Our Little Cabin Bathroom Reveal + Get The Look

GSI Ceramica and CRISTINA Rubinetterie kindly partnered on our project. 

Hej kompisar! We've been spending some days up out our little cabin and I finally had a chance to snap some pictures of the bathroom! You might remember, back in December I shared the plans. With a room measuring 3.66 m2 / 38 f2, we didn't have a lot to play with. Even so, I was keen to create a beautiful and serene, spa-like space that also worked well with the main cabin living space. It was exciting to see it all come together little by little. And today, I'm excited to share the final result with you! But first let me provide a quick recap of the floorplan and design. 

Floorplan

The bathroom is located in the corner of the cabin underneath the sleep loft. It has a door out to the garden and one into the main living area. 

 

Design

GSI Ceramica helped draw up this plan / design which felt perfect for the space! 

Entrance

When we first announced that the main cabin entrance is through the bathroom everyone looked at us like we were completely nuts - and even we had a few doubts! However, it's actually worked out brilliantly for three reasons: the bathroom has tiled floors, making it a perfect entrance in all weather, the hooks can double up for towels and coats, and finally, the shower is ideal for washing off sandy feet! 

Once in the cabin you can then open up all the other doors and windows and use those to enter and exit.

The reveal! 

I was eager to create a timeless bathroom with high quality fittings. I have to say, the calm tones, matt surfaces and stone floor create such a wonderful sense of serenity and it feels way more airy than the 3.66 m2! 

Here's the low down on all the details in case you're interested: 

Sink and cabinet

The floating Kube X Washbasin (60 x 47) and Prisma Unit cabinet are both from GSI Ceramica (available through Cosani in Scandinavia) who offer really high quality, well thought out units. I love that the sink has plenty of space at the back for soap / toothbrushes etc and the cabinet is really spacious (perfect when you have teenagers at home!). 

Loo

The wall-hung loo (WC Kube) is also from GSI Ceramica. At first, we were concerned about eating into the wall space - you need to move the wall out by around 20 cm to create space for a cistern (in this case we went with Geberit). But actually, it created a wonderful shelf which has proven to be invaluable! 

The best thing about the loo is the soft closing lid and Swirlflush technology - known for being the quietest flushing system in the world - which is absolutely ideal when you live in close quarters! I love the matt finish on the ceramic (inside the bowl it's glossy to guarantee maximum hygiene). 

Taps

As you know from the various kitchens I've designed (including our cabin kitchen and cottage kitchen), I am a firm believer that a high quality tap can add SO MUCH to the overall experience. We chose a wall mounted tap (CRIT257) and shower (CRIT486) from the Tricolore Verde collection by CRISTINA Rubinetterie - in brushed old brass which has a raw look and lovely rich patina and feel beautiful to use! 

I especially like the addition of the hand shower, it's so well, handy! 

Shower door

 Thank you to everyone who offered tips and advice on the shower door, it was so helpful. Based on your input, I went with one glass shower wall which is 800 mm (the shower measures 800 mm deep and 700 mm wide) with bronze fittings and no door (it works great without a door). It's very sleek and barely noticeable. I'll need to add a cross bar across the top to secure it (it came with one so it's just to put it up). 

The mirror

For years at the cottage we've been using a mirror that's so mottled you can barely see your face. This time, we went for a modern Four Season Mirror with LED (60 cm) which is really practical!  

The walls 

The walls have been painted in Kalk from the Jotun Lady Aqua range which is certified specifically for use in bathrooms. 

The matt white tiles are from Stone Factory and have a beautiful hand cut feel. We used white grouting for a more minimalist feel. 

We really splashed (sorry!) out on the Tumbled Turtle tiles from Stiltje. I fell in love with the matt natural stone with its rich patina - it brings a sense of the rugged coastline into the bathroom. We used leftover floor tiles for the shelf above the sink and a corner shelf in the shower.

The hooks

I bought the simple wooden peg rail from Norrgavel. I might add another row at some point but for now, this will do nicely! 

Blinds

And finally, another great discussion was what to do about the glass door since there's no way you'd feel comfortable showering and worst still, sitting on the loo if people can see in! Thank you so much for all your input, in the end we chose this special Plissé blind that fixes to the door and moves with it when you open and close it. It can be pulled up from the bottom of the window and also pulled down from the top so you can basically move the blind to wherever you need it and still see the lovely nature outside!  

I hope you like tour bathroom as much as we do! I have to say, it's an absolute joy to use and well worth all the extra effort! 

I hope it may have given you some ideas if you're also planning a small bathroom renovation. If you have any questions, please do give me a shout below! 

Would you like to see more of our little cabin? Check out the kitchen, dining area and bedroom. 

Have a wonderful weekend friends. See you Monday! 

Niki

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Our Little Cabin Kitchen (with an IKEA hack!)

Guess what? Our little cabin kitchen (or should I say kitchenette) is finally finished! The cabinets have been in for a while, but the devil is in the detail, and all the hooks and doorknobs are now in place too! I'm looking forward to sharing all the details with you today!  

(See all the design plans for our 30 m2 / 322 f2 cabin on the Swedish West coast here). 

Inspiration

I love everything about the kitchen above by Nordiska Kök -  the grey-beige tone, clean look, the stone and the open wood shelves. I was also keen to bring in some dark grey stone to match the dramatic rocky shoreline in this part of Sweden. 

Floorplan

The designated kitchen area is small and centred around a mid-height window (174 cm wide). Even so we had several criteria: we needed a sink, fridge, small freezer, plenty of food storage and a recycling area. Notice that I haven't mentioned a stove or oven. 

We learned early on that installing a stove would mean it would become a property in its own right and would have electricity / water bill implications (gaaaah!) so we decided we'd use the stove in the main cottage for now. However, there are several options moving forward which include a gas barbecue, outdoor kitchen or even one of IKEA's pop up stoves. We'll see! 

Design

We explored many different kitchen brands, but to be honest, we simply couldn't believe how much even the tiniest of kitchens cost (have you found this too?) and since this is our second (little) home, they were all over our budget, so we had to get creative instead! 

When you're on a tight budget, I think IKEA kitchens are great. I'm a big fan of using them for the basics and then pepping them up by splurging on the details like the tap, handles and worktop. This is what we did in the main cottage kitchen several years ago, and I've been so happy with it! 

I also think the free IKEA kitchen planning service is great (no, this isn't sponsored by the Swedish giant, I promise!)  However, I was hoping to add a few personal touches, so I turned to my dear friend and interior designer Helen Sturesson for advice on how to incorporate hand-built shelves etc. And she sketched the above design. 

Ready to take a look at the results and find out more about the details? 

Results

We chose the Veddinge kitchen and then had it professionally spray painted by Swiss Metod / Lackera Köksluckor (my absolute go-to guys in Malmö) in Blek Sand (NCS S2005-Y20R). 

Worktop

I'd have loved a real stone worktop, but again our budget didn't quite reach for that now. I was really happy to find this laminate worktop at Hornbach. One day, maybe we'll swap it out for real stone, but I love this one for now! 

I think a high quality, beautiful tap is one of the most essential elements of a kitchen. It makes such a difference to the overall experience! We opted for the CRISTINA Rubinetterie CRIKT501 under window kitchen mixer in brushed old brass to match the bathroom taps. I love the finish!  

The sink is HAVSEN from Ikea. 

Handles

I was so happy to find these Cabinet Knob Helix - with a modern industrial vibe by Beslag Online (they have a load of beautiful knobs, hooks and furniture legs in their collection and sell throughout Europe).  The antique bronze matches the tap perfectly too! 

Shelves 

The open shelves were built by hand with oak slabs from Hornbach. I have to say, despite the faff, these are my favourite part of the kitchen - and so handy for cups and glasses and other items we use all the time. 

If we had installed a stove to the right, we wouldn't have been able to have these shelves there as we'd have needed to add a fan (I just wanted to point this out in case you're planning to do something similar). Maybe in the future, if we decide to get a stove, we'll have to do away with the upper right ones (sniff, sniff!). 

Lighting

An essential element - good lighting! In the above picture you can catch a glimpse of the subtle, Strömlinje LED light from IKEA which is connected to the wall switch and also has a remote control. The lighting is excellent, I have to say! 

We made one mistake. And that is that I should have used one panel instead of two on the front of the fridge (lower-centre). I got myself into a bit of a pickle with door handles - and may have used some photoshop trickery with this to show you how the end result will look with the knobs! However, in the long term I think I'll swap the two drawer fronts out to a single unit. What do you think? 

A few other things: 

We do have a kettle (hence all the teapots etc) - it's just not in shot!

The extendable table and chairs are from Danish brand Skovby (see my post about them here) and the ladder - which can be moved across to the kitchen, was built by a local carpenter. You can find all the information about the wood floor and panelling (by Norrlands Trä) in my post here. 

I hope you like our little kitchen as much as we do! 

If you have any questions, please give me a shout in the comments below and I'd be happy to help. 

Have a great weekend all, see you Monday! 

Niki

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Cabin Update: The Lights Are On!

This is a paid partnership with Hudson valley Lighting Group. All words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love. 

The progress continues at the cabin! During the build we had spotlights fitted in the ceiling, which are all on dimmers. This set the basis for the lighting, and then I needed to add another layer - a more decorative one, but also directional to allow for reading, playing games etc. I.e. The fun part! Read on to see some pictures and find out more about the three new lamps in my life! 

Stanton floor lamp

This little gem in aged brass was the ideal choice for beside the sofa as it is height adjustable, and you can swivel the shade to direct the light. The black and white marble base makes for a great 'anchor' too (with Allie doing her gymnastics all over the shop, there's not much chance of it toppling over!). Find out more about the Stanton at Hudson Valley Group International here. 

Chloe wall sconce

You might recognise the lovely Chloe wall sconce by Mitzi, as I also have one in my sitting room at home. It's a favourite as I'm a big fan of the aged brass and light grey marble combination. For our bed alcove I opted for two - both connected to a dimmer switch so we can choose between a bright light for reading or a warm glow for ambience - this was important as it doubles up as somewhere cosy to relax in the open-plan living area! 

I love that this wall sconce works as decoration when not in use! 

Beside the lamp you'll notice a power source. The idea is to add a little rounded corner shelf at some point for phones and other tiny items like watches etc. All these details take time! 

Back home we added a third light from Hudson Valley Lighting Group: 

Nora Wall Sconce 

This fine Nora Wall Sconce by Mitzi brass wall sconce is part of the same family as Nora Pendant which I installed in Liv's room. It's available in two finishes: aged brass or polished nickel, but you know me, I love a golden touch! This lovely light added just the warm touch we were looking for in our window nook - day and night! It's probably the most coveted spot in our house, but I've got a feeling it will be even more inviting now! 

It's amazing what a difference lighting can make - whether to add decoration, create a warm and inviting feel, highlight a favourite painting or simply brighten up a corner. This weekend, why not do a light edit in your home and figure out what's missing. By adding a well-placed light you can completely transform an entire space and the way you use it! 

See the entire lighting collection over at Hudson Valley Lighting Group. 

Do you have a favourite? 

Right, I might just go and drink that cup of tea ('English breakfast'! - you can take a girl out of England, but you can't take England out of the girl!) and relax for a while before the family come home. 

Wishing you all a relaxing weekend. Vi ses på Måndag! 

Niki

Photography: Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home

Styling at cabin: Helen Sturesson. Styling at home: Niki Brantmark

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I Found The Perfect Table and Chairs For Our Tiny cabin!

Paid partnership with  Skovby, all words and photos are my own and I only ever work with brands I love

Tjena! I hope you had a great weekend! We spent some time up at our little cabin and I'm really excited to share some snapshots of our new dining area with you. I can't begin to describe the feeling when we all sat down for our first family meal there (take-away pizza, so glam!).  

When it comes to furnishing a small space (30 m2 / 322 ft sq.) I've quickly learned that choosing less and choosing right is key, otherwise the space can quickly become cluttered.

These were the criteria I had in mind for our dining area:

1. The table needed to be small but still easily seat four

2. The table should be round to save space and avoid knocking into the corners

3. The table needed to be extendable for extra guests 

4. There should be extra seating which could be stacked to one side 

Danish brand Skovby has been a My Scandinavian Home partner for many years now - and I've always appreciated the high quality craftsmanship of their Denmark-made furniture (you might recall the glass cabinet, Per's desk, the coffee tables as well as countless other pieces). This little gem of a #120 dining table with white oil oak legs and a black laminate surface was the first to spring to mind for our cabin! 

The round table is a compact 102 cm in diameter and extendable with up to two leaves (available to buy separately), which means you can comfortably seat 6 or 8 people depending on how many leaves you add. Perfect! 

Chair wise, I chose the #807 dining chair in oak white oil. You know me, I love wood, it has such a warm feel, and the shell shape has some flex which makes it comfy. But if you want to go all out on the comfort, this model is available with upholstery for a soft touch, and the #802 version also comes with armrests.

I also picked up some #840 stools (in oak white oil) which can be stacked to the side when not in use (we've also already used them as a bedside table, sofa side table and a footrest!).  

I love that its sustainably made from leftover production wood (I first spotted it during my visit to the Danish Skovby carpenter workshop earlier this spring and picked one up there and then!). 

I hope you like the table and chairs as much as we do! In case you're interested in any of these pieces for your own small space, Skovby is available almost worldwide (find your nearest stockist here).

Incidentally, the table is available in 9 different finishes including oak white oil and white laminate tops - you can see all the variations here. 

In case you're wondering about the ladder, it can be removed and placed elsewhere when needed - but I guess someone could perch there too!

Give me a shout if you have any questions about anything in these pictures -I'd be happy to help! If you'd like to add any small space tips and tricks of your own, I'm all ears as the cabin is far from finished! 

I hope to be able to share a post about our kitchen - including all the details - soon (look closely and you'll see the knobs are missing). Watch this space! 

Wishing you all a great start to the week! 

Niki 

Photography: Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home

Styling: Helen Sturesson

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