guestpost; monika from splendid willow

Hi my dears, hope you are having a good week. Today is a big day for me. It involves a photo shoot of my home and my tabletop designs. To say I am excited is an understatement. I’ll be sharing details with you as soon as I can. While I am busy with the shoot, I leave you with a post from a wonderful woman.

Allow me to introduce today’s guest blogger Monika of Splendid Willow. Monika is a dear dear blogging friend and has been an incredible pillar of support to mochatini and me. Her passion for decorating is indulgent. Her charming home in Seattle, WA and inspiring blog Splendid Willow are attributes to her distinct twist on Swedish style. It is a real pleasure having her here today…without any delay, take it away mon.

Hello! Monika from Splendid Willow here. When Manvi invited me to write a guest post on her lovely blog, I felt more than honored. Not only is she very talented and creative (and her blog so inspirational), I also consider her a very dear friend. Manvi asked me to write something about design linked to my Swedish roots. So, this is what I consider – Simply Swedish.

Swedes crave light. For many long winter months the country sees very little light and the people do everything they can to let the light into their homes. No wonder gallons and gallons of white paint is the main staple in most Swedish homes.

Hardwood Floors. The Scandinavians love their hardwoods floors. And they show them off with pride. Area rugs on top of the floors, yes. But wall-to-wall carpeting makes most true  Swedes totally nervous. (Never know what’s hiding in those carpets…).

Swedes like it clutter free. And to them, less is definitely more. Most people prefer to save for that very special object rather than to be caught up in mass consumption.

I personally think the Swedes are masters when it comes to mixing old with new – whether it is architecture, art  or interior design. And they do it so effortlessly. Sweden is an old country where the “Modern Sweden” emerged in 16th century. The country is filled with lovely old treasures. On the other end of the spectrum,  Sweden is a highly modernized state-of-the-art technology country. That mix, between long ago days and today,  is something I so take to heart.

Swedes showcase their books with pride (and books are not props, they are meant to be read!). Don’t hide the key that tells people what you are all about!

Swedes love and respect mother nature. And their love is so apparent in all the organic materials and colors the Swedes love to use in their homes.

Swedes treasure time off work and would rather take more vacation days than salary increases. Many Swedes are saving for or dreaming about their own weekend/vacation homes where simple living, closeness to quiet and to nature are priorities. I so heart this spot between the sky and the ocean. What a place to unwind!

Thank you so much for reading all the way to here! I had fun sharing a dose of Sweden with you. I wish you a happy rest of the week! Cyber hug, Monika.

Images via: 1) Flickr, 2-4) Skona Hem, 5 = 6) KMLDesign-Dk, 7) Solid Frog, 8) Skona Hem, 9) RumID-Dk, 10) Trendenser, 11-13) KMLDesign-Dk

Thanks Monika for such a lovely post.

If you havent already, hop over to visit Monika on Splendid Willow