Today I worked on a fair in Örebro and I customized these Ikea stools – called Bekväm and then had a giveaway on site. This DIY is an easy way to get a quick fix in your home! A stool doesn’t really belong anywhere so I think you can use some more colors and patterns – if you are afraid of these things, patterns and colors, otherwise I mean… The wood on these stools are untreated which is great for diy’s.

Map it! I took this stool and spray painted it with a Montana Gold Lychee 3000. You can paint it with normal paint as well – just this is so easy. Then I used a glue and varnish 2 in one (decoupage glue will work fine or mod podge). Cut out a paper world map poster from Materialbutiken. And used the varnish/glue on top. I could have used a normal glue to get the poster to stick and then just coat it afterwards with a wood varnish. A tip is also to cut the poster slightly smaller than the surface to prevent the edges to flare(?- is this the right word?). The surface will get harder with every coat of varnish. Just let it dry in between coatings.

The dotted one is made with classic decoupage technique. I used black and white dotted napkins from Lagerhaus. Then used a glue and varnish – 2 in one (decoupage glue will work fine or mod podge). You have to peel the layers of the paper napkins so you use only the pattered layer. Glue the surface and then stick the paper on it. It’s easy to tear of the edges. I did all the surfaces separately. It’s possible to glue around for example one leg and then cover it all with paper but I thought it was easier to do one surface at a time. Then seal it of with more glue/varnish. After a while you use multiple layers of glue/varnish to make the surface strong. On the stairs I put extra layers because of the wear and tear! I liked that the white kind of melted away and the stool got a wooden dotted feeling.

The washi tape stool diy. The light at the fair is quite bad so the colors on this photo doesn’t make the stool any justice but you still get the idea. On this one I simple used some washi tape to make the stripes and then sealed it with the same glue/varnish as before. At least 5 coats of varnish. Here it’s also possible to use a normal wood varnish on top of the tape. The legs got spray painted in Montana Gold Malachite6130 and yes – you can use normal paint if you like. I just couldn’t wait for “normal” paint to dry. The tape I bought at Materialbutiken but Mokkasin has a good selection – so does Inreda.com.

Hello there!
Now bye bye
xxx
Isabelle

A Saturday in March 2013 It was time for me to join Nyhetsmorgon once again. And I made all kinds of message boards and pimped some pins. This one above is a simple little thing.

1. I spray painted the Ikea frame Ung Drill with Montana Gold paint.
2. Then I used a cork message board Väggis  and cut it out in an oval shape. After it I used some spray glue and covered the cork with some fabric. and I stapled it to the back.
3. Use some Ribbons across the board. It looks nice but also works as a holder for stuff to just tuck in.
4. You can make good looking thumbtacks by either paint on them with some nail polish or just glue a button to it or whatever you want to be a pin.
5 Hang it on your wall!

To see more message boards that I made just watch the clip above or on this link.

I also made some magnets out of caps and photo’s of the singer Danny and his sixpack.

2013

14 mars Butiksleverantörsmässan. Kistamässcenter. 14.15 Sluta dissa dina idéer- föreläsning.
16-17 Mars Bomässan i Nyköping. Rosvalla Event Center. Jag ger inredningstips mellan 11-15.30 Både lördag och söndag.
27-28 april Trendmässan i Örebro. Behrn Arena. Jag ger inredningstips mellan 11-15.30 Både lördag och söndag.
4 maj Luleå Expo. Arcushallen. Jag föreläser om inredning samt ger inredningstips och råd.

Saturday February 16th 2013, I was on tv4′s morning show again – Nyhetsmorgon. This time I made a headboard from scratch. You can watch it embedded here below or on this link. It’s in Swedish but you can see all the steps alright!

Later today I’m going to show you behind the scenes photo’s from the show!

xxx
Isabelle

I made this lamp on a feature for Swedish TV4 network on their morning show called Nyhetsmorgon in January 2013. I upgraded a simple modern lamp since my motto is more is more.
1. I used an old book, punched big holes in it with a puncher. Then colored some of the “leaves” with ordinary kids watercolor. Let it dry and used melt glue gun to get them to stick to the lampshade.
2. Around the foot of the lamp I simply attached a honeycomb. I think this would look lovely with different small ones as well.
3. On the cord I threaded wooden balls.

Take a look on the clip below or on this link then you can watch me make it!

I like the pattern the different leaves makes when the lamp is lighted. Also if you want less of more is more. Just do the cord alone or the shade or the foot.

xxx
Isabelle

I have been doing a exhibition for the project Fishing For litter. It’s Kimo Baltic sea that helps fishermen get the trash out of the baltic sea. Each Fisherman get a big bag to collect garbage and with this they can recycle the trash in the harbor for free. Lots of fishermen collects trash the get in their nets anyway but with this project the garbage is measured, counted and it’ll cost them nothing to recycle. Otherwise there is normally a fee for it. There is loads of trash at sea. Big islands of it. On the image above you can see that a normal bird at sea is found with an average of 33 plastic parts in their stomach. If we would have the same amount it would be as much as a lunch box full of plastic in our tummies. Terrible. A million birds died last year around Swedish shores after eating plastic or after getting stuck in it.

I made a box with info about the project, all the trash and the fishermen that now is traveling around Sweden. It’s gonna be in museums,  libraries and on festivals. On one of the sides you can fish by pulling on the orange tabs. Then you can see things that fishermen have found in sea for real.
It’s the foundation Håll Sverige Rent (Keep Sweden Tidy) that organize this. And I’m happy to say that this year I’m their ambassador.

There are loads of  plastic in the sea, and other strange stuff like computer stuff, old washing machines, oil barrels and cans.

Old clothes, shoes, Hoovers, metal and even more plastic.

I also made small aquariums out of trash.

These fishermen works out of the Simrishamn harbor and it’s Jenny Brandt who has taken the images. The waves on the boxes are filled with photo’s of trash.

About 100 000 marine mammals die each year after eating trash or gotten stuck in it.

More info about Fishing for litter in English.

All the graphic design is made by Åsa Hammarström.

Read more on Håll Sverige Rents Homepage.

xx
Isabelle

One day laying in bath I looked at this old bubble bath bottle standing empty on the side of the bath tube as it had been doing for the past year. Simply too cute to throw away. Then I got it – It had to become a lamp!
A good recycled plastic lamp!

So I just took of the head and cut of the soap pump. That made a larger connection and a larger hole between the head and the body of the kitty. After I glued them together with Super Glue. To get the cord inside I simply made a hole under her little tail.

The Ikea LED lamp Dioder is perfect for this. It’s flexible so you can cut it at the length you need and it switches colors. It’s also cold which eliminates the fire hazard a bit because you need to be careful. Do only use cold lamps with no chance of over heating! LED is perfect for this.
Basically you can do this with anything cool looking and empty within – as I also did with this doll. You can also watch me make this lamp on the TV show Gokväll – click click on this link!

December is dark and even if we celebrate it we still need all the light that we can get! So I made a lamp out of this old doll. I also showed it on SVT’s TV show Gokväll- Watch it here.
I simply made a hole in the dolls behind and put this LED light from Ikea in it! Make sure you use LED lamps or lamps which are cold so there are no fire hazard.

Here is the full clip of when I was on the TV show <a href=”http://www.svt.se/gokvall/” target=”_blank”>Gokväll</a> last week. I will also post all the things I made individual with photo’s here on the blog. <a href=”http://dosfamily.com/2012/12/christmas-lights-diy/” target=”_blank”>The garland</a> you have already seen. Chuck the doll lamp and the Hello kitty lamp will follow!
<a href=”http://www.svtplay.se/klipp/892035/ljuspyssel-med-isabelle-mcallister/?tab=undefined&amp;sida=1″ target=”_blank”>If the clip doesn’t show try this link</a>

In a week it’s December 1st and it’s calendar time again. Personally I never had the time or made the effort to make an own calendar but this year I made this one and showed it on a morning Tv show called Nyhetsmorgon on TV4 here in Sweden. Now the kids have seen it on TV so I have to do it at home. I’m jsut cursing since I schould have been smart and wrapped real stuff for the show so I won’t have to do it again. Well you live and you learn!

It’s really a easy DIY and a fun one.

First: I simply took any type of wood that I could find. I used a piece of an old chair, some wood my father found in a dumpster and some pieces of an old plant. Then I cut it at different lengths and nail them to a base- kind of pole. If you don’t like the driftwood feel to it. You can just buy new laths or stips and then paint it.

I find that you can mix different kind of parcels but I sticked to a base of white and gold and then a couple of details of red and pink. If you stick to a couple of colors you can go crazy with different styles without it going nuts. If you buy boxes you can probably use them more than one year. I also bought small white paper bags – also an easy way to wrap the gifts. And yes about the gifts. Just put small stuff, candy, toys from fleamarkets, small books, pens, socks and maybe a whoppee cushion. And I just put some small nails as hooks.

I crowned the tree with a star made out of paper straws and washi tape. I think this is a great DIY. You can do them out of smaller bits and/or out of branches, chop sticks, BBQ sticks or what ever you have laying around. They could be sweet hanging in your Christmas tree! If the tape doesn’t stick as you which just use some glue at the ends.

xxx
Isabelle

Part 1 of the making of this tree in TV4 Nyhetsmorgon.

More tv clips after the jump…!

Part 2 of the making of this tree in TV4 Nyhetsmorgon.

Part 3 of the making of this tree in TV4 Nyhetsmorgon.

This is a classic electrical lamp that many Swedish families have in their windows during December. Normally they come in a classic, red, white or just simply wood. The normal one is rather ugly but I guess I made this one so now even I can think about having one at home.
I just used some washi tape around the plastic candles (not on the lamps) and also on the base. Sometimes Washi doesn’t stick that good but then just use a coat of varnish on top and it will be great. To get the round shapes I just took a razor blade to cut of the excess. You can watch me do this DIY on TV4 here.

The by far most easiest advent DIY’s.
I love toadstools and dots so the red one had to become a mixture of these loves. I had a electric advent lamp and then just bought white small round stickers at a craft/office supply store. The candle cuffs had some small golden berries which I replaced with plastic toadstools. To get the lamps red just paint them with a permanent marker, like a Sharpie! This one you can also watch me do in the TV4 feature right here
Good luck to get in the Christmas spirits!

I made these advent lights on TV4 Nyhetsmorgon (morning show). Watch the full clip  here!

Today is Lucia where we celebrate the light!
For the TV show Gokväll on SVT1 last week I made four different sets of Christmas garland decorations.
I chose to make them with things many of us have at home – cupcakes- and toffee forms and paper doilies.
Just make sure your garlands feel cold and preferably are made of LED because of the fire hazard!
And don’t glue, tape on the lamp or cut the cable.

For the paper doily I just cut a little hole in the middle for the lamp to go through.
Then I just folded them to a nice shape and used transparent tape to make them stick.

These I call the cupcake flowers. The same as the doilies. Just make a hole in the middle I used two forms
- for more “leaves” after you shape them for you liking and tape them to the garland.
If you want extra decoration just use washi tape or some string around the base or even the cord!
I did that on some of mine.

These I call the cupcake hats. The really simple ones. I used two forms for a layering effect.

I cut leaves – just rounded shapes of one of the forms. You can cut many of them at the same time.
If you fold them i’s even more easy.
Then put them on top of each other make a hole in the middle and just thread them on the lamps!

These are my favorites. Like cherry blossom. It’s toffee forms put together as sort of star shapes.

Just glue the sides so they stick together. Some of them became smaller and others larger.
I just followed the shape that it became naturally. I found it easiest to use a sticky glue stick.
Just save a little hole between to forms jsut big enough for a lamp to go through!

You can watch me make all of this in this link.

xxx
Isabelle

Plus 30 of my best ideas inside of the magazine.
Oktober 2012

Photo by Angelica Söderberg 

Emelie Lindeberg som har den egna firman Snikk  vann Isabellestipendiet 2012.

Ladda ner högupplösta pressbilder på Emelie genom att klicka här. 

Jury: Sofia Embrén/Rättviseförmedlingen, Jessica Löfström/Expandera Mera, Anders “Arga Snickaren”  Öfvergård och Isabelle Mcallister.

STORT TACK:

Sponsorer: Hem&Villa, Expandera Mera, Fristad Kansas och Beckers

Partner Rättviseförmedlingen!

Artwork: Åsa Hammarström

Se oss på nyhetsmorgon i fyran med Lelle Modig

Lyssna på mig och Emelie i radio, när vi är gäster hos SR Metropol torsdagen den 11 oktober 2012 tillsammans med Dejan Cokorilo och Gurgin.

It’s time again for Isabellestipendiet!
Last year I started a scholarship for female artisans – you can read more about it here.
Since it’s open for Swedish women only I will continue this post in Swedish.

Isabellestipendiet 2012

För att uppmuntra fler kvinnor att bli hantverkare och för att sporra dem som redan är i branschen samt förhoppnings genom detta arbeta för att byggbranschen ska bli mer jämlik så startade jag förra året Isabellestipendiet.

Den är öppen för alla kvinnor som är hantverkare och man kan nominera sig själv eller någon annan genom att skriva på kommentarsfältet på Rättviseförmedlingens sida på Facebook eller mejla direkt till isabellestipendiet(at)gmail.com

Nomineringsperioden är fram till den 25 september 2012.

Förutom ära, uppmärksamhet så får stipendiaten 20 000 kronor som kan användas till valfritt ändamål!
Priset delas ut på Hem & Villamässan i stockholm den 11 oktober. Förra året så sökte över 150 kvinnor och vinnaren blev Sara May Kahl.

Jag har också startat en grupp på Facebook – Hantverkargruppen för kvinnor. Det är ett forum där man om man vill kan utbyta erfarenheter men det finns också en kontaktlista till kvinnor med olika hantverksyrken. Gruppen och listan är öppen för alla.

För att göra detta stipendie möjlig så samarbetar jag med Rättviseförmedlingen somjag tycker är fantastiska!
Rättviseförmedlingen bygger sedan starten 2010 en modern folkrörelse. Idag samarbetar över 34 000 personer på Facebook för att hjälpa projekt, organisationer och medier att hitta “osynlig” kompetens. Rättviseförmedlingens arbete går ut på att – med hjälp av efterlysningar och tips – ta konkreta och konstruktiva steg för att korrigera skevheter som bygger på stereotypa föreställningar om bland annat kön, ursprung och fysiska förutsättningar.

Stipendiet sponsras av näringslivet. I år så backas vi upp av Hem & Villa, Expandera Mera, Fristad Kansas och Beckers – tusen tack för det! Allt eventuellt överskott från sponsorintäkter kommer att gå oavkortat till Rättviseförmedlingens verksamhet så att dem kan fortsätta att samla in tips och efterlysningar i strävan efter en rättvis representation i ett jämlikt samhälle.

Så nominera gärna någon ni känner – sprid detta på Facebook eller i era bloggar – det vore toppen!
TACK och lycka till!!

xxx

Isabelle

Foto av Martin Stenmark

I painted this stairs pink and added some dotted wallpaper. Just glue it with wallpaper glue and then a transparent varnish on top so it will be easier to clean.

I love love love the pink. Every time I walk down the stairs I smile!

Featured in Aftonbladet Härligt Hemma in July 2012.
These photos by Angelica Söderholm.

The first photo with bear heads by Jenny Brandt

More DIY from my cottage:
Make my porch

Kitchen in my cottage in Dalarna, Sweden.
See the “how to” here
Featured in Aftonbladet Härligt Hemma, july 2012
Photos by Angelica Söderberg

I made this porch at my summerhouse.
Me and my dad worked hard a couple of days – then we made it as a story for Aftonbladets Härligt Hemma.
Read more a how to do this  – step by step here at Dos.

Door from Leksandsdörren.

Read full article- pdf by clicking here.

I did a campaign for the warehouse Åhléns during summer 2012, you can read more about it here.

Photos: Joel Rhodin

Between 16-24th of August 2012 there was a “living” exhibition in the new hood called Annedal just outside Stockholm. There are 24 different developers who’s going to show 24 different kind of living possibilities during these 11 days. I did one of the apartments for Svenska Bostäder.
They have 324 apartments for rent in this neighborhood and will show 3 of them for the public. Talanted Taf Design and Jens Fager did the other two.
I worked together with kids from the day care just across the street. They helped me with inspiration and also I used their paintings in the decoration. Like on this image above – one of their fold-painting became a wallpaper. I really tried to fill all the room with DIY tips.
In this apartment there are 2 moms living with two kids and a daughter from a previous marriage who got this room above that actually is made as a dressing room. The idea was to do it rebellion cool in some kind of way for a cool girl with strong ideas.

The grown up bed room is made as a giant sofa/bed actually 3 meter broad. There is a tv in the room and this huge bed is instead of a large sofa in the living room. The yellow fabric is from Littlephant. 

In the kitchen almost everything is made out of vinyl plastic. Cause it’s an easy way to change a look of a room without actually harming the original furniture. When you rent an apartment there are a lot of rules about what you may or not do to personalize it. I want to show that you can bend these rules a lot.

Calendar wall sticker from Ferm, recycle baskets from Ikea, our party kit and vinyl stickers on a roll.

I had a vision of a huge creative room. Instead of having a living room with a large sofa and a TV – I was thinking more about a modern room with lots of functions. A lot of people use their eating table for different project, like home work, bills, or diy projects and when it’s time to eat you don’t know where to put all the stuff. This living got a big table for all kind of projects and a table you can easy clean when you have friends over for dinner. There is also gymnastic rings for the kids and a climbing wall. Extra madrases for climbing protection, sleepovers or just to snuggle in. In this room there is also a small tv for gaming.

Besides gymnastic stuff I feel that the best toys for kids are making stuff so I put this carpenter bench in the living room. And you can write directly on the wall since it’s painted with White board color.

The shelf is a wallpaper behind a classic shelving system. My dad helped me build up the apartment, he’s not part of the exhibition.

The balcony got a sofa from pallets and tub trugs became mini sandboxes for the kids.
(This last 2 photo’s is by Peter Lydén. All the other photo’s by me- Isabelle McAllister).

Alla Balla Kalas
200 kalastips för alla partyprissar
ISBN: 978-91-633-9612-0

Together with Ann Söderlund and Christina Breeze Le Guellaff,  I have made a party book for kids.
Shot by photographers Jenny Brandt and Erik Josjö. Launched in March 2012.

Alla Balla Kalas
200 kalastips för alla partyprissar
ISBN: 978-91-633-9612-0

Together with Ann Söderlund and Christina Breeze Le Guellaff,  I have made a party book for kids.
Shot by photographers Jenny Brandt and Erik Josjö. Launched in March 2012.

Alla Balla Kalas (clueless of how to translate it All Cool Parties – sounds corny in English but somehow works in Swedish.)
In the book you get over 200 tips mostly -DIY, games and other smart things to think about when your going to have a party for your kids or if you simply want to spice up everyday with some party-glam.

We also made this party box with six of each. Plates, mugs, napkins, candy-bags, glasses, horns and placement cards. There is also a poster with a game (what do you call the game when you get blindfolded and then have to draw a tail on a pig (or like now a dog)? The poster also have some recipes and other tips.
The book only costs 50 kronor (about 5 Euro/7 Dollares) and the party box 99 kronor (11 Euro/14 Dollares) and will be sold in ICA.

The images above are by Sofia Jansson/Mokkasin

Interview for the magazine Hemstilat 2011.

Read the whole story by clicking here.
Photo’s by Martin Stenmark

Kitchen featured in Sköna Hem Magazine 2006

Photos: Martin Cederblad

Bunk bed made for my kids in 2011. My daughter wanted a unicorn bed and I had to oblige.

During a couple of summers I used to rent this house in the archipelago of Stockholm on the island of Sippsö.
I still dream of the place. This was a feature I made for the magazine Sköna Hem.
All photos by Pernilla Hed

My 5 steps

1st Let the children join the process
Often parents decorate according to what they think is neat, but it’s still children who should be in the children’s room the most. Sure, kids are fickle, but has little Olle a pink period: Paint a wall in that color. Foundation walls are easy to do when the taste is changing. Or let the kids get to have any furniture that they may paste and paint as they want. Children love to be creative!

2nd Bet on the second hand
To buy the craziest kids furniture is usually only expensive and unnecessary. It is smarter to buy a proper piece of furniture that can hang around for a while instead. For example, a huge coffee table that you paint the color you want, whenever you want. Furnish smart too. Often one feels that there should be a desk in school children’s rooms but if they would rather sit and do homework at the kitchen table, you can use the surface for other things.

3rd Effective storage
The storage in children’s rooms is something you’re never quite fathom. But I usually try to find a place in the room that I can concentrate for storage. Perhaps more branches at low line or closets that covers most of one wall. But much is about to clean out. Have a few buckets of toys in the attic, which may rotate – it feels toys are always new.

4th Rooms for the joy of movement
It is often said that the interior can easily become boring if you furnish along the walls. But the children’s room, I actually think it’s a good idea, so that children get space to move around. We have rings in the ceiling that Della has hung in since she was two years and they are always a hit when friends visit. Climbing walls are also fun and encourages physical activity.

5th Smart decoration
I like the permanent solutions which are nevertheless easy to modify. As clothespins on strings attached on the walls where you attach photos, posters, small stuffed animals and stuffe. Or a picture wall as to change the motives of when one feels like. Chalk board paint is also super popular. Paint on such boards, pieces of furniture or walls, it’s free for kids to decorate new every day.

Interview by Liselotte Lundström for Hus&Hem(google translated) in 2007
All photo’s by Peter Phillips.
(Shot in my kid’s room – but it has changed since… the forever ongoing project)

I took the leftovers from making the dress at knee length and sew a dress for my baby girl. It was just enough fabric!
Read more about the wedding here.

We made a bike shop for Emil in Fixa Rummet for SVT 2011. It used to be an old garden shed. It was great!

Photos by Johan Hedlund/Fixa Rummet.

Every issue I pick my 9 favorite things for the magazine Family Living. I have been doing this since 2007. Here are some of those pages.

I made this room for Cosmo and Marlon on the TV show Fixa Rummet 2011 for SVT. They shared a room and love soccer and skateboards. This is a collaboration with the boys.

My daughters room and a piece featured in Family Living magazine in 2008.

Photo’s by Jonas Gustavsson

We made a space bedroom and a rocket bed together with Ella for Fixa Rummet/SVT 2011.

Photos by Johan Hedlund/Fixa Rummet

Family Living No1- 2011
Text: Moa Samuelsson
Photos: Jonas Gustavsson

Klart Jag är yrkesskadad

Tv-aktuella inredaren Isabelle McAllister, 34 bor med maken Erik och barnen Della och Beppe på Stockholms hetaste adress. Men egentligen drömmer hon om ett hus med pool i utlandet.

Isabelle och Erik träffades genom jobbet för cirka fem år sedan. Erik jobbade med butiksinredning och anlitade Isabelle som ”skulle göra en lampa”. Och så blev det bombastisk kärlek.

– Jag bodde i en våning på Östermalm, på hela 20 kvadrat, och Erik bodde i en lägenhet i Årsta när vi träffades. Sen flyttade jag raskt in hos honom och det var minst sagt spartanskt. Vi hade några gamla möbler som Erik hade köpt av en polare för femtonhundra spänn, de var väl inte så där jättesnygga, eller?

– Det är dina ord, replikerar Erik.

– Alltså, vi köpte inget nytt och fixade inte till något heller, eftersom vi var på väg bort, säger Isabelle och minns att, ”det låg klädhögar överallt eftersom jag inte ens ville köpa en tvättkorg, kändes som att antingen fixar vi rubbet eller så får det vara”.
Och så tog ni klivet till en familjelägenhet på en gång.

– Ja, visst! En riktig vuxenbostad på 76 kvadrat-meter mitt i stan. Det var konstigt nog den första lägenhet vi budade på, och så fick vi den. Vi skrev på kontraktet på en tisdag och på lördagen fick vi veta att jag var gravid.
Oj, snabba kast!

– Det var värsta veckan. För det första trodde vi aldrig att vi skulle ha råd att köpa en trerummare, vi hade inga stålar att stoppa in och fick ta banklån på rubbet, men så lyckades vi deala bra. Det var inte så värst fint här kan vi ärligt säga, små valv överallt som ledde in till ganska små rum. Inte fult, men det var inte fixat alls och det var ju perfekt för oss.

Så då renoverade ni samtidigt som du var gravid?

– Ja, det var väl så där, tycker jag. Vi bodde kvar i Årsta och flyttade hit efter att ha rivit en massa väggar och gjort alla de stora grejerna, säger Isabelle.

– Fast vi fick ju kissa i det där hålet i badrumsgolvet ett tag, minns Erik.

– Just det, någon vecka eller så hade vi inte ens ett badrum, det hade jag glömt. Och så sov vi i en säng i det som i dag är Dellas rum, det var grejer överallt.

Gjorde ni allt själva?

– Det mesta, fast vi rev inte väggar och sånt. Men vi var bra på att ta in hjälp på rätt ställen, typ bredspackla i taket. Jag tycker att man måste tänka smart när man renoverar. Till exempel hade vi någon som slipade alla golv, och så målade jag dem vita själv sen.

Efter allt slipande och bortforslande av gammalt byggmaterial står nu lägenheten klar. Brunrosa väggar, vita golv och ett grönt 50-talsinfluerat kök, med en extra hög diskbänk åt Erik, ”jag har ju en tendens att vara rätt lång, två meter”. De många målade loppisfynden gör att helheten känns väldigt Isabelle-ig.

Vem är det som bestämmer hur det ska se ut hemma?

– HAHA, den var bra, garvar Erik.

Kompromissar ni eller har Isabelle alltid en lösning?

– Ja, det har hon väl. Fast Isabelle är artig, och frågar alltid vad jag tycker, säger Erik.

– Det är faktiskt sant, det gör jag. Och de galnaste idéerna har jag gett upp eftersom du inte har gillat dem.

Typ som vadå?

– Skulle jag få bestämma mer så skulle det vara fler djur här inne. Och då snackar vi inte pälsdjur. Utan djurgubbar och porslinsprylar. Erik kläckte ur sig ”jag vill inte ha ett zoo hemma” en gång, så det har jag faktiskt lyssnat på. Vad är det mer som jag gillar som inte du är så tänd på?

– Du var ju inne ett tag på att du vill ha mycket glas överallt, säger Erik.

– Just det. Jag ville ha in mer ljus och funderade på att ha något slags glasvägg mellan badrummet och sovrummet. Jag gillar den kontinentala hotellkänslan, typ att man har ett stort badkar mitt i sovrummet. Drömmer väl om att vara en sån där New York-tjej med ett stort öppet loft.
Kakelväggen i köket är lägenhetens riktiga stolthet. Ett konstverk gjort av Isabelle som la ett stort pussel på golvet med alla små bitar för att testa sig fram till hur hon ville ha det innan hon blandade till fogmassan.

– Det är faktiskt den som gör att det skulle vara svårt att flytta härifrån. Sen Beppe kom drömmer jag om ett rum till. Barnen ska fortfarande få dela och sen ska vi ta ett rum till kombinerat arbets-, gymnastik-,
pyssel- och lekrum för hela familjen. Eftersom vi båda jobbar hemifrån vore det grymt!

Vad är en typisk Isabelle-sak?

– Hmm, jag gillar som sagt mycket djur, mönster och färg. Älskar loppisfynd och udda prylar, gärna i 50-talstoner, mycket färg, shoppar på loppisar som andra löser korsord, kan man säga. Det är avkopplande och som en sport. Jag har problem med vitt, tycker ofta att det känns skitigt och kalt.

Emma wanted a pink room with lot’s of climbing possibilities. For Fixa Rummet/SVT 2010.

Photos by Jenny Brandt.

Älskade Hem Magazine – interview  April 2012

Classroom makeover for Fixa Rummet/SVT 2011.

Photos by Johan Hedlund/Fixa Rummet

Sommartorpet  SVT 2008

Kitchen for the TV-show Sommartorpet 2008.
Kurbits hand painted on the kitchen cabinets.
Old wooden floor tiles from the attic became a 3,5 meter long table.
Different chairs painted in different colors.
An old whisker became a lamp and an old mattress  became a notice board.
Self made concrete kitchen top.

Oh I love this kitchen!

Benches from the tv show Sommartorpet in 2008

Living room for the tv show Sommartorpet in 2008

An old trailer became a new play house on Sommartorpet in Dalarna 2008

Detail

Kids room 2008
Photo by Martin Cederblad

Bedroom feature in Family Living 2008.
Photo’s by Patric Johansson

Dry Lake store was at Stureplan in Stockholm in 2005. We bought all the furnitures second hand and painted them in different shades of pink.

Make a sock creature octopus!

In 2006 I made this bed for my then unborn daughter Della.
You can sit on the nose like a mini sofa.

It was also shown in Äntligen Hemma (TV4). Scroll down to watch the episode!

Watch the episode here: