Our home in Malmö feels more transient. It’s wonderfully close to the sea and the city, and perfectly suited to our little family right now. But I can imagine that one day we might move — perhaps to an old cottage by the coast, or even abroad. Our summer cottage, though, will always be our true forever home. Inherited from Per’s grandfather, it’s a place we hope our children will one day love and share with their own families.
I could also imagine this extraordinary 17th-century Grade II listed Cotswold house being someone's forever home. Set high above the rolling hills of the Five Valleys, with architecture spanning the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, it offers atmospheric, character-filled living spaces that feel both magical and relaxed. It’s the kind of home where you can kick off your wellies, light the fire, and enjoy a proper cup of tea — surrounded by dog hair, children racing through rooms, and the quiet comfort of lived-in beauty.
That’s why it’s hard to believe it’s for sale, especially when so much thought has gone into the kitchen, art, antiques and colour choices, all coming together in a laid-back, creative and deeply personal way. But perhaps that’s also the opportunity. Could this be your next forever home? If Thursdays aren't for a little dreaming, what are they for? Let's take the tour!
Anita's cosy little home in the Cotswolds (before and after)
An idyllic red and white Swedish farmhouse
Five Danish country homes to love
I think I've shared before that I have a fantasy of living in an English cottage, so this is right up my alley! I'd have to have enough money to afford a housekeeper if I lived in a home this large, but it's fun to dream about. The wooden beams and multiple fireplaces are so cozy! The large grounds are part of the appeal. Imagine tromping around during the different seasons. Bliss.
ReplyDeleteOur starter home is likely our "finisher home". We purchased it for practical reasons and it isn't my dream house, but I've tried to make it a warm and inviting place to be. The years of memories that we have acquired are part of the charm of living here. I'm grateful we have a warm and pleasant place to call home. Many people aren't so fortunate.
Niki, just curious--I've always had dressers and chest-of-drawers--do you have drawers in your closet areas to store the smaller items (like socks?)?
I completely agree, we are indeed so lucky! Your home sounds truly lovely.
DeleteIn my childhood home, we just had the ches-of-drawers and the socks would be in the top drawer. These days I am lucky enough to have a nice big wardrobe and some drawers within it that store my socks. In fact, you can see it here: https://www.myscandinavianhome.com/2022/04/makeover-creating-my-dream-wardrobe.html
I just have to second everyone of Kris' thoughts and yours😊
ReplyDeleteTo maintain a large home requires a steady stream of income even with DIY skills. We are grateful for the house we have, and go about trying to make it 'home'. And yes, the dream of a cottage/cabin persists.
However, there's so much to learn from the architecture of such homes, as you have mentioned. Intelligent placement of French/double doors, windows( in the bathroom!), open shelving and fireplaces that make it feel special. The grounds and the beautiful view from each window are bliss indeed!
We have baskets for socks, still there's substantial fishing and at times unpaired socks on the feet. I guess we have been dreaming of England😊
If Tuesdays and Fridays work better, spaced out more, its just fine with me. See you all Tuesday!
I agree, anyone who lives in an old property tells me it requires constant maintenance - and actually I see that with my mother-in-laws summer cottage which is almost 100 years old.
DeleteI am ashamed to confess that we gave up a long time ago with pairing socks. These days all four of us have the same sized feet (give or take) so we have one drawer for lose white socks and one drawer for lose black socks and its a free-for-all to find a pair in the morning. It works for us!!! Even if I would love to be a little more organised.
While on the subject of socks, a friend once told me that his Father got so mad one day that he went out and bought 100 pairs of identical black socks all in one size just so that they wouldn't have the conundrum of pairing them / odd socks!
For me, window curtains are an absolute must. Nothing against the Dutch (I am sure they are lovely people) but I cannot imagine living with windows sans curtains. It might not be so bad in summer, when it's warm outside and we don't turn on lights until late in the evening but in winter I cannot stand how windows become 'black holes' after dark (with howling winds and swirling snow outside). I am lucky that my house is on a slightly elevated terrain and so passers-by cannot really see much of my interior but our dwellings really loose a lot of heat via windows (no matter that they are double glazed). I have a huge monster window in my living room and not only I pull down the honeycomb blinds after sunset I also close the curtains (that I made from a heavier fabric). The room immediately seems warmer. All my windows have curtains and/or honeycomb blinds or mini blinds. Even my kitchen (which also has a fairly large window) has honeycomb blinds that are pulled down every night in winter time (in spite of the fact that the kitchen faces a decent-sized yard and nobody can see in). I really appreciate the comfort of curtains when it is -27 C!
ReplyDeleteThis is so interesting to read, as I am the absolute opposite! To me, having blinds or curtains closed makes the room/house feel so closed in and claustrofobic. This feeling is the same whether I am in my own home in the city centre, with some lights from the street and neighbours, in my parents home a bit more rural, with a few neighbours but nobody who can see in and lots of space around, or in my cabin in the mountains with no other lights around, only snow and wind, and the occasional wild fox.
DeleteSuch an interesting thread. In the UK, everyone LOVES their curtains - firstly because many homes are not very well insulated, but also for privacy. In Sweden, people love to have their windows clear so they can let in as much light as possible - instead, after dark, they will put a lamp in the window. You can actually see right into most homes after dark but people try to be good at not looking in. The windows tend to be triple or quadruple glazed, but also, if the sun doesn't really ever come up int he darkest depth of winter, I wonder if people here would just feel way too 'closed in' if they were to have the curtains shut? Of course, in the bedroom it's a different matter - with black-out blinds a go-go!
DeleteThis is a beautiful house - I love it!
ReplyDeleteHappy you enjoyed this tour too!
DeleteI love the fireplaces in all the rooms but I pictured big cozy wingback chairs and beautiful area rugs, more books etc. It seemed a bit thrown together to me, gloomy and cold. I do love the dining room though.
ReplyDeleteYes, fair point, this is definitely not your traditional English country home.
DeleteI enjoyed visiting the cozy Cotswold home. My favorite features were the rounded corners on some of the doors and the kitchen/dining areas....the larder was pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteOur starter home will also be our forever home....very small even though we have added on over the years, but it is filled with memories and dents from raising our sons here!! It is also filled with old family pieces that spell home to me. With windchills, the temperatures are -45 F here today so a smaller home does not seem that bad at all! We were fortunate to acquire a "second home" through my parent's estate that is a small farm and 1918 farmhouse just five miles from where we actually live. In our retirement years we are slowly getting things fixed up there.......redoing the floors on the main level to happen very soon!! Our family meets there and my sons and their children stay on weekends as time allows. There is a pond for fishing and pines for clipping at Christmas time. Even though I don't live there now, my grandparents and parents did along with me from age 16 forward. In a sense it is my forever home. I cherish it. : > )
Wow, it sounds like you have two, truly lovely homes - the farm sounds like a great meeting place for the family (I loved conjuring up pictures in my mind). I really love how it has been passed down and enjoyed by each generation.
DeleteI like this. It has character. I like the use of colour on the walls. I like the light fittings. It's simple and relaxed, but interesting.
ReplyDeleteHappy you liked this one Jane :)
DeleteWow! The house looks so beautiful. I really want to buy it.
ReplyDeleteSuch a dreamy Cotswolds home — cozy, beautiful, and full of character! Makes me want a peaceful countryside getaway right now.
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