Who doesn’t love old doors? These are on a street in Copenhagen and are flanked by a rose on each side. Of course, there is a modern element - note the wall sconce on the right. Somehow it fits aesthetically.
Simple, elegant design in the Bornholm restaurant, Kadeau, on the sea. White, gray, tan, all light neutrals with touches of charcoal send a message of serenity. Light touches of texture and smooth surfaces add interest.
A wall of green in an apartment I rented in Copenhagen. Organic neutrals - brick, pure white, deep green add warmth, light, drama.
Another view of a summer house in Denmark. I love the simple windows and enveloping natural wood flooring and paneling.
A summer house in Tisvilde, Denmark, filled with light and comfortable furnishings
A modern white kitchen that says luxury by Boform. Accents of stainless steel against richly grained marble and strong horizontal lines allow the design to flow.
The thing about this cafe at an inn in Bornholm, Denmark, is that it’s part of the continuing theme of Scandinavian design but with a soft twist. Stunning, high quality, modern chairs paired with gracious, traditional linens and dinnerware paired with rustic handmade pottery and modern art, casually placed on the window sill. Note the candle holder and very modern salt and pepper shakers. It’s relaxed and all pieces work together seamlessly.
Simple, strong white elements surrounded by a beautiful color green for the walls and light neutral flooring - a serene feeling. The floor’s texture adds a feeling of nature as does the leafy green color and garden lattice pattern.
A rich and wonderful antique store and gallery in Bornholm, Denmark, filled with beautiful vintage things and handcrafted pieces of art in various forms. I would have loved to take home that tile mural, but it was extremely heavy. Next time I’ll make it happen. Enjoy the textural beauty!
I LOVE the new background image for my scandinavian kitchens & design blog. Here is the original image I took it from. I had wandered around back roads to discover a wonderful view of rooftops and the sea in Bornholm, a tiny island off the coast of Denmark.
Tile in a shower in a gorgeous, stylish, new hostel in Copenhagen that my two boys stayed at while attending a family event. A common tile pattern in Scandinavia, simple and rectilinear. (image by Susan)
I can tell you that Scandinavian design means lots of interesting color combinations…just for the fun of it. This combination works beautifully. Medium warm blue/gray, white as a foundation, and then a shot of red. Why not??
For kitchen inspiration, let’s see: I’m thinking white cabinetry, a blue/gray finish on a wood floor and small touches of red, or hey, maybe a red hood over the cooktop in one red block. Sometimes when you tie in color too evenly and balanced, it’s a touch contrived, which leads me to the red hood idea… Soft gray for countertops and backsplash and white walls round it out. (image by Susan)
This is Part I of a series on Scandinavian grays - images I took in Scandinavia of grays used in different ways on different materials. The real thing! I hope it is inspiring.
Above: Rich, dark, gray sign, against lighter and warmer shades (image by Susan)
Above: Here it looks more blue than gray because it’s against a warm shade. With a bluer blue next to it, the door would appear very gray (image by Susan)
Above: Who doesn’t love the herringbone pattern? (image by Susan)
Above: Ever so soft gray… (image by Susan)
Above: Seems to be a more gray/brown shade (image by Susan)
Above: That deep, rich, tint-of-blue gray is just beautiful (image by Susan)
