MEET THE AUTHOR
Nature ’ s BOUNTY
02
Swedish stylist Hans Blomquist is known for his inspirational interiors . Starting his career at Ikea aged just 16 , he now lives in Paris , working from his living room table from where he can see trees and the city skyline . Wherever he is , nature remains his muse : ” It helps us find balance and harmony .“ In this extract from his book , he shows us how we can bring nature into our homes .
TEXTURE
Texture is the secret ingredient of the natural home and it ’ s the
adds depth , interest and richness
scarred wood , peeling paint , rusting metal , frayed fabric , bare stone or objects that have been worn and marked by the passage of time . I like to play around and layer texture upon texture in my home – the roughness of raw stone walls and unpainted wood alongside the softness of worn linen and the dull sheen of antique glass or murky , tarnished mirrors .
It ’ s hard to put a label on your own style , but when I try to define my look I keep coming back to the word ‘ natural ’. I love the innate imperfection of natural materials , I love nature itself and I love homes that seem to have evolved and grown naturally to reflect the personalities of their inhabitants . Another great inspiration is my passion for vintage objects , which started at a very early age – I can remember rummaging in my grandmother ’ s attic as a small child , looking for discarded treasures . As the years have passed , little has changed and I still have a weakness for all things antique or vintage . Today , such items are a source of inspiration not only for my own home , but also in my work as an art director and stylist . My style has developed over the years , but the ingredients remain the same : muted colours , atmospheric still lifes composed of vintage pieces , the textures of the natural world , tactile natural fabrics , and , of course , plants and foliage , which bring vivid colour to the moody colour schemes I love best . As well as
a glimpse of real-life homes that I find particularly inspiring – homes that share my own design aesthetic and have a uniquely ‘ natural ’ charm of their own .
HOMELIFE