Before & After: A Rundown Cabin Becomes a Vibrant Danish Summer Cottage

It's safe to say that when Ida Lundsteen and Edward first bought their summer house in Ejby Ådal - an hour west of the danish capital - it needed a lot of work! But the handy Danish pair could see its potential - both inside and out - and set to work themselves to transform it. Today, their hard work has paid off and they have an idyllic retreat in which to unwind in their spare time. Read on to see the before and after pictures and feel truly inspired!

Dining area before

Dining area after

The wood panelling was painted white, and the floor sanded down and treated with a white soap finish. A window was added to allow light to flow through from the side extension. Today, the dining area is bathed in natural light - a perfect spot to enjoy meals on chillier days! 

Kitchen before

Ida and Edward reconfigured the house, moving the kitchen to an area in the sitting room - formerly occupied by an old electric heater. 

Sitting room before

Looking at the pictures above, you can understand the sheer level of work that they have put into the renovation - completely gutting parts of the house. 

In the sitting room they added a lovely nook (with storage) in which to unwind with a book.   

Sitting room nook after

Bathroom before

Bathroom after

The small bathroom was completely updated. The sink was moved to the opposite side of the room, tiles ripped out and a new floor laid. Today it looks fresh and modern in black, white and brass. 

Side extension before

Side extension after

Ida and Edward built an extension onto the side of the house - adding a work space and practical mudroom. 

Garden and terrace before

Life at a Scandinavian summer house is all about enjoying the great outdoors. Doors are thrown open in the morning - and life spills outside to take in the long summer days. 

But for Ida and Edward - there was work to be done. The garden was completely overgrown and although there had been some form of patio, it needed to be worked over from scratch.

The pair built a large wood deck completely by hand - almost doubling their living space in summertime. They also capitalised on sloping land by adding built-in seating to the side of the decking. 

But my eye is on the sunk-in bath. So simple, yet such a clever idea. 

Patio before

Patio after

After a lot of hard graft, clearing foliage, pulling up the old patio and creating new decking - the family now have a wonderful outdoor dining area where they can gather and enjoy summer days long after the sunsets! 

How incredible! It's even more impressive knowing that they did it themselves, don't you think? 

Is there anything that stood out to you in particular?

The decking before and after couldn't have come at a better time for Per and I as we were discussing laying our own decking up at the cabin this summer. We were already feeling inspired by Per's brother who laid decking himself last summer - and now, after seeing this, we're feeling really empowered! 

I hope this lovely danish cottage as given you plenty of inspiration too. You can see more pics over at @bare_byg.

Other Danish summer cottages to love: 

A danish summer cottage oasis on North Zealand

Two idyllic Danish cottages available to rent

A beautifully simple, white Danish cabin

You also might like to check out the before and after archive for other renovations. 

And finally, I can't sign out without a final comment on the bath. I've seen many outdoor baths before (see 15 outdoor bath and shower ideas) - and the incredible wood burning bath at Settle hideaway, but this is the first time I've seen a simple, ordinary bathtub sunk into decking. What a great idea! I could just see myself having a soak there, glass of wine in hand. How about you? Would you like to see how it looks in winter? Here goes: 

Perfect! 

Niki

PS I mentioned yesterday that I would be sharing my latest studio update today, but the post isn't quite ready - sorry! I look forward to sharing it on Monday instead! 

Photography: Ida Lundsteen, shared with kind permission. 

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Before & After: An Outdated Property Becomes a Vintage-inspired Family Home

Men Tjeeena! Hur är läget? Today I'm taking you on a virtual trip to Trier in Southwest Germany and Esther Soellner's wonderful home. When Esther and her family first discovered the1903 listed building it had a distinct look of the 1970s - all the rooms had panelled wood and suspended ceilings. Sadly, the stucco and original floor had been destroyed and it lacked many of the other original features. Esther, an interior architect, was keen to restore the house and bring it back to its former glory. her and her husband set about opening up the rooms and reinstalling original features such as doors and windows. The living space was then furnished furniture from antique markets across Europe including France, Belgium, Netherlands and Italy - as well as handmade pieces. The result is a calm home with a vintage industrial vibe and a hint of poetry.  Here are some before and after snapshots: 

Kitchen /dining area before

The extent of the renovation was absolutely enormous and included completely gutting the space, tearing down a wall and putting in new windows. 

On the opposite side of the kitchen / dining area, the suspended wood ceiling was removed and new windows and doors were put in. 

Dining area after: 

The cabinet is a fine example of one of Esther's many antique finds. So beautiful! 

Upstairs landing before

You can really see just how dilapidated the house was when the family first found it. Simply everything needed revamping. 

Upstairs landing after

The original wood floor was sanded down and given a new lease of life with white paint, while a mid-grey emphasises the architraves, turning it into a feature. 

The children's bedroom has been kitted out entirely with vintage and antique pieces.

Master bedroom before

Master bedroom after

Esther made use of existing plumbing to add a luxurious feel to the bedroom with a bath (I'm just imagining a candlelit bubble bath and a great book before bedtime!). She also made a feature of existing beams and pillars - stripping back the plaster to reveal the original brickwork. 

A vintage industrial JIELD lamp (I've got one of these in the corner of our sitting room too - always been a fan!)

A black and white theme in the bathroom (love the traditional style loo!) is softened with vintage touches included a wall cabinet and hooks. 

How beautiful! 

I love all the historical doors and internal windows - as well as the general simplicity of the space. It really allows the architecture to shine. 

Keep an eye on Esther's instagram feed @esma.auguste for more snapshots from her lovely home. 

I love a before and after - do you? Here are a few others to enjoy this Lillöradag (little Saturday): 

A dated house becomes a mid-century modern home

A traditional Norwegian cabin gets a colour update

A Swedish couple turn a Mercedes sprinted into a tiny mobile home

Har det bra! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of @esma.auguste

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How a Vintage Cigar Cabinet Became Perfect Home Storage

I was so intrigued by the incredible vintage cabinet in Jana Roach's home yesterday that I had to dig deeper. Where did they find it? And most importantly, how did they manage to find the exact size piece required for the space? Read on to discover that not all is always as it seems... and sometimes it takes a whole load of imagination and some hard work to make the vintage piece you fall in love with fit your home! 

The original piece: 

Jana and her husband Tanner were in a second-hand building materials store in Seattle, US in March 2019 when they came across this old cigar display. 

They immediately fell in love with it, but the unit was way too big for the space they had - plus the slanted shelves (originally used for displaying cigars) were far from practical for kitchen storage. 

Many would have been deterred, admired its beauty and walked on. But not Tanner and Jana! 

The space

They could see its potential as a cabinet for their new dining room. The unit and the space just needed some work! 

What they did

Since the cabinet had no back, they prepped the back wall with white subway tiles. They opted for white grouting so that it wouldn't take over from the items in the cabinet. 

The cabinet was then modified to fit the space. This meant cutting off one of the bays, raising it by around 6 inches and adding a crown trim, base and side. The shelves were also levelled. 

The result:

I love this transformation! 

Looking at some of these homes, it can appear that everything has just effortlessly fallen into place, but it's not always the case - often there's a whole level of imagination and hard graft involved! 

Jana always recommends taking a tape measure to flea markets and reclaim yards. You never know - you might just stumble across a piece you love, and even if it's not quite right in terms of size or colour you might just be able to adapt it for your home and give it an entirely new lease of life anyway! 

Have you up cycled / renovated any second-hand pieces in your home? If so, I'd love to hear about them! 

Niki

PS I don't usually publish posts on Friday, but tomorrow will be an exception - and it's dedicated to anyone who has been wondering whether or not to install a woodturning stove! 

Photos courtesy of Jana Roach, shared with kind permission.

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Before and After: A Traditional Norwegian Cabin Gets a Beautiful Colour Update

A few years ago, Berit stumbled across her dream croft surrounded by forest in Lunner, Hadeland, South-east Norway. The 50-metre square (538 sq.ft) cabin had great bones, but was in need of an update. Keen to put her own personal mark on it, Berit turned to Hytteliv magazine and interior designer Siv Brenne, who together with paint brand Jotun set to work on transforming the space while working to highlight the original features. The result is a peaceful retreat in soothing tones, and the perfect place to unwind. 

Kitchen before: 

Kitchen after: 

The kitchen has been given a fresh, calm update with wall panels in 1140 Sand, the ceiling in 471 Lys Antik (both LADY supreme finish matt) and the kitchen cabinets are from Bærum Kjøkkensenter, painted in colour s3005-B8OG. 

The sand shade has also been applied to the traditional-style sitting room area to give the living space a cohesive look. 

Master bedroom before:

When Beret bought the cabin, the small master bedroom was a sea of blues ranging from a more earthy shade to a bright sky blue. 

master bedroom after:

A soothing blue-grey tone (6315 Jade) was applied to the walls while the window frames were painted with a slightly darker 6232 Sjøalge to ensure the original features pop. Furniture and accessories in white and sand help to carry the theme through from the kitchen and sitting room. 

Guest bedroom before:

The guest bedroom was a riot of blue and red - which I am not opposed to since it gives it an air of traditional Norwegian country. However, the transformation is so charming....

After:

The top bunk is mounted on the wall to give an airy touch to the small room (I'm curious to know if the walls would hold this at our summer cottage - I'd love to do something similar!). The walls and beds have been painted in a lovely light 1376 Froströk, while the door and window frame have been given a darker 6232 Sjøalge treatment to match the master bedroom). 

Bathroom before:

After: 

The bathroom has also been given a traditional touch with antique furniture against a backdrop of wood panels painted in calming 4017 Pilasterblå. The blind is from Green Apple and bench is from Lama. 

The exterior was also given aan update. A dramatic 734 Brunsvart (brown-black) was a applied to the wood panels and been paired with window frames in a softer 1376 Froströk and shutters in 4252 Kimrök Dämpad - creating a wonderful cohesive look between outdoors and indoors. 

What a lovely update! I love the soothing palette. It demonstrates just how important it is to work with a cohesive colour scheme before you start to decorate. 

Is there anything that stood out to you? 

For more fab before and afters, check out this archive - some really incredible ones in there! Also, take a peek in the Norway homes archive - a favourite of mine! 

A couple of other things before I head off:

If you subscribe to My Scandinavian Home via e-mail, the feedburner will no longer work from tomorrow onwards (unfortunately) so I'm working on a new solution in order for you to continue receiving my posts straight to your inbox! I'll be back soon with more info!

And secondly, my article: Handmade Tale: The Rise of Handcrafts for the Home is now live over at IMM Cologne online magazine if you fancy a read! I love this movement, it makes me so happy! I hope it inspired you, too.

I'll be back tomorrow with a beautiful Scandi home tour. See you then! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Hytteliv & Jotun

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