This Brooklyn Home Feels Right Out of Scandinavia
“I wallpapered the whole thing, even the ceiling.”
Hello! How are you? Today, designer Jen Mankins — who recently shared what surprised her about living in Sweden — is giving us a tour of a Brooklyn house she designed for a friend. I’m so excited to hear what you think. The wallpapers alone made my jaw drop! Come take a look inside…
On trusting your gut: “I got an Instagram message from a friend, who asked, would you ever be interested in helping someone design their house? I love design, but I put it all out there: I have two-year-old twins, I’m moving to Europe, I’ve never done this professionally, but I’m willing to try. And she was like, great!”
On the magic of mood boards: “Pinterest mood boards are helpful. Sometimes you can't explain what you like, but once you get photos together, you can break down what you’re drawn to. Also, make a board with the couch that you have, then add the rug and pillows that you’re looking at — that way, you can see what works together.”
On braving auctions: “I’ve found great pieces on online auctions, like Wright or LiveAuctioneers. It can be intimidating but try not to be intimidated. Watch a few auctions first, so you can see how they work. When you’re ready, go into the auction with a HARD number that you won’t go over. It’s very easy to keep bidding, and it can add up quickly. Also, if you go on 1stdibs or Chairish, you can make an offer to the seller — they’re almost always willing to come down 10-20%.”
On a reading nook: “There was an empty space under the stairs. Their kids love to read and lounge with their friends, so we decided to build a reading nook. I was like, how can we make the space feel cozy? We covered the bench in fabric, and then wallpapered the whole nook, even the ceiling.”
On kids’ bedrooms: ”Their younger daughter came to me and was like, this is the lamp that I love, this is the floral wallpaper that I love, and I was like, okay, I love them, too! Their older daughter just wanted her room to be beautiful and classic. That clover wallpaper is timeless. It doesn’t read ‘teenager’ — except now it’s covered with 100 Taylor Swift posters and concert tickets, which it should be!”
On embracing color: “People often get scared and are like, why don’t we just paint it white? But you don’t need to be afraid of color or pattern. I believe that as long as you love something, whether it’s a color or pillow or artwork, then respect that feeling. If you like things, they will end up going together. It’s your home.”
Read more about Jen’s family life in Sweden here, if you’d like.
Photos by Jessica Antola.
Finally, we asked Jen to share a few Swedish design classics…
Josef Frank cushions from Svenskt Tenn (“Josef Frank was a genius.”)
Swedish candy from BonBon
Teacups from Gustavsberg (“I collect these very slowly.”)
Candlesticks from Sweden’s oldest brass company, Skultuna
Unscented candles from Ikea (“We go through these by the case.”)
Outdoor lounge chairs from Grythyttan
Fjällräven backpacks (“My boys wear these to school every day.”)
Lamp shades and textiles from Cathy Nordström
Brio train sets (“The best wooden toys ever!”)
Thank you so much, Jen.
The Cool Way to Style a Shirt, According to Somsack Sikhounmuong.
Readers Often Ask, ‘Do You Get Botox? Filler?’ Here’s My Answer.
How Dreamy Is Anne Helen Petersen's Book-Filled Island Cottage?
(Note: If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission or have a sponsored relationship with the brand, at no cost to you. We recommend only products we genuinely like and use ourselves. Thank you so much.)
Thank you for reading! Coming up: the #1 piece of advice my therapist gave me when my marriage ended. I still use it all the time. :) Have a great day, and lots of love. xoxo
Jo and team, I'm in the middle of the most harrowing (but also satisfying and wonderful) work project—the type where you've gotten fifteen sets of feedback on five different platforms from ten different stakeholders across two clients on one project every 30 min all day—and had to take a break, and dry sobbed when I realized I could just go read Big Salad real quick and take a deeeeeeeep breath. Thank you for always facilitating those deep breaths. Yes, I'm ovulating. THANK YOU LOVE YOU
The reading nook is EVERYTHING!! What a beautiful home.