Before and After: A Rundown Croft Becomes an Idyllic Swedish Summer Cottage

When I first visited Sweden at the tender age of nine, I completely fell in love with my Swedish friends' summer cottage. It was everything you'd associate with the Swedish summer: a picturesque red and white cottage surrounded by woodland, lakes and the sweet scent of roses. Oh, and maybe the odd mosquito! When I stumbled across Alex and Erika's country home online yesterday, it took me straight back to that summer! Affectionately known as Gubbetorp, Alex and Erika's croft is located in the beautiful Östergötland countryside and has been lovingly restored one room at a time.  The pair share a passion for  antiques, vintage finds and up cycling all of which add to the charm of the space. Here are a few snapshots from before and after the renovation - including ikea hacks, outdoor loo and all! 

Kitchen before


Kitchen after


Sitting room before 

Sitting room after

The pair peeled back the laminate floor to discover a beautiful wood floor - what a great discovery! Wallpaper from BörÃ¥stapeter adds a cosy touch to the room and helps draw nature indoors. 


The hall before 




Hall after 
Alex and Erika picked up an IKEA chest of drawers for a song (100 SEK - or 8 quid!) and painted it in a soft grey-green. Rabarber 1792 wallpaper adds a vibrant feel to the space. 


Outdoor loo before

It's not that uncommon for Swedish cottages to have an outdoor loo with no running water. I recently stayed at Helen's lovely place which was the same! It took me back to the days I spent Grandmother's house. Granny Ruth had an outdoor and indoor loo. We never used the outdoor one as it was always full of spiders! 

But the ones I've experienced in Sweden are so much fresher - especially after a make-over! 

Outdoor loo 

Erika and Alex have completely spruced up their outdoor loo - adding wood panelling which has been painted in the same hue as the cottage interior. 

They've also added home comforts such as a hand towel, magazines, fresh wildflowers and perhaps most importantly - a vintage water tank for washing hands. 

The standout piece though, has to be the magnificent antique dresser - it adds such a homely touch! 

What a difference! 

Their garden is simply magical - especially in summertime. It has me dreaming of midsummer (which is only 8 weeks away!) and long summer days alfresco! 

I hope you enjoyed this before and after feature as much as I have! 

If you'd like to see more snapshots from Alex and Erika's home head on over to @gubbetorp.

You might also like to feel inspired by other idyllic Swedish summer cottages here: 


And of course, before and afters

Here's to a sunny, carefree weekend ahead! 

See you Monday friends! 

Niki

Photography: @gubbetorp shared with kind permission

LATEST COMMENTS:

  1. A very gorgeous cottage and a stunning garden. Actually I also quite like some of the original features they got rid of, such as the sailing wallpaper! Lucky you heading into summer; our days are shortening and the days are getting cooler here in the southern hemisphere.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. On a second look it's quite cool - and fits the coastal location too! It's been a long old winter here I can tell you - we're so happy it's finally here.

      Delete
  2. Very charming. Looking at these pictures makes me eager for spring (which is taking forever to get here!!!) and summer and beautiful laid-back days.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Their garden is wonderful - I can almost hear the birdsong looking at the pictures! Roll on spring / summer!

      Delete
  3. What a charming and comfortable-looking cottage! And that shellfish spread looks fantastic . . .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It looks so delicious, doesn't it? I love oysters!

      Delete

Post a Comment

Privacy Notice: We do not share personal information with third-parties nor do we store information we collect about your visit to this blog for use other than to analyze content performance through the use of cookies, which you can turn off at anytime by modifying your Internet browser's settings. We are not responsible for the republishing of the content found on this blog on other Web sites or media without our permission. This privacy policy is subject to change without notice.

Subscribe To My Scandinavian Home

Subscribe to My Scandinavian Home

skovby ad


 

site by ANAAR

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.
MORE INFO