Step Inside The 'Whale Song Shack' With A Dreamy Ocean View

The routine has started - which feels a little like work - home - work - home - work - home, interspersed with crazy early mornings where the kids can't find their gym kit / homework / bike keys - aaaagh! This could explain the copious amounts of getaways I've been sharing from the Southern Hemisphere lately. I mean, who wouldn't rather be reading a book in a cabin overlooking the sea right now?! And this one in Tasmania had me at the name: Whale Song Shack. Originally built by a local fisherman, the cabin has been transformed into a breath-taking holiday home where you can watch whales migrate, gannets dive and fish and fishing boats haul their catch from the window.  Inside, the whitewashed interior is deliberately pared back - with wood details and vintage finds adding plenty of warmth - or when the temperatures really dip, there's a wonderful stone fireplace! Ready to dream? 

 

Meet you there?

I've been contemplating writing another book lately - could you imagine what an incredible writer's retreat this would make? Gaaah! Amazing! For now, of course, it's all about staying put, but a girl can dream, right?! I hope this cabin has you dreaming today too - and given you a spark of mid-week inspiration for your own home!

See more photos and find more information about the wonderful Whale Song Shack (love their instagram too!). 

 Here are a few other cabins I dream about daily: 

The Soot House - log cabin inspired by the rugged landscape

Cosy weekend escape: Warner's Camp

Charming lakeside cabin

The Shack on Bruny Island

And nearer home, my friends' cabin: 

Our weekend in a cabin in the calm of the forest

Have a happy Wednesday! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Whale Song Shack including photographs by Marnie Hawson and Kate T.

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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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