The Fabulous Home Of a Finn Living in England

Ready for an extra special Friday home tour? Finn Susanna Hawkins lives in Bath, UK with her husband, two children, cocker spaniel Laila and 'grumpy grey cat' Ebba! You might recognise her home - Susanna has amassed an amazing 745,000 followers on instagram -  where she shares snapshots and films of her effortless everyday fashion, decor and beauty tips - with her Bath home as a backdrop. I've been ogling her magnificent glass kitchen cabinet for a while now (could I fit something like this in my own kitchen?) but am equally excited to discover the rest of her home, there's so much to feel inspired by! 

Architecturally, keep a look out for clever use of skylights and internal windows which help to bounce the light around the open-plan living space, as well as a wonderful  juxtaposition of old and new.  And then there's the decor, which Susanna describes as 'Nordic style, or heavily influenced by it at least....although I'm not a minimalist, I like pretty, curated clutter too much!' 

Tervetuloa (as they say in Finland)...

What a fantastic house! 

A little birdie tells me that they are currently on the hunt for an English country house - a wreck to fix up (Susanna's words!). Does this mean that this house could one day be on the market? Form an orderly queue please! 

You can see more of Susanna's home over at @shnordic and follow their new country house journey at @countryhouseclub. 

It's the Ascension Day holiday here in Sweden and my family and I are up at our little cabin making the most sunshine - so it's just a quick post from me today! 

Thank you so much for stopping by and for your comments and emails, I really enjoy reading them. I hope you have a fabulous weekend, see you Monday! 

Niki

Photography: Susanna Hawkins shared with kind permission.

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Hanna's Cosy Finnish Country Home in the Snow At Christmas

Hello friends! how are you? Keeping warm I hope? Here in southern Sweden it's minus 7 degrees Celsius (19 Fahrenheit). As long as I'm wrapped up, I love it as it's a very dry cold and everything is white - like a true winter wonderland! A lot of Northern Europe is now blanketed in snow, so we're all hoping for a white Christmas! Do you have snow where you are too? In Finland, Hanna and her husband Tomas, and children Frans, Hilda and Eedvin are cosying up in their charming rustic cottage in rural Finland. 

You'll likely recognise their home as I featured it last year - and it's so unique and memorable! This morning I popped over to Hanna's instagram as I was intrigued to see how the family have decorated their home for Christmas - and of course, it looks as cosy as can be! Here are a few pictures showing touches of red, a rustic tree, homemade paper flowers and sofas draped in sheepskin. A perfect place to curl up and spend 'Joulo' (Christmas).

Hanna loves making paper snow angels and flowers to hang on the tree and in the window. 

Find DIY tutorials for how to make Christmas snow angels here and paper flowers and stars here. 

I love the rustic tree, it's so pretty, don't you think? Did you see my Scandinavian Christmas tree round-up on Friday? There are some lovely rustic ones in there too! 

How lovely! I can just imagine coming in from the snow and cosying up there with the fires roaring, how about you? 

See more of Hanna's Finnish home here. 

If you like to make things at Christmas and are on the look out for more DIY ideas this week, here are some my favourites: 

How to make star tree decorations with loo roll cartridges

5 Christmas craft ideas to make alone or with the children!

3 Christmas decorations you can make with wallpaper

16 DIY Christmas decorations made from nature!

Have a great start to the week, stay toasty! 

Niki

Photography: Hanna / @punainen.pihlaja shared with kind permission

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A White Summer Cottage in Finland that Oozes the Simple Life

This morning I'm prepping for my panel discussion about 'maximalism' at Formland design fair in Denmark tomorrow. So, I thought - why not go all out with a minimalist tour on the blog today (I can't help it, it's the rebellious streak in me!). Tarja, her husband and two boys spend their summers at this lovely summer cottage in Finland - and everything about it oozes the simple life. The wood panel walls, ceilings, beams and floor are a sea of white while furniture has been kept to a fairly spartan selection of vintage pieces - all of which emit warmth and nostalgia, giving it the space a cosy touch. 

I can just imagine the family leaving the hectic city behind and heading here to switch off for the weekend / holidays. No distractions, no schedule to keep, no mess - just an easy life flitting between the calm interior and the great outdoors! 

See more of Tarja's city house and country home over at @villavalkea. 

What type of vibe did you get from this cottage? I'm curious to hear! 

It's been while since I featured a Finnish home, why not stay a while and take a look at a few more: 

Step inside Maiju's delightful home in Vaasa

A beautifully simply island hideaway

Kati's charming 19th century log house

Stor kram! 

Niki

PS I'll share a post on the 2022 trend: 'Newstalgia' or new maximalism soon! It's an exciting development I the world of interiors, with something for everyone. 

Photography: @villavalkea

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A Serene Helsinki Apartment by the Forest and Sea

This morning I stumbled across the most beautiful instagram feed called @nordic_stories. Jenny's photos are like poetry - and give you a glimpse into her serene 1950s apartment in Helsinki - which she shares with her husband Joel (both architects) and the magical Finnish nature outside their door. Ready to fee the Nordic calm in all its raw, natural beauty? Tervetuloa! 

"I like to repair and give old things a new life. That's why most of our furniture is inherited or bought second hand. I also make small furniture, art and ceramics."

"We are both architects and fell in love with the 50s charm of the house. The old wooden floors, doors and very functional layout is something we both like a lot."

"The forest is just around the corner from our apartment, which I love."

So beautiful! 

Would you like to prolong your virtual journey in Finland today? See more corners of Jenny's home over at @nordic_stories and check out one these dreamy Finnish homes: 

Maiju's delightful home in Vaasa

Kati's charming 19th century log house in Finland

Ilkka's lovely rural retreat

It was almost impossible not to feel the calm from each and every one of these homes. I hope you're feeling a sense of serenity from today's post too! 

Stor kram! 

Niki

Photography @nordic_stories, shared with kind permission. 

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