This summer, my eldest daughter Liv is swimming in the Swedish nationals. She has worked so hard to qualify (mornings before school and all) so there's no way we're going to miss it, even so it's taking place in Sundsvall, some 980 kilometres (600 miles) from Malmö! And then I realised something. It's only a short hop to Sweden's Höga kusten (High Coast) in the Gulf of Bothnia - a world heritage site known for its archipelago and breathtaking scenery. Needless to say, it's somewhere I've always wanted to visit but never really had the opportunity until now!
While researching our trip, I remembered Maria's beautiful house in the area (I have followed Maria on instagram for quite some time now!). The pictures Maria shares of her home often have me dreaming of living a life in an old house on the water's edge - particularly as magical as this one.
A traditional red and white house, it's filled with earthy tones, wood panelling, vintage furniture, roaring fires, views over the water and plenty of star-gazing! Welcome to Villa Kusten on the Swedish High Coast.
Down by the water's edge, Maria and her family have an outbuilding where they can enjoy long lunches, evening meals and gatherings overlooking the water.
What a magical place to live!
I especially love the dining area in the outbuilding - and the jetty! Imagine enjoying a midsummer's eve supper out there?
Her house looks equally lovely in the snow too. There's no light pollution so on a clear night you can see the entire galaxy and if you're lucky, the Northern Lights!
This has made me even more excited about my trip to the Swedish High Coast this summer. I hope I can find somewhere as wonderful as this to stay. I'd better get planning!
If you've been to the area, please do share your tips! I promise to take lots of pictures and share a guide afterwards.
See more pictures of Maria's house and garden over at @villakusten. And for those of you who share the same dream as I do to live in a house by the water, here are a few other Scandinavian homes to love today:
Also:
And in case you'd like to visit Sweden this summer, here are a few of my guides:
Happy Wednesday!
Niki
Photography courtesy of @villakusten shared with kind permission.