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My Swedish Summer Cottage Kitchen Renovation (Before)


In paid collaboration with Bosch
I am so excited to introduce a new series today. If you've been following My Scandinavian Home for a while, you'll likely know my family and I have a very small summer cottage on the West coast of Sweden. I've never actually showed pictures of it before because it's in major need of renovation. I mean MAJOR! But all that is going to change! Over the next twelve weeks I'm going to be renovating the kitchen. I know in these pictures it looks surprisingly OK - but trust me, at a closer glance it's not! Firstly, it hasn't been touched since the 1970s - the wallpaper is peeling away in great swathes, the units are all frayed and sometimes the handles have a habit of falling off. Secondly, the current kitchen doesn't use maximum use of space (kind of important in an L-shaped room that measures 8 square metre / 86 square foot) - it could be waaaay more efficient. And finally, none of the appliances work properly (I can't tell you how annoying it is to leave a casserole on the stove for an hour, only to find the hob hasn't been working!) Oh and did I mention there is a family of mice lurking somewhere behind one of those cupboards? I think you get the idea!


The plan
My goal is to transform the space into a fresh, practical, well functioning, beautiful kitchen (big plans, huh?!) in time for the family to descend on the cottage at midsummer. It's also important to ensure the look fits with the rest of the cottage (the house was built in the1930s by my husband's Grandfather and holds lots of fond memories!).



The Partner
One of the reasons our summer cottage has been somewhat neglected over the years is that we're only there a few weeks a year and share it with other members of the family, so money is always invested elsewhere. Back in our kitchen in Malmö we've had Bosch appliances for over 12 years (oven, hob, fan, microwave, fridge freezer, dishwasher.... you name it) and we've always been so happy with them, it therefore felt like a natural step to partner with Bosch for this project and install Bosch appliances in our summer cottage kitchen too. Since we are keen to keep the costs down, it helps that Bosch appliances are a seamless fit with IKEA kitchens too!



Grand plans indeed. I'm feeling very excited and at the same time just a teeny bit daunted!

Over the next twelve weeks I'll be sharing my renovation here on the blog (as well as over on Instagram) including my inspiration, plans, the design, expected surprises (of which I'm sure there'll be plenty!) and of course, with any luck - the final reveal! Please do weigh in - I so welcome your tips, advice and opinion on decisions along the way! And if you're planning a kitchen renovation of your own, I hope you'll find the series helpful.

Time to hit the grindstone!

Niki

*This series is in paid collaboration with Bosch. However, all words and pictures are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too. 

LATEST COMMENTS:

  1. Exciting plans Niki! Hope it all goes well. Looking forward to see how it turns out. Carolina at Ironmongery Experts.

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    1. Thank you Carolina, I'm really excited about the whole renovation!

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  2. Yes, very exciting! I love these kinds of series. Plus, still planning a kitchen renovation myself (it will happen sometime!), so always interesting to see what others do - and all the unexpected things that happens...

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    1. Thank you Rita, so happy to hear you love these types of series :) I hope it inspires you to get started with your own renovation soon! In the meantime, I'm so looking forward to your input!

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  3. I look forward to the After. But, I have to say that I really like the rounded wood handles on the cabinets. They must be perfectly smooth with many years of service behind them and they look so inviting to touch. I hope you will be able to reuse them elsewhere, I would hate to see them thrown away.
    Lovely bird prints.

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    1. So great to get your input Alena. I would absolutely lovely to salvage some of the details - and the bird prints are a must! I also have my eye on the lamp (I think there's a pretty pendant lurking beneath the embroidered fabric!). I hope there's a wooden floor beneath the plastic laminate too. The wooden handles look great in these pictures but sadly they are not solid wood - mere a 1970s laminate material which are really poor quality in real life. Please keep your thoughts coming, so helpful!

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  4. Can't wait to see the result. :)

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    1. Thank you Roxanna, it feels like a long road ahead but I'm feeling excited!

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  5. I'm so excited to see the transformation! I envy you having a summer cottage. I live in Canada, but, I was born in Helsinki, Finland where everyone has a summer cottage on a lake. It's a dream of mine... maybe one day! Thank you for sharing!

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    1. I feel so lucky - my husband's grandfather built it in the 1930s. One day I'm sure your dream will come true -the lake-side cottages in Finland are so idyllic!

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  6. Good luck, Niki! How exciting. I look forward to seeing what you do, I am sure it will look lovely. Amanda

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    1. Thank you so much Amanda - feeling very excited (if not a little nervous!).

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  7. Can't wait to see what you do with it!

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    1. Thank you! I'm looking forward to it! :)

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  8. Do follow you but never commented before. I think I have spotted something I used to have myself. A pull-out chopping board below the kettle. Can you fit that in again? So useful to have that tiny bit of extra space in a small kitchen. I look forward to your transformation!!

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    1. Hi Mrs Mac, I'm so happy that this post has inspired you to comment for the first time! Well spotted - it is indeed a chopping board that slides out - and I completely agree with you it's so handy (especially in a small kitchen)! I've been trying to find something similar but it seems like they are so tricky to find these days.

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