Beautiful and Unique Places To Stay, Sweden: Stedsans in the Woods

I don't know about you, but when I go on holiday (or away for the weekend) I always start with a search for 'unique places to stay' - the more special, rare and off-beat the better! Do you do the same? If so, imagine my delight when I stumbled across this gem an hour or so North from where I live! The place in question is Stedsans in the Woods - a retreat in Bohult, Halland, West Sweden. Owned and run by Danes Mette Holbæk and Flemming Schiøtt Hansen, Stedsans in the Woods offers an idyllic, food-centred experience which aims to bring people closer to nature through the use of fresh ingredients and simple cooking (foodies rejoice!). In addition to the wonderful meals, guests are invited to soak up the surroundings, cleanse and relax in the floating sauna and sleep in (comfy) tents under the stars. What's not to love?!





Beautiful and such a perfect way to experience Swedish nature in all its pureness and tranquillity, don't you think? 

All that's left for me to do is check my calendar!

If you're visiting West Sweden this spring / summer - perhaps I'll see you there?!

You can find out more info about Stedsans in the Woods and make a booking here

Looking for other beautiful places to stay? Here's my list of 20 Instagrammable places to stay in Sweden. Love some of these! 

Into camping? Thanks to Allmansrätten (the freedom to roam) - one of the beauties of Sweden is you can camp wild. Just be mindful not to pitch your tent on farmland, within 50 metres of a house, water sources etc and show respect towards the environment (forage away, but never take everything from the patch, respect wildlife, take your litter with you etc). There's more info and inspiration about camping in Sweden in my book: Lagom, the Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life

Have a lovely day! 

Niki

Photography: Stine Christiansen

PS Anyone else still reeling from the incredible before and after pictures in yesterday's post? Simply amazing! 

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Malmö city guide: hip places to eat, drink and shop (design)

Have you ever visited Malmö, Sweden? It's been my home for the past 12 years and I'm so incredibly proud of Sweden's third largest city! For those of you wondering about geography (let's face it, I wasn't entirely sure where it was before I moved here) - it's the hub of Southern Sweden (listed 9th place on the New York Times top 52 places to visit in 2016 - if that's not reason enough!), and just over the Öresund bridge (yes, that's The Bridge - apparently there's a special tour these days!), from Copenhagen.  With an abundance of cool new boutiques, restaurants, cafes, and bars popping up all over town, I invited my friend and photographer Valentina Fussell over for the day to capture some of my absolute places to eat, drink and shop in Malmö.....




 - Cafés, restaurants & bars: 

Noir: this is the perfect little café to start your tour (with a freshly brewed coffee of course!), on sunny days you can sit outside and watch the locals cycle by.





Johan P - a fabulous fish restaurant (and fish market) in a former factory just off Lilla Torg - and the perfect place to enjoy oysters, seafood platters and the local catch of the day. It's also great for an early evening apéritif (if only to marvel at the high ceilings, decor and Flos lights).





Bastard - In my mind you can't beat this restaurant for an evening out in Malmö. Not only is the food and service excellent, it's buzzing every night of the week and turns into a popular spot for late night cocktails too. You'll need to book in advance.









Lilla Torg - drinks (or light lunch) at an outdoor table in this old square is also a must (try Moosehead or mello yello). You might also end up at Koi nightclub later on in the evening too...(just as I have done on eh hem a few occasions). 





Boulebar - Another unique place (and a new favourite) - is this establishment on Drottningstorget which combines good food and drink with a game of Boule. Go for brunch on a saturday and sunday with family and friends - or in the evening (brilliant if you're travelling in a group).  Look out for local farmers / fleas markets (and Christmas markets) on the square outside too!







Central - shopping

Miloii is my go to shop for clothes (selling brands such as A.P.C, GANNI and Rodebjer) and lovely things for the home. If you need more convincing - this is the the owner's home.





Blomsterpigen - this is one beautiful flower shop, and even if blooms aren't the most practical item to take home with you, I can still recommend visiting if only to see their magical window display and the little upstairs oasis!






Granit - A firm fixture in my Malmö 'interior shop tour', this is the perfect place to pick up practical items for the home (especially if you love simple, clean style and monochrome). Other favourites (particularly for Scandinavian designer items) include Malmö ModernOlsson & Gerthel, Norrgavel, DesignTorget, Form Design Centre (it's worth going in here for the building alone!) and Svenssons.





Formgruppen - a staple for locally made ceramics (and something unique to take home with you).




Mini Rodini - the cutest Swedish children's brand has opened up a shop just off Lilla Torg - because it would be mean to not pick up something for the little ones too!





St Knut Torg - restaurants & cafés 

This area of Malmö has a local village-feel and is well worth a visit for it's small, privately run cafes and bars. Hop on a bike (bike hire stations are located all over town) and enjoy.....

Söderberg & Sara - sit and read the paper alongside locals in this ecological bakery / cafe.




Spoonery - I often go here at lunchtime for the pared-back interior and chilli beef stew - mmmm!





No.6 Nip around the corner for a post-lunch coffee at this itsy, bitsy local cafe created by the previous owner of this home. He's since sold it but the decor and local vibe remains the same.




And if you like wine and cheese don't miss the neighbourhood hang-out- Kiez. There's a great write-up and a few of pictures of it here. For dancing the night away to live music - you can also head over the road to Cuba Café in Folkets park for a salsa (summer time only).

St. Knuts Torg - shopping

Flora Linea - Owned by Maja Ljungdahl, this little shop is a complete find! Well worth a visit if you love the idea of a hanging Kokedama (aka a Japanese bonsai where the root grows in a special soil wrapped in a moss ball) and seriously cute ceramics.





Kalbadhus / Ribbersborg - No visit to Malmö is complete without a visit to the sauna (this one's located out on a pier). When my family visit from London they call it 'the naked sauna', much to the bafflement of my Swedish husband - I mean, is there any other kind of sauna?! The traditional style saunas are divided up into female, male and a mixed section (note - don't make the mistake of thinking the teeny square cloth they hand to you when you go in is a towel - it's just for sitting on) after which a cold plunge into the Öresund strait is de rigueur! In the winter they'll cut a circle in the ice - so there's no excuse! Treat yourself to a hot chocolate (or something stronger) in the cafe / restaurant afterwards or enjoy the Sunday brunch (bentwood chairs alert!) with views over the sea and Ribbersborg beach.




I have to say this guide only scratches the surface of all the great places to eat, drink and shop in Malmö and we haven't even touched on Möllevången (with it's many, many fab restaurants and bars). Malmö guide II to follow imminently (once I've enticed Valentina back from Atlanta!).

In the meantime, here's a quick guide:

Möllevången (or 'Möllan')- Söder om Småland (ecological beers and great food), Malmö Brewing co. (Malmö brews for beer lovers), Tempo and Belle Epoche (for good food and cocktails).

Davidshallstorg: B.A.R (go for the taster menu!) and Escama (tapas on a balmy evening al fresco).

Places to stay:  a quick search on Air BnB has come up with some lovely little places including: a studio in Möllan, an apartment in Triangeln (great location, in walking distance of everything and near the tube). Or this beautiful home in Västra Hamnen, an area by the sea renowned for it's architecture and swimming (as well as a handful of cafés and restaurants) and 10 minutes by bike into the city centre.

Best time to visit - April to October (when the days are longer and the weather a little milder) or December (for the Christmas markets).

If you've visited Malmö and have some tips you'd like to share (or if you have any questions) you're so welcome to add them in the comments below.

I hope you make your way here soon. As they say in Sweden - Välkommen!

Credit: All photography by Valentina Fussell.

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A beautiful vintage industrial home and café

What happens when you combine two foodies, South of France style, North American charm and a Michelin-starred chef? The wonderful café Maman, that's what!  Elisa Marshall and Benjamin Sormonte had been living and working in various places around the globe including France and Ibiza before taking over a former machinery shop in SoHo, New York. The pair left the tin ceilings, exposed brickwork walls and original 1920s flooring untouched and added vintage and antique furniture to maximise charm. They also installed an industrial window so that guests can watch Michelin-starred chef Armand Arnal in action. Oh how I could drop in there now and wile away a morning?! Their six-floor loft in nearby Tribeca is pretty beautiful too and follows the same industrial vintage style - but with a touch of romance - think florals, sheer curtains and pipes painted in gold. Let's take a peek inside the Sormonte-Marshall household and café Maman....
 
The loft










The café








Photos: Nicola Franzén - shared with kind permission. Lonny mag. Post inspired by It's Monday but it's OK

What a world they've created? Just beautiful, don't you think?

A few notes on where items in the home are from in case you're interested: vintage letters, dresser found on Krrb / bar cart, table and chairs found at Brooklyn Flea, plant pot from Anthropologie, hanging plant holders.

Two fab DIY ideas to steal- Marshall and Sormonte collected Pez dispensers, sprayed them gold and framed them - such a nice idea. The sofa  / day bed was made from pallets (see a step by step guide here).

You can read more about the home and café here

Oh and there were lots of questions about where the throw was from in this Swedish home on Monday - and now I have the answer, yay! (thanks lovely anonymous commenter!!) You can find more details in the post if you're interested. 

Got to rush off as I have a V.V.V.I.P guest arriving from London tonight - my Mum! There's a bed to be made, a bar to be stocked and some recipes to be whipped up (if only I had the helping hand of Armand Arnal!), go, go, go!

Have a lovely day!

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