Lisa's Swedish Family Home with Soothing Green

Hello friends, how are you this fine Friday? I have lived in Sweden for over twenty years, and I still find it hard to grasp just how long this country is. Today, I'm excited to share Lisa's home in Piteå in the far North - some 1450 kilometres (900 miles) away from Malmö in the South. 

Lisa lives with her live-in partner Erik and their two children Seth and Sonja. Their lovely home has a soothing green theme throughout, which has been complimented with touches of beige and cream as well as plenty of different types of wood. 

Look closely and you'll also spot stainless steel shelving (a very on-trend material right now), William Morris wallpaper, old doors repurposed as a headboard and other wonderful touches! 

Välkommen inside Lisa's lovely home! 

Such a lovely home. I really love the tones - I find green so soothing, do you? 

Did you also enjoy the tour? 

See more of Lisa's home over at @tjugondehusknuten. 

Would you like to see a few more homes with a touch of green this weekend? Here are a few to love: 

Emelie's serene Swedish home with notes of green

The incredible earthy green home of an interior designer

Green and pink accents in a beautiful Swedish family home

That's it from me this week, I hope you've felt inspired. 

Have a fabulous weekend and see you Monday!

Niki

Photography by @tjugondehusknuten, shared with kind permission

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Before & After: A Dated Danish Home Gets a Fresh and Vibrant Makeover

Often when you look at pictures of interiors the design looks so effortless, almost as if someone has waved a magic wand and everything has just fallen into place. Anyone who has carried out a makeover by hand will know this is far from the truth (the sheer labour of love that went into our cottage bedroom this winter remains etched in my mind!). Halfway through you might wonder why on earth you've taken the project on, and the result might not always be perfect (speaking for myself here!) but the connection you feel with your home afterwards makes the work feel completely worthwhile!

Artist Katrine Brandt and her husband bought an early 20th century brick house (known simply as No.14) in Skanderborg, near Aarhus Denmark six years ago and have taken on the task of updating it by hand. Starting many of the rooms again from scratch, the pair have been busy installing a kitchen, transforming a laundry room into a light-filled workspace and giving the bathrooms a fresh update. The rooms have been mainly furnished with second-hand finds and many of Katrine's own artwork can be seen on the wall. Here are some before and after pictures so you can witness the renovation first hand! 

Kitchen - before

The IKEA kitchen was in need of a fresh update. Katrine installed new units in blue (a theme you'll see throughout the house) and sanded down the wood floor in order to remove the varnish which had turned yellow with time. The ceiling has also been plastered and painted - with spotlights added. 

Kitchen - after

Sitting room - shelving before

In my experience, Danes love to create wall-to-wall bookshelves around a doorway - which is a great way to create space for plenty of books! Katrine and her husband built these shelves and cupboards by hand. You can find more details - including step-by-step pictures and measurements in this instagram post. 

Sitting room shelving - after

The result is simply beautiful! It's also provided plenty of coveted open and closed storage. Note the ceiling lamp from one of my favourite Danish brands - Le Klint! 

The walls have been painted in Jotun 'Gullhår' and the curtains are simple ones from IKEA. The chair was found in a friend's loft and given a new lease of life with a set of new cushions. 

A 'kakelugn' (tiled masonry oven) is in full working order and perfect for colder days! 

The art on the wall is by Katrine and can be purchased via her online shop Made By Brandt. Note how the shelves have been painted the same colour as the wall for a smart, seamless affect. 

Utility room - before 

I know a thing about making over laundry rooms - except this one is different. Recognising the beauty of the room and how much natural light it has, Katrine and her husband decided to transform the space into a light-filled workspace.

Utility room - after

A simple, DIY make-over, the pipes are still in place under the desk and a built-in desk has been added over the top. Dark red drawers and a blue chair add a touch of colour to the space. 

Downstairs toilet - before

Bathroom make-overs can be eye-wateringly expensive and tiling etc requires a lot of skill. But sometimes a simple refresh is all that's needed (just as we did with our downstairs loo) - a lick of bathroom-friendly paint, a new cabinet and sink and a shelf was just what this 'powder room' needed, and no doubt saved gazillions of Danish Crowns in the process! 

Downstairs toilet - after

I love the mood lamp in the corner. If you look closely, you'll spot various forms of ambient lighting throughout the entire home - all of which help to create the cosy 'hyggelig' feel the Danes are so good at. 

Bathroom - before 

The bathroom featured a separate bath and shower before being reconfigured. Opting for just a shower has made it so much more spacious and touches of blue (code S 1515-R90B) ensure the room remains in keeping with the look and feel of the rest of the house. 

Bathroom - after

Such a lovely transformation - I love the subtle pastel shades throughout, adding a hint of colour and interest without feeling overbearing. There are also some lovely details throughout - including lamps, ceramics and art. 

The house is still very much a work in progress. If you'd like to follow their decorating journey, check out @nr.14a. 

Is there anything that stood out to you about Katrine's home? 

If you love a before and after as much as I do, check out:

Makeover: a dark house becomes and fresh and bright home

A Copenhagen home is transformed into a fresh family home

A dated house becomes a vibrant summer cottage

Stor kram! 

Niki

Photography by Katrine Brandt, shared with kind permission. 

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A Charming Summer House on the Swedish Island of Gotland

Tjena! Summer in Scandinavia is still in full swing. You may have noticed from my posts lately that it's a time everyone takes super seriously - if you haven't got your out of office on, are you even Scandinavian? With this in mind, I hope you don't mind that I share one more summer cabin today. I know many of you are here to feel inspired by urban spaces too, so I promise to dig around and find something beautiful for you in the city for Wednesday. But this one, I couldn't resist! 

A barn-style property, this charming house on the summer paradise of Gotland was built in 1970 but has the appearance of a traditional Swedish house with its red walls and yellow window frames. The deck is a natural extension of the house, providing plenty of space to relax, hang out and dine in the sunshine, while a large open-plan living space ensures everyone can be together, yet still do as they wish. Large rooms like this can be difficult to furnish, but I think the owners have done a great job - carving out a spacious dining area and a cosy sitting room / TV corner in one. 

Upstairs, angled ceilings and beams create interest and an airy feel. I picked out one bedroom in particular that caught my eye thanks to the pretty botanical-themed wallpaper which draws nature indoors. 

I hope you feel inspired by the tour! 

Such a summer paradise, don't you think?  

One of the things I remember most from visiting Gotland was how wildflowers lined the roadside. Evidence of these can be found dotted around the rooms, and even the table outside! 

Do you have a garden or meadows nearby which are full of flowers that you can bring in at this time of year? I'm working on it in our summer cottage garden but it's going to take time - as a gardening rookie I had no idea how complicated it can be - but I'm enjoying the challenge! 

Is there anything that stood out to you about this lovely summer house? 

Check out more cottages on Gotland here and my guide to the island here. 

Have a great start to the week friends! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Svensk Fastighetsförmedling with thanks. 

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A Swedish Summerhouse in the West Coast Archipelago

Hej friends! The sun is shining, and the Scandinavian summer is in full swing. I have been swept up in the relaxed vibe and now that my children are finally free, we have arrived for a few days in the Swedish high coast - to explore and soak up the scenery of the breath-taking archipelagos. With this in mind, I will be taking some time out from My Scandinavian Home and will be back here again on Monday 22nd July. 

But I'd never leave you high and dry without some inspiration - so here are a couple of snapshots from a stunning summer house in Smögen, on Sweden's West Coast complete with its own jetty - after all, Mondays are made for dreaming, right? 

So beautiful! 

The more I explore of Sweden, the more beauty I find - and with its immense coastline and thousands of lakes, waterfront cottages are forever present! 

I have a dream to live overlooking the water - maybe one day this will come true, but for now I will admire from a far! Do you share the same dream? Or perhaps there are other vistas you long for? 

Wishing you all a wonderful week - see you next Monday!

Niki

Photography courtesy of Fastighetsbyrå, shared with thanks

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