Did you know adding touches of nature to your home has been proven to boost happiness? And it's something our Scandinavian friends do so well.
Today I'm taking you on a tour of Tina Abild's idyllic Danish summer cottage on the Kattegat coast which is full of nature-themed touches. Here are 11 ideas to feel inspired by!
1. Natural materials: wood, rattan, linen all helps to bring texture to a room.
2. Wildflowers: there's nothing like the wonderful scent of flowers cut from the nearby meadow or hedgerow! Forage first thing in the morning to avoid drooping.
3. Terrarium of foraged items from the beach: display a small selection of items collected from one spot, in this case dried seaweed, driftwood and pebbles from the nearby beach have been displayed a in a glass bell jar.
4. Art that reflects nature: collect art that is reminiscent of the surrounding environment. I this cottage, a fish serves as a reminder that the Kattegat sea is a short walk away.
I love the old ironing board used as a side table, so clever!
5. Dried and pressed flowers: collect your favourite blooms to dry and press and use as art the following year.
6. Driftwood display: old, gnarled wood from the beach makes for a beautiful display in a glass jar.
Adding baskets with handles to hooks creates space for yet more storage - for example for small items like gloves, hats and other pieces that are difficult to hang.
7. Dried flower wreath: when it comes to a second home it's next to impossible to keep plants alive, instead get crafty with flowers and dry them in the shape of wreaths for a decorative display.
Tina made this pretty lampshade herself - it's a great way of up cycling a vintage Le Klint sax lamp!
8. Display books about nature: even better if the tome is about the surrounding area!
9. Hang simple bunches of dried flowers: a simple display of thistles looks pretty hanging from a doorknob.
10. Use botanical or floral themed textiles: carefully selected curtains, bedspreads and curtains can also serve as a way to draw the natural surroundings indoors.
Any avid readers of My Scandinavian Home will have noticed lately just how popular these vintage glass cabinets have become - particularly of the wall-mounted variety! Adding curtains is a great way to hide more unsightly items from view!
11. Line the windowsills: if your windows open outwards, use the sills to showcase stones, shells and wildflowers like cow parsley!
Another simple, yet pretty idea - using beautiful vintage textiles as makeshift curtains to obscure the bathroom from view! Look how well the details show up in the light.
Outdoor showers are a summer dream, don't you think? One day we'll build one at our cabin, but in the meantime, I'll admire Tina's shower from a far!
So many beautiful ideas! I can't wait to take go for a walk by our cabin now so that I can have a little forage. Has Tina's idyllic summer cottage inspired you too?
See more snapshots and follow Tina's latest projects over at @sommerhus.ved.kattegat.
Would you like to see a few more Danish summer cottages today? Here are some truly inspiring getaways:
Stor kram!
Niki
Photography: @sommerhus.ved.kattegat shared with kind permission.
Lovely! Also, the dog!!! Any idea the breed? Corgi???
ReplyDeleteHe is very cute, isn't he? Although he looks like a corgi I think his legs are too long (but I may be wrong).
DeleteCorrect he is indeed a corgi. Tina tells me he ids a Cardigan Welsh Corgi called Elmer! / Niki
DeleteThank you!!! My son loves them and we are looking into different breeds. What a lovely dog!
Delete...and stripes are always a nautical theme: here at the curtains and bath towels:)
ReplyDeleteYes!! Thank you for pointing this out. Stripes are always a good addition in a coastal home :) / Niki
DeleteI always enjoy your posts, and enjoy spending time looking at all the wonderful inspiration , Niki! I noticed, today, though, that you had identified a flower as cow parsnip. I think, perhaps, it might be what we call Queen Anne's Lace, since cow parsnip is slightly poisonous: https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/105388.html#:~:text=Cow%20parsnip%20is%20not%20considered,from%20sunlight%20for%2048%20hours. Not as bad as the giant hogweed, but still one to stay away from. They look similar to the QALace. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank you for pointing this out - they look so similar! I'll need to be careful the next time I pick wildflowers to make sure they are of the Queen Anne's lace variety rather than cow parsley (apparently the former have a hint of purple in the centre of the bloom. Niki
DeleteI could easily live there ... such beauty and serenity!
ReplyDeleteI'm happy you enjoyed this home tour too! / Niki
DeleteI love the wildflowers-here in USA we call the cow parsley Queen Anne’s lace. It is so pretty and blooms EVERYWHERE!
ReplyDeleteYes, so pretty and shouts 'summer' - I love that! / Niki
DeleteSuch a pretty space!
ReplyDeleteHappy you enjoyed this one Kris! / Niki
DeleteOutdoor showers don't need to be plumbed. We have a super simple one which involves hauling a solar shower bag (heated) up on a pulley system. The water drains into the garden.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea, and sounds so much easier to install! / Niki
DeleteWe have this version at our cabin: you just fill up a bucket of water, drop the pump in, and shower. Will build a shower enclosure for it, but it can also easily be moved around. For now I have mounted a shower rail with curtians on a plank outside. Very convenient for us living in countries where you can't rely on the sun to heat up a bag... https://www.biltema.no/en-no/leisure/garden/watering/garden-showers/portable-shower-25-lmin-2000034257
Deletefrom the french woman : it's funny and interresting to see what plants are called in different countries.The plant you are talking about as "cow parsley", is, in botanical latin called "daucus carota", which in french is called "carotte sauvage"(wild carrot)! Very pretty romantic flower in bouquets of flowers of the field and ....it dries well too !
ReplyDeleteFor the hanging flowers, it's not thistles but "nigella sativa" (nigella) wich make pretty dried balls filled with small slightly peppery black seeds which are used in the kitchen, pastry and bakery. I really like the flowers !!!...
Bonjour! I love to hear the French names of these species!
DeleteThank you so much for pointing out the correct name of the 'nigella sativa', I'm so happy to know the species now. I'd love to grow some in my garden! / Niki
Bonjour! I love to hear the French names of these species!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for pointing out the correct name of the 'nigella sativa', I'm so happy to know the species now. I'd love to grow some in my garden! / Niki
In my opinion, the only option for real wildlife in the house is flowerpots. They can be deciduous or flowering, it doesn't matter. The important thing is that they are alive :-)
ReplyDeletePlants are of course are a wonderful addition - especially when you live in a home year-round, thank you for adding that. I believe pebbles, jars of sand, pictures of nature are also great for helping you to feel connected with nature, as are choosing a soothing colour palette that reflects your surrounding. A home can feel so soothing and calm if you incorporate these aspects. Especially if it's a second home and not practical to have living plants. / Niki
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