At home with Stine

Good morning! I feel like the sun may have come out in Chicago just for this post.

Today we're going to Malmo, Sweden to visit the home of Stine, who owns children's boutique Lutterlagkage! I'm so very excited to share this week's tour. Not only does Stine have a fun and inventive living space, she's made it work to fit her unique lifestyle perfectly. I'll let her explain:

How long have you lived in your home, and why did you choose it?
I moved here a little over a year ago with my two girls and their father. Since then, he and I have separated and our living arrangement has changed a bit. We bought this huge apartment together and I fell for the turn-of-the-century charm it has. The original layout was a six-and-a-half rooms, two kitchens and a couple of bathrooms.


It feels amazingly spacious because of the many windows and the 3.5 meters (ed--about 11.5 feet) to the ceiling. For me it was love at first sight. Since our separation, we have divided the apartment into two separate flats and we lead separate lives with the girls living with each of us for a week at a time. We chose to do this to make the transition as smooth and painless as possible for the girls and it's meant to be temporary.

How would you describe your style and is there anyone/anything that has inspired you?
I guess my style is vintage eclectic with a retro touch. I have always been decorating on a budget and that has been quite inspiring. I'm inspired by a lot of things, Flickr, shops I see, art, magazines, friends and family, but most of all I'm inspired by the functions of a home and the life that goes on there.


Has your look evolved over the years? If so, how?
Yes it has. I feel I have always had a very personal eclectic style and I have always liked color! Lately I think my style has moved in a more feminine vintage-chic direction.


What's your favorite part of your home?
My favourite part of my home at the moment is my bedroom. It's the first room I decorated after the break-up and it was very important to create a room that would help me heal and give me power and strength. I wanted something that was clean and crisp but at the same time reflected me. I think the vintage wallpapers clash perfectly with the white glossy floor and the white walls. I also love my kitchen with my beautiful orange smeg fridge, my living room, the girls room, basically I like what this home has turned into. My least favourite part of the flat is the bathroom.


What's your next project?
Who knows? Maybe a new home. If not, I have a few extra touches to add to the bedroom and I need to finish installing the oven and hang a lamp over the kitchen table. I have found a beautiful crème coloured vintage lamp called "hinken" produced in Sweden in the late sixties or seventies.


What are the best places you find treasures for your homes?
I do a lot of thrift shopping, and Ikea has saved me more than once. The challenge with Ikea is to make it look not too "Ikea" since Ikea is very common here. But I like that you can buy fairly cheap objects and turn them into something unique by decorating them or by adding your own personal styling to them.

Any good backstories on an object in your home or element of your home?
You ask for backstories? You're a brave woman! Almost everything in my home, apart from the Ikea stuff, has a backstory. I'm not so good at parting with stuff. I hate to throw things out just because I don't really like it anymore. So I have to be careful what I bring into the house. That also means that my home has evolved over the years with a slowly growing collection of objects that I really like. Over my sofa I have hung a long piece of driftwood I found on the beach many years ago. I like that it reminds me of the sea and it has traveled with me in and out of a few homes over the past years.


Any favorite sites you'd recommend?
First of all I'd like to recommend Flickr! Discovering Flickr has opened a whole new world for me--a world of inspiration and friendship. I have so many talented friends and contacts online so I can't really pick just one out. My list of contacts on Flickr is carefully curated and is full of wonderful people. For inspiration on a colorful and vintage eclectic style I'd recommend the Danish magazine Boligliv (go for the paper magazine, not the website) and for color and bold and surprising combos I'd recommend the Danish firm Rice.

I couldn't resist adding a few pictures of her shop. Total kid's dream...



Her sunny vintage style definitely comes through in the shop!

Thanks so much for sharing your home and your story, Stine!

If anyone else out there is interested in having his/her home featured on the site, just get in touch!