Scandinavian Chic

Pimp up your Pax, Factum or Bestå!

2013-05-05T21:08:00.002+02:00

I was just made aware of Superfront, founded by Swedish Mick Born, Sander Aarts, Monica Born and Lars Lundsjö, which is no less than an AWESOME new IKEA-pimping concept.

Superfront makes custom legs, fronts and pulls for your Pax, Factum and Bestå furniture. And I have to say, with these elements, you can make your IKEA furniture look like a million bucks!

Mint green fronts with dark emerald green "legs".

Love the bold color combo here, with purple fronts, and orange "legs". + Custom pulls of course. Definitely a statement!

I'm a total sucker for brass, and look at the legs!! WOHOO! Am totally doing this on my Pax.

Super feminine and simple.

LOVE the captains! Comes with both copper and brass finish, pluss a huge variety of paint finished.

And you know what? The price is actually not that bad! This has to be the best thing that happened to IKEA since Pretty Pegs!

You like??

How I Ended Up Here (warning, no pictures)

2013-04-26T08:30:00.000+02:00

This is a really personal post. Don't do those very often, but for some reason, I wanted to get down on "paper", what's happened the past 2,5 years, and why it did.

I have a lot on my plate, and I have to say, I'm extremely thankful for it. The past 2,5 years, since I stopped being a full time blogger, and startet working for Fargerike, has been a crazy whirlwind experience. I started working there December 2010, where I got a huge budget (is probably average compared to other companies, but still, HUGE for me), and a boss (Linda Frid) that really believed in me. I was full of ideas and plans, and she almost always said "Sure! That sounds like a great idea!". And I was like, what?? She said yes?? WOHOO!! (I have gotten quite a few no's as well, but I don't dwell on those ;)) And that's how we got our Trend!-collection, started collaborating with huge wallpaper brands, introduced Color of the Year, and also, our collaboration with Grand Hotel, Oslo. I have two more projects on my list that I want to set into action, and I think they're extremely exciting!! Hopefully, I'll get to present them here in a few months (fingers crossed!!)

I have grown immensely these years, and shudder when I see some of the first projects I did. At the time, I thought they were great, now, not so much. A friend of mine recently said, "and that's probably how the rest of the professionals saw them at that time too. I totally had not thought in that direction. At all. And was like, OH NO! Then stopped thinking about it again. What's in the past is in the past. Stepping into this industry really has been a super experience, and I've gotten such a warm welcome. That part still amazes me. How nice everyone's been. Everyone from our agents, distributors and brands, agencies, other companies, and not to mention, the press. And more lately, from female power women from all kinds of industries here in Norway. Major support that feels so important.

I've always been passionate about colors, and first started experimenting when I was five. It begun with clothes, and at the age of 14/15, i started gaining interest in interiors. My mothers home was the first project. Although she's probably my biggest fan, she never thought I was creative. She wanted me to get a university degree, my father wanted me to go to Parsons to be a designer. I listened to my mom, and started studying Pedagogy, Sociology and Informatics at the University of Oslo. And have never been more unhappy. I gained weight (which has seriously never happened before, I have never (before or after) been able to gain weight). Have always been super stable. I also got acne. However, the sociology and pedagogy are important to me today, and I'm happy I chose the path I did. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't be here, in the job I have. Or maybe I would?

My former job, was as an Onsite Manager (with insourced staff) working towards the IT industry. It gave me incredible insight to negotiations, leadership and business. I use what I learned there, every single day. I also use what I learned while working at McDonalds every single day as well. To me, that was the perfect first job when I was 16. I learned to be efficient, to compete, and to make 12 hamburgers in 2 minutes. A-W-E-S-O-M-E! I still remember the feeling of putting on ketchup, mustard, onion and pickles on all 12 burgers before the grill opened as such a rush. My first "real" job was also in the IT-industry, during the IT boom in 1999. That was also a huge learning curve for me, where I learned a lot about what can happen if you have too much money (as a company), how to keep focus, and I worked with some extremely dedicated people, that are still excelling in their fields. I startet out as a secretary, and had a blast structuring all the contracts and customer registry. Continued into web controlling, and from there, as a project manager.

In other words, my path has been strange, but at one point, and I remember it clearly, I made a decision, and that decision was that I wanted to work with what I've always been passionate about, colors and interiors. That moment happened while I was at home with my second daughter, Stella. I think it subconsciously happened sooner, when I was at home with my first daughter, Indie. I sat down, thought about my current job, and realized, although this job is fun, and fulfills a lot of what I want in a job, I want more. I want to work with what I'm passionate about! Scandinavian design from a maximalistic point of view was my main focus here on the blog at the time, and that involves both color, patterns, Scandinavian Design&Interiors. And that focus is what lead me to the headhunter that picked me up for Fargerike (where I currently work as Creative Director). My combo of knowledge about colors&interiors, combined with business and marketing understanding, the background from the University, interest in social media and web competence, led to me not having any competitors for the role. No one could match my combination of skills. The headhunter shook his head, and said; this job was made for you?!?! And I looked at him, and realized, I couldn't agree more. And that's how it all started.

Today, I still have to pinch myself, that I get to do what I love the most every single day; I play with colors! At work, with my home, and with how I dress.

What Happens in Milan..

2013-04-24T11:51:00.000+02:00

..does most certainly not stay in Milan!

I was in Milan during the furniture/design fair (Saloni), and it really was an inspirational trip! Met LOADS of interesting and inspirational people, forgot to fotograph anything but furniture and came home bursting with new ideas. Definitely a successful trip!

For part 1 of my report from Milan, click HERE. (The subjects are colors, geometric shapes, the Wingback Chair and interesting surfaces)

This picture sums up three big trends: geometric shapes, copper and botanicals. Big plants - EVERYWHERE! (Diesel for Moroso)

Happy Wednesday! :)

Our Newest Rugs - one of them Could be Yours!

2013-03-18T08:50:00.002+01:00

These two area rugs, Fjell (geometric) and Flora (organic), has just arrived in our (Fargerike) stores, and I find them absolutely beautiful!

While Flora is inspired by the Norwegian Flora,

Fjell is inspired by the Norwegian mountains.

The plum shade is incredibly easy to combine with other colors, and the pair is launced as part of Color of the Year 2013 for the Norwegian market.

If you want the chance to win one of the rugs, hop over to Fargerike's blog HERE.

What do you think? Love or loathe??

Happy Monday!!

Would it be too Crazy?

2013-02-20T09:36:00.001+01:00

So, as you know, We've just purchased my grandparents home, and it has a super cozy cottage look, with brown timber and blue windows and shutters.

I know my mother loves it, and I do too...

Owned by the Novogratz family (of course). Always so bold and confident in their choices. I think it's such a good look!!

But then I saw this!

Is that a happy house or what?? Ours look very much like it, except for the posh looking entrance. (ours is very ordinary)

I SO want to do it! My husband asked me if I'd been drinking (I don't drink), but I seriously think he kind of liked the idea.

What do you think?

Totes over the top (we're conservative here in Norway), or fun&fearless??

Hello FANTASTIC Colors!!

2013-02-06T08:00:00.000+01:00

image from here

I'm dying a little over the colors here..

PURE PERFECTION!!

New Wallpaper Design: Trend! by FargerikeI Love Polkadot!

2013-02-03T15:07:00.000+01:00

As some of you know, Fargerike has their own wallpaper collection, called Trend! by Fargerike. For the first launch in 2013, the design group worked on a look, that was inspired by one of our stylists, Christine Hærra (who also owns the blog I Love Polkadot, where the name of the design comes from).

The wallpaper is definitely playful and bold. A perfect addition to the polka dot trend Apartment Therapy is expecting to be BIG in 2013.

This design could work in any room, and it totally changes personality if one uses large artwork over the pattern. It somehow calmes down. Our you can play them up, like we did in these photos. The dots are watercolor, which makes the purple nuances just stunningly beautiful. The wallpaper was made as a part of the Color of the Year 2013 concept, and will be available in Fargrikes stores in 2013 only.

I LOVE it, what do you think??

FASHION INSPO: The Warm Side of the Color Wheel + Contrasting Color!

2013-02-02T11:09:00.004+01:00

image from here

Yellow+tangerine = nuances of the same color. Yellow, orange, pink, red and the warmer purple shades always go well together. The green clutch from the opposite side of the color wheel serves as contrast and makes the whole outfit.

image from here

This color palette is both interesting and has edge.

When it comes to combining different colors, colors on the same half of the color circle always works together (pink, burgundy, plum, coral). Gold enhances the other colors, and the turquoise pieces from Anna Dello Russo's collection for H&M is the perfect contrast. (the shoes are not working for this outfit, but imagine a different pair)

image from here

Same thing happening here. Plum, orange and pink, with blue as the main contrast (belt+shoes)

This kind of palette can easily be translated to interior design. It's an easy recipe. Just play by the rules, and the look will work. (warm side of color wheel for main outfit and accents, cold side of the color wheel for contrast)

Happy Saturday!!

Wallpaper for the Upstairs Hallway!

2013-01-31T21:37:00.000+01:00

I was flipping through my fave online magazine, the Australian Adore Home Magazine, well known for their fun&colorful interiors.

To my surprise, on page eighty-something, I spotted the wallpaper we're going to use in our upstairs hallway! It's called Treillis in the color Vert (green), and is by Manuel Canovas (of course available from Fargerike).

Green is such a good wall color, and I'm really going to play it up with accent and contrasting colors.

Can't wait!!

ps - ONE week until move-in date!

Color of The Year 2013: PURPLE! (Norwegian Market)

2013-01-18T19:52:00.002+01:00

Thursday, January 17th, Fargerike announced Color of the Year 2013 for the Norwegian market, and it consists of ten shades of purple (including purpur, a strong indigo, shades of violet, plum and a greyish aubergine)

The concept is divided into three directions, Norwegian Scandinavian, Norwegian Elegant and Norwegian Eclectic, where the first is the most commercial, and the last the least.

We will of course begin with the least.. ;)

Norwegian Eclectic

This is fun, fearless, COLORFUL, and creative. Smallest in size, but largest in influence.

The purple nuances are warm, strong and powerful. Purpur is the most historic nuance, inspired by the ancient Greeks, who got the color from a specific snail. It goes very well with the stronger colors on the market today, like coral, bright yellow, emerald green and crisp blues.

Gallery walls are a common feature in more eclectic interiors. Here with paintings that are about thirteen a dozen in Norwegian flea markets.

Combining patterns in a nonchalant way. Having fun with mixing and matching. Louise Gray from LFW is a great example of the approach we've seen from the SS13 catwalks.

Old cabinets get new life - here we see a rather conservative example of the Norwegian Eclectic style direction. Most of the elements in this photo are flea market finds. Put together in a new way with new colors makes them relevant and oh so appropriate.

Flowers are a huge source of inspiration

Dots, dots, dots! Again, mixing patterns, and having fun with the decor is key. The "I Love Polkadot" wallpaper, was designed especially for the Norwegian market by Fargerike. The wallpaper is inspired by one of our stylists/interior designers, the very talented Christine Hærra, (her blog is called I Love Polkadot)

Keeping the Norwegian tradition alive, by using classical furniture, but adding colorful and bold elements. Norwegians travel a lot, and get inspired by their journeys across the world.

There's only one rule: "There are no rules"

Norwegian Elegant

Feminine, airy, light, but with a twist.

Vintage furniture from the 30's are highly popular, but with a modern twist. Painting only half the chair, or covering the seat with a glamorous sequin fabric is only natural. Art Nouveau with it's organic forms and inspiration from nature, is sought after, preferably combined with arab or geometric shapes.

Grown up and elegant. All the elements are light and airy, except for the floors, who can very well have a dark, dark brown shade (both painted and natural floors)

The food is also tasteful and elegant. Again, light and airy. Gold is the most important metal.

Again, classical vintage furniture paired with a sleek and modern marble table and crisp whites are super fresh with the dusty lavender backdrop.

The fashion is amazingly feminine. Fabrics like silk, velvet and tulle are key.

The mood board shows the most important elements of the style direction. Three shades of lavender take the main role, while whites, light greys and airy powder nuances makes the color scheme.

Norwegian Scandinavian

Norwegian design has been very influenced by the Danes the past ten years (give or take). The decor has been mainly white, but 2013 will be the year where we're bringing the colors back. We're painting the Danish style Norwegian ;) Being a colorful people, the colors are indeed important, and we're beginning with dusty shades of plum and aubergine.

Dusty Aubergine, paired with copper (main metal) and greys.

Again, clean lines, but color on the wall. We're moving away from the white walls in a rapid speed.

The fashion is also simple and sleak, with a monochrome palette.

Again, we see the Danish simple and sleek lines, but with a bold, geometric wallpaper. This is a super exciting collaboration between Fargerike and the amazing wallpaper/fabric company Thibaut (The oldest on the US market), and the colorway will only be available in select stores, in a superlimited edition (they get 12 rolls each)

The key elements, in addition to the dusty plums&aubergine, are copper, brass, geometric patterns and interesting wallpapers/textiles with texture, and not pattern (like the background).

You can read through the ENTIRE magazine including the complete color palettes HERE

So what do YOU think? Do you have a favorite? And more importantly, do you LIKE purple?

Chic or Shit: Why SS08 is SO SS13! (Steven Meisel, of course!!)

2013-01-14T21:23:00.000+01:00

Steven Meisel did this shoot for US Vogue Living (now folded), back in 2008. This was very far from the Norwegian market at the time, but we're getting there. The eclectic approach to combining patterns and colors is ridiculously refreshing. LOVE!

All images from here

What do you think?

Chic or Shit??

A Walk in Closet!!

2013-01-08T19:07:00.002+01:00

In our new house, there's one thing I'm super excited about - The Walk in Closet!! I'm in the middle of planning ours, and since it's small and narrow, what better inspiration is there than Carrie's from Sex and the City??

Image from here

image from here

I'm planning on a his and hers part, so we'll share the space (much needed!). We're definitely going for open shelves like here, so all the goodies are on display :)

We'll be buying the units from IKEA, but will be painted in a darker shade, maybe bordeaux?

Happy Tuesday!!

Two New Years Resolutions for 2013

2013-01-06T18:09:00.000+01:00

I have two goals for the new year, the first is super simple, and I'm 100% sure I'll achieve it. The second is a little bit more challenging, but oh, so important.

1. Entertain more!

Our new house feels like it's made for entertaining, and this table scape that I found on the Bright Bazaar Blog was super inspiring. LOVE the pink+gold+classic blackandwhite stripes color scheme. Fun, glam and girly, just the way I like it ;)

image from here

1. No refined sugar!

Keeping away from sugar has so many health benefits, that it's stupid not to. It is ridonculously difficult the first three weeks, though. BUT, I'm super motivated, and have one week down already. Was easy as pie! (probably because I pigged out like an idiot during Christmas). Only 359 days to go!

image from here

Do you have any New Years Resolutions, or do you think it' BS?

Happy Sunday!!

Fave Fall Outfits from 2012!

2013-01-03T11:30:00.001+01:00

This blog has always mainly been about interior design, with drips of fashion. My Instagram account is the opposite. A lot of fashion, and a lot of outfit pics (which I would be mortified to post here, lol :)).

But, I've decided to make an exception. I've had a lot of fun with experimenting with my wardrobe, especially with mixing patterns and creating interesting color combos. Here are my four favorite outfits from last fall:

The past few seasons, the connection between interior design and fashion has gotten much, much closer, don't you think?

Which outfit do you like the most?

Happy Thursday!! (totally feels like Tuseday, doesn't it??)

Chandelier Project for the New House!

2013-01-02T13:48:00.000+01:00

After seeing this post over at Little Green Notebook, it totally gave me the idea of what kind of lighting we're going to have over the new kitchen/dining table.

I also spotted this photo over at another favorite blog, I Love Polkadot:

Aren't they both perfect??

I'm going for a bit smaller scale (would have LOVED to have Jenny's but they're impossible to find here), and will instead brutally spray paint a Norwegian classic, the Høvik chandelier:

We'll get two (hopefully a little bit different looking), and with SIX arms (not five like above).

Have still not decided on which color to spray paint them in... Any suggestions??

Happy 2013!!

A Norwegian Favorite: Andreas Engesvik "Bunadspledd"

2012-12-11T12:56:00.000+01:00

There's a lot happening with Norwegian design at the moment, and a super favorite (together with the Viola table from Ygg&Lyng), is Andreas Engesvik's Bunadspledd for Mandal Veveri. Andreas took his inspiration from the colors of the traditional Norwegian folk costume, the Bunad:

Image from here

I love how he's made something so traditional look so contemporary, without losing the Norwegian identity (which truly is colorful :)).

The blanket has a chevron patterned base, which makes it pretty timeless. The colors have also passed the test of time, and I'm pretty sure we have a new classic on our hands ;)

PS - Congrats to Andreas for winning the Elle Decoration Norway's Designer of the Year award! Well deserved.

All images of the blankets are courtesy of Andreas Engesvik / Mandal Veveri

The Man Cave

2012-11-25T21:16:00.002+01:00

Yup, it's a real cave... My husband finally got his man cave! Not sure if this is what he had in mind, though..

Our house was built in the 50s, and in Norway, it's preferred to build on "fjell" (mountain), because of the weather conditions. My grandfather designed the house, and he did make some interesting decisions, like this room, which was supposed to be a sauna! (for some strange reason that never happened though ;))

So the big question is... WHAT would you do with this room?

to follow the renovation, follow me on Instagram

Want to See Our New Home?

2012-11-13T20:06:00.000+01:00

Our new home right in our current neighbourhood, and it belonged to my grandparents. I've spent countless summer, falls, winters and Christmases here.

It does need some TLC though. The fireplace will be kept as is, but the rest of the decor, including the faux beams will be removed (as well as the facing wall)

There's beautiful floors beneath the wall-to-wall rugs from the seventies, and we will try to keep them.

Want to see the the house go through it's makeover? Follow me on Instagram for weekly updates and progress (it will be quite dramatic to say the least). My username is Fargerike_Dagny

We're Selling Our Home!

2012-11-07T20:12:00.002+01:00

This blog was started well over four years ago, when we bought this house. We intended to stay her much longer, but sometimes, you can't control everything. In august, we lost my grandfather, and as a direct consequence, we decided to buy his home, which was where my mother grew up, and I've spent countless days the past 32 years. It feels super strange to be leaving this house, our first total renovation project, which was completely finished about two weeks ago (!). At the same time, I'm very very excited to start the renovation of a house that means so much to me.

To view the sales ad for our current home, click HERE.

Image from the sales ad

I was interviewed by USBL today about how to implement colors into your home, and they asked me what my favorite room in the house was...

My answer: Our bedroom, the livingroom, the kitchen the laundry room, the hall... I actually LOVE every single room!

The bedroom has a pale and cool pink, called Kirsebærblomst FR1113. The fabric on the headboard is Bengale Tiger by Manuel Canovas, and the geometric bed spread is from Casamance (both available from Fargerike)

The laundry room has a wallpaper called Palais Chinois from Osborne&Little, furniture from IKEA and flooring by Megaflis.

The kitchen is from Danish Kvik, the pulls (handles) are by B&B Sweden. I chose marble tiles which I absolutely LOVE.

The kitchen nook is our favorite hangout (image from the sales ad)

The famous Hummingbird wallpaper from Cole&Son can be ordered from Fargerike. The rug is also from Fargerike.

Wallpaper Imperial Trellis from F.Schumacher, and matching blue/greyish paint that is called Kjølig Eleganse FR1207 (from Fargerike)

The second bedroom has been painted in Botanika FR1208 (from Fargerike) combined with yellow and pink. Gives a fresh and summery feel all year round.

The third bedroom is also green, but a cooler shade than the second bedroom.

The bathroom has a Laura Ashley mirror, Vedum console and moroccan tiles from Marrakesh Design.

Pale blue drapes that rest on the floor.

I absolutely loved our garden this summer.

We have some weeks ahead of us that are filled with important decisions and events. Am excited to see how everything pans out.

Happy Wednesday!! :)

all images are courtesy of fargerike.no

Norwegian Design: Ygg&Lyng - traditional design and craftsmanship with a modern twist

2012-11-03T12:23:00.000+01:00

Lately, I've been swooning over Ygg&Lyng's table, Viola. Ygg&Lyng is inspired by Norwegian nature and heritage. Their oak table is a future heirloom, and of fantastic quality, produced the old fashioned way.

The table comes in several sizes, but the grand 240x100 cm is my favorite.

The design is super versatile and can easily be adapted into several different types of interior.

What I love the most about Viola, is that it is very Norwegian in it's design, and it respects our heritage, but at the same time brings something new to the table. It's definitely modern.

Check out Ygg&Lyng's website here to view their full range.

all images courtesy of Ygg&Lyng.

Power Dressing 2012

2012-10-17T11:39:00.000+02:00

Click HERE to see where everything is from. (Polyvore)

Power Dressing for women was introduced as a term, in the 80s, where women dressed in masculine suits, in formal colors. Power dressing has since changed, and the 90s and 00s introduced a more feminine shape, but still, suits and darker colors were dominating.

The 2010s have proven to be the most exciting decade for women, and we so Power Dressing taking a U-turn, towards feminine and colorful, but still, appears stronger than ever.

I've done a guest blog post over at Tinteguri's blog (she's the Norwegian CEO of Hewlett Packard (HP)). You can read the whole post HERE, with tons of inspo.

PS - if you want even more inspo, I used to do a series called LCD (Little Colorful Dress), which basically is a "how-to" style a colorful dress, and to make it even more versatile than the infamous LBD.

Hope you enjoy the posts!

My Living Room has been picked out in Apartment Therapy's Room for Color Contest!

2012-10-16T10:55:00.005+02:00

All photos of the interior are courtesy of fargerike.no. Photos by Sveinung Bråthen, Styling: Christine Hærra

Click here to vote

Happy Tuesday!

My Report from Maison L'Objet

2012-10-10T20:52:00.003+02:00

In early September, I was at Maison L'Objet, to look at tendencies and trends.

I have just finished my report on our finds, and you can read it here (in Norwegian), or here (in English)

Happy Wednesday!

Scandinavian & Chic: STYLEmag - New Magazine Launching Oct 1st!

2012-09-25T12:53:00.001+02:00

Went to the pre-launch of STYLEmag today, wich is a print/online concept that will be available on www.stylemag.no AFTER Oct 1st (the official launch date). The concept is also tied together with the fashion portal Fashion Street

Editor in Chief, is the experienced Celine (who also blogs at Hippie Hippie Milkshake). Since it's a style concept, they will also be featuring decor & design, which is getting tighter and tighter with the fashion industry. Wise move, if you ask me! :)

The magazine has more shopping pages than we usually see in fashion mags, and I like it! Green is a must this fall, and I love this preppy page - every single piece is timeless.

Powder tones are also important this season, and will continue into SS13. The nude shades can also be combined with stronger hues like burgundy/bordeaux, fuchsia, emerald green with great success.

Talk about personal style statement! The model is wearing the IT-sweater of the season here in Norway, and has a perfect shade of Kelly green. I usually shy away from IT-pieces, but this one (which is sold out everywhere) is definitely calling my name.

So what are your expectations with this mag? Do you think you'll purchase the first copy?

all images are from my intagram-account: fargerike_dagny

base fall/winter 2012/2013

2012-09-06T14:41:00.000+02:00

base is Fargerike's inspirational magazine. It's bright, happy and filled to the rim with strong, light and dusty colors. It's a freebie available in our 110 stores spread across Norway. The fall/winter issue was just sent to the printers, and I'm proud of the result.

The cover is showing suite 208 at Grand Hotel, Oslo, that we just designed in Color of the Year 2012 (green) for the Norwegian market.

Styling & design: Christine Hærra, Photo by Sveinung Braathen

Want a copy? Leave a comment in this blog post.