Springtime In A Rustic Swedish Country Home

Hello friends! Thursday already - how did that happen? Anyone in need of a little escape today?  I hope you'll join me in a tour of this beautiful, rural Swedish home. Regular readers might recognise the interior from when it was all decked out for Christmas. Needless to say, Fanny Lindén's country home looks equally charming in springtime - when lilac bushes burst into life and rhubarb is harvested for homemade crumbles. Welcome to Fanny's home in rural Sweden, where she lives with her husband and three children - and a cat! 

So pretty! I love their cat in the last picture, cheekily playing with the plant! 

The vintage and antique furniture is also beautiful - and they fit perfectly in this environment. 

Is there anything that stood out to you? 

For more dreamy inspiration check out Fanny's blog and instagram feed. 

I think you know what's coming. Yes, that's right! Links to a load more idyllic Scandinavian country homes. Time to pour a coffee, light a candle and pull up a chair - here's a country home from each Nordic country to dream over: 

An idyllic red and white Swedish farmhouse

A hyggeligt candlelit Norwegian cabin

Ilkka's rural retreat in Finland

Charming details in a Danish allotment cottage

A striking holiday home by the sea in Iceland

It's been a bit of a crazy week, with waaaay to much left to do. So, I hope it's OK if I leave you with these lovely spaces to dream about over the weekend. I'll be back on Monday!

Trevlig helg (have a great weekend!),

Niki

Photography courtesy of Fanny Lindén

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A Dreamy 17th Century Swedish Summer Cottage With a Focus on 'The More the Merrier'

Hello there friends! I hope you had a lovely weekend? On Saturday we had beautiful blue skies and warm weather here in Skåne (let's not talk about Sunday!). For a day, we dared to dream of the Swedish summer when many flock to cottages in the countryside. The cottages are usually geared up to cater for as many as possible - with beds at every turn! Take this wonderful summer cottage in Breven, just east of Stockholm. Tucked away among meadows and forest, this 17th century timber cottage comprises two dwellings - a main house (seen below), and an outhouse (featured above). The first serves as a gathering place (when times allow) as well as bedrooms for the owners. The second is for overnight guests and extended family- with one large room kitted out with a double bed, a bunkbed and two sleep alcoves. Pretty curtains help to block out the midnight sun - or the light of a lamp, for those who like to stay up and read! My children would love this - especially Allie, who thinks it's really cosy when we all bunk up together as a family! Roll on Swedish summer days. 

Look closely and you'll notice a painted diamond wood floor - a popular feature in traditional Swedish dwellings. I also the uneven wood logs - which add to the character of the space. 

The master bedroom has such a wonderful romantic air to it. And is that a TV on the ceiling I see?!

The thick walls pave the way for windowsills which are wide enough to double up as seating. A perfect spot for a morning coffee!

The guest house:

If you're ever invited to stay at someone Scandinavian summer cottage, remember to bring your own bed linen. I've been caught out on a few occasions... and I'd hate for you to make the same faux pas! 

The pool house (below) is kitted out with a sauna and extra bathroom - for cooler days. 

Saunas are a common sighting in Swedish homes (Especially in the basement) - although not quite as common as in Finland! The jury is still out on how much people use there here, with some enjoying regular sessions amongst the steam with their family, and others admitting they simply use it as a fancy place to dry their clothes! 

How dreamy! A perfect summer oasis. And with all those fireplaces, a wonderful place to visit all winter long too! 

Could you imagine spending your summer here? 

Find out more about this property over at Historiska Hem. 

Feeling intrigued about the Scandinavian summer cottage having seen this? Check out the entire archive here. 

Wishing you all a wonderful start to the week!

Niki

Photography Lina Östling

Styling: Stories by Chaundy

For: Historiska Hem

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A Charming Danish Summer Cottage With a Coastal Vibe

Saturday marked the spring equinox - which to me is a pinnacle moment in Scandinavia! From now on the hours of daylight will exceed the darkness, what a wonderful thought! It also gives us the license to dream that summer is around the corner (even if great swathes of the region are still blanketed in snow!). Many Scandinavians will be heading to their cottages over easter to start preparing them for the summer ahead. And no doubt, Helle Rye of @anordicmoment will also be making the trip (sanctions permitting). Helle loves to spend weekends and summer holidays at her charming cottage on North Zealand. The relaxed coastal vibe of the cottage contrasts sharply with the modern vibe of her city apartment. It's a place where she comes to relax, make the most of the great outdoors or read a book beside the woodburning stove. Enjoy the tour!  

Summer cottages are very much a pared back affair, with a strong focus on drawing the inside in. A simple shell poster in the kitchen is a lovely reminder of the nearby beach (and will help to find shell seekers identify their finds!). Source a similar one here*. 

Simple rattan furniture in the dining room helps to add a relaxed beach vibe to the space, while soft sheepskins make them feel a little more cosy!

In winter and colder summer days, Helle warms the cabin with the help of a wood-burning stove (something I'd love to install in my future cabin). Do you have one in your home?

A large jute rug (I recognise this one from IKEA) and light blue textiles add to the coastal vibe. 

I love the idea of using a jute rug on the wall as a headboard. I guess, it's really important to find a nice soft one - but it looks fab in this cottage! 

An outdoor bed? Sign me up! 

Bamboo furniture is always pretty - if you're interested in a similar look, keep an eye out for ones that can withstand all weather otherwise they'll quickly deteriorate. 

A popular addition to gardens across the world this winter: the outdoor fire pit! This one has been made extra cosy with a bench made from palettes and laden with cushions. So hyggeligt! 

Such a lovely, charming cabin! 

I love it how Helle has taken the opportunity to decorate the space in a completely different way from her city home. 

Could you imagine hanging here with friends or family, and a good book - all summer long? 

For more inspiration, check out the summer cottage archive - one of my favourites! 

Har det så fint! 

Niki

Photography: Helle Rye

*this post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and buy something I will make a very tiny commission, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting My Scandinavian Home! 

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An Idyllic Fjord Side Summer Retreat in Norway

Today the weather gods have delivered horizontal snow mixed with rain here in Southern Sweden. Typically, we're still on our bikes, but it wasn't that fun getting to my studio I can tell you (I'm still thawing out!). But the light has returned, and that's what gives us hope spring is just around the corner. And after spring comes the wonderful Scandinavian summer. And with that in mind, I thought we could all dream about this idyllic summer retreat in Norway today! Captured by Norwegian brand Slettvoll as part of their spring-summer campaign, the fjord side cottage will have you dreaming of days on the water's edge under the midnight sun! 

The property has two separate buildings as far as I can see - a guest house (pictured top) and a main house - where the interior pictures were taken. With a setting like this, I'd be perfectly happy to wake up in either one - how about you? 

Sidenote: how beautiful is the outdoor furniture pictured above? You can find more info about it here. 

It's not always warm enough in the evenings to sit outside (when we were sailing last summer on Sweden's west coast, the temperatures varied between 12 and 15 degrees celsius (around the mid 50s Fahrenheit) for several weeks! BRRRR!) - but I wouldn't mind, if I had a view like this. 

I love how a bench with built-in storage doubles up as seating at the table. 

The calm, white interior decor is earthy and pared back, allowing the view to take centre-stage. 

Pretty much all the furniture in the picture is from Slettvoll - more info here. 

Beautiful! 

Could you imagine spending lazy summer days here? 

Actually, scrap that, I'd happily spend a week there right now,  snow, rain, gale and all! 

In an ode to all things Norwegian today, here are some other tours I love: 

A Norwegian house by a fjord

A simple, yet cosy Norwegian cabin by a fjord

A charming yet simple Norwegian cabin by the water

Oh, how I miss this incredible country! I still dream about my trip to Hardanger in 2019 with Skandinavisk  and dream about returning with my family! 

Have you ever been to Norway? If so, I'd love to hear about your trip! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Slettvoll - found via Planet Deco with thanks. 

PS This post is not sponsored, I just felt inspired by the pictures, and thought you might be too! 

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A Weekend of Solitude at a Dreamy Island Hideaway

Recognise this place? I first featured beautiful Satellite island in 2016 and was completely blown away. It's been my dream to visit this remote and rugged island off the southern coast of Tasmania ever since. Sadly, I've yet to make it Down Under yet, but I know a girl who has. Twice! The lucky woman in question is travel photographer Kara Rosenlund, who completely fell in love with the island five years ago - and decided to return to capture the wilderness and pure solitude. Kara spent her days waking to the sound of low-flying gulls and the gentle lapping of the waves, foraging for fresh Tasmanian oysters  - and watching the sunset over the water. I couldn't think ion a more heavenly way to spend a weekend, can you? Here are here snapshots: 

So incredibly beautiful - what a dream! 

Could you imagine spending your weekend here?

Interestingly, Per just walked past my computer screen and thought this cabin was somewhere in Scandinavia (if only!) - perhaps that's why it's stuck with me all these years? 

More info about Satellite island can be found here. And you can see more of Kara's incredible photography here - and her lovely prints are available in her online store. 

Shall we compete the week with a tour of a few more island hideaways? Here are a few I dream about on grey, dreary January days: 

A cosy hideaway by the sea

The ocean-view whale song shack 

An off-the-grid shack on Bruny Island

A charming and relaxed swedish cabin by the sea

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! 

Stor kram! 

Niki

Photography: Kara Rosenlund found via Lobster & Swan with thanks

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