The Beautiful City Apartment of Photographer Anna Cor

Why, hello there! Today I'm taking you on a journey to Berlin and the lovely unique home of photographer Anna Cor which she shares with her husband and three children. The open-plan living space  combines a kitchen, dining area and sitting room in one - providing an L-shaped extended room where the entire family can hang out. 

Anna's favourite spot is the kitchen where she spends most of her time (especially with hungry teenagers around!). It's an area that stands out from 'the crowd' with it's wooded cabinets and island - a cool and quirky contrast to the soothing palette used throughout the remainder of the home. Ready to take a tour? Laura and Nora of Our Food Stories fame were there to capture these images: 

Beautiful! 

I especially love all the different light fixtures which include a Lampe Gras (kitchen), Valerie Objects No2 (dining area) and Le Klint sax (bedroom). 

The balcony is also a perfect oasis in the heart of the city - loving the tropical vibe! 

Is there anything that stood out to you about Anna's lovely apartment?

Read the full interview and see more pictures over at Our Food Stories. 

Don't miss Laura and Nora's own living spaces and studios past and present which include their beautiful city flat and country retreat, dreamy swedish country house which they sold recently and was coincidentally bought by a friend of mine, magnificent Berlin photography and styling studio and the time they transformed a derelict classroom into an incredible kitchen. And if you're into cooking - or would simply like to drool over divine looking dishes, make sure you take a look at their instagram (there's a reason they've amassed over 1 million followers!).

Wishing you all a lovely day! 

Niki

Credits: Laura Muthesius & Nora Eisermann / @ourfoodstories - shared with kind permission.  

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Our Little Cabin Kitchen (with an IKEA hack!)

Guess what? Our little cabin kitchen (or should I say kitchenette) is finally finished! The cabinets have been in for a while, but the devil is in the detail, and all the hooks and doorknobs are now in place too! I'm looking forward to sharing all the details with you today!  

(See all the design plans for our 30 m2 / 322 f2 cabin on the Swedish West coast here). 

Inspiration

I love everything about the kitchen above by Nordiska Kök -  the grey-beige tone, clean look, the stone and the open wood shelves. I was also keen to bring in some dark grey stone to match the dramatic rocky shoreline in this part of Sweden. 

Floorplan

The designated kitchen area is small and centred around a mid-height window (174 cm wide). Even so we had several criteria: we needed a sink, fridge, small freezer, plenty of food storage and a recycling area. Notice that I haven't mentioned a stove or oven. 

We learned early on that installing a stove would mean it would become a property in its own right and would have electricity / water bill implications (gaaaah!) so we decided we'd use the stove in the main cottage for now. However, there are several options moving forward which include a gas barbecue, outdoor kitchen or even one of IKEA's pop up stoves. We'll see! 

Design

We explored many different kitchen brands, but to be honest, we simply couldn't believe how much even the tiniest of kitchens cost (have you found this too?) and since this is our second (little) home, they were all over our budget, so we had to get creative instead! 

When you're on a tight budget, I think IKEA kitchens are great. I'm a big fan of using them for the basics and then pepping them up by splurging on the details like the tap, handles and worktop. This is what we did in the main cottage kitchen several years ago, and I've been so happy with it! 

I also think the free IKEA kitchen planning service is great (no, this isn't sponsored by the Swedish giant, I promise!)  However, I was hoping to add a few personal touches, so I turned to my dear friend and interior designer Helen Sturesson for advice on how to incorporate hand-built shelves etc. And she sketched the above design. 

Ready to take a look at the results and find out more about the details? 

Results

We chose the Veddinge kitchen and then had it professionally spray painted by Swiss Metod / Lackera Köksluckor (my absolute go-to guys in Malmö) in Blek Sand (NCS S2005-Y20R). 

Worktop

I'd have loved a real stone worktop, but again our budget didn't quite reach for that now. I was really happy to find this laminate worktop at Hornbach. One day, maybe we'll swap it out for real stone, but I love this one for now! 

I think a high quality, beautiful tap is one of the most essential elements of a kitchen. It makes such a difference to the overall experience! We opted for the CRISTINA Rubinetterie CRIKT501 under window kitchen mixer in brushed old brass to match the bathroom taps. I love the finish!  

The sink is HAVSEN from Ikea. 

Handles

I was so happy to find these Cabinet Knob Helix - with a modern industrial vibe by Beslag Online (they have a load of beautiful knobs, hooks and furniture legs in their collection and sell throughout Europe).  The antique bronze matches the tap perfectly too! 

Shelves 

The open shelves were built by hand with oak slabs from Hornbach. I have to say, despite the faff, these are my favourite part of the kitchen - and so handy for cups and glasses and other items we use all the time. 

If we had installed a stove to the right, we wouldn't have been able to have these shelves there as we'd have needed to add a fan (I just wanted to point this out in case you're planning to do something similar). Maybe in the future, if we decide to get a stove, we'll have to do away with the upper right ones (sniff, sniff!). 

Lighting

An essential element - good lighting! In the above picture you can catch a glimpse of the subtle, Strömlinje LED light from IKEA which is connected to the wall switch and also has a remote control. The lighting is excellent, I have to say! 

We made one mistake. And that is that I should have used one panel instead of two on the front of the fridge (lower-centre). I got myself into a bit of a pickle with door handles - and may have used some photoshop trickery with this to show you how the end result will look with the knobs! However, in the long term I think I'll swap the two drawer fronts out to a single unit. What do you think? 

A few other things: 

We do have a kettle (hence all the teapots etc) - it's just not in shot!

The extendable table and chairs are from Danish brand Skovby (see my post about them here) and the ladder - which can be moved across to the kitchen, was built by a local carpenter. You can find all the information about the wood floor and panelling (by Norrlands Trä) in my post here. 

I hope you like our little kitchen as much as we do! 

If you have any questions, please give me a shout in the comments below and I'd be happy to help. 

Have a great weekend all, see you Monday! 

Niki

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Helen's Cosy Swedish Country Cottage Kitchen

Kindly sponsored by Nordal, thank you for supporting the brands which make features like this possible*:

Last week I spent a lovely few days at Swedish interior designer Helen Sturessons's cottage in the Blekinge archipelago on Sweden's east coast. I'd heard so much about it and was really intrigued to see it in person. The opportunity came thanks to a series of photoshoots which required a cosy backdrop - and her country cottage is just the ticket! A short walk from the Baltic Sea, the traditional red and white cottage was every bit as charming as I had imagined! 

The little 19th century cottage is made up of three small rooms (her family of four share a bedroom when they're here at weekends and in the holidays) and the wooden floors creak under foot as you move from room to room. Masonry tiled ovens and a woodturning stove (in addition to a thermostat) kept us feeling toasty throughout our stay as did some woolly socks and chunky woollen jumpers! Best of all - Helen's Mother turned up with a divine smelling apple and cinnamon pie. 

Here are a few snapshots from a cosy afternoon in Helen's kitchen - which she's kitted out with some seriously beautiful items from Danish brand Nordal - as well as other treasured items. 

When Helen and her family first bought the cottage it had no heating, and they would use the woodburning stove in the kitchen to heat up the room. Once-upon-a-time a father cooked meals for his seven children on this very stove (tragically the mother died when the children were young). These days, Helen has electric heating and the stove is used to keep coffee and tea warm.  

A wooden worktop is used for extra storage and keeping a few useful items at hand. 

Pictured: round herringbone board, TORC ceramic bowl, glazed ceramic pot, recycled wooden chopping board

Open shelves add to the relaxed feel of the kitchen. I especially love the traditional Swedish 'kryddhylla' (spice rack). Each of the glass pockets are used to store herbs and spices as well as sugar, flour and even small items like elastic bands and string. These days 'kryddhylla' are made of glass (as seen in Helen's kitchen), but you might also see them in a 60s/70s plastic variety or, if made prior to the 1920s, in porcelain. 

Do you have something similar in your country? 

The shelves are laden with glasses and crockery as well as other small items like egg cups and measuring jugs. 

Pictured: JOG red wine and white wine glasses, grainy cup in sand, grainy dot bowls, plain grainy bowl.

The cottage surroundings portray an ever-changing scene. At the far end of the plot is a woodshed - and beyond that the outdoor loo (the only one at the cottage!). Throughout my stay, a fiery array of leaves swirled to the ground before settling on the rain drenched grass. Helen tells me that the family sometimes see deer and elk wander past, though sadly we didn't see any this time. Even so, we were able to find a load of pretty plants and late autumn flowers in the garden, including this foraged branch. 

Finally fika (a Swedish word meaning taking a break and enjoying a hot drink and a small treat). 

In Sweden you generally eat apple pie with 'cold vanilla sauce' and most would choose coffee - whereas in England we'd go for cream, vanilla ice cream or best of all hot custard with a cup of tea! How do you enjoy yours? 

Pictured above and below: rectangle baker, pie knife, TORC ceramic bowl, cast iron teapot, recycled wooden chopping board, serving spoon

The pie tasted every bit as divine as you can imagine! I wonder if I can get hold of the recepe - it would be nice to nee able to share it with you. Watch this space!  

Pictured above and below: dark blue spotty grainy cake plate, dark blue cake plate, ceramic spoon rest

And the final touch: candlelight! So mysigt!

I have to say, I can almost taste Helen's Mother's apple pie just looking through these pictures! 

Thank you for a wonderful afternoon 'fika' and for having me to stay Helen! 

I can't wait to share more pictures from Helen's cottage soon. 

If you like the look of the Nordal Danish kitchenware, you can find it in various webshops around Europe here. Please feel free to ask about any other item you see, I'm sure Helen would be happy to share the info! 

Have a 'hyggeligt' day friends! 

Niki

*Thank you to Nordal for this paid partnership and helping to make My Scandinavian Home possible. All words and photos in this post are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too. 

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Back Again! (Plus Our Summer Cottage kitchen Renovation)

Why hello there! I hope you've had a wonderful couple of weeks. Per, the girls and I have just arrived back home to Malmö with a bump after a couple of weeks up at the cottage. How I miss that place, we had such a magical time. I might just have to go back up with the specific aim to write a guide - I have so many tips to share with you in case you're ever on the beautiful 'Bjärehalvön' in Northwest Skåne! It's an area not to be missed if you're visiting Sweden! It would also give me the perfect excuse to return! I also spent a little time thinking about the tiny cabin we're building this autumn in the cottage garden and so looking forward to sharing more of our plans with you later this week (thank you for so much for sharing your thoughts on the windows and windows and doors, I can't tell you how helpful it was!).

In the meantime, here's a throwback to the time Per and I renovated and installed the cottage kitchen by hand. It was a true labour of love - and I appreciate it all the more as a result! Thank you so much to Christina AKA 'Farmor' for entrusting us with your kitchen! 

We stripped out the 1970s kitchen - which included a plastic Lino floor, before sanding, plastering and painting the space. Best find: a perfect size mouse hole under the kitchen counters. We'd been wondering how they were getting in! 

Per was in charge (he's a bit of a dab hand when it comes to DIY), and I was his 'sous chef'. It was really hard work, but surprisingly therapeutic! And for once, I was actually quite good at taking instructions from him! 

One of my jobs was to put together all the IKEA kitchen cabinets. If there's one thing I've learnt, it's to follow the instructions by the letter and never miss a step! By the end, I never wanted to see a flat pack ever again! 

Installing the cabinets was the trickiest part of all - and required help from YouTube and multiple calls to the IKEA help line (it was surprisingly easy to get hold of someone!). The main issue was that they have to be exactly in line - no easy feat when you're working with crooked walls from 1936! But we got there in the end! 

You can read about all the details in my final reveal post here. 

Other than the tiny cabin, I'd really love to renovate the girl's bedroom up there. Although now that I know how much work even the smallest room can entail, I'm dragging my feet a little. 

Have you carried out any renovations recently? Or perhaps you're about to embark on one? I'd love to hear more about it below! 

Now that I'm back, I'm so looking forward to posting regularly again. As always, I'll be posting every other day until the girls go back to school - and then daily from 1st September.  Thank you for stopping by! 

Niki

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3 New lamps At Home from Hudson Valley Lighting

MSH partnership, all words are my own: 

Everyone has a 'thing' when it comes to the home, don't you think? For some it's chairs, for others it might be rugs, or smaller items such as books, art and plants. What's yours? I love all these pieces, but for me, it has to be lighting! I love the way it can be used to create an atmosphere. I appreciate how it's vital for practical tasks such as cooking or reading. And I'm inspired by the way it can be used to highlight the things you love - and hide the things you don't! You also can never really have enough lighting in a home (especially in wintertime), so I'm always on the lookout for something new. 

Recently, I added three shiny new lamps to our living space - courtesy of Hudson Valley Lighting Group. You might recognise the name from the wall sconce in my sitting room. The international brand sells hundreds of lamps, offering everything from pendants to outdoor wall sconces, all with exceptional quality. I'm excited to share the ones I've chosen this time, they've certainly brightened up some dark corners of our house and cottage! I hope you'll feel inspired / get some ideas for your own home too! 

New lighting at the Cottage

Last time we were up at the cottage we installed the Barron lamp in aged brass over the sink. I felt immediately drawn to it since it's inspired by the work of mid-century Danish architects who reduced the glare from electric lighting by applying layers and curved shades. The result is a soft, diffused glow, that immediately feels warm and cosy - or as the Danes would say hyggelig. 

In Scandinavia, people love to place lighting in the window since it gives off a warm and inviting feel - which is why I chose this position over the sink. But I could also see it hanging in the corner of a room, or next to a sofa (I have a feeling this one might get moved around quite a lot!). But for now, there'll be a lovely light shining from our cottage kitchen window! 

New Lighting in our Home Hallway

A few months ago I shared my latest hallway update, but we were still missing lighting (cue: guests fumbling around in the dark for their jackets and kids emptying the entire content of the wardrobe to find a tennis racket... that sort of thing!). Needless to say, good lighting in the hallway is key, especially on darker days and nights. We were lucky enough to have the power source already, so all that was needed was the actual fixture! 

I decided on the Estee semi-flush by Mitzi. It's actually available in two colours: polished nickel or aged brass - but you know me, I love a brass look! Usually Per helps me out when it comes to DIY, but actually I did most of the installation myself, it was surprisingly simple (the round glass pendants just screw into place). Admittedly I was wise enough not to attempt the wiring though - being a Physics teacher, that's definitely Per's area! 

I can't tell you what a huge difference this lighting makes to our hallway - it looks way smarter than before, and the Estee emits a great light - which can also be dimmed down with the right switch if you want to make your hall / sitting room / dining area more cosy. Love that! 

If you're curious about this piece, you might be interested to know that there's also a 6-arm version, which would be perfect for bigger spaces. 

I recently installed a mirror and hooks in the narrow section of our hallway (more details here) - which have been great for bouncing around light and also providing space for a (daily) overflow of coats, bags, hats etc. But I really wanted to add some interesting lighting to the area - and the Angela in aged brass by Mitzi fit the bill perfectly. 

I was pleasantly surprised by the weight (it's quite substantial which makes it feel really high quality!). I also love the cable - which is why I decided to hang it this way using a hook - some cables are designed to shine! 

It has a really cosy feel to it when switched on (especially if you use a dimmer switch like I have). Placed next to a mirror, the reflection immediately doubles the light source too, which brightens up this little corner of our home after dark! 

Next step... the hallway tiles - but that's a subject for another day! 

For now, we'll be enjoying the fact that we can actually see something when we arrive home or about to leave! 

Did you have a favourite lamp among these? Or perhaps you're after something different? If so, you can discover the full range of Hudson Valley Lighting Group lighting here. 

Niki

Photography: Niki Brantmark (and my kids - where I feature!)

Cottage kitchen Styling: Niki Brantmark

Hallway styling: Helen Sturesson

*This is a paid post in collaboration with Hudson Valley Lighting Group, however, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too. Thank you for supporting the businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible. 

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