A Dreamy White Vintage-filled Cottage in California

I am often asked how I find homes for this blog. The answer is hours and hours of scrolling instagram, Pinterest, and interior magazines. But sometimes, I home just lands in my lap - and I was very excited when this beautiful cottage appeared in my inbox this weekend! 

The cottage is located in central Vacaville, California - a short drive to the Napa Valley and with the Sierra Mountains less than 2 hours away. It belongs to Colette Miller and her husband who have been busy renovating it to restore it to its former glory and add her own 'California Casual' vibe to the space. 

If you love light and airy homes, white wood panelling and plenty of lovely vintage finds, today's tour is for you! Oh, and it also features a romantic rustic sunroom and even a shed! Read on to hear more about this dreamy property in Colette's own words - and a load of beautiful pictures captured by Lynda Kennedy. 

"We downsized to this little cottage on a tree lined street 10 years ago. It is 1200 sq. ft (111 sq.m) with a detached garage and shed."

"The kitchen is on the to-do list, but I'm OK waiting. I call it the 'unfitted look'- I think when I do remodel it there won't be any drastic changes... maybe a Smeg fridge though!" 

"The previous owners had remodelled and took out the vintage wood paned windows and the wood floors were covered with wall-to-wall carpeting. All of the windows and had been replaced as well, so we found vintage windows and doors that we thought the home was probably outfitted with when it was built in the early 1940s." 

"We raised the ceiling in the living room and added two skylights to really let all the light in and it immediately felt so much more spacious." 

"We replaced the pot belly stove for a 60's Malm stove for the vibe we were going for."

"If someone were to ask my "vibe" I wouldn't really know how to answer. I don't really fit in one box, but if I had to put a name, I'd like to think it's 'California Casual". 

The back porch was open when we moved in. I knew the moment I saw it that it needed to be a sunroom. I had 6 old windows that we used to partially enclose and its my favourite space just off our master bedroom for morning coffee! 

"I love our little shed in the backyard too. It's been a gardening shed, an art shed, a sit-in shed when rain is pitter-pattering on the tin roof. And now that I have grandkids, I have made it into a playhouse for them to play in."

What a dream!

It feels like this property has fallen into exactly the right hands! I love that old windows and doors have been refitted - and also that a sunroom has been made from vintage finds, I'd be so happy sitting there, sipping coffee while the rain patters on the windows, how about you? 

You can see more pictures of Colette's pretty cottage and follow her latest home updates over at @colettemiller. 

Is there anything that stood out to you about Colette's home? If so, please do share in the comments below, I love to hear your thoughts, observations and reflections! 

The interior reminded me a little of Leanne Ford's woodsy cabin and also some of the properties by Australian Lynda Gardner (especially her Daylesford property) - two interior designers I admire. And I think the sun room holds similarities to romantic Camellas Lloret - somewhere I've always wanted to stay! 

I am busy packing as I am heading off to Norway tomorrow for a week. I'll be heading to Bodø and then the Lofoten islands for a travel piece for Simply Scandi magazine, and I am SO excited! If you'd like a virtual trip, do follow along on my instagram!

Have a wonderful start to the week! 

Niki

PS Don't forget to make the most of the 20% discount at Skandinavisk with code myscandinavianhome20 - I love their FJORD fragrance, they've managed to captured the scent of the Norwegian fjords beautifully! 

Credits: interior design - Colette Miller, photography - Lynda Kennedy, shared with kind permission. 

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A White Swedish Apartment with A Small Space Hack

Anyone in need of a little calm this Monday? This elegant apartment in Södermalm, Stockholm is blessed with 3.30 metre high ceilings and beautiful period features. Plus, if you're looking to make an extra bedroom out of your living space or work wonders with paint, this is the inspiration for you! Let's take a look at what's at play in this 75 metres square (807 ftsq) apartment. 

In an open-plan space, it makes sense to place the table in the natural light of the window and the sofa in a cosier spot with less light. I love how the living room is full of contrasting textures too - something you'll see throughout the apartment. 

A subtle hint of colour in the children's bedroom does wonders to the overall look and feel of the space. 

I'm guessing the kitchen previously occupied the entire space just off the living room and now carved into two - a children's bedroom and a small space to cook. Once again, contrasts are at play - with the use of both industrial stainless steel and painted wood cabinets. 

Old wood windows allow the flow of light into the kitchen. 

Paint is a budget-friendly way to breathe new life into a space. In the hallway, the owners have painted a geometric pattern on the hall floor and also added a fun modern twist to the doors and cabinets by painting the lower section green. I love this! 

The owners have adopted the same industrial feel in the bathroom for a cohesive look. 

The children's bedroom may be small, but it's certainly pretty, cosy and well organised! The use of white helps the storage to melt in while splashed of colour draw the eye in. 

Sometimes, it can be hard to figure out a layout from the pictures, so here's some more info courtesy of Historiska Hem: 

Glossary: sovrum - bedroom, kök - kitchen, vardagsrum - sitting room, badrum - bathroom.

Absolutely lovely space - it's a total breath of fresh air and I really like the mix of materials. 

Is there anything that stood out to you? 

The room shuffle reminds me a little of the home I featured recently in Copenhagen here.  

Have a fabulous start to the week friends! 

Niki

Photography: Historiska Hem

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A Bright White Swedish Apartment Where Old Meets New

Last Tuesday I celebrated my twenty year anniversary of living in Sweden. Can you believe it? I simply don't know where the time has gone. But it's been two wonderful decades! Over my years here, Scandinavian interiors have evolved a lot. Even so, there are some looks that are timeless - and one of those is what I like to call 'the Scandinavian blonde look'. 

Think a less is more approach where light colours and blonde wood take centre stage. The look is bright and airy, with touches of nature found around every corner. 

This lovely two-floored Swedish maisonette offers a beautiful bang up to date version of this style, complete with a contemporary stainless steel kitchen,  traditional wainscoting, wood beams, and a painted checked floor. Ready to feel inspired? 

You quite often find a painted wood floor like this in Swedish homes - particularly in the countryside. It's a technique that stems back to the olden days when tiles were considered very expensive, so people would imitate with paint. Today, it's a well loved feature - and relatively easy to achieve with some stencils and a little patience! 

I've seen more and more green tiles like these appearing in homes lately (only last week we saw something similar in St Oak apartment!). I love the old school touch! The loo with the raised cistern reminds me so much of the ones we had at my primary school too, although I'm sure the owners of this place have better loo roll!! 

All in all, a beautiful home, do you agree? 

Take a look at similar 'blonde wood' Scandinavian-style homes: 

A dreamy Copenhagen home full of books and art

The blond Nordic apartment

A bright, light and playful Swedish apartment

But the look isn't reserved for Scandi homes - take a peek at the kitchen of this Normandy family home! 

Wishing you all a bright start to the week! 

Niki

I am home with a very tired gymnast today. Thank you for all your well wishes! We had a great weekend - it was so fun to watch Alice and her team perform - and we were so proud of them for coming 5th in the nationals (although it will take a while for my pulse to drop!)! Per and I also spent some time afternoon in the breath-taking Stockholm archipelagos too - it's so peaceful there. If you haven't already, I hope you can visit one day!

Photography courtesy of Fastighetsbyrån, found via Nordroom with thanks

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