Hello Island Lovelies,
Winter has certainly arrived on the GC, here in QLD.
Icy chilled mornings and evenings with a dash of warm winter sun during the day.
This is only my 2nd winter in QLD and I have to say it’s very pleasant indeed. If I where back in England this weather would be classed as Spring. With a nip in the air I do hanker after some English nostalgia and being very close to Scandinavia in the UK I adore a little Scandi inspiration particularly at this time of year.
I also like the relative quietness of winter. Living by popular beach destinations means come winter time you are almost handed the keys back, so can enjoy a moment’s peace without the maddening crowds.
For my own beach inspired home this also means creating some coastal cosy comfort.
I like to do this with textures and lot’s of soft warm light.
Take a leaf out of the Scandinavians book, they are the true masters of creating a cosy yet stylish light filled winter haven by beach or country.
I love the Scandinavian furniture company Slettvoll for their modern classic pieces, divine balance of neutrals and natural textures.
Think Scandi meets Kelly Hoppen and you’ll instantly get the idea.
For anyone who loves classic, modern, timeless, chic, resort style and luxury hotel look then Slettvolls style is a great one to study, take note and learn how to re-create in your home, as a fabulous foundation to then add your own personality on top with styling.
You can very simply re-create this look with most high street store-bought pieces.
Look carefully at the shapes of the furniture, the neutral colour balance and the very simple accessories.
Now look at the scale of the items to create balance.
There is minimal clutter and this allows beautiful key accessories to really stand out. The accessories are probably a little larger than what you would normally buy, but it’s a direct and clever trick from Kelly Hoppen in the art of scale and design to create impact in a room.
What I really like about this style is that it sets a great foundation to a room to add a multitude of styles to.
Mix coastal style with Slettvoll’s look for a classic, much-loved and timeless decorating style.
Here a simple yet classic outdoor setting looks perfect with a dash of coastal style.
I also think a rustic beach cottage, or a coast and country look would equally sit beautifully with this style too.
What I also love about winter styling is the element of romance.
Mixing a little French/Swedish style with coastal can give a room a delightful look and feel.
With todays decorating philosophy of anything goes, a mix of traditional, classic, modern and coastal creates plenty of interest and personality to a room.
Creating mood, ambience and a welcoming touch is easy with this style and is perfect for winter.
The deep contrast colours of chocolate and charcoal through textures of rattan, wool etc. give a tactile feel to a room and create dimension.
I also like the fact that Slettvoll’s style is simple and corresponds easily to the natural environment, as depicted above instantly conjuring up images of a boat/beach house that’s cosy and carefree.
Do have a good look at the hard surfaces in these images. I particularly love the light soft oak flooring. There’s been plenty of dark wood flooring around that is beautiful, but light flooring is divine as it opens up a room and is perfect for bouncing light around to create the feeling of space, and this is absolutely perfect for a beach house residence.
Finally to prove to you that you can create a Slettvoll inspired look whatever your budget, here’s my winter themed Ikea storyboard that takes in most of Slettvoll’s key elements, to help create a cosy winter interior that’s stylish, gorgeous and absolutely achievable.
Happy Island Styling.
Images: Plumeria Coastal Home (Coral Candle Holder) & Slettvoll
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