A Playful One Room Swedish Apartment With a Golden Glow

Looks like we made it (in the words of Barry Manilow), it's Friday! I'm not going to lie; it's been one of those weeks where I've been chasing my tail and never quite able to catch up. But I still wanted to stop by and share this happy, golden glow of a home. 

Located in Stockholm, it's 40 sqm (430 ft.sq) so somewhat larger than the small space I showed on Wednesday - but still consists of a one room living room space plus kitchen. I felt it therefore presented another fine way to arrange a room designed for living and sleeping (love the way a canopy is used to shield off the bed and create a cosy, safe nook for some shut eye). If you're struggling with storage, keep an eye out for the units in the hallway (which I believe are IKEA) and the drawers under the bed. Closed storage has been used in other areas too and help to keep the home clutter free. 

But there is also more at play here - whoever lives here is into their funky details and takes pride in sourcing one off playful pieces that all come together to create a beautiful and unique home. 

I got such a lovely vibe from this home, did you? It's so full of warmth and personality. 

When I looked back through the pictures a second time, I couldn't help but notice the wall art which included textiles and paintings. Not only that, but the way a picture has been hung over the door to the sitting room - a unique spot, but it works! That and the mix of textures used throughout which add to the playful feel. 

I'd love to hear about what you noticed about this home - and any thoughts you had while looking through the pictures. 

As mentioned above, sadly I'm in a bit of a rush today - but I look forward to reading and responding to your comments over the weekend - maybe over a nice big glass of wine! 

I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing weekend! 

Niki

Photography by Mia Borgelin, styling by Anna van Keppel, courtesy of Historiska Hem with thanks. 

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A Small Stockholm Home with Room for Everything

Just because you live small, doesn't mean you can't have it all. With a little planning and clever thinking, you can organise a living space to cater for all your needs - including have a place to eat, sleep, chill and socialise! In this 26 metres square / 279 ft sq apartment in Stockholm, the owners have capitalised on ceiling height to create their own two-floor apartment - or put more simply, a loft bed! 

The raised solution helps to separate the living and sleep quarters and creates a cosy nook beneath in which to catch up with friends, unwind or scroll through Netflix (have you seen The Perfect Couple with Nicole Kidman? Per and I whipped our way through it in two days, it's such a great series!).  

While we can't all benefit from towering ceilings, it's great to think about how you can carve out zones in your own home - even if it means a subtle transformation of an area from day to night. And also, how to ensure space for everything without it becoming too cluttered. Here, raised bookshelves and the use of a curtains to cover the wardrobe ensures a calm feel without compromising on your belongings! 

Ready to dive in to discover more+ 

The outdoor space almost doubles the living area in summertime - the owner has once again made maximum use of it, carving it up into a little dining spot and sitting room area. 

A lovely little home, don't you think? 

Is there anything you spotted or felt particularly inspired by? 

Would you like to feel inspired by other small homes today? Why not have a scroll through the small spaces archive? This home could pop up first - if so, just hop over. You might also love this Swedish cabin in the wood on wheels and the world's smallest luxury home. 

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments these past few days, it has been so heartwarming! I wish I was more technical so I could find out how to make it easier to comment under a name (I've noticed not everyone is able to) - but alas, I have no idea how! Even so, I love reading each and every one of your comments, they add so much to each post! 

Happy Wednesday!

Niki

Photography courtesy of Historiska Hem, found via Nordroom with thanks. 

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A Dreamy Swedish Summer Cottage By a River

Are you on Facebook? I still post on the My Scandinavian Home page three times a week, but I also still love a little scroll through my private feed for latest news! While it used to be more about people posting about their lives, these days it's more about missing cat alerts on community neighbourhood pages, am I right? But some of the groups I've joined come up trumps - one of which is a Swedish page called Torp och stugor, köp, sälj, hyr (crofts and cabins, buy, sell, rent). 

This weekend someone posted that they are selling their 'summer cottage 40 minutes from Örebro and 2.5 hours from Stockholm' which they describe as a 'real summer paradise with two bedrooms, a big guest cabin, fireplace, terrace and a pier at the end of the garden with access to a lake and much more'. And was 'anyone interested in buying it?'. Erm, me? Sadly it's a little too far away from Malmö, but I thought it'd be rude not to pass the message on in case you might like to take up the offer. Ready to dream?

Note the door frames and skirting boards have been painted in another tone - just like we saw in Freja's  Danish home last Wednesday. In Freja's home the pea green shade was a starker contrast to the walls which gives a more contemporary vibe, whereas here, the tone blends nicely with the wall colour to create a more traditional and calm look. I also love that the window frames have been painted in the same tone. It reminds me of the paintwork in a beautiful rustic Norwegian cabin I once featured. 

The summer cottage is pretty much closed for business in the winter - as the water is on only in summertime. But when summer arrives, I can imagine it springs into action. In Sweden, it's common for people to go and visit friends and family at their cottage for a few days - it's a way of keeping in contact. 

My Swedish Father-in-law always says, 'guests are like fish, they start to smell after three days'. Always makes me laugh (naturally, we also make sure to not out stay our welcome when we visit him!). I guess it depends on the guest and how close you are, but three days or not, we can all agree that a little personal space is great for everyone! 

At this Swedish cottage, a separate cabin in the grounds has been converted into a wonderful guest bedroom complete with a bed and dining table so you can truly make yourself at home! 

And of course, they have a simple, yet lovely outdoor shower. 

Speaking of which, this weekend, we finally put up our outdoor shower (which was a press gift). It's a copper one with a really clever Danish design and simply plants into the grass so you can place it where ever you want. It has a tap and you can attach a warm and cold hose too! We LOVE it! If you're quick you might catch a glimpse of it on my instagram stories today. Right now, they have a special end of summer offer in case you're interested! 

I hope you enjoyed the tour of Julia's summer paradise! 

You can find more information here about the listing if you're interested. 

I noticed quite a few lovely details while looking through the pictures. One of my favourites is a painting of the cottage in the kitchen - I wonder if this was painted by one of the owners or perhaps as a present from one of their guests? 

I have a very romantic view of a cottage with its own pier - there's something about the direct access to water which I absolutely love. Perhaps it's the sense of freedom. 

Is there anything that stood out to you about this pretty Swedish summer cottage? If so, I'd love to hear more below, it's often a detail or observation I've missed. 

Have a wonderful start to the week!

Niki

Photography courtesy of Fastighetsbyrån with thanks. 

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The Fascinating Home of a Swedish Artist

Have you heard of the program 'Through the keyhole'? It's a TV show I used to watch growing up where they would take you on a tour of someone's home and you'd have to guess who lived there. I often think back to this and wonder - 'is my home personal and unique enough that there would be enough clues to who my family and I are?' I would hope so. 

When I stumbled across this home on Historiska Hem, it swept me up into the world of an artist and book lover - perhaps a thespian, or someone who loves amateur dramatics. I could imagine them pouring over tomes for inspiration, tinkering with a paintbrush while listening to jazz with a fire crackling away - and the distant buzz of Stockholm city life in the background. 

Whoever lives here also has a fine collection of furniture. From centuries old hand painted cabinets to mid-century chairs - the collection spans several hundred years and has been picked up from places all over the world, telling the story of a life well lived. Ready to pour over the details? Welcome inside a Swedish artist's world! 

A fascinating home! So many details to discover, and truly unique in a wonderful way! 

I'd love to hear what you discovered about this home - I'm sure I have missed many clues. 

Curious to see a few more artists homes today? 

A relaxed Danish artist cabin in Copenhagen

The charming creative home of a Polish artist

The home of an artist in Copenhagen

A Swedish artist's home in a former school

A danish artist's beautiful and inspiring home

The lovely Georgian home of a textile artist

A Danish artist's home with angles and oodles of charm

Wow, I got a little carried away there - and there are tons more in the archive if you simply search for 'artist'. I do love the home of a creative, always deeply personal and interesting. 

I hope you have a wonderful few days lined up ahead - we're heading up to our summer cottage for a couple of days to make the most of what is likely to be the final heatwave of the summer (considering setting my alarm at sunrise so I don't miss a second of it - need to have my batteries fully charged before the light starts to fade and autumn sets in! Do you sense my unease?). 

Thank you so much for stopping by and for sharing all your thoughts and observations in the comments, I am so happy to be a part of this positive, likeminded MSH community, it really means the world! 

Niki

Photography Therese Jahnson, Styling Anna Van Keppel for Historiska Hem

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