my scandinavian home: Summer cottage

A Charming Summer House on the Swedish Island of Gotland

Tjena! Summer in Scandinavia is still in full swing. You may have noticed from my posts lately that it's a time everyone takes super seriously - if you haven't got your out of office on, are you even Scandinavian? With this in mind, I hope you don't mind that I share one more summer cabin today. I know many of you are here to feel inspired by urban spaces too, so I promise to dig around and find something beautiful for you in the city for Wednesday. But this one, I couldn't resist!

A barn-style property, this charming house on the summer paradise of Gotland was built in 1970 but has the appearance of a traditional Swedish house with its red walls and yellow window frames. The deck is a natural extension of the house, providing plenty of space to relax, hang out and dine in the sunshine, while a large open-plan living space ensures everyone can be together, yet still do as they wish. Large rooms like this can be difficult to furnish, but I think the owners have done a great job - carving out a spacious dining area and a cosy sitting room / TV corner in one.

Upstairs, angled ceilings and beams create interest and an airy feel. I picked out one bedroom in particular that caught my eye thanks to the pretty botanical-themed wallpaper which draws nature indoors.

I hope you feel inspired by the tour!

Such a summer paradise, don't you think?

One of the things I remember most from visiting Gotland was how wildflowers lined the roadside. Evidence of these can be found dotted around the rooms, and even the table outside!

Do you have a garden or meadows nearby which are full of flowers that you can bring in at this time of year? I'm working on it in our summer cottage garden but it's going to take time - as a gardening rookie I had no idea how complicated it can be - but I'm enjoying the challenge!

Is there anything that stood out to you about this lovely summer house?

Check out more cottages on Gotland here and my guide to the island here.

Have a great start to the week friends!

Niki

Photography courtesy of Svensk Fastighetsförmedling with thanks.

A Swedish Summerhouse in the West Coast Archipelago

Hej friends! The sun is shining, and the Scandinavian summer is in full swing. I have been swept up in the relaxed vibe and now that my children are finally free, we have arrived for a few days in the Swedish high coast - to explore and soak up the scenery of the breath-taking archipelagos. With this in mind, I will be taking some time out from My Scandinavian Home and will be back here again on Monday 22nd July.

But I'd never leave you high and dry without some inspiration - so here are a couple of snapshots from a stunning summer house in Smögen, on Sweden's West Coast complete with its own jetty - after all, Mondays are made for dreaming, right?

So beautiful!

The more I explore of Sweden, the more beauty I find - and with its immense coastline and thousands of lakes, waterfront cottages are forever present!

I have a dream to live overlooking the water - maybe one day this will come true, but for now I will admire from a far! Do you share the same dream? Or perhaps there are other vistas you long for?

Wishing you all a wonderful week - see you next Monday!

Niki

Photography courtesy of Fastighetsbyrå, shared with thanks

FILED UNDER: coastal Summer cottage swedish home

An Idyllic Swedish Summer Cottage in the Forest

Today, I'm continuing with my summer cottage theme to match the relaxed holiday vibe in Scandinavia right now - and the sun has come out just for the occasion! This Swedish beauty belongs to Johanna Hagbard (whose city home I featured in 2018). Johanna acquired this beautiful croft 40 kilometres (24.8 miles) from Gothenburg ten years ago. It had been derelict for many years - save for a local orienteering group who had been using it as a clubhouse due to its location in the middle of a forest. Needless to say, it needed extensive work.

A handy couple, Johanna and her husband have slowly transformed the property into a magical year-round country escape - with a cosy interior and hand built sauna and a plunge pool. Summer days are spent outdoors looking out over the wilderness and lake in the distance and a caravan serves as an extra indoor space to hangout!

Ready to feel inspired by the tour? Step this way!

A magical place to spend summer, do you agree? I can imagine it's really cosy in winter too!

You can see more snapshots from Johanna's lovely croft over at @johannahagbard.

Would you like to see a few more pretty Swedish crofts today? 'Why not' I hear you say! Pour yourself a glass of something cool and enjoy:

A fairytale Swedish summer cottage

Jessica's idyllic Swedish croft from 1900

Before and after, a Swedish croft becomes a summer house

Oh, so pretty!

My family and I are currently trundling up the E4 motorway on our way to Sundsvall to watch Liv swim in the Swedish nationals this week. We've been passing forest and more forest - with 5 hours of forest to go (it's a 10 hour very forest-y drive in total!). I'm excited as I've never been to Norrland before, and we've booked a little cottage on an island just outside the city. I'll share more from our adventure on my instagram stories if you'd like to follow along!

Have a happy Wednesday!

Niki

Photographs by @johannahagbard, shared with kind permission.

FILED UNDER: country style living Summer cottage swedish home

Henriette & Tommy's Charming Danish Cabin Oasis

Let's just say the weather in Scandinavia is 'mixed' right now. Torrential rain, cold and windy one minute, sunshine the next. But that's not going to deter us from enjoying our holiday! Thankfully, summer cottages across the region are equipped for every eventuality - with doors that swing open to create an indoor / outdoor feel on sunny days, and cosy sheepskin-lined chairs and fireplaces that can roar into life at the drop of a hat on colder days!

In Houstrup, on the east coast of mainland Denmark, Henriette and Tommy have created a cosy oasis in which to switch off and relax - no matter what the weather decides to do!

The little black and white wooden cottage seamlessly blends in with its wild surrounds thanks to a beautiful turf roof, and the garden has been kept deliberately untamed and natural. Inside, the cabin is simply decorated in soft, earthy tones and furnished with items in wood and rattan. Danes tend to love their floral quilts and cushions which bring a subtle romantic touch to the rooms. Keep an eye out for pastel florals on the sofa and large quilts over the beds (try IB Laursen for similar).

Overall, a wonderful, informal and 'hyggeligt' place in which to relax all summer long!