Take a Tour of a Danish Family's Inviting Log Cabin

Oh, have I got a lovely Danish home to share with you today. Digital creator and communications consultant Marie Eigen lives in a charming 1930s log cabin with her husband Thomas (a dentist) and young family - Ludiv (3) and Ingrid (ten months). Located in Birkerød, North Zealand, the family moved in a little over a year ago and have been busy renovating it to reflect their personal style. I caught up with Marie to find out more. Keep a look out for the family's furry friend Molly!

Tell us a little more about your lovely house? 

We live in a log house dating back to the 1930s. We totally fell in love it with the first time we saw it, even though we were looking for something completely different. It's measures around 104 m2 (1120 f2) and has three bedrooms. 

It's all about the details - and I love this Mabel Terrazzo stool from Small revolution - an independent Danish company that specialises in pieces made from 100% recycled PE-Plastic.  

How would you describe the way you have furnished your home?

Our home is a mix of old and new, vintage finds and contemporary pieces. 

If you're looking for storage inspiration, Marie's home is on the money! Look closely and you'll spot shelving from Elfa (in the corner of the dining room) and Skagerak (in the living room), a bespoke bookshelf as well as vintage chest-of-drawers and wardrobes in the bedrooms. 

How do you select furniture for your home? 

When I decorate, I choose things that somehow speak to me and I often find older pieces which I like to make my own with a lick of paint. I don't follow a particular style or trend, and that to me, is how you make a home that is truly your own. 

How would you describe your style?

I think my style is somewhat calm, feminine and fairly minimalistic - and I hope our home seems warm and embraces that special vibe of 'hygge'.

In Ludvig's bedroom, Marie has combined a Sebra bed in forest lake blue with a cute pineapple Ferm Living rug. The lift crane was sourced from Hape toys. Cute Melville wallpaper from Cole & Son adorns the back wall. 

What is the most important thing to you when it comes to decorating?

We live with small children and it's very important to us that our home reflects that. 

Ingrid's nursery has been decorated using Klöveräng wallpaper from Sandberg and furnished with a wooden edition Sebra cot. A Collage Collection 04 print by Emile Luna can be seen on the wall. 

Well, I think Marie has achieved everything she set out to do with her home and MORE, don't you?! It has the most wonderful feel and I love all the details. 

Would you like to see an example of how Marie updates her furniture? Check out this vintage wall mounted cabinet:

A flea market find, Marie first painted the cabinet in a salmon pink (paint code: S 3040-Y90R) and then later updated it with a pastel blue shade (there's no code available, since she mixed the paint herself). 

Such a great, sustainable way to update furniture if you find yourself growing a little of tired of it!  I'm going to be looking at the pieces in my home with new eyes today! Is there anything in your home that could use a make-over? 

Oh, and how many times did you spot their darling little Molly?! 

See more of Marie's beautiful home on her instagram @marieigen. 

Fancy taking a peek inside a few more Danish homes today? It would almost be rude not to, now we're on a roll!

I love this Danish cabin by the sea, a tiny Danish cabin on the beach and a photographer's inviting home on the island of Bornholm. 

Happy 'lille lørdag' friends (which translates to 'little Saturday' - giving the Danes the perfect excuse to hit the bars for a mid-week refresher - while social distancing of course!).

Niki

Photography: Marie Eigen

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A Beautifully Simple White Danish Summer Cabin

When you stand on the Malmö shore you can see the sun setting over the Copenhagen skyline in the distance  - it's the most beautiful sight! Sadly, it's looking like we won't be able to visit to our Danish friends this summer, so I'll be getting my fix from pictures of their beautiful homes instead. I hope you'll join me! Today, I'm taking us on a virtual tour to Line Stampe Dahl's simple, yet charming summer house in Sjællands Odde, North East Zealand (approximately 1 hr 45 minute's drive from Copenhagen). It's an area that comes to life in the summer months, when Danes flock to the cape to enjoy the magnificent nature and white sandy beaches. Line, a landscape architect and keen knitter, and her family love to escape city life at the weekends and in the holidays, to enjoy a more simple life. Their whitewashed cabin is sparsely furnished giving it a wonderful, light and airy feel, and allowing nature to take centre stage!  

It's no secret that the weather in Scandinavia in the summer can be a little, shall we say, unpredictable - but nothing that a wood burning stove can't fix. The fire adds instant hygge too! 

Simple wood furniture and a Beni ourain rug (source a similar one from Kanyamakan*) are perfect for adding a touch of warmth to the white open-plan living space.

One of those slow frosty mornings when you bring the duvet with you and chill in the early sun.

I love it when a ceiling has been knocked through to reveal beams - it makes a room feel instantly more spacious (rem ember this Danish coastal home?). The panoramic window is fabulous for letting in great bites of nature. 

When you have windows like this, it's perfectly acceptable to wear a sun hat and sunglasses indoors!

The iconic Le Klint scissor lamp* - what a beauty! 

Bunking up. I've  realised over the years, that my children love to live in close quarters, the smaller the space, the cosier they think it is. They'd be so happy to arrive at Line's cottage and discover we were sharing a room!

What a lovely way to spend the summer holidays! It doesn't need to be more complicated than this, do you agree?!

Line sometimes rents her wonderful cabin out (for future reference!). If you're interested, keep an eye out on her inspiring instagram feed for info! 

And if you love knitwear, check out Line's latest pieces here (she's currently working on a home page). 

As always, I can't resist sharing a few other idyllic danish summer cottages for you to dream over today: 

A Danish cottage oasis on North Zealand

Two idyllic Danish cottages to rent

A charming cottage on the Danish island of Fejø

Oh, how I'll miss Denmark this summer! Here's hoping they might open the borders soon! 

Wishing you a dreamy Wednesday friends! 

Niki

Photography Line Stampe Dahl

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A Relaxed Swedish Island Summer Cabin on The Water's Edge

Per and I both grew up with sailing, and as you know, we usually spend our summers sailing the Swedish, Danish, Norwegian (and sometimes North German) coastline. I readily admit, Per's more into the technical (some might say important) stuff like trimming the sails, navigation etc. While I'm more of a G+T, fair-weather type of sailor who's forever asking to sail closer to the shore so we can take a look at the waterside cottages!! In my mind, the prettiest coastal homes of all can be found out on the islands. What I love most about them is that despite their prime location, they often still possess a wonderful, understated feel.

Just with all Scandinavian summer houses, the focus is on being outdoors - and the interior should never distract from the beautiful surroundings. This wonderful cabin, nestled on the water's edge on a tiny island called Jutholmen in the Stockholm archipelago, is a fine example of this! 

Formerly a workshop, the cabin has been transformed into a year-round holiday home with a relaxed industrial meets boathouse vibe. In fine weather, the family can head outdoors and relax on a large terrace overlooking the water. 

Bamboo furniture from Tine K Home and iconic Swedish Grytthyttan outdoor dining furniture help to add a natural, laidback feeling to the outdoor terrace without taking away from the stunning scenery! 

The island is accessed by boat - and once settled, a small speedboat is used to head to the nearby island of Dalarö which has many restaurants, shops and cafes. People often use their boats to head to smaller uninhabited islands to enjoy picnics and swim.

In Sweden 'allemansrätten' gives you the 'right to roam' anywhere in the countryside as long as you don't disturb or destroy it, enabling everyone to experience nature and enjoy the beautiful Swedish lifestyle. That's one very large playground!

I love this fairly basic outdoor kitchen. Why miss a moment of sunshine to wash-up and cook when you can do it outside! 

The interior has a relaxed, industrial vibe. Mainly black and white, touches of wood help to bring a warm feel to the space. 

Wood panelling, vintage ship lights* and vintage school biology print* help to draw attention to the coastal location, adding a subtle 'sjöbo' (boat house) vibe. 

I spy vintage gym equipment - always a winner in my eyes, and not a bad spot for a round of boxing either! FYI Etsy is a great source for vintage gym equipment*! 

Bunking up! Simple sleeping quarters lime this or a common site in Swedish summer cottages and are ideal for family and guests to catch some shut eye before another day outdoors soaking up the sun (or rain!!!). 

The Swedish summer can be chilly at times. I'm not kidding when I say last summer we witnessed water temperatures of 9.5 Celsius (49 Fahrenheit) and driving rain on the east coast. A sauna is ideal (some might say mandatory) for thawing out after a day on the frigid waters - and taking a dip in the sea. When visiting it's unlikely you'll have a private 'bastu' (sauna) like this one, but many islands have public saunas you can book (one of my favourites is on the island of Tjärö - which I featured in this post). 

What a stunning oasis! 

This rare gem of a property was actually on the market a few weeks ago but, as you can imagine was quickly snapped up - more details here.

Probably the most ridiculous question I've asked all week (although you never know!) - but could you imagine spending your summers here?! 

I'll be thinking about this beautiful cabin when we take to the water this summer - maybe I'll discover come other hidden gems (from a distance!) - if so, I'll be sure to let you know! 

If you have more time today / over the weekend - take a peek at: 

A photographer's charming cabin in the woods

An idyllic summer cottage that dreams are made of

A charming and relaxed summer cabin by the sea

All so dreamy - do you have a favourite? 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend friends, see you Monday! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Sjönära with thanks

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A Beautiful Danish Cabin By The Sea Becomes a Lockdown Haven

I'm so happy you enjoyed the Swedish summer cottage yesterday - someone on facebook even said they were keen to buy it, how fun would that be? We could all go to stay! Since the sun is still shining in Scandinavia I thought I'd stick with the summer cottage theme, and transport you to a wonderful, earthy cabin in Smidstrup, a small fishing village near Gilleleje (which I've had the pleasure of visiting many times by boat), just North of Copenhagen. The cabin belongs to Simone Polk Dahl, who's beautiful, golden Copenhagen apartment I featured not long ago. In the summer months, Simone and her family swap city life for this lovely oasis. I caught up with the artist and interior stylist to find out more about how it has become her haven during lockdown, where she sources her vintage furniture and what it's been like to swap life on the 5th floor for a small cabin by the sea. 

When did you buy the house?

We bought the house four years ago.

Have you carried out any renovation work?

We have not done that much with it besides building a terrace and painting over the hemp wallpaper and the 80s lookalike wood ceilings. 

Where do you find most of your furniture? 

The majority of our furniture comes from the local flea markets up here. You can find some real treasures! 

Do you look out for specific pieces?

Since it's a house from the sixties, I try to find pieces from the same period. Examples include our coffee table and the lounge chair by Bernt Pedersen which I picked up for 300 DKK (around €40) at a thrift store. The sofa is an old one which brought up here from our apartment - and is also a sixties piece by Erik Jøgensen.  

How often do you visit your cabin?

We spend most weekends here and have staying here for the past five weeks during the Corona lockdown. We have really appreciated having a garden to relax in and the sea close by for a calm, cold dip.  

It sounds like the perfect haven! Has your life changed during this period?

I was so happy living in a small space up here, that I really considered selling our apartment and moving to this little house permanently. When you live on the 5th floor, it's feels like paradise to be able to open the door and be outside. I have found myself getting quite nerdy about the garden too. I have a nightly check on all the flowers and trees to see if they've grown during the special spring season. I also learned to run up here and did so every second day without exception. Now it's back to the 5th floor only having a ton of stairs as my daily exercise!! 

Thank you for sharing more about your life at this wonderful little house Simone! It's absolutely beautiful! 

***

Did you see the wall unit with all the shells? When I hold talks (or write books) about Scandinavian design I often refer to the way Scandinavians take a beautifully subtle approach to bringing the outside in. For example, when you live by the sea it can be tempting to go all out and add sea themed elements to your home such as fabrics with anchor or boat themes, 'gone fishing' signs etc, when actually all that's needed (in my mind at least) is shells or pebbles picked up during a stroll along the beach, a piece of driftwood on a table top or wildflowers plucked from the roadside. 

Some great examples can also be found in this feature: 15 Coastal Living Ideas To Steal From A Breath-taking Danish Home. 

Is there anything that stood out to you?

In case you missed it, you can take a peek inside Simone's beautiful Copenhagen apartment here. And find more inspiration on her fab instagram feed @polkenstudio. 

Have a lovely day, 

Niki

My thoughts are with what's happening in America right now.  My Instagram will be blank today as part of #blackouttuesday in support of justice for people of colour and against racism. 

Photography courtesy of Simone Polk Dahl - shared with kind permission. 

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