FIFTY SHADES OF BLUE

This 1920s cottage gets a facelift with vibrant color and eye-catching pattern.

Warm, cozy and totally blue—discover how one vibrant color and eye-catching patterns turned a 1920s cottage into an artistic and wonderfully chic home.

STILL LIFE LIVING. In the living room, both books and plants are placed in the big window. Blog colleague Hanna Wessman’s green

pots have had the place of honor along with Kristin’s favorite geraniums and ginkgos. “We collect geraniums and old chairs,”

Kristin laughs of her favorite decorating elements.

|OPPOSITE| BOHO BEAUTY. The living room is a balance of classic and creative, from the overstuffed sofa with antique style legs to the graphic trellis area rug that underscores the vintage

Bentwood rocking chair and coffee table.

Texture plays a big role in giving her monochromatic color palette

some dimension. “I chose a higher-shine paint finish for the deeper blue-painted furniture and a satin finish for the doors and trim to give the room a little bit of

SPARKLE and POP,” she says. FAMILY STYLE. The large concrete table can accommodate a big family and many guests, and surrounding the table is a mix of old chairs collected over time and culled from vintage markets, shops, and friends and family.

Warm, cozy and totally blue. That’s how a quick description of the home of blogger, decorator and photographer Kristin Lagerqvist would go. Then there are, of course, a thousand ways to describe how she has crafted an artistic, creative and wonderfully chic interior guided by Bohemian ideals and shaped by classic cottage charm. When Kristin and her husband, Jonas, were considering the house, they came to realize it had a well-documented and interesting history. “We still have blueprints and original owner’s estate inventory here, along with the handwritten contract where the cost of the construction is detailed ... just over $2,200!” she says.

Over the years, there has been a bakery and a shop in the basement, and later also an antiques dealer’s shop, clothing store and advertising agency. Today Kristin and Jonas have designed the space to be cheerfully sophisticated and yet comfy and casual enough for their three young boys.

COLOR ME HAPPY

The house was carefully taken care of by the previous owners, so it required no major efforts by Kristin and Jonas to shape a home that suited them. It was just the blue tones that were added. “We repainted all the rooms and wallpapered them to better reflect our style and that’s it!” she says. “Blue has always been my color. There is something reassuring and comforting with the different tones of the sky and the sea.”

The primary shade of blue that Kristin uses throughout has a gray undertone so that it can recede a bit and not overwhelm the spaces. However, she opts for deeper saturated tones to make certain elements pop. The lightest blue—a faint sky blue—appears in the dining room to allow her gallery wall to take center stage.

Texture plays a big role in giving her monochromatic color palette some dimension. “I chose a higher-shine paint finish for the deeper blue-painted furniture and a satin finish for the doors and trim to give the room a little bit of sparkle and pop,” she says.

TRUE BLUE. The blue Chesterfield couch was a great vintage find for the family. All the plant life in the house helps to lighten the mood and counterbalance the deep blue tones.

PATTERN PLAY

Another element that adds a flash of the unexpected to Kristin’s color palette is wallpaper, and not just any wallpaper, but statement-making wallpaper.

“I suppose some people would consider my pattern choices a bit on the wild side, but if you think about it from a design standpoint, they are really rooted in classic patterns: damask, toile and chinoiserie.”

That her pattern picks are traditional yet the motifs and scale are unexpected is exactly what makes her rooms feel modern but timeless. From the large bouquet floral in the entryway to the fantastical bird pattern in the living room, the designs are bold, but not impractical.

Even in rooms where Kristin departs from the bright and vibrant tones of the rest of the house, the color and pattern choices seem to echo the vibe of the space. In the breakfast nook, for example, she chose an earthier and more subdued Arts and Crafts floral pattern to match her Danish modern dinette set.

Even in the master bedroom, where she opted for a “quiet” sage green, the walls are covered in rough linen wallpaper, which is subtle yet no less thoughtful, in a way that imbues the room with cozy texture.

“I suppose some people would consider my pattern choices a bit on the wild side, but if you

think about it from a design standpoint, they are really rooted in classic patterns:

DAMASK, TOILE and CHINOISERIE.” COLOR CODED. The view toward the office reveals how Kirstin paired the perfect shade of faint-blue paint to bring out the teal and light-blue wallpaper.

CLASSICAL COOKING. The kitchen is spacious, bright and classically decorated with gray kitchen cabinets and brass fittings, subway tile and marble counters. The pine-plank floors give it a rustic edge that matches the casual vibe of the rest of the house.

EARTHY ELEGANCE. The modern brass Bumling pendant punctuates the Danish modern chairs in the breakfast nook. Counterbalancing the modern vintage style is Kristin’s choice of wallpaper: an Arts and Crafts floral that brings a grace and sophistication into the room.

VINTAGE VIBE

The house has, of course, also been filled with the couple’s furniture and possessions, which include vintage finds, heirlooms, lots of art and small ceramic still lifes. The crystal chandelier in the office Kristin inherited from her grandmother—also the fine porcelain she uses every day in the kitchen.

ECLECTIC WORK. The office is wallpapered with patterns from Emma von Brömssen’s collection Dancing Crane; both the desk and dresser are vintage. The old chandelier used to belong to Kristin’s grandmother.

And the home is filled with plenty of green plants. The outdoors and in are blurred not only by the natural patterns in her décor, but also by the living, breathing accessories that are her go-to. “Things are just things. However, I think that plants are important in a home,” Kristin says. “Though the family and the everyday life we live here are most important. There should be many social areas to play and hang out in, but also rooms to be able to get away and be left alone in. I think we have found a good mix in that way here at home.”

INDIGO ROAD. Canopies, pennants and speakers to play pop star with make Kristin’s son’s room perfect for the young adventurer. The wallpaper by Ithaque depicts sailing ships and curling waves—a great pattern that feels perfect for a young buy, yet modern for when the room décor needs to change. INDIGO ROAD. Canopies, pennants and papier-mâché animal heads make Kristin’s son’s room perfect for the young adventurer. The wallpaper by Ithaque depicts sailing ships and curling waves—a great pattern that feels perfect for a young boy, yet modern for when the room décor needs to change.

“BLUE has always been

my color. There is something reassuring and comforting with the different tones of the sky and the sea.”