Celebrate...

 Swedish Midsommar 

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Check out these local event listings for Swedish Midsummer celebrations stateside, from California to Connecticut.

Defining Scandinavian Style

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Lots of white.  Lots of bright.  Scandinavian style is a mixture of the the right amount of light and color.  It is the convergence of functionality and shape.  It often intermixes old and new with a little bit of irony.

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Scandinavian design is often equated with being modern and stark, but such an assertion is often just a stereotype.  The key to true Scandinavian design is making a room just as functional as it is inviting.

And both are quite frequently the goal.

Not taking decor too seriously.  Adding in surprising pieces.  Putting together a room that that can be really lived in, not just looked at.

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Mixing textures.  Using tones of one unifying color.  Layering without being too rigid about what results.

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Spending time on the details!

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Not overlooking the basics. 

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Wood is in important element, often painted.  Nature is brought indoors.  

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Calm and casual are key.

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Don't these rooms look like they are meant to be LIVED in!?

And that, is overall, the goal.

*Show Us Your Shoppe Party*

Today I am linking with Jennifer Rizzo of Sparrow and Blossom for a link-up party!

If you are new to Swedish Country Interiors, welcome.  Here's a look around my shop.

We have tableware and home goods, like plates, kitchen towels and throw pillows, all with a fresh approach to Scandinavian style.

Our linen towels are hand printed with water based non-toxic ink.  They wash well and get better with age.  We have teapots, mugs, platters, serving bowls, and an assortment of dessert/salad/hors d'oeurves plates in fun shapes and patterns.  I have designed each pattern with a new take on old Scandinavian.

Hope you love the results!

I also make throw pillows out of a variety of fabrics I've found in Sweden, and others with Scandinavian-inspired prints. 

You can find us online at swedishcountry.com and our etsy store here for an assortment of great vintage items, as well as or linens and dishes.

Thanks for stopping by!

Recipe: Swedish Pancakes

Everyone, Swede or not, loves a good Swedish pancake.  Right?  If you haven't had them before, they are similar to a crepe, but a little sweeter and made with a bit less flour.  The recipe I grew up eating, is the version originally from the Stockholm Inn, in Rockford, Illinois.  One of my aunts originally snagged this recipe from the Rockford Register Star in the 1970's, and all of my relatives who live in that area say that it is the same one the Stockholm Inn has used since it opened years ago.  There are lots of other versions you could use, but if you are using milk, lots of eggs, butter, and a little flour and sugar, you will come up with something quite similar.

I make a few changes to the recipe when I make the pancakes, namely, I slightly reduce the amount of sugar and butter used, and don't find that there is much of a difference in taste.  Also, instead of topping them with the traditional lingonberry jam, I typically use raspberry.  I know it isn't as Swedish, but I prefer the taste, (a little less tart) and it is easier to find in the store!

A few years ago, I realized my aunt was mixing the batter in the blender, instead of mixing it by hand, and I thought she was genius for doing so.  Zero lumps, and super fast.

Recipe:
4 Eggs
Sprinkle of salt
4 Tbs sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup milk 1/2 stick butter (melted)

Mix well with a wire wisk, getting out all flour clumps. If you prefer, put all ingredients in a blender and blend away.  Pour a small amount of batter (about 1/3 cup) in hot buttered pan, and roll around edges of pan so that batter covers the entire base of pan. Flip carefully, (they fall apart easily) when bottom is golden brown. Each side takes about two minutes. Serve with jam and powdered sugar, or syrup.

Enjoy!

Photo Shoot at Red Barn Studios

The Swedish Country Table wholesale catalog is coming together, and this week I brought all the dinnerware down to Red Barn Studios, a wedding and event facility in Chehalis, WA to shoot the pictures.  These will also be used throughout our new website, which will be launched within the next few weeks.  You will soon be able to purchase directly from swedishcountry.com in addition to etsy!  With the help of Jason and Laurie Dix, owners of the facility, I did some of the photography inside, and a some of it outside on the covered patio between intermittent showers and sun breaks.

Here is a little overview of this gorgeous facility and what we put together for the shoot:

 

You can find out more about the farm and barn here and about Laurie Matanich Photography here.

Reminiscing about...Stockholm.

Right about this time last year we took a trip to Sweden. Although Sweden is known for it beauty in the summers with its long hours of daylight and flowers galore, and its winters, with its snowy nordic appeal, we were there at that odd time of year when winter should most definitely have been over, but spring had unfortunately not yet arrived. I was curious to see what we would find.

Although just about every single thing we saw in Sweden was beautiful, Stockholm was my favorite. It was fast-paced, modern, history-filled and quaint all at the same time. It was by far the cleanest city I have ever been to.

There were so many great sights to see that we, of course, took a million pictures. I thought I'd share them with you in manageable portions.

Such a beautiful place...even in March!


Just outside the gates of the Royal Palace on the island of Stadsholmen

Beautiful Residences in Gamla Stan,(Old Town)

Fresh flowers...a great sight this time of year.

Apparently, this is a valid concern!

The harbor

Nordiska Museet (Nordic Museum). Located on Djurgården, one of Stockholm's many islands.

The iron work is amazing!

Striking park entrance.

Website in the works...

We've been working on our new website and it's almost ready...stay tuned for a more streamlined way to shop! In the meantime, connect with us on facebook and twitter, and of course, visit our Etsy shop!