Hedengren Sania - The whimsical home : interior design with thrift store finds, flea market gems, and recycled goods

CONTENTS

ITS FINALLY HERE, The Whimsical Home , and what a great feeling it is!

We wanted to continue to inspire all our readers and share our beautiful surroundings, unique projects, handy hints, inspirations, and ideas for all sorts of handiwork, because we love our work so very much. Our creativity continues to flow and new and exciting projects are constantly popping up. In this book we focus on revamping five homes, which are all decorated with vintage style. Some of the designs are created with recycled materials.

THE ROADSIDE B&B . Built in the early 1900s, this was once a bed and breakfast. This dream house is a true rural dream. Everything from the beaded wall panels, to the beautiful double doors, to the mullioned window has been preserved. The interior is traditional, old-fashioned, rustic, and filled with inspirational elements.

THE SEASIDE COTTAGE . This home has unique dcor that is both imaginative and innovative. Its filled with plenty of inspirational ideas. Its a functional abode utilizing a small area where the superb summer kitchen is a favorite.

THE YELLOW HOUSE IN THE MEADOW . This is a cozy cottage with an uplifting interior where flowery patterns from the 70s take center stage, and thrift store finds are everywhere. An old kiosk from the 1800s has been furnished into a guest cottage while a moped with a retro vibe drives along the gravel path outside.

THE HILLTOP BAR. This small black house is newly built using timber, but all the beautiful mullioned windows are old. The bar is made from an old frame-and-panel door and the greenhouse is located close by.

THE CITY VILLA. With large, magnificent windows, this newly renovated merchants villa maintains a traditional style. Amongst other things theres a beautiful library and a modern bathroom featuring original details. Here, creativity really flows.

Each chapter concludes with useful do-it-yourself ideas. Weve casted in concrete, crocheted, sewed, built new things, painted, revamped old things, cut, glued, displayed, and decoratedall the things we usually get involved with.

We hope that this book will serve as an inspiration to you to create your own ideas.

Susanna & Sania

ROADSIDE BED AND BREAKFAST

Along a narrow, winding country lane lies this beautiful Falun red house that was once a B&B. During the early twentieth century many guests took a steamboat from Stockholm to spend a few relaxing summer days in the country. The house even had its own dance floor that was set atop a hilltop with stunning views. The orchestra would play at night while the well-dressed guests danced and enjoyed themselves. The dance floor still exists but is sadly damaged beyond repair. The house itself has now been made into a home and retains all the original features. When the house was built at the start of the last century, recycled materials were already being used; windows and doors came from houses in Stockholm that had been pulled down. The building is long and fairly narrow, which means that many of the rooms are side by side and in between them are old double doors that must be several hundred years old. The current owners recently renovated the house and have taken care to maintain the original style.

TIPS

Spend time creating a welcoming entrance that will make you feel happy every time you come home.

The plant support on the previous page is woven from willow.

The enamel-covered tin is a great alternative to porcelain.

Bunting is great outside, especially along the faade of the house or on the veranda.

A garden geranium is a must outside a house like this.

WEAVING IN WILLOW

Weaving in willow is fun and exciting. You can buy willow at a garden center but you can also pick your own branches alongside ditches. Remove any twigs and leaves and you will be left with some good sticks to work with. Even water sprouts from apple trees can be used; the important thing is to use slightly thicker sticks for placing into the ground, and thinner ones for the weaving. Weaving literally means that you wrap the smaller sticks around the standing sticks, alternating them in front and behind.

To make a plant support you will need some willow, pruning shears, and string.

Cut the sticks to be placed in the ground to the desired height. They should be slightly thicker than those you are weaving around them. Place them into the ground in a circle.

Take two, slightly thinner, sticks and weave around the standing sticks, in front and behind, alternating them. For a complete round and then tie everything together at the top with some string.

Even out the ends with the shears.

THE BACK OF THE HOUSE looks out over a patio and grill. The grill is made from brick and built into the ground, is frequently used, and has a practical surface to the side of it. Basket chairs work well outside but you should take them indoors when it rains. You can easily update an old table by ordering a made-to-measure piece of glass and placing fabric, postcards, a map, photographs, or, as in our example, wallpaper underneath, making it personal and easy to update if you get bored with it.