The Apartment in Copenhagen designed by Ilse Crawford and her team at Studioilse has a wonderful ambience. Muted wall colors and furniture blends perfectly with well chosen materials in the furnishing, mixing natural fibers and brass, dark wood with pale wood. Thick rugs on the beautiful wooden floors, sheep skins on armchairs, a lovely throw lying casually on the bed and books piled on coffee tables and in bookcases, create a homely but stylish wholeness. My favourite is Franco Albini’s rattan chair Gala Lounge Chair that looks so good against the charcoal wall, rug and grey sheep skin. The thick dark Beni Quarain Rug under the hammock strung between the wall and a bookcase is another. On the whole it’s a marvellous array of materials, textures and hues that work well together. The Apartment is a gallery founded by former Sotheby’s specialist Tina Seidenfaden Busck, features modernist art and design in an 18th-century space presented as if it were a private home. It was last autumn that this interior was displayed and it came to my mind as Ilse Crawfords has a new range in collaboration with …

Using a mirror is a great way to enlarge a small space so that it visually feels bigger. It can also be a way to increase the natural daylight in a room that doesn’t benefit much from it, like a north-facing room. Brighten a dark area of a room by hanging a mirror where it reflects the daylight from the window. Or use it to trick the eye into believing that there is a window or a doorway, creating an illusion of a architectural feature where there is none. And of course, mirrors in themselves can be very decorative. Use several and group them together to create something striking. Keep a theme like only using round mirrors. Or only mirrors with the same kind of frame. Vintage mirrors is also a way of enhancing an era. If you can’t find the right kind of mirror, here’s one tip that maybe can be useful. Take an old picture frame that you like, remove the picture and insert a mirror in the frame. I always stress that …

Give your home exciting content with the aid of a well thought out color scheme. Just as if you would create a play or a movie, a home also requires a certain amount of dramaturgy. A black staircase in an otherwise white room really makes a statement. A dark floor as well as a dark ceiling defines the height of the room making you experience the ceiling as lower than it is. An alcove painted black in an otherwise white room creates not only a cozy, relaxing space but also a room within a room feature. Or make for example a passage between two bright rooms dark, and you will get an exciting transition. And a great way to highlight an architectural detail is by emphasising it with a contrasting color. A dark color can also be used to accentuate a feature such as a bookcase. Or to create a striking backdrop for your collection of pictures and paintings, making them really stand out. Maybe highlight one wall in a room as a eye-catcher. Light meets dark. Soft faces matches hard. Make the flow …

Bohemian-style is for those who enjoy creatively thinking outside the box. This design style is all about an eclectic mix of colors, patterns, textures and fabrics. Create it with odds and ends picked up on travels around the world, vintage pieces, heirlooms, old books, pieces of art, especially old art, decorative figurines, lots of soft furnishings such as pillows and generally load up with accessories. More is more. Blend different textures, such as wood, metall, glas, natural fibers, wool and animal skins, as a way to master this look. The key to doing it successfully is that nothing can match, nothing is new and don’t stick to any rules. True bohemian style is achieved only when the room appears as if it has grown organically over the years. If you don’t want to follow any design trends, perhaps this style is for your? Playful, inspiring or challenging? Which one of these seven homes is your favorite?     Photo sources: 1. http://theselby.com/galleries/aldo-chaparro-artist-at-home-in-mexico-city/, 2. http://thedesignfiles.net/2014/08/sydney-home-dion-antony-anna-feller-and-family/, 3. http://www.anahataart.com,  4. http://www.dewittenijl.be/antwerpen/, 5. http://www.anthropologie.eu/anthro/index.jsp, 6. http://thedesignfiles.net/2013/09/fremantle-home-trish-bygott-nathan-crotty-and-family/, 7.  Pinterest. Credit: http://www.onekindesign.com/2013/07/12/43-bohemian-chic-interiors-to-rock-your-senses/   SparaSpara