my scandinavian home: country style living

Past Meets Present in a 1760's Captain's Cottage By the Sea

There are many reasons Coaster's Chance Cottage has appeared across several TV networks over the past few years - not only has the 1760s captain's cottage gone through an incredible transformation by Moore House Design, the results are absolutely stunning. And don't even get me started on the waterside location in Cutler Maine, USA! So beautiful! Every single room is magical, but I especially love the kitchen - where the lofty ceiling height and rustic wood beams create a light and airy space with a nod to the past. A sea of muted colours, the interior is also a master class in texture from aged dark wood, reclaimed floorboards, vintage rugs, exposed brickwork, ceramic pots, linen curtains and bedspreads to the lovely antique furniture, giving the entire space a wonderful, warm soul. Can I move in, please?

How beautiful.

I've heard that Maine is probably the place in America which is most like Scandinavia (is this true, Maine friends?) and I long to visit one day. If I do, I'd certainly try to book this house!

Could you imagine staying here, too?

You can read all about the various room renovations and the details over at Moore House Design.

Meanwhile, it's our final day in Cornwall - the surfer paradise in Southwest England, and my girls have had so much fun with their cousins. We'll be sad to leave tomorrow! If you'd ever like to visit this corner (literally) of the world, my sister rents her beautiful home through Airbnb.

I'll be back on Friday with some snapshots from our cabin - and our new armchair which has quickly become my favourite item (and Per's too - ''finally a comfortable chair''!). See you then!

Niki

Photographs courtesy of Moore House Design.

Jessica's Beautiful Swedish Country Home and Garden

The towns and cities in Sweden have become distinctly quieter as more and more head out to the countryside to enjoy the nice weather (hey, we've waited a long time for this sunshine, we're not going to miss it!). For Swede Jessica Hedin, life continues at her quintessential country home from where she drives her business as a mindfulness therapist and coach - in between renovating a beautiful old house and toiling the soil to produce an abundance of home-grown vegetables and flowers.

Step inside, and the house has been renovated with a deep respect for its past. Wood beams, panelling, exposed brickwork and original doors and windows provide a backdrop for an interior that's been painted in a soothing light green and white as well as with touches of traditional wallpaper. The living space has been furnished with a blend of antique furniture and light fittings which add to the wonderful, relaxed countryside vibe. Ready to take a peek?

Beautiful!

I particularly love the downstairs loo! And I find the garden so inspiring too. The grass was pretty much ruined at our cabin during the build and so I feel like we're starting from scratch. I don't think our garden will ever look quite like Jessica's, but I do love the idea of growing sweet peas, roses and dahlia as well as having a vegetable patch - something we've never been able to do in our tiny city garden!

Is there anything that you felt particularly inspired by?

See more pictures from Jessica's house and garden at @angadalen and find out more about Jessica's work as a health worker and therapist - including courses and workshops here.

Would you like to see a few other Swedish country homes today? I love:

A charming and idyllic country home in summertime

A house and garden with a beautiful greenhouse on Gotland

A pretty red and white house in rural Sweden

In case you missed it: I have now moved into my summer holiday posting schedule (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). Have a relaxing few days and see you Friday!

Niki

Photography: Jessica Hedin shared with kind permission

A Charming and idyllic Swedish Country Home in Summertime

The Swedish country house of interior stylist Anna Furbacken would look perfectly at home in an Astrid Lindgren tale. It's so idyllic! Nestled in the countryside in central Sweden, the historic croft is made up of one larger house and several outhouses positioned astound a central lawn - making it a perfect venue for parties like midsummer this Friday!

Anna has been renovating the house over time to create a home where she and her family can relax and be themselves, both outdoors and in. The interior offers a refreshing respite from the 'perfect' living spaces we're so used to seeing these days, offering a wonderful glimpse into family life on the farm. Look out for antique furniture, an array of vintage lights and soft, earthy, muted tones - as well as refreshing glimpses of laptops, cables, messy cushions and the odd margarine tub.

Outdoors, there's plenty of seating to go around with a chilled bamboo sitting room area, hammocks and a long table with a mix match of chairs. It's the kind of place, you'd be happy to pull up a seat and stay for a while under the midnight sun.

Note the choice of panelling in the kitchen (I'm all into panelling having installed it in our cabin. See my panelling guide here) - Anna has opted for a traditional bead panelling which perfectly matches the history and style of the house.

The pendant you can catch a glimpse of in the picture above has become really popular in Sweden among the boho living aficionados, it's from HK Living.