A sure way to make your home beautiful—interior design master Marie Olsson Nylander shares her tips
Brown is the best color for interior design, says Swedish interior designer Marie Olsson Nylander. In this article, she shares her philosophy for a good life.
Best vintage find
My plaster angels. I feel joyful every time I see them. I bought these decorative angels from an antique dealer who wasn’t very friendly. I was asking about the prices of many items, and he probably got tired of me and wanted me gone. So I ended up buying them at a pretty low price. The angels are currently in storage, but they’ll come out once we’ve finished renovating our single-family home.
Best interior color
Brown in all its shades. It grounds me and calms me, and it can also set the mood when needed. In general, colors are so important in interior design. Otherwise everything looks really dull! I basically always fall for brown. The last thing I bought was a brown dress.
Best way to make your home beautiful
Invest in one thing you truly love: a sofa, a kitchen table, or a big beautiful cabinet. You’ll be living with large pieces of furniture most of the time, so it’s important that you like them. You can’t really learn taste; you have to discover it by experimenting. Making things yourself is another good way to figure out what suits you. Try sewing pillows from vintage curtains, for example! Vintage fabrics are more eco-friendly, often higher quality, and less expensive than new ones.
“I’ve learned that growing older is a privilege. I hope I still have another 50 good years left.”
Best way to renovate
Be thorough. When renovating floors, walls, and ceilings, you have to be meticulous. No décor in the world can turn an ugly floor into a beautiful one. You should also be ready to sacrifice time, energy, and money for the renovation.
Best everyday moment
Morning coffee before the rest of the family wakes up. Or evening, when the kids are already asleep. That’s usually when I do yoga. Overall, I enjoy my own time because that’s when I truly unwind. Now that our kids are teenagers, evenings can be quite lively. I try to relax by lying in bed and reading. Sometimes I work at night, because I don’t sleep well if I haven’t finished the day’s tasks.
Best change
When I realized I don’t need to react to everything right away. I also don’t feel I have anything left to prove, because I know my work.
Best lesson
Growing older is a privilege. I hope I still have 50 good years ahead. I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2013, and that taught me that worrying doesn’t help—action does. At the same time, I realized I want to spend my moments with genuine people. I love meeting new people, but I also hope each encounter includes something meaningful. I’m not very outgoing, and my family is the most important thing in my life. At the moment, I’m healthy as a horse.
Interior designer Marie Olsson Nylander, 50, has appeared on the Swedish TV series Husdrömmar Sicilien (“dream home in Sicily”). She is currently working on a lifestyle and interior design book.
