Scrolling

Oak and a Cosy Roaring Fire In A Swedish Cottage Kitchen


Warning: this kitchen might make you want to move to the Swedish countryside. Especially if you love 19th century architecture, wood beams, and a roaring fireplace! Laura and Nora of the incredible Our Food Stories (whose Berlin studio and German country home I've also featured), bought a cottage in Österlen, Southern Sweden a few years back. I've been following the renovation ever since and have loved the way they've been adding their own signature touch while being careful to maintain the property's natural charm. This week Laura and Nora revealed their recently completed kitchen - which combines a stunning oak Devol Haberdasher kitchen with Bertazzoni and Smeg appliances and vintage lighting. Oh, and a wonderful fireplace of course! 

I'd be perfectly happy to keep Per company from the Little Petra armchair while he ambles about in the kitchen. His cakes might not be a patch on Our Food Stories.... but he does makes a MEAN spag bol!

This jute rug* is similar (and biodegradable). 

The Haberdasher kitchen is a handmade modular system, which features unpainted oak cupboards inspired by mid-century English interiors and a traditional gentleman's haberdashery - which makes it extraordinarily charming!


What oven do the girls with a foodie themed instagram feed that has amassed over 1 million followers use? A professional Bertazzoni range cooker, that's what! Now we know the secret to culinary success! 


The worktops are a mix of marble and handmade aged copper. The sink is also made of marble. 



The walls have been painted with chalk paint from Icelandic brand Kalklitir in 'calce' (I also used Kalklitir in my kitchen and I'm so happy with the nuanced finish!). 


Love that the unit in the above picture is also used for wood storage - it really adds to the cosiness of the space, din't you think? But above all else - look at that farmhouse table! *Sheds actual tears*! I've been looking for one like that for ages. I wonder if it was sourced in Sweden. I'm off to investigate! 

Before I head off - have you noticed kitchen cabinets made from natural wood have really come into their own in 2020? See also a calm, warm kitchen designed by Holly Marder and the awe-inspiring private kitchen of Noma head chef René Redzepi - beautiful! 

Could you imagine opting for wood in your kitchen? Or perhaps you're too busy imagining yourself in that fuzzy armchair by the fire to care! In which case, I wouldn't blame you! 

Wishing you a wonderful, cosy day friends! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Our Food Stories with thanks

Twitter FaceBook

Pin It
11

Three Simple And Refreshing Frozen Recipe Ideas For Balmy Summer days!

Kindly sponsored by Samsung:
The warm weather has finally arrived in Sweden (last week I actually wore short-sleeves for the first time outdoors - result!) and we dared to start dreaming about balmy, summer days after what's felt like a very long winter! Time to stock the freezer with some tantalisingly refreshing treats! Read on for three icy delights my family and I love - and they're super easy to make too.

Samsung Freezer RZ32M71357F / Samsung Refrigerator RR39M73657F/EE
Pear and cinnamon ice cream
What would a summer be without 'glass' (ice cream)? And this homemade pear and cinnamon ice cream is divine, plus it's super easy to make without an ice cream machine. Perfect! 

Ingredients
5 dl (500ml) cream
1 can (397g) of condensed milk
2 small ripe pears, peeled and cut into quarters
Generous pinch of cinnamon

Method
Place pears and cinnamon in a blender and puree until you have a smoothie consistency.
Whisk the cream and condensed milk until its thick and fluffy.
Pour in the pureed pear and use a spatula to mix well.
Pour the mixture into a lightly greased loaf tin.
Smooth out the top and freeze for at least 2 hours.
Take the ice cream out of the freezer 30 minutes before serving.

Top tip
You can make this with berries instead. Just swap out the pears for 1 cup of strawberries,
raspberries or blueberries.

Ice cream popsicles
Once you've made the ice cream above, these popsicles are quick and easy to make, look super impressive, and best of all, taste delicious! 

Ingredients
Ice cream mixture (as above)
Your choice of toppings - desiccated coconut, nuts, melted chocolate, sprinkles.

Method
Make the ice cream recipe as above and divide the mixture between popsicle moulds or
large square ice cube moulds. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze for at least 2 hours or until
solid. Remove popsicles form the moulds and dip into your chosen topping. Place on a plate with
baking paper and back into the freezer until serving.

Top tip
The best way to remove the ice cream from the moulds is to place the moulds under warm
(not hot) running water for a few seconds. Allow them to stand for another 30 seconds and
they should release easily.

Flower ice cubes
One of my favourite midsummer tricks - ice cubes embedded with edible flowers look so pretty and look like you've gone that extra mile, even if they only take seconds extra to prepare!  

Ingredients
Edible flowers (I've used pansies which are perfect as they come in a variety of colours. If you are in doubt whether a flower is edible, always check prior to consuming)*
Herbs (I've used dill, rosemary and mint)

Method
Separate the flower heads from the stem and cut small sprigs from your favourite herbs. Dot them around an ice cube mould (I used the mould in my Slim Ice Maker - a really nifty feature that hardly takes up any space!). Add water until each compartment is full. Once set, drop the cubes in your drink for a pretty, refreshing summer drink!  

Berry and herb ice cubes
I love to spice up summer cocktails (and even ice cool glasses of water) with berry and herb ice cubes. They look really pretty in the glass, add a hint of flavour and smell lovely!  

Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, mint, rosemary and dill all make great ingredients and I also like to freeze lemon and lime slices separately. You can make a huge batch and use them to pep up drinks all summer long!



I hope you're feeling inspired by these simple ideas! Please feel free to add your own favourite freezer recipes below, I'd love to hear them! 

Roll on balmy summer days!

Niki

A big thank you to Sarah Brooks-Wilson for working with me on this shoot - such a fun day, plus we got to eat LOADS of ice cream! 

This is Kindly sponsored by Samsung. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands and products I love and can truly recommend. Thank you for supporting the businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible. 

Twitter FaceBook

Pin It
8

A Rustic Danish Kitchen With Cool Industrial Touches

Oj oj oj! It's FRIDAY friends! Is it just me or did this week fly by? Only a flying visit from me today since I'm meeting Per by the water next to our house in approx 20 minutes for lunch - but I promise it's a goodie! I spotted this beautiful, rustic Danish kitchen over at Bungalow 5 a few days ago. Designed by interior architect Sif Grandorf, the kitchen occupies a small part of a beautiful home in the oldest quarter of Copenhagen. Sif was careful to keep to a fairly tight budget - using clever up cycling and handiwork where possible. The main investment was a Frame CPH unit (well worth it as they are beautifully made and will last a lifetime!) and a great range cooker. But above all else, I've got my on those lovely beams and exposed brick wall - which lends itself perfectly to industrial-style touches. Step this way for the tour! 


I've always wanted a wine glass rack but never quite figured out where to put it. Hmmm. maybe I need to revisit the idea! 


I love that the space feels so relaxed and lived-in. 

A perfect room tour with which to complete the week, don't you think?

Right friends, I'd better put my skates on! 

Leaving with you a few other kitchen's I love lately: 


Wishing you all a wonderful weekend. Stay safe, stay well! 

Niki

Photography: Another Studio, shared with kind permission

Twitter FaceBook

Pin It
0

8 Cleaning Hacks for a Gleaming Refrigerator!




Sponsored post:
Since acquiring our new Samsung fridge and freezer I've been determined to keep them looking shiny and new - and most importantly, keep the funk out!! Know the feeling?! I chatted to friends across all generations here in Sweden to suss out great Scandi hacks which help to keep kitchen appliances clean. Several months down the line and I think I might just have nailed it! The front of our fridge is shiny and fingerprint free, and the inside sparkles like new. And best of all it smells super fresh too. I feel it would only be fair to share the 8 hacks I've learnt with you. Not only do most of them require tools and ingredients you most likely already have at home, they're organic and budget-friendly too!


1. Clean your fridge regularly: not so much a hack, as something to be mindful of. I've found that going over my fridge at least once a week helps to catch food before it goes off - and generally ensures the appliances stay clean. Every three months it's important to remove EVERYTHING and give the fridge a deep clean to keep it tip top inside (and prevent kids friends' from holding their nose every time they open the fridge door - trust me, it's happened in the past!). 

2. Clean refrigerator shelves with soap and water: remove the shelves and wait for them to reach room temperature before washing them with soap and warm water in the sink. A Swedish friend tipped me off about organic soap flakes which you buy in bulk, last forever and are completely chemical free. She even washes her clothes with them - and they're perfect for cleaning the fridge! 

3. Clean the inside of your fridge with baking soda and water: combine 2 tablespoons of baking soda with 10 dl of water and spray the inside of your fridge. Wipe down with a damp cloth and then dry thoroughly. This concoction will leave your fridge sparkling without your food smelling of detergent. Love that! 

4. Use a toothbrush for tiny edges: an old toothbrush will help you access the tiny areas in your fridge that you otherwise wouldn't have been able to reach. 

5. Freshen up the inside of your fridge with lemon: Soak cotton wool in lemon juice and then use it to wipe the inside of your fridge. You might even like to place a few slices on a plate and leave them inside. They'll help soak up unpleasant odours and leave your fridge smelling lovely and citrusy! 

6. Organise food in containers: containers are ideal for keeping food fresh and minimising odours! I was inspired by the 'Take-out' tray that came with my fridge, and have since added a few more containers. But I have a feeling this is only the start!

PS. No my fridge isn't always as neat and tidy as this, far from it! 

7. Set the right humidity level: if your vegetable / crisper drawers come with a Humidity Control Setting like mine does (FYI I opted for the RR39M73657F/EE model - partly because of this setting!), make sure you set it to the right level so that your fruit and veg stay fresher for longer. As a general rule, you'll want to use a high setting for leafy-green vegetables or anything that might wilt (like lettuce, cucumber, carrots and broccoli) and a low setting for fruits or anything that could rot (like kiwis, bananas and apples). 

8. Leave your stainlesssteel doors gleaming: Dab a non-abrasive rag in white vinegar and then apply it to the fridge following the grain. And then dab the cloth with a couple of drops of olive oil before polishing the stainless-steel following the grain - you'll leave your fridge and freezer gleaming! 

What do you reckon? Did you know about any of these cleaning hacks before? Perhaps you have some of your own - I'd love to hear about them below! 

Feeling pretty excited about these hacks - might just start exploring ideas for the rest of the kitchen now! Here's to a gleaming kitchen! 

Curious about other posts in this series? 

My favourite healthy Swedish Easter recipe - perfect for this weekend! 

Wishing you a lovely day friends! 

Niki

This is a paid collaboration with Samsung. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands and products I love and can truly recommend. Thank you for supporting the businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible. 

A big thank you to Sarah Brooks-Wilson for working with me on this shoot. 

Twitter FaceBook

Pin It
7

Before & After: A Swedish Kitchen Gets a DIY Makeover!


It's Friday friends, FRIDAY! Eeeeee! This weekend I'm planning a few home DIY projects to make our home as cosy as possible for the next coming weeks (we might even hang a mirror that's been lying about in our landing for two months - who knows?!). How about you? In case you're also looking for DIY inspiration, I thought I'd share this wonderful kitchen make-over by Swedish interior designer Johanna Bradford. Johanna and her husband Adam bought their former apartment in 2016. The kitchen was nice enough (see below) - but missing that extra 'mys' (cosy) factor.  Check out the changes the pair made using a DIY carpentry and a splash of paint to transform a basic, narrow kitchen into the cosy heart of the home!

Before

Formerly a maid's room with a separate entrance to the back stairwell, the previous owners moved the kitchen into this room in 2014. The kitchen units and fresh white cabinets ran along one side of the room and include double cabinets which extend the entire way up to the ceiling (perfect for maximising storage space! The stainless-steel worktop was beautifully fitted, and all the appliances were in good working order. The kitchen also featured a dark stained solid oak floor. 

Johanna and her partner wanted to leave the fully functional and perfectly planned kitchen intact but at the same time were keen to make their mark on it. 



The process

Prior to moving in, Johanna sanded down the oak floors and treated them with natural oil so that they would match the flooring in the rest of the apartment. 

They also wanted to make more of the right side of the kitchen - and make room for more people. Adam built a wall-to-wall bench using a long plank of wood mounted on solid brackets. He also added a wainscot using wood panels. And finally, he created a raised wood shelf. All of the equipment was bought from a local hardware store. 

Once the work was completed, the kitchens painted in calming Little Greene

After



Ta daaa! The work has made so much more of the right-hand side of the kitchen, and up until they sold the flat, they could accommodate up to 10 people for dinner! The update also helps give the illusion that the kitchen is wider than it is - and the wainscoting adds a really cosy touch. I also love the soft green shade, it's calm yet cosy and also adds a traditional touch to the space. Beautiful!



The table was custom made by Friends & Founders. A Flos light* hangs from the ceiling.  

What a great transformation! 

Perhaps you have a kitchen that needs a simple update (this is certainly proof that you don't need to do a lot to add your mark!), or looking for a project at home this weekend? If so, I hope this Swedish kitchen make-over has inspired you.  

Johanna frequently shares other DIY projects and news about her house renovation over on her wonderful blog here

If you love an awesome 'before and after' as much as I do put your feet up this weekend and take a look at these - so inspiring!!


So guys, that's all for me for the week. I hope My Scandinavian Home has provided just the bubble of respite you've needed this week and you've felt as inspired as I have!

Wishing you a lovely weekend - take care, stay home and relax (unless of course, you're planning an awesome DIY make-over!). 

Niki

PS I am not sure if you saw that Holly Becker of Decor8 and I started a #30dayhomelove challenge on instagram. It centres around providing a positive challenge each day for everyone at home. The daily themes include plats, shelves, coffee table etc. The hope is that it will help the home be an even brighter place to be. We're thrilled to see more than a thousand entries from all over the world. If you fancy participating, you can read more about it here. It's not to late to join in! 

Photography: Johanna Bradford 

Twitter FaceBook

Pin It
1

Sharing My Favourite Uplifting, Healthy Swedish Easter Recipe (Thanks To Samsung!)

Sponsored by Samsung
Spring is in the air in Sweden and Påsk (Easter) is around the corner - I can see it from my window! So, today I thought I'd share one of my favourite Swedish Easter dishes to lift the spirits! And the best thing about it: it's super quick and easy to make, requires only a knife, chopping board and bowl and when made in the right way, it's packed with nutrition. Plus, it can be whipped up as a light lunch or even just a snack (we've been known to eat it straight from the bowl in our house, shhhh!). But firstly, you might be curious about why I'm sharing my first ever recipe on MSH (Lagom book aside!). You might recall I acquired a new fridge and freezer a few weeks back (so happy with them - I can totally see why they won best in test at Elgiganten for the past three years!). And now Samsung has inspired me to share my favourite healthy holiday recipe. With many of us spending copious amounts of time at home right now, the timing couldn't be better!


The Swedish Easter Feast
Before I dive into the details, I wanted to share a little more about the Swedish Påsk (I'd love to hear about what a spring holiday looks like in your country). Easter in Sweden is a big deal and traditions linger even if many Swedes are largely secular. Maundy Thursday 'påskkäarringar' aside (see Wednesday's post for details!), like all holidays here, the big event happens the day before - on Påskafton (Easter Saturday). And it's something I'm looking forward to at home this year even if it's just Per, I and the kids! In many ways, the Påsk feast bears many similarities to the Julbord (Christmas buffet) and Midsummer's Eve fare. Pickled herrings, new potatoes with dill, poached salmon, a cheese flan, knäckerbröd (crisp bread) and a strong cheese are all delicacies usually included in the Easter buffet - as are any dishes that contain egg. And that's where we come to my favourite: gubbröra

So, what is gubbröra?!
Loosely translated as 'old man's mix', gubbröra is a delicious, classic egg-anchovy salad. It can be eaten warm or cold (I prefer mine cold) and tastes best served on dark rye bread or a thin crisp bread and works great as a light lunch, starter or as part of a smörgåsbord!

Gubbröra light!
It always feels great to make something for the family that's both yummy and nutritious and the beauty of gubbröra is that it has both of these elements! Anchovies, for example, are packed with healthy fats such as Omega-3 fatty acids and hard boiled eggs contain vital nutrients such as metabolism boosting B vitamins as well as Vitamin D which helps calcium absorption. 

You might also like to up the amount of radish garnish - it's high on fibre, and if eaten regularly it helps guards the heart. It's also high on Vitamin C which helps boost the body's immune system. I also like to use low fat creme fraiche - it tastes equally as good! 

Fresh ingredients 
If you're lucky enough to have a garden with a great vegetable patch and a window sill lined with potted herbs - wonderful. Otherwise, I keep my herbs and vegetables in the fridge to keep them as fresh as possible. My Samsung Refrigerator RR39M73657F/EE has a special drawer with a Humidity Control setting which helps them stay fresher for longer (a feature I love!)! It's also worth noting that Swedish anchovies differ from the ones you get in The Med and are actually known as 'sprats' elsewhere. Tinned, sprats have a shorter lifespan and need to be kept in the fridge. If you can't find sprats, no probs, normal tinned anchovies will suffice! 

Ready to get started? 

Ingredients:
(serves 4)

Mix:
4 hard-boiled eggs
1 tin sprats (or anchovies)
10 g chives 
10 g dill
1 small red onion (finely chopped)
2 tbsp light creme fraiche
Pepper
Salt

Garnish / serving:
1 radish (sliced)
5 g chives (chopped)
Half red onion (thinly sliced)

Directions:
Hard-boil four eggs and roughly chop before placing into a bowl. Chop the red onion, dill, chives and sprats (or anchovies) and then place everything in the bowl with the eggs. Add two tablespoons of light creme fraiche and mix everything together. Serve on rye bread or crisp bread and garnish with a slice of radish and a sprinkle of chopped chives. 

Why not serve it the Swedish way?!
Gubbröra tastes great washed down with a beer or a shot off schnapps - singing optional of course, but who can resist a round of 'helan går'?! 

Skål! 

Are you tempted to whip this dish up at home? If so, please do share the results, I'd love to see it! 

Roll on Påsk

Niki

PS would you like to see more simple Scandinavian dishes on My Scandinavian Home? Let me know if so! 

This is a paid collaboration with Samsung. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands and products I love and can truly recommend. Thank you for supporting the businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible. 

Twitter FaceBook

Pin It
16

Subscribe To My Scandinavian Home

Subscribe to My Scandinavian Home

skovby ad


 

site by ANAAR

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.
MORE INFO