A Cosy Swedish Cottage by the Sea

*This post contains a mention of my book / promotion of my own work.

Hands up who has always dreamed of living in a little cottage by the sea?  Surely most of us - especially after a tough day of work! I can confess that I've spent the best part of this morning wondering if my little family and I can move to Jönköping - 3 hours from here. I don't think they'll be too happy - but it doesn't stop me dreaming. 

This charming little yellow and white cottage in Bymarken was built in 1870 and has recently been put on the market. Built on a hill, it's a topsy turvy home - with the entrance, kitchen, dining room and sitting room on the top floor, and the bedrooms and home office on the lower floor - leading out to a lovely terrace. 

The owners sure are keen on wallpaper (something you'll have noticed has grown in popularity immensely over the years in Sweden), which adds to the cosiness of the home alongside kakelugn (masonry oven fireplaces). 

Ready to take a tour and dream away with me? 

In the trend forecasts for 2025 experts have talked a lot about the sensorial home - and it's something I have also touched upon in my Njuta book. 

The idea is that the home should tap into all your senses - the feel of the furnishings under your fingertips, the smell of the natural materials or something sweet rising in the oven, the sound of a roaring fire or an old wood floor creaking slightly under foot and of course how it all looks from a visionary perspective. It's these factors that come together to make a home. 

Notice the candles on the walls in this home which really come into their own in Autumn. By the fire in this room you can also spot an extinguisher made by the classic brand Solsticken. 

Yet another candle on the wall, this time in a gold bowl to reflect the light around the room - I am sure it looks so pretty in the evenings! 

Have you noticed how doors are often turned into a feature in the home tours here on My Scandinavian Home? Here, an old wood door has been sanded down to its original form and the rough texture adds warmth to the room. 

Notice also the old wooden floor, which has been sanded down and treated - beautiful! We recently sanded down the bedroom floor in our summer cottage and it made such a huge difference to the room. That's the beauty of solid wood - it's easy to give it a new lease of life! 

In the master bedroom, curtains have been used instead of sliding wardrobe doors - helping to add warmth to the room and also dampening sound. 

The units are made by Elfa - a Swedish brand which I have used extensively in my own home thanks to a partnership a few years ago. I am still so happy with it today and occasionally adapt it to bring our storage up to date. If you're curious, take a peek at my before and after wardrobe, laundry room and attic makeovers!  

So dreamy! I could so imagine myself living here - enjoying relaxing evenings on the terrace in summertime and cosy evenings by the fire come winter. 

Could you imagine living here too? Is there anything that you loved or noticed in particular about this cottage?

let's take a little look into some other cottages by the sea today - after all, there's nothing like a little mid-week dreaming, right? 

A traditional Swedish cottage by the sea with a splash of colour

My day at a charming Danish cottage by the sea

A warm and relaxed Swedish cottage by the sea

A cosy little cottage by the sea with stacks of books

Is there one of these in particular that you fell in love with? I am quite partial to the last one with all the books - plus. it's just down the road in Malmö! 

Stor kram (big hug),

Niki

Photography courtesy of Västenhem, with thanks

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A Dreamy Swedish Summer Cottage By a River

Are you on Facebook? I still post on the My Scandinavian Home page three times a week, but I also still love a little scroll through my private feed for latest news! While it used to be more about people posting about their lives, these days it's more about missing cat alerts on community neighbourhood pages, am I right? But some of the groups I've joined come up trumps - one of which is a Swedish page called Torp och stugor, köp, sälj, hyr (crofts and cabins, buy, sell, rent). 

This weekend someone posted that they are selling their 'summer cottage 40 minutes from Örebro and 2.5 hours from Stockholm' which they describe as a 'real summer paradise with two bedrooms, a big guest cabin, fireplace, terrace and a pier at the end of the garden with access to a lake and much more'. And was 'anyone interested in buying it?'. Erm, me? Sadly it's a little too far away from Malmö, but I thought it'd be rude not to pass the message on in case you might like to take up the offer. Ready to dream?

Note the door frames and skirting boards have been painted in another tone - just like we saw in Freja's  Danish home last Wednesday. In Freja's home the pea green shade was a starker contrast to the walls which gives a more contemporary vibe, whereas here, the tone blends nicely with the wall colour to create a more traditional and calm look. I also love that the window frames have been painted in the same tone. It reminds me of the paintwork in a beautiful rustic Norwegian cabin I once featured. 

The summer cottage is pretty much closed for business in the winter - as the water is on only in summertime. But when summer arrives, I can imagine it springs into action. In Sweden, it's common for people to go and visit friends and family at their cottage for a few days - it's a way of keeping in contact. 

My Swedish Father-in-law always says, 'guests are like fish, they start to smell after three days'. Always makes me laugh (naturally, we also make sure to not out stay our welcome when we visit him!). I guess it depends on the guest and how close you are, but three days or not, we can all agree that a little personal space is great for everyone! 

At this Swedish cottage, a separate cabin in the grounds has been converted into a wonderful guest bedroom complete with a bed and dining table so you can truly make yourself at home! 

And of course, they have a simple, yet lovely outdoor shower. 

Speaking of which, this weekend, we finally put up our outdoor shower (which was a press gift). It's a copper one with a really clever Danish design and simply plants into the grass so you can place it where ever you want. It has a tap and you can attach a warm and cold hose too! We LOVE it! If you're quick you might catch a glimpse of it on my instagram stories today. Right now, they have a special end of summer offer in case you're interested! 

I hope you enjoyed the tour of Julia's summer paradise! 

You can find more information here about the listing if you're interested. 

I noticed quite a few lovely details while looking through the pictures. One of my favourites is a painting of the cottage in the kitchen - I wonder if this was painted by one of the owners or perhaps as a present from one of their guests? 

I have a very romantic view of a cottage with its own pier - there's something about the direct access to water which I absolutely love. Perhaps it's the sense of freedom. 

Is there anything that stood out to you about this pretty Swedish summer cottage? If so, I'd love to hear more below, it's often a detail or observation I've missed. 

Have a wonderful start to the week!

Niki

Photography courtesy of Fastighetsbyrån with thanks. 

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An Idyllic Cottage in the Swedish Countryside

I might be sitting here at my laptop in the city of Malmö today, but that doesn't stop me from pretending I'm deep in the heart of the Swedish countryside. Fancy joining me? 

This quintessential Swedish estate in Katrineholm is made up of several buildings not unlike Astrid Lindgren's famous tale 'The Children of Noisy Village'. Laidback and unpretentious, the main cottage is filled with antique furniture, wildflowers and plenty of books creating a wonderful, homely space in which to read, play back gammon, tinker away on a piano or simply relax! 

On sunny days, life moves outside where everyone gets to splash around in the pool, tuck into long lunches or allow the sights and sounds of the Swedish wilderness to lull you into an afternoon nap. I'm sure it's a great area for chanterelle picking too - but the owners would never let on! 

How lovely. As someone who is currently thinking about building an outdoor cottage at our cabin, I was happy to see the simple solution of simply hanging a shower curtain (especially when the whole thing was getting more and more complicated in my mind). 

I also really like the timeless, typically Swedish white and grey interior - made cosy with extra plump sofas, sheepskins and a big fireplace! 

I'd love to hear what stood out to you. 

Could you imagine spending your summers here? If so, the property is currently for sale here. 

Now that I've got you in the mood, would you like to see a few other idyllic Swedish summer cottages today? 

Before and after: a rundown croft becomes an idyllic summer cottage

A charming swedish summer cottage in the forest

A beautiful swedish country home in a former Mission house

Oh, to spend the week in the Swedish countryside. Do you feel the same? 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Svenskfastighetsförmedling, with thanks. 

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