An Old School Becomes a Light and Airy Family Home

I seem to have gone down a rabbit hole of Dutch homes lately. It all started with cabin Anna on Thursday, and then yesterday I shared Michiel's harmonious home. And today - I couldn't resist sharing this converted schoolhouse in Rotterdam!  When Aquine, Robbin, Nora and Nood first acquired the property it needed a major amount of work. But their extensive efforts have paid off and today the family enjoy an incredible, light-filled home with sky high ceilings, floor to ceiling windows, open-plan living spaces and a beautiful inner-city garden. Here are a few before and after pics: 

Before

The former school needed a massive amount of work in order to convert it into a liveable space. As well as structural work, a mezzanine floor was added to create space for a living room. 

 

After

In the open plan kitchen, the wooden ceiling has been left exposed to add warmth - a perfect way to balance the coolness of the concrete floor. A pink accent wall also helps to add softness and break up the monochrome theme.

I love this vibrant bouquet - it instantly lifts the spirits and adds a wonderful splash of colour!  

Bikes are as big a part of life in Holland as they are in Scandinavia. This one is so elegant it can be stored in the sitting room area and actually adds to the space (mine wouldn't look quite as aesthetic as this!). 

The bathroom in the bedroom is bound to get tongues wagging in the comment section. I've always thought they're pretty cool as they have a luxury hotel-like feel. I'm not sure everyone agrees though! 

The bed is from IKEA (I was freelancing there when it was first launched and I loved to see how IKEA interior designers styled it: the rail can be used for clothes, hanging plants or nice fabric! The mirror is also IKEA. 

Garden before

The former school playground was extremely barren and need to be re-worked from scratch to transform it into a garden and outdoor social area. 

After

'Pardon the weeds, we're feeding the bees'. I love to see wildflower gardens - it's something I wrote about in my Lagom book. They provide a wonderful home for insects and look pretty too, I'd choose this over a lawn (if I had a garden big enough!). 

A patio area serves as a place to cook, gather and play come summer. 

In all, a lovely property - and knowing that it used to be a school makes it even more special. 

Is there anything that stood out to you? 

See more pictures (including the children's rooms) over at @oldschool.newschool. 

Would you like to see a few other conversions? Check out these amazing archives: 

Converted schools

Converted barns

Converted warehouses

Converted factories

A converted Swedish fire station 

A converted railway station

Do you have a favourite? 

Puss or kram! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of @oldschool.newschool - shared with kind permission

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A Swedish Country House is Restored to Its Former Glory

Long term readers will no doubt remember this atmospheric Malmö home.  Owners Emelie and Magnus have since moved to North West Skåne, South Sweden and have been working their magic on a dilapidated country house dating back to 1910. I've been eagerly following their progress over at @foreningsgatan14 and am excited to share a sneak peek of their new home - from the mood boards and DIY, to the final result!

Before

"The house was built in 1910 and is a red-brick villa laid out over two floors and sits on a 1600 metre square plot of land."

"We fell for the exterior and the potential to restore it back to its former glory. We moved in 2.5 years ago - following in the footsteps of some friends who had also bought houses in the area. Now we live 150 metres from each other!"

"We have renovated most of the interior but still have a little to go!" 

Ready to take a look? Let's start with the kitchen! 

Emelie wanted the kitchen to have lots of traditional charm to match the era of the house, while still creating a highly functional space. 

The couple installed bead panelling and French black and white floor tiles which they combined with kitchen fronts from Järfälla Kök who make units designed specifically to fit IKEA kitchen cabinets. 

The house is full of vintage and antique finds - some of which they brought with them from their previous home in Malmö. The wonderful Beni lamp is from Dis Inredning. 

The sitting room wasn't perhaps the cosiest space to begin with.

But after some hard graft and a lot of patience, they eventually transformed it into this 'mysigt' space to curl up and chill! 

The cosy library, which leads of the sitting room, is one of Emelie's favourite rooms - understandably! 

The bathroom has been another huge project. 

"After an enormous amount of going back and forth, hesitation and sleepless nights, we finally created a moodpboard for the bathroom. We were looking to create something a little romantic and unpolished but at the same time classic and timeless." 

The look was created using bead panelling painted in a wheat hue, as well as tiles from byggfabriken and pronto kakel. 

I love how they have still managed to install two sinks in a small space. How I'd love my own sink - is it me or do children always leave dried toothpaste all over the bowl? 

The vintage storage totally completes the look - and it's practical too!

What a lovely transformation. It's so fun too see it take shape too, don't you think? 

You can follow Emelie and Magnus' renovation journey over at @foreningsgatan14.

Would you like to see other Scandinavian renovations? I love: 

A rundown cabin becomes a vibrant Danish summer cottage

A dilapidated property becomes a beautiful Swedish farmhouse 

Before and after: a traditional Norwegian cottage gets a beautiful colour update

Is there anything that stood out to you about Emelie's home - or any of the other before and after features? I'd love to hear your thoughts! 

Niki

Photography: picture 1 Jenny Baumgartner / BMB, the rest - Emelie Tjäder / @foreningsgatan14

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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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