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. 

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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. 

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A Charming Swedish Home in a Windmill

The Southern Sweden county of Skåne where I live is known for its flat land and steady wind - which is why you'll spot so many windmills! Although the majority are no longer in working order, some have been transformed into year-round dwellings - like this one!

Nestled in the countryside near Höganäs (see my travel guide here), this beautiful four-storey windmill is currently for sale - and when you see inside you might just be joining the queue to be the next owner! The windmill has been lovingly restored to ensure many of the original features are still intact, while the furnishings have been artfully placed around the angled walls to create a cosy home. 

Shall we take a peek inside? 

So lovely! It would be so fun to be able to invite people over and welcome them inside your very own windmill, don't you think? 

You can currently see the full tour and find out more details over at Nadjafi Kirstensen here. 

This is the perfect opportunity to take a tour of some other unusual dwellings today, don't you think? 

Check out homes inside a former....

Swedish fire station

Carpenters workshop

Bar

School

It might not be a windmill, but if you're visiting Skåne, you can stay in your very own tower just outside Malmö. 

Do you live in an unusual property? Or perhaps you dream of living in one? If so, do tell below, we'd love to hear more! 

Happy Wednesday! 

Niki

PS Per and I are celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary tomorrow - it's crazy how quickly the time has passed. I understand that it's our 'crystal' anniversary. Any ideas for a fun present (yes, left it a little late....). Our neighbour's cat is called Crystal, but I have a feeling that might not work for many reasons. 

Photography courtesy of Nadjafi Kirstensen, shared with thanks.

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Emma Sundh's Beautiful Sustainable Swedish Country Home

Happy Monday! Sweden is still feeling the energy of Friday's midsummer's eve celebrations, and although the cut wildflowers have started to wilt, the memories of the day remain strong (although slightly hazy for those who imbibed a little too much aquavit!). 

Last Monday I featured a pretty summer cottage on the Swedish island of Gotland - which one eagle-eyed reader recognised as the former home of Emma Sundh. I've always loved Emma's projects, having featured her summer cottage (and pink caravan!) in the past. So, today I thought I'd share what she's been up to lately, and you won't be disappointed! 

Over the past two years, Emma and her partner have been busy building a house in Värmland. And not just any house. As a strong environmental advocate, the property has been built entirely from 'stone, clay, straw, recycled materials, laughter, hope, happiness and sorrow' (in Emma's own words)! 

Emma has covered the entire process in her new book Att Bygga ett Hem - halm, lera & återbruk (To Build a Home - straw, clay & recycling). Here's a sneak peek of the beautiful interior: 

Look closely at the sink and you'll see a crack in the sink. When Emma found it, there was a huge chunk missing from the front. Not to be deterred, she sought advice from expert friends and filled it in! 

I love these snapshots. It makes me want to see more and read Emma's book! Do you feel the same? I think it's only available in Swedish right now, but hopefully it will be translated to other languages soon! I'll keep you posted if so. 

We're about to head home from our own summer cottage now, life is whirring around me as we speak. I'd better close my laptop and help pack up! 

Wishing you all a great start to the week, see you Wednesday! 

Niki

Photography: Emma Sundh, shared with kind permission. 

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A Perfect Swedish Summer Cottage For Midsummer's Eve!

It's the start of a new week - but not just any week. Here in Sweden, we're gearing up for arguably the biggest event of the year - Midsummer! On Thursday evening the city streets will slowly become deserted as folk flock to the countryside to spend 'midsommarsafton' (midsummer's eve) with family and friends on Friday. 

It felt apt to share this quintessential Swedish cottage on the island of Gotland to mark the occasion. You might just recognise it, it used to belong to Emma Sundh (previously featured here with a different layout and furnishings!). The pretty red and white cottage is every inch the archetypal Swedish summer cottage - and it has a large garden that's perfect for dancing around a maypole with flowers in your hair! 

Step inside to discover rooms painted in earthy tones to mirror the surrounding nature, simple decor, touches of floral wallpaper and the most beautiful masonry oven! 

So idyllic! And such a pretty cottage, don't you think? I'd be perfectly happy to spend my summer months here. It helps that Gotland is the most amazing island. Located in the Baltic Sea, the nature is verdant and wild, with rugged shores and sandy beaches, as well as wildflowers growing in the hedgerows. Small ateliers and farm shops are dotted along the roadside, and a cool eatery is never far away. If you'd like to visit, you can read more about the island in this travel guide I wrote a while back. 

Most importantly, it has so much space to dance around like a frog on midsummer (read more about hosting a Swedish midsummer celebration here). 

Step inside more beautiful summer cottages on Gotland today here: 

A rustic summer cottage with a pool

Elsa's inspiring summer cottage

A beautiful limestone barn

A converted school house

Speaking of summer cottages, Landfolk and swedish magazine Hus & hem are currenty seeking Sweden's loveliest summer cottage. You can see the shortlist (some of which you'll recognise from past blog posts) - and vote for your favourite here. 

Have a great start to the week! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Länsförsäkringar Fastighetsförmedling (currently for sale). 

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