Tour a Reykjavik Apartment Designed in Snowy Whites and Ocean Blues

With an eye on ultimately spending the summers here, Brian set out to transform a 1970s attic apartment located in the city center into a comfortable escape where he and partner Hollis could decompress and get back to nature. The goal was Icelandic style with an American spin.

The apartment’s entry is located at the top of a three-story row house, so Brian wanted the landing to set the tone for what lays beyond the front door. Making your entry a living space is a clever way to extend your square footage, and when you’re only working with 750, every little bit counts.

One look at the reimagined landing and it’s clear you’ve arrived at your destination. With a happy sweater-inspired wallpaper, vibrant photography and minimalist greenery perched atop charming cubbies, the entry is as functional as it is gorgeous. Floors were painted white to unify the spaces and maximize the breezy, open-air feeling.

From the entry, you step right into the main room, which features hardwoods, low ceilings and a pair of large windows — good bones for creating a cozy living space.

Photographer Robert Petersen’s photo of an Icelandic Horse was the perfect jumping off point for inspiration. Crisp whites, muted blues and pale wood tones give the room a natural, dreamy vibe. With wood being a high-priced commodity in Iceland, Brian opted for a stunning faux-bois wallpaper to complete the look.

The quirky angles in the home were both a blessing and a curse. Just outside the kitchen, there was an odd little nook that didn’t really serve a purpose, until Brian set his sights on it.

Brian made it feel part of the living space by extending the wallpaper into the nook, then arranging a low-slung banquette and small ottomans around a generous table. He kept the corner from feeling too cluttered by using a transparent table base to keep the footprint light. It’s the perfect spot for extra dinner guests, catching up on emails or game nights with friends from the neighborhood.

With plenty of dated tile and orange-tone cabinetry to go around, this galley-style kitchen needed a total re-think if it was going to feel Scandi-inspired.

Wall-to-wall white paint, tongue-and-groove paneling and deep blue cabinetry gave the space new life. Removing the upper cabinets added to the kitchen’s spacious feeling and allowed subway tiles laid in a unique pattern to really shine.

For a small apartment, the bathroom was a bit of a gift with enough space for a proper vanity, but the large tub took up precious square footage.

After removing existing cabinetry and fixtures, the room was tiled to the ceiling to play up the natural light and pretty view. By installing a wall-mounted vanity and toilet, they appear to "float" above the floor which adds a more spacious feel. The towel warmers in this cold climate were a no-brainer.

More quirky angles and oddly sloping ceilings provided a design challenge (um... opportunity) to amp up the cozy factor in this 140-square-foot bedroom.