Amanda's Charming Vintage-Inspired Swedish Country Home

Tjena! Today we're heading to the Swedish countryside to dream of a simple life. One which involves a beautiful country home, a separate ceramics workshop and even an antique and homeware shop with a cafe selling delicious cinnamon buns and fresh coffee. 

Välkommen to the home of Amanda Forster who lives in the countryside near Jönköping with her family and their delightful dog. Amanda shares her passion for decorating, flea market finds and ceramics while surrounded by sheep, hens and a beautiful garden on her instagram feed @ladanskuriosa. What vintage finds Amanda doesn't choose to keep for her own home, she sells in her beautiful boutique Ladans Kuriosa (the curiosity barn) - somewhere I am now very keen to visit the next time I pass by. 

I hope you enjoy the tour of this charming home which is filled with beautiful items, cosy layers of textiles and pretty wallpaper. maybe it will have you dreaming of a new life in the Swedish countryside! 

So beautiful! And so cosy in Autumn too with the fireplaces, blankets and sheepskins. 

Could you imagine cosying up here this weekend? 

It was hard to find pictures of Amanda's pottery studio - but there's a lovely film clip here. And you can find plenty more pictures of her home and store here. 

Check out more country homes this weekend in the archive (if this crops up first, just scroll past). I was so happy to read how much you all fell in love with Frida's home on Monday. Take a peek here if you missed it. 

Have a wonderful weekend all, thank you so much for stopping by. 

Niki

Photography courtesy of @ladanskuriosa, shared with kind permission. 

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Beata's Lovely Swedish Country Home is Full of Secondhand Finds

It's Friday and the sun is shining! Love it! Before we all head off, I just wanted to share one final snippet of Scandi inspiration with you in the form of Beata Nison's lovely country home. 

Beata is the founder of second hand boutique ReBloom selling handpicked vintage treasures from around Sweden - evidence of which can also be spotted in her lovely country home (wicker 'frog' bin anyone?). But what also stands out to me from these corners are the pretty shades of blue, pink and ochre she's used and many of which she's mixed herself. Evidence that weaving in some hues can add so much depth and interest to a room. 

Keep an eye out for the old fireplaces too - there's a 'kakelugn' to be found around almost every corner - even in the hall! 

Velkommen!

Really charming! All the flowers are making me want spring to hurry up and arrive too! 

Do you see what I mean about the shades of blue and pink seen on doors, cabinets and even the stairs? 

See more corners of Beata's lovely home over at @beatanison. 

If you'd like to take a look at more Scandinavian country homes today you're in the right place! Pour that cup of coffee and delve into this archive! 

More of a townie? I'm looking forward to sharing some beautiful apartments next week. In the mean time you'll likely feel inspired by this archive and also the small space archive. 

Thank you so much for dropping by. 

Have a fabulous weekend! 

Niki

Photography: @beatanison, shared with kind permission. 

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Before and After Vintage Wall Shelf Makeover

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments about our summer cottage master bedroom makeover on Wednesday. Per and I are so happy you like the update as much as we do! 

As promised, here is a post about how I transformed the pine wall bracket.

This wall shelf has been hanging on the bedroom wall in the summer cottage for many years (long before I arrived on the scene!). Needless to say, it belongs here! But the varnish on the pine had yellowed with age and while we all love the shape, the outdated look wasn't quite in keeping with the calm style we had envisioned for the newly revamped room. 

Caveat: I am not quite sure why there's an old mattress leaning against the wall in this picture obscuring the view - but I hope you get the gist as it's the only shot I have! 

So, we took it off the wall and I carried it to my studio where I scrubbed it down with soap and water (an important step!). 

I selected Tidlös paint by Jotun Lady to match the Sandberg wallpaper (the great thing about this paint is that I didn't need to sand down the wood first - but if you are looking to carry out a similar project on a wooden item, it's important to check the requirements first).  

I applied two layers of paint using two different paint brush sizes - one fairly small (featured) and the other very small (the knobs on the drawers were so fiddly!). Afterwards, I lightly sanded the edges of the drawers to ensure they slotted back into place and could be pulled in and out freely. I've learnt this from my childhood home - I had an antique chest-of-drawers in my bedroom and would need to wiggle the drawer for about 20 minutes just to get to my socks, it used to drive me insane! 

Once the paint had dried, we hung it back on the wall using a spirit-level app on the phone (have you tried these types of apps? so handy!). 

Aside from drying time, the entire process took about 2 hours. 

And hey presto! A brand new shelf! 

I hope you like the results and feeling inspired to revamp something unloved too. 

Who knows, perhaps you'll be looking at that piece at home that you were thinking about chucking out with new eyes now? Or maybe you'll discover a tired looking item of furniture in a loppis (flea market) that no one wants this weekend and give it a fabulous revamp? If you do, I'd love to see the pictures! 

Happy Friday friends! 

Niki

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Splashes of Colour in a Swedish Home that Combines Old and New

My sister came to visit me from sunny Mallorca in the Balearic Islands, Spain last month and she found the cold and darkness really refreshing (LOL!). She sent a picture of the landscape to her friends back home - and they assumed she had added a black and white filter to it. Nope, when there's snow on the ground and no leaves on the tree, the world is genuinely monochrome. The snow blizzard we are currently experiencing in Malmö is no different - my friend had to wear ski goggles on her bike to work wbich did actually add a rose tinted film to the world. And yes, the Swedes are still cycling!

It's in wintertime when I appreciate colour in the home the most. A pop of sunny yellow here, serene sky blue there. Maybe a splash of fuchsia pink and pea green won't go amiss either! In fact, this uplifting Swedish house has just the right amount of colour for me - and also boasts some lovely furniture too, much of which is vintage. 

Välkommen in! 

The pendant light is great, don't you think? It's the Filigrana light in Tobacco Canes by Sebastian Wrong. 

Kilim rugs with a hint of colour are becoming more and more popular. In fact, I was in a Kilim dream world at the Domotex floor fair last year! Try Etsy* for similar. 

Loving the layers of linen in the sitting room. If you have an IKEA sofa you can easily re-create this look by investing in a 'loose fit' slipcover in linen from Bemz*.

Most old houses in Sweden have a fairly steep roof (designed so that the snow falls off). The owners of this one has made use of the nooks and crannies to create cosy sleep zones for their little ones! 

Sky blue and pea green is a great, very 'now' combination! Are you a fan? 

Such a cute row of Fjällräven rucksacks too! 

This is one of those home tours which is worth going through several times - and each time you'll spot a new detail! 

For me, it's the mix of treasured second-hand finds or heirlooms with bang up to date, contemporary items that really stands out. The owners are clearly passionate about home decorating and spend time to source special pieces - some of which they have customised. 

Is there anything that stood out to you? Are you onboard with the wallpaper trend? I think it works best with older houses but who knows... we might see a revival in more modern homes too. After all, when I was growing up Laura Ashley wallpaper was EVERYWHERE - with lamps to match! 

Now, it's time for the owners to move on - and for someone else to take the reins of this beautiful house (see the listing here). 

Have a happy Wednesday vänner. Keep warm if you're here in the North - and cool if you're down in the South! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Historiska Hem, found via Nordroom with thanks. 

*affiliated link

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Sara Silm's Fairy-tale Chateau in Southwest France

Is there such a thing as the perfect place to live? If there is, I think this could be it! At least, I'm sure Sara Silm - author of the book How To Country French Country would say so. 

Sara describes herself as an Aussie girl, with a pinch of the Middle East, a spoonful of Africa and marinaded in Russia - now simmering in Southwest France! As you might have guessed, Sara is passionate about cooking, and her journal contains droolworthy recipes from every corner of the world.

Naturally, a lady into cooking, needs a beautiful kitchen - and Chateau Montford - her home in France which she shares with her husband and children certainly has this in spades!

But there's more to this wonderful home too. Hundreds of years ago, a French general scoured the Bearnaise countryside in search of the perfect place to build a chateau. He settled on Montfort, a charming village nestled amid the foothills of the Pyrenees. 

Sara and her husband bought the chateau in April 2015 and have gradually been reawakening the property, after years of dormancy. Today, room after room reveals a story of vintage and antique finds, lovely Farrow & Ball hues and nature themed wallpaper (much of which is from the Swedish brand Sandberg).  

Ready to fall in love? Here are a few snapshots of Sara's French dream! 

Wow! It's like something out of a fairy-tale. 

I will be dreaming about owning a chateau in the south of France all week how about you? 

Is there anything that stood out to you in particular? 

You can read all about Chateau Montford, Sara's book and her recipes here. If you're curious about particular wallpaper, colours and items - Sara is great at listing them on her instagram feed. You are also welcome to ask away in the comment section below and I'll do my best to help! 

Would you like to take a look around a few other French homes today? Mes oui! 

A relaxed, vintage inspired home in the French countryside

Kristin's current rustic French home and her former home in the south of france. 

Old meets new in a Paris apartment

An 18th century former basketry workshop

A Swedish photographer and hat-maker's home in France

Alexandra's vintage inspired home in the French countryside

I hope this has filled you with inspiration for the start of the week! 

Bisous! 

Niki

Photography by Sara Silm, shared with kind permission

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