmas house of the season with you! It’s a Swedish villa that been decorated in quite a subtle style with lots of layered textiles and natural elements to create an oh-so-Scandinavian feel. A gentle introduction to all things festive.

The white painted look inside (and out!) might be too clinical for some, but I like how the owners have included lots of antique furniture, rugs and seasonal foliage to take the edge off the stark backdrop.

The house belongs to Marie, a stylist and her husband Fredrick, a carpenter… how handy when taking on a renovation! I really love the handmade kitchen with its little drawers painted with the names of garden plants to give it that apothecary vibe.

{Photographs Marie Delice Karlsson for Lantliv}

How will you be decorating your home this Christmas? Will you go traditional and be decking your halls with boughs of holly or going to town with tinsel and glitter?

How to add warmth and softness to a monochrome bedroom

I’m not big on bright colours – so much in my life is super hectic that when I come home I want to close the door and feel I’ve entered a calming sanctuary. The problem with black, white and grey rooms though is that they can feel a bit hard or cold. I spotted this bedroom and thought I’d share it to show my fellow monochrome fans it doesn’t need to be that way!

{Carina Olander via 79 Ideas}

When you look closely, there’s subtle texture in almost every area of this room. The wood panelled ceiling, raised wallpaper, rough headboard and embroidered textiles all work together to take the hard edge off the white and grey colour scheme.

Then there are all the wooden elements – painted, waxed and raw which add warmth too. If you chose vintage furniture then that’s even better – like a good wine, wood mellows with age and by adding antique bits and pieces the mellowing effect will transfer to your room too.

Lastly, it helps to have a few different lighting options in every room, especially a bedroom where you want strong natural light for doing your make-up, a directional light for reading and something a bit more romantic too. Although this photo was taken in bright daylight (with no curtains!) you can easily imagine how warm and cosy it would look at night time as well.

Have you got any other good tips for adding softness and warmth to a room?