Everyone and their mother, yes, including me, seems to be embracing the spirit of Christmas, even though we've barely left October behind. I don't know why or how; perhaps that's a topic for researchers and psychologists. Maybe (more like definitely) there's an underlying reason behind our yearning for a more 'joyful' time, but I'm here for it.

I've already indulged in a bit of Christmas shopping myself. After at least 8 years of getting a real tree in the tropics every year, I finally caved in and got myself a faux tree (which sounds better than 'fake,' for sure) for sustainability reasons. Also, well, it's 2023, you know?

I've also spent hours swooning over glass baubles and dreaming of a country Christmas, just like in the pictures above, with a Dutch baby pancake baking in the oven, and more. The anticipation and excitement are real and hard to resist, so have a merry holiday time, everyone.

photos: amber interiors

In a week where it feels like the weather has risen to merciless degrees, I find myself drawn to the soothing and cooling darkness of these interiors; and as contradictory as this might sound, I happen to think natural light is everything – but at the same time I also prioritize dark and moody ambiences in my home, because at this point in time everything feels like a smack of sensory overload and my mind feels more at easy in the moodiness of a darker room. I do feel strongly about the images shared here... and perhaps you do too.

© hover over images for credits

Marcus Lawett

IKEA’s Creative Offices in Malmö, Sweden, were designed by Nanna Lagerman–a multidisciplinary designer, creative director, curator and stylist. Based in Stockholm, Nanna has previously worked with IKEA on numerous publications–and her work on this space speaks of her vision and creativity.


















For this project, Nanna and her collaborator–interior designer, Nina Warnolf, wanted to find out what happens when you have a board meeting in a room with plywood walls or sit on a spectacular sofa with plywood cubes instead of tables. They kept the best interior features like the beautiful parquet floors, decorative ceilings and structures intact and they decided to restore them.

Each room in the hub has its own feel and its own personality, which makes it a different experience for the teacher–one day they could be writing on the walls and the next they could spend their time in an all-pink room decked out with (also pink) curtains.

Only one word: Stunning.

Photography © Emily Laye JM has launched a new Premium concept and the talented Marie Ramse and Emily Laye have partnered to create a beautiful concept apartment in beautiful Sweden.

With over 70 years of experience in residential development projects and 4,000 completed homes per year in Sweden, Norway and Finland, JM has a unique insight into what type of accommodations customers demand. The new trend of premium tailored homes in the response to their customer's demand and a wonderful thing to look at — even from afar.

This home is just a small taste of what we'll be able to see JM do in the future with the help of brilliant people like Marie and Emily.

Photography © Riikka Kantinkoski The magnificent Susanna Vento has created a perfect dark atmosphere using paint from Tikkurila's new Clay Color Collection 2017. It's safe to say that de-saturated dark colours will keep making an appearance next year and I'm very excited about the introduction of darker browns and lighter pinks, in fact the color of 2017 is the gorgeous H466 Angora.

Photography © Enok Holsegaard & Ragnar Ómarsson We all know that mirrors introduce light and a sense of space and depth. People usually use them to create a visual illusion in a small or dark room but they can become the perfect addition to any room regardless of size. Over-sized or decorative mirrors, the question is what fits your style the most. I'm not a narcissist by any means but I definitely wouldn't mind packing my home with some large mirrors from the one and only, Ikea or maybe those stunning pendants make by the savagely creative hands of Elke Kallehav from Elkeland Studio.

Get your mirror fixed and ask: Who's the fairest of them all? It's you.

Photography © Andrea Papini Soft, muted colors, tranquility and light form part of Pro-Stylist Amanda Rodriguez's dream bedroom vision. Amanda Rodriguez is a freelance concept stylist, based in Stockholm. She works on the borderline between reality and illusion through her characteristic and playful use of shadow, light and composition - which rightly so, has propelled her to the top of the list where the best Stylists in the world co-exist.

Amanda recently partnered with Ikea for a three-part project series called Bedroom Of A Stylist A jam-packed with stunning bedroom styling tips must-read, that is, where she shines by birthing an oasis in the heart of a concrete jungle. Her underlying concept was to create a space filled with air, calm and softness by keeping objects at a low level and playing with natural light coming in from the large window. The article walks you through her thought and creative process and gives you ideas you're going to want to start tinkering with today.