Glad Alla Hjärtans Dag! (Happy Valentine’s Day!) Today is all about celebrating love in all its forms, so I thought—since this blog is all about our shared passion for the home—why not shine a light on the places we cherish most? Those spaces where we instantly relax, the ones we long for when we're away, and where we feel truly at peace. It might be a house, a room, or even just a cosy nook somewhere.
For me, that place is our little cabin. Members of this community will know we designed and built it a few years ago, carefully considering every detail (Per might say a little too carefully, but now he agrees it was worth the effort!). Nestled on Sweden’s west coast, it's just 30 square metres (322 square feet), but it has everything we need: a place to cook, eat, gather, listen to music, play games, and sleep. In winter, we arrive eager to light a fire; in summer, life flows effortlessly between indoors and out (hopping between the two depending on what the Swedish weather gods decide to throw our way!). We divide our time between the terrace, the beach, long coastal walks—and of course, the local pub—soaking up the changing seasons.
My heart belongs to this little retreat, where I'm happiest, surrounded by family and visiting friends. I hope you enjoy these pictures—some might be familiar, while others are new. I’ll share some details in case anything catches your eye!
I'm always impressed with how much you packed into this small space--as someone who is fascinated with small spaces, you nailed both form and function. No wonder you love it! Happy Valentine's Day to everyone. Niki, enjoy your time with your family. We'll be waiting eagerly for your return.
ReplyDeleteThank you Kris, one of the things I love most about it is how small it is, which surprises me! It also works well when we're four (so much quicker to tidy up than our house!) - but as soon as they bring a friend a long it becomes a bit of a tipping point and starts to feel overcrowded, so then it's time to spill over to my mother-in-law's cottage!
DeleteReally sweet abode, Niki! You’ve worked hard! And, yes….gardens can be tricky.
ReplyDeleteThank you - both for your kind words, and also for the reassurance that it's not just my imagination that gardening is tricky business!
DeleteHappy Valentine's Day!! Thank you for sharing your cabin with us. I love seeing photos of it; it is beautifully outfitted. Im feel inspired by the homes you share with us. My happy place is only five miles from my house and consists of a small farm and a farmhouse that we are slowly fixing up as a family retreat. The farmhouse is a story and a half Aladdin kit home (Albany model) built in 1918 and has needed a lot of work!! It has sloped ceilings in the upstairs. We do what we can as time and budget allows. My children and grandchildren stay there on weekends. In fact, my elder son and his family plan to come this weekend for a snow extravaganza!! I live in the Midwest and we had 9 inches Wednesday with more predicted for today and tomorrow!! Love your postings!! Thank you again so much for sharing beautiful homes.
ReplyDeleteYour farmhouse sounds really magical! I love that it provides a place for your whole family to gather. Per and I hope this will be the case with our cabin / summer cottage when our children grow up and have children of their own one day too. Great that you have snow! We enjoyed a snowy week in the Austrian Alps last week, but sadly back to the grey in Malmö - perhaps we'll get some soon!
DeleteI love it, so warm and comfy. I guess my favorite place is our home in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We had it build, my husband and I did a lot of the work, we have been here for 37 years. It is full of memories, old found things and some new. Mostly filled with love.
ReplyDeleteWow, 37 years - no wonder it is full of memories! And I so enjoyed reading how you describe it as 'mostly filled with love' :)
Delete"...carefully considering every detail (Per might say a little too carefully,..), that's what I found in your lovely little cabin! As Kris mentioned, " you nailed form and function". Its simplicity-filled yet so intricate, each detail, each area stands out while blending in beautifully and harmonizes perfectly with its surroundings. You could walk in and out and feel the same pulse! Wish you had added pics of the patio folding chairs.
ReplyDeleteYes, a garden takes a lotttt of thought, time and effort but most fulfilling. In my case, when I am ready for one season, the next one rolls in:) My most cherished space is our little home in the Northwest!
Though I peek/glance in almost everyday, will eagerly look forward to the 24th.
Glad Alla Hjärtans Dag Niki, and everyone!
Thank you for your kind words about our cabin. And also for reminding me that a garden is an ongoing process where each season brings with it something new. We don't have many plants yet, but I do love tinkering when I am there anyway: raking the grass, dead heading the rose bush etc. It's so therapuetic. I love the sound of your little home in the Northwest.
DeleteHi Niki I can totally see why you are in love with your place . You put so much effort and love in building it with your husband ! It shows and is so inviting ! Happy Valentine’s day from Maine dinie
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Dinie
DeleteSuch a sweet little cabin 💜
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
DeleteCouldn't help but notice the lovely clogs! I have a very similar pair, a Midsummer shoe from Swedish Hasbeens, hand painted by the daughter (maybe granddaughter of the company's founder) from many years ago now.
ReplyDeleteWow, your clogs sound wonderful! There's a little clog shop in Malmö where they make wooden clogs and personalise them for you with hand painted designs, which is where I got these for my daughter when she was small. My Swedish mother-in-law also has a pair in the main cottage which are lovely and worn from many years of wondering down to the sea and back for a dip!
DeleteWhat a lovely place your cabin is. Simple, minimalistic and lots of white tones. I love it and have secretly copied a few things from you. It feels like the walls of every house I have lived in can tell everything. From my daughters who were born there, to all the parties, piano playing, living room concerts, theater afternoons with an old curtain in the middle of the room, on one side the children with their recitals and on the other side the parents on stools, beautiful stories and traditions. It takes a village to raise a child, and it needs memories to make a house grow into a beloved home. ♥️ Greetings from the Netherlands!
ReplyDeleteI love the description of the homes you have lived in - it conjured up all kinds of nice images in my mind, thank you so much for sharing this. My sisters and I used to love holding concerts for our neighbours when we grew up (how they put up with my recorder playing I'll never know!).
DeleteHyvää Ystävänpäivää! Happy Friend's Day! My peaceful place is my aunt and uncle's old summer house next to a lake in Vihti, Finland. Greetings from Astoria, formerly known as the Helsinki of the West in the early 1900’s. Pirjo
ReplyDeleteI love that you call it friends day in Finland, I never knew this! Your peaceful place sounds simply wonderful, thank you for sharing this. Niki :)
DeleteYou and family have created a blissful space for spending time together. Hope you have a lovely break.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Pamela :)
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