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!


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 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: 


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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Cosy Weekend Escape: Warner's Camp Cabin

It's been a long old week but the good news is Friday is here, WOOP! After a week back in the city I'm dreaming of getting away from it all again- how about you? I have a feeling that Warner's Camp might just fit the bill. Dating back to the 1800s, the riverside rustic cabin is located in the Adirondacks High Peaks Wilderness area of New York state (admittedly making it a little tricky to get to for the weekend from Sweden! Bah!). Owner Amy Brightman and Jessica Moody invite Airbnb guests to come and escape from it all, take a dip in the swimming hole, hike the trails and if you're into skiing, the Whiteface Ski resort is also only 10 minutes away (as if the river view wasn't enough!). Did I mention the very cosy rustic interior and wood burning stove too? 

Copyright: The Pinckards

Copyright: The Pinckards

Copyright: Chris Daniele

Copyright: Chris Daniele
"Houses are not built this way anymore; we are so close to the river that you can hear it from nearly every room in Warner's Camp." 

Copyright: Christopher Funk

Copyright: Chris Daniele

Copyright: Chris Daniele

Copyright: Chris Daniele
Could you imagine spending the weekend here?

Since I'd need to travel all the way from Sweden, I'd have to extend it to a one week stay (at least). What a pity... ;)

Read more about the history of Warner's Camp and book your stay here.

In the mood for a little more cabin love? Check out these archives:

Log cabins
Rural retreat

Feelin' the cabin love, how about you?!

Right. That's it from me this week. I hope you've felt inspired by all my shares and thank you so much for stopping by!

Have a cosy weekend friends!

Niki

Photography courtesy of Warner's Camp top picture: Chris Daniele 

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Before And After: A Dated Cabin Becomes a Modern Scandinavian-inspired Colorado Retreat!

It's Friday friends - and that calls for something extra special, don't you think? And I have just the place! A few days ago, this magical cabin in Twin Lakes, Colorado dropped into my mail box. Photographer, author and teacher Christine Bayles Kortsch and husband Daniel Kortsch (also a photographer) had always dreamed of owning a remote cabin to visit at the weekends, as well as offer as a property for workshops, photoshoots, elopements and more. After years of drooling over cabins online, their dream finally came true in the shape of Alpenglow Cabin which they purchased and renovated together with Daniel's brother Jon-Marc and his partner Laura. Surrounded by rugged beauty and wild nature, the location was perfect, the cabin itself however, was in need of a little TLC. I caught up with Christine to find and out more. 

Kitchen - Before

Christine, Daniel, Jon-Marc and Laura completely gutted the cabin, before painting the pine paneling white.

"We did the entire renovation ourselves (except the hardwood floors) and found primary inspiration in Scandinavian-influenced design. This included talks with our Danish brother-in-law and admiring photos of his family's summer cottage."

Kitchen - After 

Dated upper cabinets were ripped out and replaced with wooden open shelving for a light, relaxed and contemporary feel. The lower cabinets were given a lick of white paint and moved around to give the entrance more breathing space. 



"The copper collection is antique and was passed down from my sister-in-law Laura, whose heritage is Norwegian and German."




Main Living Space - Before

Nothing can take away from the staggering view of the mountains - but the hot tub was fairly dominant and there's no denying that the living space was incredibly dark and lacked cosiness! 

Living Space - After

A fresh lick of paint (I like how they still have wood on the ceiling and around the windows) and wood floors have helped turn the cabin into a fresh and airy, yet cosy and comfortable living space. The hot tub exterior has also been given a makeover - making it less dominant while still providing a dreamy spot from which to gaze out over the mountains. 

"My husband is a woodworker and he made the live-edge dining table."

"My brother-in-law Jon-Marc is a sculpture fabricator and had the wood stove hearth pad custom-made." 

Master bedroom - Before

Master Bedroom - After

A wall-to-wall carpet was ripped out and replaced with a dark wood floor for a modern feel. 

Simple, soft furnishings like this woven wall hanging by Sweet pea Artistry Co help to add a cosy alpine feel. 

Bedroom 2 - Before

Bedroom 2 - After

You can really see the Scandinavian feel coming through in this bedroom: the minimalist feel, botanical touches and the chequer detail!



"We are so proud of this cabin. It is tangible evidence of our blood, sweat, love of nature, passion for beauty and daydreaming. We felt a sense of real pride when our Danish brother-in-law Rune announced we had achieved a hygge feel!"



The beautiful surroundings - which offer endless options for hiking, back-country skiing, snowshoeing, paddling, rafting, rock-climbing and mountain biking - inspired the name 'Alpenglow' which according to Merriam-Webster is the "reddish glow seen near sunset or sunrise on the summits of mountains". Christine, Daniel, John-Marc and Laura also use the word to describe "that cosy feeling you get curled up by the fire with friends after a day of fresh air and adventure." 

Both versions sound wonderful to me, what do you think? 

Alpenglow cabin is now available on Airbnb for others to come and enjoy. You can also find more information / pictures on the Alpenglow Cabin website and instagram

Perhaps it's time to start searching for that dated property that's waiting for someone to come along and give it the TLC it deserves. Who knows, this time next year, we could be sitting in a hot tub overlooking Colorado's highest peaks! 

More cabin love / inspiration to be found here:


Thank you so much to Christine for submitting this project! If you have a project / home tour you'd like to share do send it my way. I can't promise to feature all of the submissions but will certainly keep an eye out for homes that are a perfect fit with My Scandinavian Home!

Right friends. I believe it's time for the weekend. WOOHOOO! Wishing you a relaxing, cosy weekend vänner! Thanks for a great week - I've loved reading your comments! 

Vi ses på Måndag!

Niki

Photography Christine Bayles Kortsch / Daniel Kortsch except the hallway which was shot by Molly Lo Photography.

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