Master Scandinavian Design with these Simple Hacks!

There is one thing we know for sure: the Scandinavian design is here to stay. 

The world has gone crazy about this simple and elegant style in their homes, the white floors, lots of light wood and an appreciation of nature. 

There are a few simple hacks that can help you master this popular design, and make your home cosy and stylish.

Incorporate Copper Details
Since this whole interior design may look bare and simple, you need to bring character with small details. A great way to achieve this is by introducing copper ornaments and accessories in your home. 

If you are feeling crafty and on a budget, you could use copper paint that is suitable for glass, and decorate your mugs, glasses, candles and vases. 

You can be creative and design these with Scandinavian-inspired motifs such as deer antlers, geometric patterns or leaves. 

You can also easily decorate tin cans with three coats of copper paint and turn them into cute, decorative pencil holders or pots for plants and dot around your home. 

For a bathroom refresh just spray paint the towel rings, mirror frame and bathroom hook.

Introduce Wood
To strike the perfect contrast to the whole white interior you should incorporate more natural wood into your home. You can do that through furniture, flooring or you can even decorate the walls with some wood art and panels. 

Another simple way is to introduce wooden branches as decoration. You can use some sturdy branches with a hook shaped piece and use them as coat hooks in your hallway. 

Also, you can use them as hanging racks, and hang a few of them in your living room or patio and have a perfect place for your hanging plants. 

Wood will bring warm atmosphere in your home because it is a natural insulator. But above all, it will turn your house into a lovely cozy place for your family.

Functional Bright Kitchen
As the busiest place in your home, the kitchen needs to be bright, spacious and functional. Like with the rest of the Scandi look, your kitchen can be painted all-white with copper and wooden details. Also, to make it brighter you should let as much daylight as possible in order to make it appear bigger and cozier. 

To respect the functionality of this design, you should make sure to have multi-functional furniture, lots of useful storage and no excess appliances and clutter.

Love the Nature
Despite cold long winters, Scandinavians adore spending time in nature doing various activities. To be even closer to the nature, they decided to bring it inside. To do the same, you should introduce plants and greenery in your home and show deep appreciation to nature and healthy life. 

Hang up your favorite flowers, filter the air with some bigger potted plants and introduce natural textures and fibers into your home. Hang some art that depicts nature and simple mimic its neutral tones in your home.

Cozy Corner Fireplace
To survive long cold winters, Scandinavians rely on their warm fireplaces that are there for heat and sometimes even cooking. Of course, with today’s technology we do not have to worry about the cooking appliances, but a nice corner fireplace is a great decoration and an artful focal point. 

It does not have to be big and in the center of the room, like in many other western countries. It should be simple, functional and simply to serve the purpose of getting your home warm and ready for winter.

The idea of moving to North and enjoying their beautiful nature and views is tempting. However, not everyone can do the same, so why not try bringing Scandinavia to us. Follow these few simple tips, and turn your home into a bright and warm place for living.

Today's post comes courtesy of Squeezed Daily's newest recruit! Very excited to introduce Lana Hawkins who will be sharing her decorating tips on what will hopefully be a regular basis. Watch this space!

Author's Bio: Lana Hawkins is an architecture student and an advisory editor at Smooth Decorator.  She enjoys writing about interior decoration and landscaping. Lana is interested in sustainability and green building, and that's where she gets most of her inspiration.

Image Credits: homedit.com | flickr.com | entrancemakleri.se | madaboutthehouse.com | cocolapinedesign.com | elledecoration.se | housebeautiful.co.uk

Juicy Tips for Styling an Artful Table Top.

Styling your table top is an essential part of home decorating; it adds that extra layer of interest to a room by creating a focal point and is a great way to reflect your personality and style! However, without this important element, your interior can appear unfinished or incomplete. 

You can add the finishing touches to a room by creating a table top that is both artful and functional. To achieve this consider embracing the elements of wood, metal, glass, ceramic and woven textures. Adding depth and dimension, this beautiful quintet of materials celebrates some of the top trends for 2016.

These timeless materials will play an essential role in making your home the centre of attention. Mixing all of these key ingredients together will give you an edge in creating a unique space with a cool temperament, natural warmth and a distinctive playfulness.

Styling your dining table, coffee table, book shelf or credenza is the perfect way to introduce these raw and natural elements to your home with ease. 

Below are some fabulous examples of home decor accessories that are perfect for creating an artful table top!

Amanda Dziedzic Glass
Deciding between "Display Domes" or "Ikebana Australiana" by Melbourne glass artist Amanda Dziedzic was impossible as no two pieces are ever identical. A hand blown cloche in bright colours with a turned timber base in Victorian Ash, versus; a traditional and honoured, Japanese inspired floral vessel that caters to Australian natives. Which is your favourite?!

   

   

Angus & Celeste 
Unique and playful, these porcelain hanging planters by Angus & Celeste are inspired by elaborate jelly moulds of the 18th and 19th century. These pretty pastel pieces are suitable for both indoor and outdoor spaces and can be suspended or placed upon a surface.

  

Bonnie & Neil
Textile design studio Bonnie & Neil bring botanical motifs, bright patterns, and a nod to Australiana culture with their sensational collection of designs. Their “Eco Ply Wooden Storage Cubes'' are a shining example and can also be used a decorative table top accessory.

Bridget Bodenham 
Raw and natural with a hint of bling, Bridget Bodenham’s amazing collection of ceramics are almost too beautiful to use. If in doubt, they make a perfect display piece.

Chilewich
“Pressed dahlia” is the latest of Chilewich’s “pressed” technique using a woven vinyl textile. This beautiful lace-like place mat is a must-have design for any table.

 

Funkis 
From Sweden to Sydney, Funkis’ hand-made timberware, porcelain and clay designs are inspired from Nordic and Japanese cultures and reflect the typical characteristics of simplicity and elegance.

  

Ito Kish 
The “Flora” candle holder by Ito Kish reflects the simplicity of pure white combined with the repetition of pattern and shape to create a beautiful sense of peace and tranquillity. The baluster design references vintage Philippines, inspired by the mouldings used on ventanillas (little windows) to enable air to flow through traditional Philippines houses.

Koa by Kaitlin
Designed by Australian Industrial Designer Kaitlin Liddell, “Koa” is a playful range of designer stoneware cups. Each cup is hand-carved by local artisans from urban and rural communities in Bali, and then brought to life through kilns that run on renewable energy. That’s bound to bring a smile to your morning coffee or afternoon tea! 

MRD Home
Fruit for thought: MRD Home’s cute timber fruit collection and platter is hand made from Suar wood with a natural oiled or stained black version. Combined, they make a striking table top feature.
     

Jaime Hayon for Paola C 
Hailing from Italy the “Titus I, II, III” have been designed by Spanish icon designer Jaime Hayon for the Paola C. brand. Jaw droppingly beautiful, Jamie’s coloured glass vases come in gunmetal, brass, or copper with a silver plated or brushed brass base. They’re not yet stocked in Australia but can be shipped!
      

Roche Bobois 
Celebrating L’Art de Vivre the “SV 10 Vase” designed by Pia Wüstenberg for Roche Bobois is a stunning piece that combines blown glass with a copper or brass base and a larch wood top. This item can be shipped to Australia.

  

Sarai
Sarai’s metallic concrete candle set will rock your socks off! Made from Concrete which is a sustainable material, each piece is carefully set in recycled moulds to support a green world. Each piece is hand painted with a pop of colour to brighten up any room!

Satara
Escape to paradise with Satara’s coastal cool collection of sculptural, white lid vases. Made with Paulownia wood they are perfect for adding a touch of natural style to your home décor.

  

Seletti
Unlock the secret to unknown culinary universes whilst dining in style with Seletti’s “Keytlery” Gold plated cutlery set. A guaranteed conversation starter as well as a functional statement piece for the table.

  

Takeawei
The “Ice-cream vase” by Takeawei is sweet as! One can’t go past the lip licking, powdery pastel shades and inspired sorbet tones.

 

The Design Farm
The Design Farm’s GLOH range teams sustainably produced timber with polished copper highlights. Hand made with love, the vessels come in all shapes, sizes and colours. The GLOH lamp being the highlight of the collection!

  

Tom Dixon (available from Dedece)
Tom Dixon does it again with his “Plum”, “Elements” and “Cog” collections and I just can’t get enough! Enjoy summer with his Plum Ice Bucket and Plum Cocktail Shaker and for summer nights with the Elements Water Candle, Cog Candle Holder and Cog Tea Light Holder Cylinder.

   

   

Tree Horn Design
Tree Horn Designs hand crafted colourful range of kitchen boards are made from sustainably grown Tassie Oak. The coloured section of the board is bright and opaque, offering a glimpse of the timber pattern beneath. Mixing the two mediums of colour and natural timber really make the boards “pop”.

Wingnut & Co.
A tea set with a twist: the “Maccha Bowl” set by Wingnut & Co. embraces modest design, natural materials and simple textures. Available in various colours, it is made from ceramic and recycled White Oak collected from local workshops. 

  

There are so many amazing art d'objets to choose from! Which is your favourite!

The Best of International Product Design Trends for 2016 from the London Design Festival

Words can't quite describe the euphoria and excitement experienced at the London Design Festival! That sensation of being kid in a candy store is teamed with immense inspiration and followed by an overwhelming feeling of gratitude to be part of this incredible industry.

Celebrating its 13th year at venues across the capital, the festival showcases the best creative talents with a smorgasbord of events and exhibitions. More than 350 events to choose from, I scoured six trade shows leading the way in cutting edge design and innovation. 

Decorex, 100% Design, Tent London, Matter of Stuff and Design Junction presented the latest design trends from around England and Europe. I have hand-picked my top 20 to bring to you best of the fest. 

(Click on the images below for direct links to each companies website).

1. Kaleido Splatt by TIMOROUS BEASTIES 
Timorous Beasties has defined an iconoclastic style of design once described as “William Morris on acid. Noted for their surreal and provocative textiles and wallpapers, their expressive designs translate into bold, colourful, signature furnishings that can vividly redefine the identity of interiors. 

2. Brogue Collection and Stud Collection by BETHAN GREY 
The beauty of natural coloured leather paired with and warm brushed brass and tactile textures create this stunning range of luxurious occasional tables. Available in a colour palette to die for thee tables are a must-have.

3. Verreum Reverso by SACHA WALCKHOFF
This collection of dual-purpose, mouth-blown silvered table accessories can be used as a glass or a vase. Designed to be played with, this super fun glassware can be turned upside down so that a vase can become a lantern when it’s not filled with flowers. A champagne flute becomes a tumbler, while the white wine glass turns into a coffee cup when turned on its head! 

4. Renaissnce by MINEHART
The Renaissance cowhide rug is unlike any cowhide you have ever seen, it's from a very exotic breed of beast that lives in the fantasy world of designers Young & Battaglia. The piece features a background image created by artist Himitsuhana, hand cut out in a special rubber backed fabric. A fusion between art and utility, this rug will add a beautifully surreal touch to any interior!

5. Silhouette Chair by David LINLEY
This chair is nothing short of mind-blowing! It’s crafted from a single copper panel which has been individually hand rolled and hammered. An age-old technique used by coach builders in the restoration of classic cars, enables the craftsman to form compound curves from a single flat sheet. Finished with a luxuriously soft aniline leather, the design ensures that the shell fits seamlessly with the form of a human body.

6. GLÜCK pendant light by NAOMI PAUL in Deepsea Blue & Putty
Part of the OMI pendant collection, GLÜCK is a handcrafted minimal flat pack pendant that is hand-made using traditional crochet techniques. The beautiful, natural soft texture of this product makes it timeless, playful and quietly opulent. 

Image by Nick Rochowski Photography

7. Tablerunners for GESTALTEN by ELISA STROZYK
I am so mesmerized by Eliz’a collection of products that I just had to include two! (Although I think all of them are noteworthy). Her wooden plaid table-runners with fading colour patterns are flexible giving them the ability to be formed into different three-dimensional shapes!

8. Woven Pendant for Gustav van Treeck Studios by ELISA STROZYK
Elisa's Woven Pendants push the limits of glass technology. The lights are made of circular brass frames inset with two parallel layers of interwoven glass panes, which surround the light bulb, allowing glimmers of light to pass through. The interlaced pattern distorts the material's transparency, creating radiant optical effects. 

9. Bubbles by Corinne van Havre of LaLouL
These magnificent glass-blown Bubbles are by Antwerp based designer Corinne van Havre. Designed to take on the appearance of an over-sized necklace, the bubbles are embedded in a chain of high quality polished Italian brass. Wall Jewellery at it's best! Consisting of 5 bubble filled glass orbs they make a beautiful statement piece!

10. Decorative Books by TROWBRIDGE GALLERY
Trowbridge’s designer beautifully re-bound, hand decorated vintage books are embellished with gold and silver leaf. They make fabulous accent pieces to brighten book cases, coffee tables and bedsides. 

11. Balustrade Vases by Simon Moore for VESSEL GALLERY
These large hand-blown glass vases are by Simon Moore who has been making and designing glass for over 30 years. They have a special “battuto” surface cut finish which imitates the ‘distressed’ effect of hammered metal. Rather than just describing a technique for working glass “battuto” signifies a way of being, a way of breathing, and expresses the beat of life. Now that is pretty special!

12. Eclipse Artwork by Holly Allen Cooper of WHITEBEAM STUDIOS 
Simply elegant, beautiful and affordable, the Eclipse series of art works are hand-painted in pure pigment, with ground charcoal and silt from the East River New York and the River Thames. This unique medium adds a raw sometimes grainy texture in contrast to the clarity of the colour, giving the artworks an almost 3-dimensional quality. 

13. Douli Chair by BLUE SHANGHAI WHITE
This bamboo hat-shaped, traditional porcelain seat with curved legs made from Elm makes up the classic Douli chair. The bowl shape (called Woyi meaning ‘Vortex’) follows the design philosophy of “traditional modern life”. I love this chair for it sculptural quality, it’s a fantastic statement piece and is actually quite comfy too!

14. Knit by CURVER in collaboration with Franklin Till 
The knitted look is back and it’s here to stay! KNIT by Curver is a unique collection of stools, tables, baskets, poofs and planters which utilise a method of deep-texture injection to apply a 3D knitted look to plastic in a gorgeous palette of colours. 

15. Occasional Tables by Danuta Włodarska of TWO OR THREEE THINGS.
This amazing collection of tables are inspired by a cup of coffee! The top is made of veneer panels of Siberian poplar which has gentle wood grain pattern. The light colour veneer top and complementary delicate pastel coloured base, endow these tables with qualities of mildness and incredible warmth, just like the perfect latte!

16. String Shelving System by NILS STRINNING
String Shelving is the original Swedish shelving system designed by Nils Strinning in 1949. Still retaining its distinct Scandinavian style, the original system has now been developed and enhanced to include a number of variations. I love String because it can be built in an infinite number of ways and will never look quite the same as anyone else’s!

17. Plantation ALICJA PATANOWSKA
Polish artist and designer Alicja Patanowska been rescuing discarded beer glasses from the streets of London and giving them new purpose as planters! The project began from her need to find a symbolic use for things which have been abandoned. As such, she has created a collection of hand-thrown ceramic plant pots that fit inside old glasses so both stem and roots can be seen. The result is a gorgeous visual statement of ceramic, glass, and greenery.

18. Dolomite LED Wallpaper by MEYSTYLE
After 10 years of working with pattern and wallpaper, sisters Maria and Ekaterina Yaschuk went a step further to create a radical new concept that turns walls into light structures! LEDs are integrated into the wallpaper, allowing it to be used just like any traditional wall-covering – but with the added requirement of an electrical socket or switch. Together with the Trompe L’oeil design the 2D wallpaper gives the illusion of being 3 dimensional.

19. TABLEAIR by Lukas Lukosevicius
Humans weren’t built to sit a desk for 8+ hours a day, most of us don’t even sleep for that long! A study shows that sitting for periods of longer than 3 hours can decrease a man’s life expectancy by 20% and 40% for women! The TableAir is a height adjustable work desk that gives you the option to stand or sit and uses a sensor to detect the height of an outstretched hand. It then moves the desk surface up to match it. It can be paired with a smart-phone to automate a schedule for time spent sitting and standing, plus it has super cool colour-changing side panels!

20. Pool Table by FUSION TABLES
We all love the idea of having a pool table in the house, however, many of us face a common issue of not having sufficient space. These super sleek Fusion Tables provide the perfect solution, combining that pool table you’ve always wanted along with the dining table you have always needed! The contemporary table features a multi-piece removable top that allows the dining table to be converted to a full-sized billiards table in 60 seconds, and uses an invisible pocket technology, so your guests will be none the wiser. What a fab party trick! 

The best news is that all of these products can be ordered via each of the companies websites and shipped to Australia!

Happy 2016!