A Charmingly Restored Swedish Country Home

As we near the end of September, there's an Autumn crispness to the air and woolly jumpers are just around the corner. In her lovely Swedish country home, Frida Sömskar has welcomed the season with DIY touches - including an apple garland here and a pumpkin display there, giving her home a warm and cosy touch. 

But that's not the only reason I have fallen in love with her home. When Frida and her family first discovered it, they were told to knock it down and start afresh, but instead they decided to work with the beautiful old bones it had and give the wreck a new lease of life - doing pretty much everything by hand. 

Today, remnants of its past life can be seen in almost every room and blend with newer touches in a traditional style . Pretty wallpapers, wainscoting, shelving units, vintage furniture and lovely textiles have been all part of the mix that help to create a relaxed vibe. Oh, and even the playhouse has been given a charming a make-over!

Välkommen to Frida's world. 

Charming in every way!

There were so many details to fall in love with, but I think what really captured my attention was the apple wreath - I might have to make one of those for my door this weekend. I wonder how long it will last? 

If you'd like to see the before and after pictures of this house - and read about some of the DIY projects, check out Frida's instagram @fridasomskar, it's so inspiring! 

I am really late writing this today as I have just been at a wonderful lunch at Malin Persson's house in collaboration with Florea, a delightful Swedish company selling seeds and bulbs. Malin's sister Linda made us all an Autumn-themed 'courgette risotto' served in a pumpkin. If you're curious to see more, take a look at my instagram stories today. 

It wouldn't be MSH if I didn't leave you with a few more lovely country homes to look at today! Why not take a peek inside: 

A traditional Skånelänge farmhouse

An idyllic cottage in the Swedish countryside

A pretty Swedish cottage in a forest

Have a fantastic start to the week friends! 

Niki

Photography: Frida Sömskar, shared with kind permission

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A Dreamy Swedish Summer Cottage By a River

Are you on Facebook? I still post on the My Scandinavian Home page three times a week, but I also still love a little scroll through my private feed for latest news! While it used to be more about people posting about their lives, these days it's more about missing cat alerts on community neighbourhood pages, am I right? But some of the groups I've joined come up trumps - one of which is a Swedish page called Torp och stugor, köp, sälj, hyr (crofts and cabins, buy, sell, rent). 

This weekend someone posted that they are selling their 'summer cottage 40 minutes from Örebro and 2.5 hours from Stockholm' which they describe as a 'real summer paradise with two bedrooms, a big guest cabin, fireplace, terrace and a pier at the end of the garden with access to a lake and much more'. And was 'anyone interested in buying it?'. Erm, me? Sadly it's a little too far away from Malmö, but I thought it'd be rude not to pass the message on in case you might like to take up the offer. Ready to dream?

Note the door frames and skirting boards have been painted in another tone - just like we saw in Freja's  Danish home last Wednesday. In Freja's home the pea green shade was a starker contrast to the walls which gives a more contemporary vibe, whereas here, the tone blends nicely with the wall colour to create a more traditional and calm look. I also love that the window frames have been painted in the same tone. It reminds me of the paintwork in a beautiful rustic Norwegian cabin I once featured. 

The summer cottage is pretty much closed for business in the winter - as the water is on only in summertime. But when summer arrives, I can imagine it springs into action. In Sweden, it's common for people to go and visit friends and family at their cottage for a few days - it's a way of keeping in contact. 

My Swedish Father-in-law always says, 'guests are like fish, they start to smell after three days'. Always makes me laugh (naturally, we also make sure to not out stay our welcome when we visit him!). I guess it depends on the guest and how close you are, but three days or not, we can all agree that a little personal space is great for everyone! 

At this Swedish cottage, a separate cabin in the grounds has been converted into a wonderful guest bedroom complete with a bed and dining table so you can truly make yourself at home! 

And of course, they have a simple, yet lovely outdoor shower. 

Speaking of which, this weekend, we finally put up our outdoor shower (which was a press gift). It's a copper one with a really clever Danish design and simply plants into the grass so you can place it where ever you want. It has a tap and you can attach a warm and cold hose too! We LOVE it! If you're quick you might catch a glimpse of it on my instagram stories today. Right now, they have a special end of summer offer in case you're interested! 

I hope you enjoyed the tour of Julia's summer paradise! 

You can find more information here about the listing if you're interested. 

I noticed quite a few lovely details while looking through the pictures. One of my favourites is a painting of the cottage in the kitchen - I wonder if this was painted by one of the owners or perhaps as a present from one of their guests? 

I have a very romantic view of a cottage with its own pier - there's something about the direct access to water which I absolutely love. Perhaps it's the sense of freedom. 

Is there anything that stood out to you about this pretty Swedish summer cottage? If so, I'd love to hear more below, it's often a detail or observation I've missed. 

Have a wonderful start to the week!

Niki

Photography courtesy of Fastighetsbyrån with thanks. 

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An Idyllic Cottage in the Swedish Countryside

I might be sitting here at my laptop in the city of Malmö today, but that doesn't stop me from pretending I'm deep in the heart of the Swedish countryside. Fancy joining me? 

This quintessential Swedish estate in Katrineholm is made up of several buildings not unlike Astrid Lindgren's famous tale 'The Children of Noisy Village'. Laidback and unpretentious, the main cottage is filled with antique furniture, wildflowers and plenty of books creating a wonderful, homely space in which to read, play back gammon, tinker away on a piano or simply relax! 

On sunny days, life moves outside where everyone gets to splash around in the pool, tuck into long lunches or allow the sights and sounds of the Swedish wilderness to lull you into an afternoon nap. I'm sure it's a great area for chanterelle picking too - but the owners would never let on! 

How lovely. As someone who is currently thinking about building an outdoor cottage at our cabin, I was happy to see the simple solution of simply hanging a shower curtain (especially when the whole thing was getting more and more complicated in my mind). 

I also really like the timeless, typically Swedish white and grey interior - made cosy with extra plump sofas, sheepskins and a big fireplace! 

I'd love to hear what stood out to you. 

Could you imagine spending your summers here? If so, the property is currently for sale here. 

Now that I've got you in the mood, would you like to see a few other idyllic Swedish summer cottages today? 

Before and after: a rundown croft becomes an idyllic summer cottage

A charming swedish summer cottage in the forest

A beautiful swedish country home in a former Mission house

Oh, to spend the week in the Swedish countryside. Do you feel the same? 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Svenskfastighetsförmedling, with thanks. 

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