Before & After: A Swedish Kitchen Gets a DIY Makeover!

It's Friday friends, FRIDAY! Eeeeee! This weekend I'm planning a few home DIY projects to make our home as cosy as possible for the next coming weeks (we might even hang a mirror that's been lying about in our landing for two months - who knows?!). How about you? In case you're also looking for DIY inspiration, I thought I'd share this wonderful kitchen make-over by Swedish interior designer Johanna Bradford. Johanna and her husband Adam bought their former apartment in 2016. The kitchen was nice enough (see below) - but missing that extra 'mys' (cosy) factor.  Check out the changes the pair made using a DIY carpentry and a splash of paint to transform a basic, narrow kitchen into the cosy heart of the home!

Before

Formerly a maid's room with a separate entrance to the back stairwell, the previous owners moved the kitchen into this room in 2014. The kitchen units and fresh white cabinets ran along one side of the room and include double cabinets which extend the entire way up to the ceiling (perfect for maximising storage space! The stainless-steel worktop was beautifully fitted, and all the appliances were in good working order. The kitchen also featured a dark stained solid oak floor. 

Johanna and her partner wanted to leave the fully functional and perfectly planned kitchen intact but at the same time were keen to make their mark on it. 

The process

Prior to moving in, Johanna sanded down the oak floors and treated them with natural oil so that they would match the flooring in the rest of the apartment. 

They also wanted to make more of the right side of the kitchen - and make room for more people. Adam built a wall-to-wall bench using a long plank of wood mounted on solid brackets. He also added a wainscot using wood panels. And finally, he created a raised wood shelf. All of the equipment was bought from a local hardware store. 

Once the work was completed, the kitchens painted in calming Little Greene. 

After

Ta daaa! The work has made so much more of the right-hand side of the kitchen, and up until they sold the flat, they could accommodate up to 10 people for dinner! The update also helps give the illusion that the kitchen is wider than it is - and the wainscoting adds a really cosy touch. I also love the soft green shade, it's calm yet cosy and also adds a traditional touch to the space. Beautiful!

The table was custom made by Friends & Founders. A Flos light* hangs from the ceiling.  

What a great transformation! 

Perhaps you have a kitchen that needs a simple update (this is certainly proof that you don't need to do a lot to add your mark!), or looking for a project at home this weekend? If so, I hope this Swedish kitchen make-over has inspired you.  

Johanna frequently shares other DIY projects and news about her house renovation over on her wonderful blog here. 

If you love an awesome 'before and after' as much as I do put your feet up this weekend and take a look at these - so inspiring!!

A Mid-century Danish House Gets a Fabulous Makeover

A Dated LA House Becomes A Light & Airy Family Home

A Rundown Flat Becomes a Stylish London pad

A Miami Penthouse Gets The Royal Treatment!

So guys, that's all for me for the week. I hope My Scandinavian Home has provided just the bubble of respite you've needed this week and you've felt as inspired as I have!

Wishing you a lovely weekend - take care, stay home and relax (unless of course, you're planning an awesome DIY make-over!). 

Niki

PS I am not sure if you saw that Holly Becker of Decor8 and I started a #30dayhomelove challenge on instagram. It centres around providing a positive challenge each day for everyone at home. The daily themes include plats, shelves, coffee table etc. The hope is that it will help the home be an even brighter place to be. We're thrilled to see more than a thousand entries from all over the world. If you fancy participating, you can read more about it here. It's not to late to join in! 

Photography: Johanna Bradford 

READ MORE...

1

Before And After: A Dated Cabin Becomes a Modern Scandinavian-inspired Colorado Retreat!

It's Friday friends - and that calls for something extra special, don't you think? And I have just the place! A few days ago, this magical cabin in Twin Lakes, Colorado dropped into my mail box. Photographer, author and teacher Christine Bayles Kortsch and husband Daniel Kortsch (also a photographer) had always dreamed of owning a remote cabin to visit at the weekends, as well as offer as a property for workshops, photoshoots, elopements and more. After years of drooling over cabins online, their dream finally came true in the shape of Alpenglow Cabin which they purchased and renovated together with Daniel's brother Jon-Marc and his partner Laura. Surrounded by rugged beauty and wild nature, the location was perfect, the cabin itself however, was in need of a little TLC. I caught up with Christine to find and out more. 

Kitchen - Before

Christine, Daniel, Jon-Marc and Laura completely gutted the cabin, before painting the pine paneling white.

"We did the entire renovation ourselves (except the hardwood floors) and found primary inspiration in Scandinavian-influenced design. This included talks with our Danish brother-in-law and admiring photos of his family's summer cottage."

Kitchen - After 

Dated upper cabinets were ripped out and replaced with wooden open shelving for a light, relaxed and contemporary feel. The lower cabinets were given a lick of white paint and moved around to give the entrance more breathing space. 

"The copper collection is antique and was passed down from my sister-in-law Laura, whose heritage is Norwegian and German."

Main Living Space - Before

Nothing can take away from the staggering view of the mountains - but the hot tub was fairly dominant and there's no denying that the living space was incredibly dark and lacked cosiness! 

Living Space - After

A fresh lick of paint (I like how they still have wood on the ceiling and around the windows) and wood floors have helped turn the cabin into a fresh and airy, yet cosy and comfortable living space. The hot tub exterior has also been given a makeover - making it less dominant while still providing a dreamy spot from which to gaze out over the mountains. 

"My husband is a woodworker and he made the live-edge dining table."

"My brother-in-law Jon-Marc is a sculpture fabricator and had the wood stove hearth pad custom-made." 

Master bedroom - Before

Master Bedroom - After

A wall-to-wall carpet was ripped out and replaced with a dark wood floor for a modern feel. 

Simple, soft furnishings like this woven wall hanging by Sweet pea Artistry Co help to add a cosy alpine feel. 

Bedroom 2 - Before

Bedroom 2 - After

You can really see the Scandinavian feel coming through in this bedroom: the minimalist feel, botanical touches and the chequer detail!

"We are so proud of this cabin. It is tangible evidence of our blood, sweat, love of nature, passion for beauty and daydreaming. We felt a sense of real pride when our Danish brother-in-law Rune announced we had achieved a hygge feel!"

The beautiful surroundings - which offer endless options for hiking, back-country skiing, snowshoeing, paddling, rafting, rock-climbing and mountain biking - inspired the name 'Alpenglow' which according to Merriam-Webster is the "reddish glow seen near sunset or sunrise on the summits of mountains". Christine, Daniel, John-Marc and Laura also use the word to describe "that cosy feeling you get curled up by the fire with friends after a day of fresh air and adventure." 

Both versions sound wonderful to me, what do you think? 

Alpenglow cabin is now available on Airbnb for others to come and enjoy. You can also find more information / pictures on the Alpenglow Cabin website and instagram. 

Perhaps it's time to start searching for that dated property that's waiting for someone to come along and give it the TLC it deserves. Who knows, this time next year, we could be sitting in a hot tub overlooking Colorado's highest peaks! 

More cabin love / inspiration to be found here:

An idyllic Finnish summer cabin

A magical Norwegian mountain cabin

before and after: a dated property becomes a dreamy cabin in the woods

Thank you so much to Christine for submitting this project! If you have a project / home tour you'd like to share do send it my way. I can't promise to feature all of the submissions but will certainly keep an eye out for homes that are a perfect fit with My Scandinavian Home!

Right friends. I believe it's time for the weekend. WOOHOOO! Wishing you a relaxing, cosy weekend vänner! Thanks for a great week - I've loved reading your comments! 

Vi ses på Måndag!

Niki

Photography Christine Bayles Kortsch / Daniel Kortsch except the hallway which was shot by Molly Lo Photography.

READ MORE...

4

Before And After: A Californian Mountain Living Room Gets A Scandi Makeover

I had the pleasure of working with American interior stylist and blogger extraordinaire Emily Henderson on a greenhouse make-over in Upstate New York exactly two years ago (funny how time flies, it feels like only yesterday!). In the minibus back to our hotel one evening Emily excitedly told me about a 1960s mountain fixer-upper she had just bought in Lake Arrowhead, an hour and a half from LA. I was really curious to see what she'd do with it. You can imagine how excited I was to learn a little later that she'd gone for a Scandi theme! Yay! Long may this 'Scandifornian' trend continue! I've been eagerly following the renovation process and last week the house was finally completed. Short of posting the entire house (tempting but would probably make the Guinness Book of Records), I thought I'd share the before and after pictures from the sitting room since it sets the scene for the rest of the home and strikes a delicate balance between light and airy and super cosy. Let's take a peek. 

Before

Are those wall-to-wall carpets I see? The soft layer no doubt feels super cosy to walk on, but we all know that in the world of Scandinavia design a wall-to-wall carpet is an absolute no-no! 

Another thing that stood out: the bannisters. Decorative cast iron bannisters might have a place in a more traditional home (especially in warmer regions), but in Scandinavia it's all about the clean lines and simplicity! You can also catch a glimpse of the kitchen in this picture - imprint the image on your mind, we'll come back to it in the after pictures! 

Seeing these before shots, there's no denying that the space has great bones and interesting architecture. But it was in need of a little TLC. And that's exactly what Emily and her team gave it. Let's take a peek at the after pictures...

After

It really is amazing how much lighter and airier it feels with a wood floor and rug instead of a wall-to-wall carpet. And look at that floor to ceiling banister?! Love it! 

Holiday homes are all about the lounging - and I have a feeling that low, deep vintage sofa (from Gallery 7 / chairish) would be hard to get out of come Sunday night! Love the soft grey shade and seams too! 

Layers of texture give the room warmth - which is especially important when you've opted for a neutral colour scheme. There are so many different materials at work here - from wool and cotton to marble, wood, leather and stone. 

Remember the bubble rock stones on the fireplace in the before pictures? They are still there but hidden under a layer of light plaster, hence the more subtle finish, yet still lovely and raw finish. 

Olivia coffee table*, The Esters wood rocking chair* (out of shot), knitted pouf*, Performance Elder Rug

Remember that kitchen shot earlier in this post? It's no secret that Scandinavian's love open-plan living spaces and by removing the kitchen wall in this room, the space opens up in a whole new way - allowing natural light to reach the darkest of corners.

Large white sheepskin rug*, vintage mango wood table from Chairish, these leather and wood bar stools* are similar to the ones seen. 

What a transformation! 

It just goes to show what you can do to a space with a little TLC (and no doubt a LOAD of hard graft!). 

Is there anything you love in particular?

You can read more about the Mountain House here. 

Oh and check out more inspiring before and afters here (one of my favourites has to be the converted welding plant - so incredible!). 

Ha så fint!

Niki

Photography: Sara Ligorria-Tramp - shared with kind permission. 

*Affiliate links

READ MORE...

1

Before And After: A Drab Cape Town Interior Becomes A Warm And Cosy Cottage

When Cape Town based wedding photographers Bruce and Rebecca first acquired the charmingly named Sunbird cottage in 2016, the interior was drab, dark and dated (like what I did there with the 'd's?). Working with a relatively small budget, the pair scoured the market for second hand and overstocked items and carried out a huge amount of the renovation work themselves. The one investment they make was employing the services of architect Donne Atkinson - which was tantamount to realising their vision. Other than that, Bruce project managed the build and once the main construction was completed, he carried out a lot of the finished himself with the help of friends. Needless to say, the overall finish is warm, cosy and personal. I hope you enjoy the before and after pictures as much as I did!

How lovely is this parquet worktop? It's making me question my choice of marble for the cottage kitchen renovation. I love the patina!

This corner is so lovely and personal. And look at all those CDs! We still have a load in one of our cupboards too - they hold so many memories. Have you saved yours? 

Opening up the ceiling has helped flood the space with light and added a load of character. I also love the faded kilim. 

In a relatively small space (the ground floor is 70 metres square / 753 square foot) spiral staircases are a great option. I also like how a series of shelves on the upper level shield the bedroom from view. 

The pair added the round window which has become a wonderful focal point above the bed. 

Wow! Such a wonderful transformation. They have given the cottage a whole new lease of life. It can certainly bear the name 'sunbird cottage' with pride now, don't you think?

Is there anything that stood out to you?  

If you're into renovation work as much as I am, you can always explore the archives for more before and afters and home makeovers this weekend (as always, if this home pops up first just scroll past!). 

I hope you have a wonderful couple of days - see you Monday friends!

Skål! 

Niki

Photography: Sarah and Bruce - shared with kind permission and found via Miss Moss with thanks. 

PS Thank you so much for all your input into my summer cottage kitchen plans yesterday, really appreciate it. It's not too late to weigh in! 

READ MORE...

0