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Hanne has created a home that’s high on style but low on maintenance.
”It’s easy!” she says, ”I just decided a long time ago that my
home look would be slightly ‘falling down’.”
Meet Hanne
”I live with my sons Alexander and Sebastian,
and my boyfriend Rafaelle, in a rustic house in
the Italian countryside. My home might look
luxurious, but my style is about making life as
easy as possible. I’m an interior designer, so
the last thing I want when I get home is to be
playing around with my home! I prefer to
make time to read, play with my kids, and
have long candlelit suppers in the garden.”
My style
”I picked stone colours and natural textures
and fabrics for my home because I find them
soothing. I’m completely allergic to green and
yellow in the house – I prefer to see those
colours outside. I don’t think that you should
ever compete with nature.”
My home room by room
Furnish according to room function
”Because we spend so much time outside,
I can’t afford to be precious about my floors,
or anything else. I have dressed the garden
room in hardwearing natural fabrics like
leather and hide. In the winter we bring
our dining table in from the garden and eat
in here.”
Bring the inside out
”I added the patio to the house, but I used old
tiles to make it look like it’s been here forever.
Because there’s so little rain here, I’ve been
able to furnish my outside space as if it was
inside. Now this patio is one of my favourite
spots.”
Make it easy to dine outside in the sun
”We eat all our meals out here in the summer
– it involves a lot of running from the kitchen.
I have a large collection of trays to help carry
things. And I am in charge of keeping the
lawns mowed, which is also good exercise!”
Choose furnishings that are easy to clean
”This is really the kids’ space, where they
watch TV. It’s important that they feel they can
relax here too. They can put their feet on the
sofa and I don’t have to stress. I’ve had this
IKEA sofa and armchair for 19 years and all I
have to do when they get dirty is take the
covers off and stick them in the wash.”
Mix hard and soft items for a balanced feel
”The colour of the walls in the kitchen is dark,
which makes it feel really cool in the summer.
The kitchen has quite an industrial look, but
I’ve contrasted that with very feminine
touches, like the fairy lights wrapped around
the utensil rack.”
Create your perfect haven of calm
”I’m minimalist by nature, I like things to look
simple and natural. With lots of people in the
house most of the time, I’ve made my room
into a sanctuary to relax and unwind in. But
it’s space, not things, that is the luxury here.
Tons of textiles on the bed and a dramatic
‘headboard’ give the feeling of extravagance,
but things couldn’t be simpler. The head board
is made from a hanging tasseled curtain.”
Encourage independence by having a kids’ zone
”Their rooms are linked by their own bathroom,
so they can play, or fight, in between if the
doors are open. This creates a kind of ‘kid
zone’ for them. I think it’s good for them to
have as much space as possible.”
Store things visibly so they’re easy to find
”Open storage for my clothes means that
I can easily see where everything is. I have
a mixture of rails and shelves – I tend to hang
as much stuff as possible so I don’t need to
iron!”
Create a relaxed mood with soothing décor
”When I designed this room, the idea was that
I would be able to lie in the bath tub and look
outside at the garden. I’ve created a relaxing
retreat in this room, using attractive
containers for my lotions, candles and full,
draping curtains.”
My tips and ideas
Make a picture wall
”I think things have to grow organically, so
I decided to pick two frames every time I went
to IKEA, in any shape or size. This display
started off in a straight line, but by the third
picture I couldn’t do that anymore. It just
stopped working for me. I don’t think you
should restrict yourself to straight lines. I
embrace imperfection! As long as the whole
wall balances in the end – it should be
symmetrical in its asymmetry.”
Free up space
”Hanging bedside lights make things look less
cluttered. Stacking old suitcases instead of
using side tables creates extra storage and
makes space for all the things I like near me
when I sleep – candles, my books and water.”
Use open shelves
”I like a mixture of open shelving and
cupboards in the kitchen because I love to
display things, and it also makes my guests
self-sufficient as it’s easy for them to help
themselves. I prefer mix-and-match white
crockery, so if something breaks it’s not a
problem.”
Use soft fabrics
”I have drapes around the shower, because at
the time, we couldn’t afford glass. But I really
like the soft colours of the curtains, which are
a nice contrast to the concrete walls. It creates
a restful atmosphere.”
Light with candles
”I’m a minimalist with everything, apart from
candles. I guess that is my Scandinavian
blood! In the evenings I light all the candles in
the garden and on the patio to create a warm
and inviting atmosphere.”
