my scandinavian home: country style living

A Stunning French Country Home Filled with Antiques

One day, when my children are fully grown, Per and I dream of spending part of our winter somewhere sunnier and warmer than Sweden. Not the entire winter - I love pulling out my knits and lighting candles in autumn, and the first flurry of snow in December - but just enough to take the edge off the raw, dark days! We're still thinking about where this might be (tips welcome!) - but the South of France is a strong contender.

In fact, I could very much imagine myself in a beautiful country home like Maison Aumône - then again who couldn't? The property belongs to Rachel Baker, founder of 3 sources - and is located in the Petit Luberon National Park surrounded by rolling hills, ancient woodland, vineyards and orchards.

Formerly available to rent on airbnb, these days, the country house is the site for retreats run by Rachel (keep an eye out for the next one here) - which offer a perfect opportunity to witness the impeccable restoration and admire French antiques at every turn!

Oooooh, to wake up here, cycle to the market through the vineyards, before enjoying a local wine on the terrace. Who's with me?

Absolutely beautiful!

The historical features and antiques are a feast for the eyes and the entire interior is like pure poetry. Would you agree?

See more pictures and read more about Rachel's work over at 3 sources.

Would you like to dream over more houses in the French countryside today (go on, indulge me!):

A charming Swedish family home in the South of France

A Swede's charming home in the South of France

Old meets new in a 18th century former basketry

A Swedish photographer and French hat maker's home in France

Sara Slims' fairytale French chateau

À bientôt!

Niki

Photography: 3 sources, found via Nordroom with thanks

A Traditional Skånegård in the Southern Swedish Countryside

Hello friends! I hope you had a lovely break over Easter. We nipped away to my father-in-law's house in Kullaberg (I once wrote a guide to that beautiful part of Sweden here - it's well worth a visit!).

Our summer cottage is on the next peninsula North - which brings me to today's home tour in Öllov, not far from where we are on the Bjärehalvön!

I once had the pleasure of capturing and writing about a 'Skånegård' - a traditional Scanian farmhouse resting around a cobbled inner courtyard - just up the road for my first book 'Modern pastoral' (later updated to Relaxed Rustic) and this tour took me straight back to that wonderful spring day!

With parts of the thatched house dating back to 1870, the pretty Skånegård has been newly renovated to maintain the traditional charm of the property (think solid stone walls, exposed beams and painted wood ceiling) but brought up to date to ensure year-round comfort. And now, it's looking for a new owner to take care of it and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Bjärehalvön. Could that be you?

If you hop over to the real estate page, you'll also see that there's a barn begging to be done up for a Midsummer party! And who are we to argue?

I can just imagine a Sunday here - the fire going, a roast in the oven, music playing.... that's the beauty of an open-plan space, you can all be in the same room with a million different activities happening all at once.

Would you like to see a few other Swedish country homes today? Feel inspired by:

An idyllic red and white Swedish farmhouse

A cosy country home in rural north Sweden

Jessica's idyllic Swedish croft from 1700

It's so nice to be back on the blog again after a mini break. Thank you for stopping by today!

Kram!

Niki

Photography: Liz-Marie Johansson for Skeppsholmen.

Beata's Lovely Swedish Country Home is Full of Secondhand Finds

It's Friday and the sun is shining! Love it! Before we all head off, I just wanted to share one final snippet of Scandi inspiration with you in the form of Beata Nison's lovely country home.

Beata is the founder of second hand boutique ReBloom selling handpicked vintage treasures from around Sweden - evidence of which can also be spotted in her lovely country home (wicker 'frog' bin anyone?). But what also stands out to me from these corners are the pretty shades of blue, pink and ochre she's used and many of which she's mixed herself. Evidence that weaving in some hues can add so much depth and interest to a room.

Keep an eye out for the old fireplaces too - there's a 'kakelugn' to be found around almost every corner - even in the hall!

Velkommen!

Really charming! All the flowers are making me want spring to hurry up and arrive too!

Do you see what I mean about the shades of blue and pink seen on doors, cabinets and even the stairs?

See more corners of Beata's lovely home over at @beatanison.

If you'd like to take a look at more Scandinavian country homes today you're in the right place! Pour that cup of coffee and delve into this archive!

More of a townie? I'm looking forward to sharing some beautiful apartments next week. In the mean time you'll likely feel inspired by this archive and also the small space archive.

Thank you so much for dropping by.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Niki

Photography: @beatanison, shared with kind permission.

FILED UNDER: country style living swedish home vintage

Maria's House By The Sea on Sweden's Breathtaking High Coast

This summer, my eldest daughter Liv is swimming in the Swedish nationals. She has worked so hard to qualify (mornings before school and all) so there's no way we're going to miss it, even so it's taking place in Sundsvall, some 980 kilometres (600 miles) from Malmö! And then I realised something. It's only a short hop to Sweden's Höga kusten (High Coast) in the Gulf of Bothnia - a world heritage site known for its archipelago and breathtaking scenery. Needless to say, it's somewhere I've always wanted to visit but never really had the opportunity until now!

While researching our trip, I remembered Maria's beautiful house in the area (I have followed Maria on instagram for quite some time now!). The pictures Maria shares of her home often have me dreaming of living a life in an old house on the water's edge - particularly as magical as this one.

A traditional red and white house, it's filled with earthy tones, wood panelling, vintage furniture, roaring fires, views over the water and plenty of star-gazing! Welcome to Villa Kusten on the Swedish High Coast.

Down by the water's edge, Maria and her family have an outbuilding where they can enjoy long lunches, evening meals and gatherings overlooking the water.

What a magical place to live!

I especially love the dining area in the outbuilding - and the jetty! Imagine enjoying a midsummer's eve supper out there?

Her house looks equally lovely in the snow too. There's no light pollution so on a clear night you can see the entire galaxy and if you're lucky, the Northern Lights!

This has made me even more excited about my trip to the Swedish High Coast this summer. I hope I can find somewhere as wonderful as this to stay. I'd better get planning!

If you've been to the area, please do share your tips! I promise to take lots of pictures and share a guide afterwards.

See more pictures of Maria's house and garden over at @villakusten. And for those of you who share the same dream as I do to live in a house by the water, here are a few other Scandinavian homes to love today:

My day at a Danish cottage by the sea

An idyllic Finnish summer cabin on the water's edge

A magical fjord side retreat in Norway

Also:

15 coastal living ideas to steal from a breathtaking Danish home.

And in case you'd like to visit Sweden this summer, here are a few of my guides:

10 beautiful islands in the Gothenburg archipelagos

Island hopping in the Swedish Baltic

Happy Wednesday!

Niki

Photography courtesy of @villakusten shared with kind permission.

FILED UNDER: coastal country style living swedish home

Five Danish Country Homes to Love

Hej! Come here looking for the danish cottage? You can view all the pictures and see the listing here on the estate agent page. I am having to adapt my post and am just waiting for new pictures so hopefully I can republish very soon!

In the meantime, I'm excited to share five danish country homes tours with you today - all different, all beautiful!

Ready to dive in?

1. Step inside the country home of a Danish artist (pictured above and below).