I’ve got to admit I’m not one for tinsel and lots of colourful lights at Christmas time. Instead, I love the subtlety of Scandinavian homes at Christmas: hints of red, lots of green foliage and white candles. Not only is it stylish but so simple to add to your own home to give it that Scandi festive feel. Take some inspiration and ideas from these beautiful homes…

These images are on a wedding blog, which I wasn’t expecting; I thought they were from a Christmas shoot. What a glorious wedding table! Pop over to 100 Layer Cake to see more images of the wedding by Anne Marie Photography, Loft Photographie and Fit To Be Tied Events:

A Swedish Christmas wedding table – how amazing are those furs?

Love the idea of stuffing dresser drawers with goodies when all the family come over (would obviously need to clear out all my drawers first though – not so easy!).

This next home belongs to creative couple Mille and Christian Gyldenfeldt who both work in fashion and design. They live in a country house in Rågeleje, Copenhagen. Images by photographer Frederikke Heiberg for the Swedish magazine, Lantliv:

This is a front door I want to step through. I adore the light that flows through a lot of Scandinavian homes and bounces off the white walls and floors.

The tree and Christmas foliage look so beautiful against the white backdrop: simple and inviting.

I love the Scandi styling of these shoots by the talented Swedish duo Sanna and Sania. Drop by their blog for more inspiration:

A stylish, festive child’s bedroom.

What about a Scandi table cloth for your Christmas table and lots of white candles are a must.

Adding subtle touches of red, white and green will give your home a festive feel without it being over the top. These images of this Swedish country house are by stylist and photographer Marie Delice Karlsson, which I spotted over on one of my favourite blogs My Scandinavian Home:

This pared down tree in this minimal hallway looks perfect.

Adding just a red and white linen tea towel adds a Christmas feel to this kitchen.

If you have guests staying why not add beautiful red and white linen pillowcases? Such an easy thing to do to dress up a guest room ready for Christmas.

I love the addition of the Christmas candlestick to this bathroom – this is a detail that makes a difference to how festive your home will feel.

What do you think of Scandinavian style and which is your favourite room?

I know lots of people prefer dark colours and lots of cosy textiles at Christmas time but I just adore the freshness and light of these homes and would love to cosy in on Christmas night with heaps of candles burning. Just lovely.

Katy x

As I said a couple of weeks ago, it’s time for us to make some changes to our flat because I have such itchy feet. I desperately want to move to the period home of my dreams but, alas, London house prices have gone through the roof!

I posted last week about choosing a new floor for our sitting room, kitchen and hallway. Today, I want to chat through my plans to makeover our hallway – which I hate! It has got to be the most boring, dull, generic hallway I have ever seen and it makes me cry inside.

This is what the hallway looks like now…

Even Otto looks sad about it.

All of the rooms in the flat come off this hallway and there are three cupboards so, in total, there are SEVEN – yes seven – of these monstrous wooden doors. There are no windows, so no natural light and the same horrible, beige carpet that I want to get rid of from the sitting room runs through the hallway. I love the vintage poster that is hung on the wall, but it was only ever put up as a temporary gap-filler – it doesn’t fit there at all.

These are my plans to make this small space more of a design statement, rather than an unpleasant passage to the other rooms.

1) Replace carpet with wooden floor.

2) Try and find a beautiful runner (I have been looking for the last three years!)

3) Paint the walls in one of  Little Greene’s French Greys – not sure which shade yet.

4) Add Jane Cumberbatch’s ‘Toast’ striped border halfway up the wall all the way round the hallway.

5) Paint all of the doors white and change the handles. This is going to be an arduous job but I hope it will be well worth it.

6) Add some interesting art work – I love Double Merrick’s new Swimmer print.

7) Buy a vintage hallway table and mirror.

8) Add an interesting wall light as we only have spot lights, which can feel very overbearing at times..

Little Greene paint.

Toast wallpaper border to go half way up the walls.

I’m really enjoying Double Merrick’s new print.

Now I just need to find a weekend to make it happen!

Katy x