Say ‘hei’ to the newest (and cosiest) member of our sitting room | Smart is Beauty

This post is sponsored by NordLif Home. All words are my own, and I only ever partner with brands I genuinely love.

It’s been a while since I’ve made any updates to our sitting room at home in Malmö, but with autumn creeping in I suddenly felt it was calling for a little more warmth and texture. Do you ever get that feeling when the seasons change, that a room just needs something?

As regular readers will know, I’m a big fan of natural materials, warm earthy tones and Scandinavian design, especially pieces that feel timeless and easy to live with. So when Finnish company NordLif Home got in touch, their collection immediately caught my eye. They focus on solid wood furniture with a calm, natural feel, which, as you can imagine, is very much my thing!

And with that, say 'hei' to the newest addition to our sitting room: the Astoria Fluted Bench.

It's made from solid mango wood in a warm amber oak finish. My original plan was to place it at the end of our bed, but when it arrived, it felt far too lovely to hide away, so it ended up taking pride of place by the sofa instead!

That said, one of the things I like most about it is how versatile it is. I could look just as good beneath a window, or in a hallway. Ours is sadly far too small for that though, we’re more in the “hop around on one foot while putting our shoes on” camp!

Are you the same as me and drawn to furniture that can move around the house to wherever it's needed?

What I love most about this bench are the fluted legs, which add just enough detail without making the design feel fussy. From a distance it’s beautifully simple, but up close there’s that little bit of texture and character that makes it feel entirely unique.

So now, by day, I’m using it as a spot for my coffee and a good read (it’s the perfect height), but by evening I suspect it’ll become a resting place for teenage feet, ice cream sticks and goodness knows what else!

The nice thing is that, with all that beautiful texture and its solid, hardy feel, I think it’ll look good whatever gets thrown at it. And in this house, that’s definitely a bonus!

And naturally, with autumn in the air, I couldn’t resist adding a few seasonal touches: pine cones gathered on walks, a candle, a favourite mug and a little pile of books. I’ve also brought out the sheepskin throws and cosy blankets again, which always feels like the official start of the season.

Autumn, we’re ready for you!

I hope you love this piece as much as I do. If you’d like to take a closer look, you can find the Astoria Fluted Bench at NordLif Home, and they’ve also kindly given My Scandinavian Home readers 10% off with the code NIKI10 (valid until 24th October, 2026). There are plenty of other lovely pieces to browse through too. 

I’d love to know what you think. Are you finding yourself adding warmer woods, softer textures and cosier touches at home now that autumn is here (for those of you in the southern hemisphere, of course!)?

Niki

Smart is Beauty

Share this post