Cosy Danish Outdoor Lights - Handmade Using Recycled Glass!

Partnership*

Determined to make this autumn and winter as cosy as possible, I've added some new lights to our little backyard. After all, once the sun sets, it becomes very dark, very early, very quickly, and there's nothing like the warm glow of lights to lift your spirits! These beautiful ReUse light chains are from Pernille Bülow - a small atelier on the Danish island of Bornholm.  Regular readers will know that Pernille Bülow is a big favourite of mine and I have SO many beautiful handmade pieces from this atelier around my home (including SKY lamps and Odin tableware).  But there's something EXTRA special about these outdoor ReUse light chains, and the clue is in the name. Read on to discover more! 

True to Pernille Bulow style, each of the 9 pendants are mouth blown and handmade in the workshop in Svaneke, Bornholm (if you're ever on the island, you must pay a visit - I love the shop!). This means that each glass light is ever so slightly unique - one of the wonderful hallmarks of handmade pieces. 

I used two sets in our little back yard to create a little extra glow (the chains are three metres long and attachable, so you can easily string together as many sets of lights as you wish which is really handy).

Best of all? The ReUse collection is made of waste from Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical company that has large amounts of excess borosilicate glass from their diabetes drug production. Rather than going to waste, Pernille Bülow remelts and moulds the glass into beautiful objects, including these ReUse light chains and a pendant lamp! 

The light chain also come with 9 2 W energy optimised LED bulbs which are CE marked. 

In order to really put them to the test, I invited a few friends over from the neighbourhood for an autumn evening alfresco - (any excuse!).  

It was a bit of a 'knytkalas' - where everyone (including my dear friend Ullis - above - and interior designer Jessica Ward - below) brought whatever they had in their fridge and wine cabinet! 

We had such a mysig (cosy) evening under the warm glow of the lights - even if coats were a must! Brrrr!

Roll on more autumn evenings al fresco! And even when it's time to move indoors, we'll still enjoy the twinkle through the window! 

If you'd love these lights for your outdoor space, the ReUse light chain is available to pre-order here  - and will be available from mid-November. There's a list of countries Pernille Bülow ships to here. 

I'm curious - can you still sit outside in the evenings in your country? 

Wishing you a great day! 

Niki

*This post is a paid partnership with Pernille Bülow. All words and images are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too! Thank you for supporting the small Nordic businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible.  

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Beautiful Danish Glassware and My Favourite Summer Drink!

After a tour of the Swedish West coast (travel guide to follow soon!), it's been wonderful to be back at our summer cottage for a few days. I spent a lovely afternoon with my friend Tove, catching up over a glass of herb infused lemonade. It was one of those afternoons which turned into evening... which turned into night (and may have eventually involved some Prosecco!). I'd invited Tove to come over and help me shoot a set of beautiful mouth blown glassware for Pernille Bülow (the glass workshop on the Danish island of Bornholm where the stunning SKY lamps are also made). And we decided to put the pretty setting and smokey ODIN glassware to good use in the process! Here are a few snapshots - and more details about the glassware, the lemonade and a few other pieces! 

I picked up the chairs at a nearby 'loppis' (flea market) - such a find! The questions is, do I re-paint them or leave them in their naturally dilapidated state? I'd love to hear your thoughts! 

On the table you can catch a glimpse of the handmade ODIN jug and drinking glass in grey, which have been designed in the Pernille Bülow atelier and handmade abroad. As with all their designs, I love how the ODIN glassware has a simple yet strong expression, and perfect for everyday use as well as special events (like catching up with friends!).  

My daughter Allie and I made the mint, dill and basil infused lemonade in the morning. The syrup is super simple to make, tastes really refreshing, and if you make a big batch can last all summer long! Oh and it's perfect for pepping up 'stronger' drinks - just sayin'! Here's the recipe: 

Mint, Dill and Basil Infused Lemonade Squash

Ingredients:

2.5 dl water

300 g sugar

2 tbsp fresh dill  

5 g fresh basil

5 g fresh mint

3.75 dl lemon juice

Method

Combine the sugar and water in a pan, place on medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Rip up the mint and basil leaves and add to the pan. Add the dill stems. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and place mixture in a container in the fridge for 60 minutes. Sieve the mixture to remove herbs. 

To serve: combine the syrup and lemon juice with 18 dl of water and serve on ice with a sprig of mint. 

Tove and I found the jug works perfectly as a vase too! The thistles and ferns are from our cottage garden.

As the sun sank lower in the sky we brought out an ODIN pillar candleholder and tea light holder in grey. There are also two lovely bowls in the range - the small bowl in grey which we used for crabapples and a large bowl. 

Such a memorable afternoon. I love it when a plan comes together!

You can find out more information about Pernille Bülow ODIN glassware here - and also take a peek at the SKY lamps which I've featured in my home here, here and here.

Thank you to Tove for a great afternoon, and also to my wonderful neighbors for the pretty setting!

Niki

This post is brought to you in collaboration with Pernille Bülow. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too! 

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An Afternoon Tea In My Backyard - Fit For Royalty!

 Scandinavian brand story*:
An afternoon tea fit for royalty. That's how it felt in my little back yard a couple of weeks back. And I owe that to Georg Jensen. Last spring, the Danish brand announced an extension of one of its most recognisable tabletop collections designed by the Swedish designer Sigvard Bernadotte (1907 - 2002). And I couldn't be more excited! Formerly a Prince, the forward thinking and free spirited Sigvard Bernadotte, traded his aristocratic title to become part of Sweden's design royalty. His collaboration with Georg Jensen began in 1930 at the start of the functionalist movement and the bold simplicity of Bernadotte's silver designs were a huge over night success. In 2002, Georg Jensen reissued many of the items in stainless steel making them more accessible to the humble likes of you and I! Just add coffee, milk, and buns. OK, I did have a little prosecco later on in the day too...!

If this is a royal collection, then the Bernadotte Thermo jug is surely the queen - it's a true Scandinavian design icon. I love how it keeps your drinks hot (or cold) for up to six hours too - a perfect excuse to sit around all day! 

Another favorite: the Bernadotte dish on a stand. I used it for bread, but it also makes a beautiful fruit bowl! 

I was excited to see that in 2019, Georg Jensen added several new pieces to the line, including a series of vases, serving plates and platters, cutlery pieces and other small items - all of which respect the design heritage of the Bernadotte line. 

There's something wonderful about using milk jug (as oppose to just chucking the entire carton on the table we so often do at breakfast time) - and this stainless steel and mirror polished one is the crème de la crème (see what I did there?!). I love the shape and weight! It's also perfect for other things like salad dressings. 

What a wonderful afternoon! I'll be dreaming about this come winter!

If you love iconic Scandinavian design as much as I do and curious about the Bernadotte line and other Georg Jensen pieces I've used for my table setting, here's a quick guide: 

GET THE LOOK

1. Bernadotte Thermo Jug
2. Bernadotte Dish on A Stand
3. Bernadotte Creamer / Milk Jug
4. Bernadotte Bottle Opener
5. Bernadotte Etagère
6. Bernadotte Tea and Coffee Spoons
7. Cobra Lunch Plate
8. Cobra Porcelain Cup
9. Cobra Glass Set
10. Bernadotte Medium Vase

Do you have a favourite piece?

Wishing you a wonderful start to the week!

Niki

Photography: My Scandinavian Home
Styling: Helen Sturesson

PS I'll be back on Wednesday with an inspiring and beautiful Swedish home tour - never been seen before! See you then!

*This post is brought to you in partnership with Georg Jensen, who I am honoured to collaborate with. Thank you for supporting the wonderful businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible. 

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16 Beautiful Outdoor Bath and Shower Ideas

Nothing says summer like bathing or showering alfresco, don't you think? Right now, we might not be free to visit somewhere balmy and tropical with luxury showers amongst the crickets - and even cycling to the nearby beach / lake / river is off limits in many countries. But we sure can make the most of what little outdoor space we have. This week I'm dreaming about adding an outdoor shower or bath to our tiny back yard. I haven't run the idea passed Per yet... I need to gather some beautiful inspiration to tantalise him into saying yes first. Here are 16 of my favourite outdoor bath and shower ideas... I hope they might inspire you to move your bathroom outside this summer too! 

1. (top picture) The Scandi 'just- back-from-the-beach' vibe

2. (above) The romantic rinse! (love the antique mirror!)

3. Keeping it simple

 4. The walled-garden soak

5. The bathing oasis

6. The scorched Med vibe

7. Rustic simplicity

8. The relaxed old school ritual

9. Tropical rain forest

10. Contemporary minimalism (with a twist) - that vintage chair! 

11. The cute romantic bathroom 

12. Clean and contemporary

13. Modern Scandi!

 14. Back yard beauty!

15. By the pool plunge (somewhere tropical!)

16. Rustic soak with a view (does it come with the guy I wonder?)

Who needs tropical holidays when you can have one of these beauties in your own backyard? Admittedly some might look a teeny bit out of place here in Malmö (ahem), but there are definitely some ideas worth thinking about! 

Do you love the idea of bathing alfresco too? If so, did any of these ideas inspire you? 

Here are a few more ideas (just in case you need a little more convincing!): 

An idyllic Swedish cottage with an outdoor shower and kitchen

Exotic meets boho in a Bali pool villa

7 boho ideas for outdoor spaces big and small

And if you're ready to go:

How to set-up an outdoor shower

Roll on balmy days and soaks alfresco! 

Niki

Photo credits: 1. Sköna Hem 2. Sibella Court 3. Lune photography 4. Lonny mag 5. Gaia retreat 6. The Beach People 7. The Wensley 8. The Design Files 9. Homes to Love 10. Soul of Gerringong 11. Seth Smoot 12. Alicia Taylor for Emma lane Architects 13. Anon 14. Mikkel Vang 15. Hotel Azucar 16. Umbria Yoga Retreat / Ali Kaukas

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10 Ways To Maximise Your Tiny Balcony / Outdoor Space!

The days are getting longer, and the sun is starting to flood our homes once again! Yay! With so many of us spending more (if not all) of our time at home right now, it's become even more important to maximise the outdoor space we have. Thankfully there's so much you can do with even the teeny tiniest of balconies - from creating an urban jungle, to watching the world go by from a deck chair. Here are ten inspiring ways you can make the most of your balcony and tap into nature's stress busting qualities, top up on Vitamin D and feel the wonderful warmth of the sun on your face. 

1. (above): Create an urban jungle by lining your balcony with pots at different levels. Balcony fences also make great 'climber' rigging!  

2. Line your balcony with cushions and blankets so you can enjoy your afternoon tea alfresco - and watch the world go by! 

3. Go boho and take your rattan and jute furniture and mats as well as cushions outside - proof that you don't need a garden to get that garden feel! Oh, and you'll keep your furry friends happy too! 

4. Live in a warm country? Shield yourself from the sun with a natural canopy and create a romantic outdoor space with a small round table and vintage chair. Forest bathing in the heart of the city! 

5. Sadly, we can't all enjoy a view of the Eiffel Tower (isn't it magical?!) but we can pack our balcony with pretty flowers and taller plants to create privacy - and add a couple of deck chairs for a true summer oasis! 

6. Carry lightweight furniture such as benches, side tables and blankets outside as soon as the sun shows up (a blanket will keep you warm if the temperatures start to drop!). It's easy to chuck it all inside again once the clouds start to appear! 

FYI IKEA sells outdoor wood balcony tiles like these. 

7. Keep it simple and sophisticated like Nina of Stylizimo's black Norwegian balcony. Shades and sunhat optional! 

8. Go casual and low with a touch of the tropics like Victoria of SF Girl By Bay has done in her outdoor space (I know it's not a balcony, but it can totally be replicated in smaller spaces too). 

9. Use pillars and poles for climbers ( I love a wisteria and clematis) and make the most of your outdoor space to create a herb and vegetable patch. No access to a garden centre right now? Seeds, pips and stones from your kitchen can be super easy to harvest if you google how! 

And why not cosy up your hard outdoor furniture with fluffy sheepskins while you're at it! 

10. No balcony, no worries! Make the most of a wider windowsill to create a window seat - or rearrange furniture to place your comfiest chair by the window so you can enjoy sunny days to the full!  

I hope this round-up has given you a few ideas. Did you have a favourite? 

If you know of anyone that might benefit from these tips, please feel free to share! 

There's a load more beautiful outdoor space for every budget inspiration here: 

16 Inspiring Outdoor Terraces For Every Size, Style And Budget

My small back yard gets a cosy make-over

7  Boho Ideas for Outdoor Spaces (Big and Small)

Bring on the spring sunshine! 

Niki

PS Feel free to add your own tips below!

Credits: 1. Gardenista / Home of script writer Diane Valsonne 2. Anon 3. 4. House & Garden 5. Clem Around The Corner 6. Anon 7. Nina Holst / Stylizimo 8. SF Girl By Bay 9. Anon 10. Alvhem

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