Your very own garden retreat on a shoestring budget

Lately there's been a surge of interest in the garden shed. But not in it's traditional form. Sheds are being transformed into cosy spaces at the end of the garden to call your own. Somewhere to be creative, work or simply enjoy a cup of tea! Personally this type of garden retreat has always been a bit of a dream of mine, so I'm always inspired by people who have created their own. Jeska Hearne of Lobster & Swan recently collaborated with Waltons to create a a pretty space with a vintage-boho feel.  The summerhouse is full of whimsical florals and cheerful pops of colour and furnished almost entirely with flea market and antique finds as well as recycled / upcycled items.

Source: Lobster & Swan

Oh so lovely!

It would also make a great guest house (in the warmer months of the year), don't you think?

If you already have a garden shed you're in luck. If not, this one is a  contemporary summerhouse with side shed. Pick up vintage crates here.  There's always a great selection of mid-century side-tables to be found here.  Buy classic books in lovely new covers here. I love pretty Liberty print fabric in florals (like the ones Jeska's used for the cushions) - but you can use small samples of fabrics you have lying around at home - or search for vintage fabric online. Pick up a recycled blanket (and other items) at Jeska's beautiful online shop The Future Kept.

You can see more pics of this make-over here. 

Other inspiring garden retreats include this fab caravan and a dreamy shed conversion.

Could you imagine having a little space like this to call your own?

Have a lovely day!

PS I'm exploring Helsinki today, so exciting (thank you for all your tips over the last few days - I'm actually in Café Succés enjoying 'the best cinnamon bun in town' and I can testify that it is the best one I've ever tasted - with a bowl of café au lait of course!). I'll be walking around with a small skip in my step as I've just received the news that My Scandinavian Home has been nominated for Best European Interior Blog in the Amara #IBA16 - votes can now be placed here - I'd be so happy if you'd like to vote for me!

READ MORE...

7

A short and pretty guide to celebrating Midsummer, Swedish style

Tomorrow is one of my favourite celebrations of the year - midsummer. Here's my round-up of beautiful inspiration for celebrating midsummer the Swedish way. 

Damernas Värld

Miss wallflower

Honestly YUM

Bea's cookbook

A Bryan Photo

And for a little know how:

How to make a ethereal midsummer crown, and a beautifully simple floral wreath for your home.

And the feast. Oh the feast! This post by Honestly YUM is the perfect inspiration to create your own midsummer banquet. A midsummer berry cake. Or why not keep it simple - I love the idea of threading wildstrawberries onto straw (as seen above). 

Your midsummer cocktail: Aquavit, sherry and elderflower liqueur.  And decorating ice cubes.

Single? Swedish folklore says that if you pick seven different sorts of flowers and put them under your pillow on midsummer night, you'll dream of your future love!

 'Glad midsommar!' May the flowers in your hair be fresh, and your maypole dancing stay strong!

See you Tuesday! 

*for those of you in the southern hemisphere,  I guess it's happy winter solstice! - any excuse to celebrate, right....? Skål! 

READ MORE...

5

A charming Swedish cottage by a lake

This charming Swedish home from the 1840's is nestled on the shores of a lake just outside Gothenburg. It may be fairly small but what it lacks in size it makes up for in clever space-saving solutions (look at the children's bedroom!) and whimsicle style.  The decor has been kept beautifully simple with lots of white, rattan and wood. And there's more too - it has an outhouse. I dream of a place at the end of the garden which could double up as a studio and extra space for guests (this is my inspiration for when I'm dreaming big and this is my inspiration when I'm dreaming small). How about you? This pretty cottage has it all! Anyone fancy a row?! 

Stadshem

Oh and did I mention it's for sale?! 'Först till kvarn' as they say in Sweden!

I spy a peacock chair just like mine! There's a beautiful one for sale on Etsy right now here (FYI!).

If you're feeling inspired by the Swedish cottage today - you might want to put a kettle on the stove and explore this archive (scroll passed the first home as it'll be this one).

And more outhouse dreaming here and here.

Have a lovely day!

READ MORE...

3

Let's go outside....

...in the sunshine! It's a four day weekend here (don't you wish every week could be like that?!) and the sun's shining here in Southern Sweden - wooohoooo! So today I'm taking things outside for a little al fresco dining inspiration...

Tia Borgsmidt

Nordic Day

Oslo terrace - Photo: Birgitta Wolfgang Drejer / Sisters Agency - Interiormagasinet

http://divaaniblogit.fi/

Spanish house outside Barcelona - Nuevo Estilo

Nuevo Estilo

Zhenya Grid

Ooo, I do love evenings out on the deck don't you?!

You can see a complete tour of the Oslo terrace here. Anyone would think you're in the med?!

And speaking of the med...there's a tour of the inside of the Spanish house, located just outside Barcelona, on Nuevo Estilo - so beautiful, don't you think?! 

Take a tour of Nordic Day's terrace here.

And what about this hanging bed in the garden?! Bliss!

My outdoor space is tiny, but I dream big...and if I were to wave my magic wand and create a garden of my dreams it would have an interrupted view of the ocean (obvs), my sailboat bobbing on a bridge waiting to be taken out, and a hammock or possibly just a swing like this one. Occasionally I'd put down my book and go for a dip. Or maybe in my swimming pool which would look like ANY of these (really, I'm not fussy....). And in the evening we'd all get together like this. Who's in?!

How would your dream outdoor space look?!

Have a wonderful weekend and see you Monday!

READ MORE...

8

A relaxed apartment with a touch of blue

I love blue. It's not a colour I've used in my own home but I grew up in a house with blue velvet chesterfield sofas exactly like this one (for a modern update check out the one in this apartment). I particularly love the combination of dark blue and beige or cognac, it looks so smart don't you think? It was the blue sofa (from Funky Furniture) and rattan rug which inspired me to show the San Francisco home of Kate Davison and her partner Jesse today. There's something extremely relaxed and yet very cool about their space over all. I could pad around here today, how about you?

Kate Davison, Craetive at Mashery

I have to say, I love the string lighting in the back garden. My sister recently bought this outdoor string lighting for her garden. probably the nicest I've seen. Although I do love some twinkly fairy lights  at Christmas too (remember my 'dream' party post?!).

You can find out where nearly everything in this is home is from here.

For more blue and beige / cognac / copper inspiration it's well worth taking a look through all of these lovely home tours.

 A big thank you to Kate for sending me the images for today's post, I do love to receive home tour pics in my inbox - please do send me yours too!

Have a lovely day!

PS I'm excited to see Great.ly are offering free-shipping from now until 2nd December. The right time to pick up a cushion or print?!

READ MORE...

4

A dreamy little space to call home

One of my dreams is to have a a work studio in my (future) garden which doubles as a pretty guest house for friends and family. Do you share a similar dream?  Then I came across this shed conversion on Design Sponge and my idea was immediately brought to life! Over the space of two months designer, stylist and artist Paige Morse converted a shed in her back garden into a stunning Scandinavian inspired black and white retreat. Her goal was to create a space from which she can work, She was so thrilled with the outcome she now actually lives in the 'Casita' and rents out her house to afford the lifestyle she so desires: to work on her creatives full time. What an inspiration?!

Before:

Photos Cody Ulrich. Paige Morse. Via Design Sponge with thanks. 

Be still my beating heart!

This really is the casita of my dreams! The only thing I would add is a turf roof as seen on this and this home. How about you? Could you see yourself working / living here?

You can see the full before and after shots over at Design Sponge and read more about Paige's work here.

Other fantastic, unusual and alternative garden shed conversions here and here.

Have a lovely day!

READ MORE...

9

The perfect Norwegian home for a summer's day

When the sun shines in Sweden I feel the need to spend the entire day outside (I guess this isn't the case when you live somewhere warm and sunny all year round?!). But there is an exception to this. The Norwegian home of blogger and photographer Elisabeth Heier is one of those spaces where you could easily flit between inside and outside on a beautiful day, depending on your mood. Not only is the home bright and airy but it also has several different places you can sit and relax with a book or magazine - window nook, dining table, outdoor terrace....and still enjoy the warmth of natural sunlight and the nature beyond. I could spend a summer's day here could you?

Elisabeth Heier with kind permission

Elisabeth is such a wonderful photographer and her blog is almost entirely made up of pictures she has taken of her own home. So impressive!

See previous posts from her home here, here and here.

I spy a few classic items I love: Knoll Diamond chair and Eames side chair DSR.

I hope you have a lovely Wednesday!

READ MORE...

9