Before And After: A Dated Cabin Becomes a Modern Scandinavian-inspired Colorado Retreat!

It's Friday friends - and that calls for something extra special, don't you think? And I have just the place! A few days ago, this magical cabin in Twin Lakes, Colorado dropped into my mail box. Photographer, author and teacher Christine Bayles Kortsch and husband Daniel Kortsch (also a photographer) had always dreamed of owning a remote cabin to visit at the weekends, as well as offer as a property for workshops, photoshoots, elopements and more. After years of drooling over cabins online, their dream finally came true in the shape of Alpenglow Cabin which they purchased and renovated together with Daniel's brother Jon-Marc and his partner Laura. Surrounded by rugged beauty and wild nature, the location was perfect, the cabin itself however, was in need of a little TLC. I caught up with Christine to find and out more. 

Kitchen - Before

Christine, Daniel, Jon-Marc and Laura completely gutted the cabin, before painting the pine paneling white.

"We did the entire renovation ourselves (except the hardwood floors) and found primary inspiration in Scandinavian-influenced design. This included talks with our Danish brother-in-law and admiring photos of his family's summer cottage."

Kitchen - After 

Dated upper cabinets were ripped out and replaced with wooden open shelving for a light, relaxed and contemporary feel. The lower cabinets were given a lick of white paint and moved around to give the entrance more breathing space. 

"The copper collection is antique and was passed down from my sister-in-law Laura, whose heritage is Norwegian and German."

Main Living Space - Before

Nothing can take away from the staggering view of the mountains - but the hot tub was fairly dominant and there's no denying that the living space was incredibly dark and lacked cosiness! 

Living Space - After

A fresh lick of paint (I like how they still have wood on the ceiling and around the windows) and wood floors have helped turn the cabin into a fresh and airy, yet cosy and comfortable living space. The hot tub exterior has also been given a makeover - making it less dominant while still providing a dreamy spot from which to gaze out over the mountains. 

"My husband is a woodworker and he made the live-edge dining table."

"My brother-in-law Jon-Marc is a sculpture fabricator and had the wood stove hearth pad custom-made." 

Master bedroom - Before

Master Bedroom - After

A wall-to-wall carpet was ripped out and replaced with a dark wood floor for a modern feel. 

Simple, soft furnishings like this woven wall hanging by Sweet pea Artistry Co help to add a cosy alpine feel. 

Bedroom 2 - Before

Bedroom 2 - After

You can really see the Scandinavian feel coming through in this bedroom: the minimalist feel, botanical touches and the chequer detail!

"We are so proud of this cabin. It is tangible evidence of our blood, sweat, love of nature, passion for beauty and daydreaming. We felt a sense of real pride when our Danish brother-in-law Rune announced we had achieved a hygge feel!"

The beautiful surroundings - which offer endless options for hiking, back-country skiing, snowshoeing, paddling, rafting, rock-climbing and mountain biking - inspired the name 'Alpenglow' which according to Merriam-Webster is the "reddish glow seen near sunset or sunrise on the summits of mountains". Christine, Daniel, John-Marc and Laura also use the word to describe "that cosy feeling you get curled up by the fire with friends after a day of fresh air and adventure." 

Both versions sound wonderful to me, what do you think? 

Alpenglow cabin is now available on Airbnb for others to come and enjoy. You can also find more information / pictures on the Alpenglow Cabin website and instagram. 

Perhaps it's time to start searching for that dated property that's waiting for someone to come along and give it the TLC it deserves. Who knows, this time next year, we could be sitting in a hot tub overlooking Colorado's highest peaks! 

More cabin love / inspiration to be found here:

An idyllic Finnish summer cabin

A magical Norwegian mountain cabin

before and after: a dated property becomes a dreamy cabin in the woods

Thank you so much to Christine for submitting this project! If you have a project / home tour you'd like to share do send it my way. I can't promise to feature all of the submissions but will certainly keep an eye out for homes that are a perfect fit with My Scandinavian Home!

Right friends. I believe it's time for the weekend. WOOHOOO! Wishing you a relaxing, cosy weekend vänner! Thanks for a great week - I've loved reading your comments! 

Vi ses på Måndag!

Niki

Photography Christine Bayles Kortsch / Daniel Kortsch except the hallway which was shot by Molly Lo Photography.

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A Rental Becomes a Charming, Budget-friendly Family Home

From a relaxed home in Malmö in earthy tones (yesterday) to an equally laidback family home in Osnabrück in Northwest Germany today - I love that Scandinavian style inspires homes far and wide! There's evidence of Lena's passion for all things Nordic at every turn in her white, black and neutral rental. From IKEA freestanding furniture (especially practical for anyone who rents since there's no drilling required!) to the HM Home and Søstrene & Green accessories, Lena's home is a practical oasis for her, her partner Torben and 6-month old baby Frida. It's also perfect budget-friendly inspiration for anyone who's renting a space and wants to make it their own! 

Sinnerlig pendant, Vadholma kitchen island, HM Home rug

"I like a natural style, fresh flowers, calm colours and attention to detail" - Lena.

Pick up a vintage school chair here* (be sure to check that they are a standard seat height and not for young kids!)

The yellow windows are everything in this space!

IKEA sofa. Try The Poster Club* for similar prints.

The IKEA wood freestanding furniture in Frida's nursery has been pimped up using Pretty peg legs. The little wired rainbow is from Lagom world. 

We all know how important it is to black-out a baby's room to optimise sleep (if only for your own sanity!) and a simple handmade curtain is a handy way to prevent light from the hallway creeping in. 

What a great tour! 

I hope it's given you a few ideas for your own home!

You can see more little corners of Lena's home over on her instagram @Lena_living.

Fancy a few more tours today? 

How about:

A pared-back family home with handmade pieces

A cosy riverside cabin where Cali warmth meets Scandi cool! 

A dreamy holiday oasis in the heart of the city

Have a lovely day! 

Niki

Photography: @Lena_living with thanks

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The Small, Cosy Vintage-Inspired Home of a Malmö Florist

Oooooh have I got a wonderful flat to show you today. And it's thanks to Victoria over at SF Girl By Bay who featured this yesterday and reminded me I needed to share it with you guys! It's the wonderful former home of Sophie and Gustaf Wiking and their cocker spaniel Farfar here in Malmö. Sophie and I have got to know one another through her beautiful flower shop Florista of which I am a very regular customer (you might recognise the name from my local guide to Malmö). Malmö based photographer Andrea Papini and stylist Alexandra Papini (who also own the very cool Cafe Noir in town - yes, it's a small world!) went along to photograph it before Christmas just before the gaff was put on the market. And I have to say, what a feast for the eyes! Dating back to 1904, the small apartment (it measures 54 m2 / 582 f2) is teeming with vintage pieces, art, and books. Layers of textile help to create a cosy retreat from which to recover from a cold, early start at the flower market! Välkommen in! 

Sophie and Gustaf built the bookshelves in the living room by hand. Source similar sheepskins from Black Sheep (White Light).

As with all cities, bikes are often stolen in Malmö (I've had two stolen in the past year, it's absolutely infuriating!). This wall hung solution is perfect for a small space. 

Sophie wanted to create kitchen cabinet doors out of brown metal sheets but felt it would be too heavy and expensive, so she painted the wooden cabinets with an oxidised colour to give them a dark bronze effect.

My guess is that the Artek stools are vintage (Sophie loves to pick up items from antique shops and flea markets) - even so you can pick up new ones here* or shop for a vintage set here*.  They're perfect for a small space since they take up little room and can also be stacked. 

 

Simple linen bedding adds a load of texture on the bed and makes the room feel instantly calm and relaxed. This one* is similar. 

In case you missed my guide, here are a few snaps I took of her beautiful shop. A must if you're in Malmö! 

I hope Sophie and Gustaf's home has inspired you as much as it has inspired me today! 

And just how adorable is Farfar?! He's always in the shop helping out!

I can't wait to see what Sophie and Gustaf do with their new home! 

I'm proud to be a part of such a creative community - and was excited to see these photographs featured in Elle Decoration Sweden with the text written by none other than Ida Magntorn - who's poetic 19th century house I featured here. 

Happy lill' lördag (little Saturday!) vänner! 

Niki

Photography: Andrea Papini / Styling Alexandra Papini - shared with kind permission.

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Contemporary Danish Design Meets Rustic in A Fabulous House In The Med

One of the most exciting things in the world of interiors at this time of the year is that brands are announcing their 'news' - which means a flurry of stunning lifestyle images. Ferm Living's latest offerings have just landed in my inbox and they certainly don't disappoint. The Danish brand has chosen a beautiful rustic setting to showcase their Spring Summer 2020 collection. Think earthy tones and organic shapes merging with soft, natural fittings and honest materials. I want to head over to the Med and settle into one of those desert lounge chairs by the pool all winter long - let's just hope the stylists left the kit behind! Anyone wanna join me?!

The above picture hints at the hottest colour combination this year: soft blue, brown and yellow (with a punch of deep, electric blue!). Stay tuned as I'll be sharing more on this later in the week!

I've got my eye on this new Vuelta lamp - it would work absolutely anywhere in my home (and you know how I love to move things around!). Kind of cool, don't you think?

One word: sofa. 

Just add a cushion in a golden accent colour and the room is complete. 

To me Ferm Living is all about the kids stuff. I've always loved the items they make for children's rooms - like the apple basket and this new dotted cushion! Too cute, don't you think?! 

I wonder, if I were to pick up a Desert Lounger like the one above (the textile seat is made from  recycled plastic bottles!), would I need to get a pool to match? If so, I'd better warn Per... 

Are you dreaming about a stay somewhere like this too? Or perhaps, just kitting your home out with a few fab Danish pieces from Ferm Living would do the trick? Either way, these guys have nailed their SS20 pics this year! 

I'm thinking we should go down the Mediterranean way today with a few more tours, what do you say? Here are a few rustic homes I love: 

A rustic retreat in Andalusia

A relaxed Danish oasis in Palma, Mallorca

A boho retreat in Ibiza

By the way - I was excited to receive a mail from the owner of yesterday's home tour who gave me more information about that DIY lamp and the dramatic bedroom wall colour. I've updated the post here in case you're curious! 

Have a dreamy day friends - sending warm, sunny thoughts your way! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Ferm Living

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