They say no news is good news...

That saying turned out to be true in our case!  While we were away, our buyers found new purchasers for their house, so the chain is restored and we are all up and running again for moving.  All we need to do now is wait... yet again!

Now I am back at home, my mind has turned to practical issues, such as getting the house as clean as possible before we leave, do some tidying in the garden and just enjoy the sunny days in the spring in our "old house" as it is now referred to by my two youngest children!

Perhaps, it was all meant to be... a delayed move?!  Moving just before a holiday is not ideal and now that we are back, if we had moved before, we would have been in the thick of unpacking boxes and ready for another holiday by now!  This way, things are much more relaxed, we have time to make all the other arrangements at a steady pace before moving and can focus on the move rather than trying to pack up for a 3 week holiday as well!

So while I wait, I can carry on dreaming about interiors and buy candles as my inspiration from Sweden:

Beauty and function

I have learnt a lot about Scandinavian design and style from their transport systems.  Their airports and train stations tend to be spacious, light and airy.  The airport in Oslo, I remember from a trip 12 years ago -  the images of glass and beautiful woods has always stayed with me:

 We have been on a number of train journeys both in Norway and Sweden in the past and the scenery is breath-taking to say the least:

Journey to Flam in the fjiords for our honeymoon!

As well as being able to admire the views, travelling by train gives you a great opportunity to take in all the styles of architecture in the region.  Last weekend we travelled across Sweden on a high-speed train to visit friends in Gothenburg.

 As well as loving the opportunity to see more farmhouses along the way, I was also struck by the simple beauty of facilities on the train, there to make the journey as comfortable and efficient as possible.  The tables on the train are made of thin veneers of beech - much nicer than the plastic ones in the U.K!  There are plug sockets and reading lights for every seat, plenty of leg room and a comfortable seat for a long journey.  Toilets are clean and all come with a baby changer!  Lunch can be pre-booked and is served in an American-style diner on the train - fantastic! 

Several lessons could be learnt by the railway companies in England, but I also picked up a few tips - such as how important it is to have easy access to  plug sockets in the home and how much of a difference wood furniture can make to the ambience of a place - wherever you are!

Scandinavian design

I think my last post summarised the important elements of Scandinavian design: light, wood and warmth.  So what will I take home with me from Swedish interiors as inspiration?

Northern Lights in N. Sweden

Sunlight, candlelight and the clever use of artificial light are all important across the world, but I have really been struck by the brightness of the natural light here in Sweden.  Especially in these spring months of April and May, the blue sky emerges with dazzling sunlight bringing everyone out from the long winter hibernation inside.  Also having the Northern Lights on your doorstep up here in Scandinavia must have an impact on how you consider light, it being such an amazing sight.  It is one trip I plan to put on my bucket list (when I get round to making one); to me it looks so surreal, unnatural even, and I guess it is even more amazing that this is a natural occurence in our world.  From my short time here, I have gathered that people love natural light - from the sun and from candles - and there is much use of neutral tones, but at the same time, there is a real celebration of colour in the buildings and interiors:

I think the fantastic thing about design and interiors is that it becomes such an eclectic mix of a person's personality and their experiences in life - what they have been inspired by both locally and further afield.  For me nature, light and a sense of cosiness and warmth are all important in my home and perhaps that is why I have found so much that I like in Scandinavia, as it brings all those elements together.

For me, once I have found the right inspiration, it is a matter of interpreting that into interiors.  I visualise that the ideas I will take home from Sweden will appear in little ways - wooden furniture as a feature piece, or a splash of colour to create warmth; the use of glass or neutral tones to accentuate light, and a theme of simplicity that runs throughout the house.  Here are a couple of interiors I liked that display Scandinavian design:

Inspiration for interiors

I love the Scandinavian style of decor with abundant amounts of wood, glass and the combination of deep period colours mixed with calm neutral tones.  So where better than Sweden to gather ideas and inspiration for our new house?  We are here for a long Easter break...

Uppsala, Sweden

The first thing that struck me about Uppsala when we arrived here was the mix of old and new - just like our new home, but on a bigger scale!  The old part is very old: cobbled streets, deep colours for render on the buildings (such as ochres and pinks), and then the new doesn't try to compete but does its own thing.  Some of the new buildings look quite stark from the outside (a little like the extension on our new house) but the advantages are fully realised when you are inside and benefit not only from all the light reflected through the glass, but also from the light coloured woods and neutral colours.

We have always been fans of Scandinavia - we love the coast line, the fish, the countryside, the jumpers and the architecture - so it seems natural for us to look here for creative thoughts to interpret into design for Highfield House.

In our first couple of days here, what struck me most is the blue sky and the bright sun.  It is obviously a novelty for the Swedish too after the long winter months, and you will see people just stopping in the city squares to look up at the sky and soak in the sun.  All the buildings seem to do their utmost to maximise the amount of light coming into the interior space.  Despite the cold, there is no feeling of damp and greyness, but one of warmth and colour.  I can understand that in a place with such a long winter season, the focus would be on brightening up those cold, short days.

Moonrise behind Upplands Museum

The warmth is not just portrayed through the jolly colours of the buildings, but also from working to achieve a 'cosy' style.  There are some impressive buildings, but they are not over-grand and the wood used for walls and floors make them inviting.  My favourite are the log-cabin type buildings that you see dotted around the countryside - basic, but homely:

How I will use this inspiration will come to me in time, but it will definitely feature somewhere in our new home - the warm colours, the light, the wood and most importantly the cosiness!