In the meantime, while Trendey sisters focus on their regular careers & professions, we have the greatest blog tips for you: Dos family. As always, you might already know all about it, but if not: this is a blog by decorator (slash designer, columnist, TV-presenter, etc)  Isabelle Halling McAllister and photographer Jenny Brandt (who also has the sammy rose blog + shop) The lovely pics above are shot by Jenny at Isabelle’s. I think the black wall display is fabulous! And there’s loads of more inspiration on playful and charming kids’ rooms (like the one right) on their site. It’s undoable (and unnecessary) to define their interior style tastes, but I’d summarize it Happy Scandinavian :) Clearly creative, retro, personal, arty, homey, free-spirited and fun. Below is a really nice example of a ‘Dos Visit’, photographer Jenny Brandt visits Lisa Grue’s home. More of this lovely retro charm can be found here.

I think these two rooms below are very interesting! The decor is simple, yet the Josef Frank wallpaper looks nicer than ever together with the retro/vintage caramel sofa. The bathroom could have been downright boring but the pink pastel door (and a photo display or something hidden behind it) and the orange rug on the grey patterned floor is ‘all it takes’ to give the place some interesting character.

| all photos: Jenny Brandt @ DosFamily |

Now, lastly, I will join DosFamily’s upcoming blog battle – no idea what it will be about, but I will take the challenge :)

thrifty chic. Interior style on a shoestring is a book by Liz Bauwens and Alexandra Campbell. Unlike this spring’s fresh new book Undecorate, Thrifty Chic has been around for a while, both as a book (from 2009) and as a (partly overridden) concept. This beautiful book is packed with re-ideas. It shows you how to “reuse and restore, revive and revamp, and recycle and reclaim”, in order to create a stylish yet individual home without spending a small fortune.

As you can see already by the cover, the overall style is relaxed country – and vintage charm is all around. The concept of thrifty chic (and same meaning related concepts) is highly sustainable. Inspiration on how to paint up a tatty old chest, cut old curtains into cushions or give an old chair new life by means of some fabric – will never grow old and mossy. Reusing, restoring, reviving and revamping are things creative people have practiced for centuries and that – nicely enough – will contribute to less consumption and environmental destruction as it includes being cautious with both money and property. As if that weren’t enough, this book is pure beautifulness. It’s friendly written with lots of insider advices. This is one of my favourite photos from the book (photography by Simon Brown):

Gorgeous. All these furniture and stuff came from auctions, thrift stores and local sales.

The book has a feature on colour in hallways I found really interesting too (p.34-35), and some beyond lovely photos of thrifty bathrooms. See p. 118-127 for more pics and great advices on 2nd hand sanitaryware, etc.

It’s a must-have in the design book collection!

This meets my early May feelings; charming vintage, faded gracefulness, relaxed boho..

…the unpretentious ‘summer-house’-vibe. Imperfectly perfect.

| pics: toast & flickr |

The latest issue of Elle Decoration (April ’11) has global theme – the globetrotter style of decorating is trendier than ever – so let us, this late March evening, groove on some globetrotterish/etnhic/eclectic bathrooms. Being a Swede I’m starved of nicely decorated bathrooms…! For some (inexplicable) reason, we have a tradition in this country of ignoring that part of home decor. But: bathrooms are rooms too :)

| pics via april 11 issue of Elle Decor |

Happy Valentine’s! I hope your heart is warm today. Giving you this bag of sweet pasteley decor for some extra comfort.

| pics via house beautiful, room and serve & casaviva indian ed |

What is worth highlighting from the year passed? One space I’ve really enjoyed researhing this year is bathrooms. Becaaause, Swedish bathrooms are, in general, so boring. You know, head to toe tiles and a vast lack of decor. Here’s a round-up of inspiration on the ultimate bathroom lighting – the chandelier.

| top left marie claire maison, top right was featured here, bottom left pic styled by Abigail Ahern picked from here, and bottom right here |