This Fairytale Swedish Country Home Could be Yours!

Tjena vänner! Another Monday has rolled around, but it's slightly different here. Our eldest daughter has returned to school. Two down, two to go! One thing that has stayed the same: I'm still dreaming over beautiful homes far and wide. Especially ones that are for sale! Do you enjoy looking at local real estate too? Now, I wouldn't call this one local (I think 600 km is a stretch for USA even) but it IS dreamy - and definitely worth interrupting Per's coffee break (''hey P, how about moving here?''). Dating back to 1915, this beautiful Swedish country home is around 45 mins from Stockholm and part of a row of red and white houses which wouldn't look out of place in Astrid Lindgren's 'Children of Noisy Village' (my kids would fit right in!). The large spacious rooms have been decorated in soothing muted tones which look out over the snowy countryside. In springtime, the melting snow makes way for lush green rapeseed fields which turn a vibrant yellow come May. Enjoy the tour friends - who knows, this might just be your next home! 

So beautiful! 

I love the golden winter light - and would happily sit out there on the terrace for a social distanced gathering, how about you?

Are you tempted to move right in? If so, you can find more details here - including pictures and layout (I know sometimes it can be hard to figure this out from the pictures). 

Since we need to ease ourselves into the week gently, I couldn't resist digging out these incredible Scandinavian country homes from the archive. Time to put those feet up! 

A cosy country home in North Sweden (beside a salmon river)

Ilkka's charming rural home in Finland 

A danish log cabin by in the woods

Wishing you a wonderful start to the week!

Niki

PS before Christmas I mentioned I'd planned to introduce a new MSH column about readers homes. I plan to kick this off at the end of Feb - and I need your help! Do you have a room in your home you'd love to share? If so, please e-mail me a picture (a JPEG at least 750 pixels widen- this interior photo guide is helpful) with a little info about why you love the room and any key details (furniture / accessories etc) we'd all find helpful. Tack så mycket! 

Photography courtesy of Bo Sthlm.

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A Cosy Norwegian Country Cottage At Christmas

Ready for something very cosy and a little Christmassy today? You might remember photographer Hilde Mork's beautiful rural Norwegian home from a feature I wrote about it just before midsummer. I've been dreaming about her lovely cottage ever since. Today, I thought it would be nice to revisit Hilde's home to celebrate the start of my favourite month of the year - December (birthday month!) and see how it looks in Winter time. As you can imagine, her little cottage in the small hamlet of Nesodden, near Oslo (which she shares with her two children) is as hyggeligt as can be! Surrounded by snow, the cottage is lit with the warm glow of a wood burning stove and advent candles flickering in the window. A fir tree has been chopped down in the forest and awaits outside the door and scattered stars hint that 'Jul' is near. Welcome to Hilde's cosy, sheepskin-lined home! 

How beautiful.

I can so imagine hunkering down there today by the fire, how about you?

There's evidence of what Hilde does in her spare time throughout the cottage - from the woodshed (imagine the amount of effort it took to chop up all that wood?) and dragging a Christmas tree home, to the homemade paper stars on the windowsill (see the DUY tutorial here) and knitting by the fire. Lovely hobbies - and perfect for when the snow falls gently outside! 

You can see more pictures of Hilde's lovely home here - and take a peek at how it looks in the summer here (equally beautiful, just very different!). Hilde also has an online shop where she sells her prints and other items -  and her work is also available at The Poster Club* (ships worldwide), something for Christmas perhaps?

Shall we entertain ourselves with a few more cosy homes this cold and frosty 1st December morning?

Here are some of my favourites: 

12 budget-friendly ways to transform your sitting room into a cosy winter haven

A cosy cabin deep in the Norwegian fjords

And one for those of you in the southern hemisphere: the cosy Whale Song Shack! 

Happy 1st December! 

Niki

Photography Hilde Mork - shared with kind permission

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A Charming Swedish Country Home with Festive Touches

I can't help getting a little excited about adding a few festive touches to our home this weekend. Nothing major - just a hint - and enough to make our home feel cosy and Christmassy. Will you be putting up any decorations over the next couple of days (for those who celebrate)? As I'm sure you well know, Swedes are masters at 'subtle festive touches'. A hint of a wreath here, a hyacinth there. With a strong focus on nature, wonderful aromas, vintage pieces and handmade items (see 5 simple budget-friendly craft ideas). In her country home in southern Sweden, Johanna has started to decorate her 'little green' house (as she calls it on instagram) with pretty, subtle 'Jul' touches. Think paper stars, oil lamps, garlands of sliced oranges, candles and wreaths. Oh, and the Christmas tree is ready and waiting just outside the door too!

I love how uncomplicated these touches are - and yet they create such a cosy feel, don't you think?

Is there anything that stood out to you about Johanna's lovely rural home? You might like to see more pictures on instagram over at @vartlillagrona.

Looking for more inspiration? Take a peek at the Christmas archive - it's packed with Scandinavian ideas for every taste and budget.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Niki

Photos: @vartlillagrona shared with kind permission

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Ilkka's Charming Rural Retreat In Finland

Hei! How are you today? Feel like getting away from it all? Today, I'm whisking you off to rural Finland and the charming bolthole of interior architect Ilkka Mälkiäinen. Acquired 12 years ago as a weekend escape from Helsinki, Ilkka and Janne have carefully renovated the country home to bring it back to its former glory. Think high ceilings, beautiful wood floors and rooms painted in deep charcoal and steel grey. Today, the home is a goldmine of Finnish antiques and vintage finds and packed with charm. Welcome to Ilkka and Janne's age-old country retreat! 

How beautiful! I love the relaxed, eclectic feel of the home. 

Did you have a favourite room? I've always had a real weakness for romantic style bathrooms. Imagine locking up your city apartment, coming out here to the quiet of the countryside and running a candlelit bath. Heaven! 

This takes me back to the day I captured a home for The Scandinavian Home deep in the heart of the Finnish countryside. And there was a moose grazing in the meadows beside the house. 

I've been wanting to return ever since - something for next summer perhaps? Have you ever been to Finland?

If you're after a little more Finnish dreaming today, here are a few other homes to love: 

A warm, modern Finnish home with a touch if the Med

Suvi's modern home on Finland's West coast

A Finnish home in a converted factory

Have a cosy day! 

Credits: Krista Keltanen / Jonna Kivilahti - shared with kind permission

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