Did you know adding touches of nature to your home has been proven to boost happiness? And it's something our Scandinavian friends do so well.
Today I'm taking you on a tour of Tina Abild's idyllic Danish summer cottage on the Kattegat coast which is full of nature-themed touches. Here are 11 ideas to feel inspired by!
1. Natural materials: wood, rattan, linen all helps to bring texture to a room.
2. Wildflowers: there's nothing like the wonderful scent of flowers cut from the nearby meadow or hedgerow! Forage first thing in the morning to avoid drooping.
3. Terrarium of foraged items from the beach: display a small selection of items collected from one spot, in this case dried seaweed, driftwood and pebbles from the nearby beach have been displayed a in a glass bell jar.
4. Art that reflects nature: collect art that is reminiscent of the surrounding environment. I this cottage, a fish serves as a reminder that the Kattegat sea is a short walk away.
I love the old ironing board used as a side table, so clever!
5. Dried and pressed flowers: collect your favourite blooms to dry and press and use as art the following year.
6. Driftwood display: old, gnarled wood from the beach makes for a beautiful display in a glass jar.
Adding baskets with handles to hooks creates space for yet more storage - for example for small items like gloves, hats and other pieces that are difficult to hang.
7. Dried flower wreath: when it comes to a second home it's next to impossible to keep plants alive, instead get crafty with flowers and dry them in the shape of wreaths for a decorative display.
Tina made this pretty lampshade herself - it's a great way of up cycling a vintage Le Klint sax lamp!
8. Display books about nature: even better if the tome is about the surrounding area!
9. Hang simple bunches of dried flowers: a simple display of thistles looks pretty hanging from a doorknob.
10. Use botanical or floral themed textiles: carefully selected curtains, bedspreads and curtains can also serve as a way to draw the natural surroundings indoors.
Any avid readers of My Scandinavian Home will have noticed lately just how popular these vintage glass cabinets have become - particularly of the wall-mounted variety! Adding curtains is a great way to hide more unsightly items from view!
11. Line the windowsills: if your windows open outwards, use the sills to showcase stones, shells and wildflowers like cow parsley!
Another simple, yet pretty idea - using beautiful vintage textiles as makeshift curtains to obscure the bathroom from view! Look how well the details show up in the light.
Outdoor showers are a summer dream, don't you think? One day we'll build one at our cabin, but in the meantime, I'll admire Tina's shower from a far!
So many beautiful ideas! I can't wait to take go for a walk by our cabin now so that I can have a little forage. Has Tina's idyllic summer cottage inspired you too?
See more snapshots and follow Tina's latest projects over at @sommerhus.ved.kattegat.
Would you like to see a few more Danish summer cottages today? Here are some truly inspiring getaways:
Stor kram!
Niki
Photography: @sommerhus.ved.kattegat shared with kind permission.
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