Dream Airbnb Stay: A Swedish Weatherboard Cottage In South Australia

"She who comes here, finds what's lost." This is the opening line on the 'about' page of My Sister & the Sea'. And looking at the pictures of this beautiful white weatherboard cottage and its surroundings, I can well imagine it's true! The little cottage is owned by sisters Sarah and Emma who have enjoyed endless family holidays here with 'sandy feet, long meals, naps on daybeds, swimming.... dreaming, laughing and loving." Nestled in the small town of Marion Bay on the Yorke Peninsula, South Australia, the cottage was actually moved from Sweden by the Australian government many years ago. The sisters visited Sweden together to draw as much inspiration as possible for the interior. Today, Airbnb guests are invited to come enjoy the white interior, indoor and outdoor bathing under the stars and a fireplace." Sound like heaven? Step this way!   

True to its Swedish heritage, the sisters have dotted the living space with remnants collected from their coastal walks. A plant has been trained to climb the window - just like you see in many Scandinavian homes (see this and this home as an example!). 

Rattan fans* make beautiful wall art.

A simple wall lamp from IKEA serves as a reading lamp over the day bed which has been covered in striped linen* and a mix of grey and olive green cushions. 

In the dining area, a basket hangs from a hook on the side of a vintage cabinet for extra storage and a classic Scandinavian brass candlestick holder* awaits dusk on the table. 

A glass cabinet is ideal for keeping books and other treasures dust free, while s simple tree trunk serves as a side table beside a canvas safari chair. 

A simple wall-hanging made from shells and striped bed linen* add a beachy vibe to the bedroom. 

In the back yard, various vintage chairs have been arranged around a farmhouse table, while a simple striped deck chair allows for a little alone time with a book! 

Could you imagine spending your summer here? In my mind, I'm already there! 

I'm sure it would be equally magical in the winter, watching the waves crash against the rugged coast and reading by the fire. 

One to add to the travel list for the days when we can move freely again! 

Check it out on Airbnb, visit their website My Sister And The Sea and feel inspired by their instagram @readandhall. 

Curious to see other Airbnb stays I've added to my (dream) itinerary when I travel down under? 

Australia:

Dreamy holiday let: a cosy waterside eco cabin

A charming miner's cottage amongst an acre of roses

A beautiful boho cottage in Byron Bay

The White House Daylesford

Tasmania:

The Shack: A super cosy cabin on Bruny Island

Captains cottage: A cosy bolthole in Hobart

A Dreamy little cottage by the sea

Have I got you dreaming too?

Niki

Photography: Marnie Hawson

READ MORE...

0

Galleries Galore In A Creative Danish Home

'Copencabana' that's what everyone is calling Copenhagen right now due to a scorching summer finale! After work and school, adults and children alike are flocking to the water's edge for a cool dip in the Öresund. Further West in Fredicia, Jutland, Anne Romedahl and her family are no doubt doing the same. I featured Anne's wonderful townhouse back in 2017 - but as someone who loves to update her interior almost daily, so much has happened since then that I felt it was time to revisit! A teacher, Anne is passionate about interior design and her home is filled with flea market finds, Danish classics, art and many DIY items. She has also created an inspiring sunroom and outdoor space with which to enjoy the balmy evenings with her husband and three children. Ready to take a peek? Velkommen!

What a beautiful home! It has to be one of my favourites.

Danish style at its finest. 

I'd quite happily chill in one of those rattan chairs for the rest of the week too - how about you?! 

BTW the pretty floral cushions in the sun room are by Mette Frank (I looked them up as I thought they would be perfect for Allie's room!). Mette also sells fab liberty print eye masks laced with lavender - I spotted them in a shop in Hornbæk last week. 

Take a peek inside Anne's home back in 2017 to see what's changed - and keep an eye on her inspiring instagram feed @morrisseymmm and blog to see her latest home updates. 

Here are a few other Danish homes I love: 

A danish family's charming log cabin

Malene and Jeppe's pastel Copenhagen home

A sustainably decorated Aarhus home

Hav det godt! 

Niki

Photography: Anne Romedahl

READ MORE...

6

Our Wood Floor Update: It's Finished!

You might recall back in the spring, Per and I realised that the wood floor in our open-plan living area had finally bitten the dust. No amount of sanding, waxing and glue could rescue it. I was so grateful to hear all your thoughts on which style of wood floor to go for (it's a minefield as the options are endless!). After A LOT of deliberation, we finally chose Cured Oak LYBY wide plank (28cm) with a rustic, white matte lacquer finish from Swedish brand Bjelin. The reason: most of all, we fell in love with this particular wood floor. But also, it's easy to install (see my post of us in action here), really hard-wearing (with a messy family of five this was essential!) and made of renewable raw materials.  

Originally, it was a toss up between parquet flooring and wide planks - I've always loved both styles but in the end, we opted for the wide planks since I knew they would fit with the contemporary feel of our home and bring an element of calm to the living space (trust me, an open-plan living space with three kids around can get pretty hectic!).  We also chose a light wood as it's a pretty dark room, especially in the winter and I have to say, the white lacquer finish has given the room an instant lift! 

We're so thrilled with it! The only problem is, that decorating always seems to have a knock-on effect: update one thing in your home and then other things beside it start to look dated! Do you find the same? Don't tell Per though - he's only just recovered from the installation!

I hope you like our new wood floor as much as we do! 

You can find more details about it here - and see how our room looked before the renovation here. In case you're curious about laying a wood floor yourself, read Per's best tips!

I'll be back tomorrow with a very exciting home tour - please do pop back as I'd hate for you to miss it. In the meantime, I'm sending sunny weather vibes from Sweden! 

Niki

Thank you so much to Bjelin for partnering with us in this project, it made the whole renovation so seamless. All words are my own and I only ever work with brands I absolutely love! 

READ MORE...

14

A Small Swedish Home With A Clever Loft Bed

Usually I'd say start the week by going big, but today - I say let's go small! The reason? This quirky apartment in Södermalm, Stockholm is a teeny 33 m2 (355 f2), and perfect fodder for anyone looking for ways to make the most of their small living space. Built between 1904-1907 the tremendous 3.20 metre high ceiling has allowed the owners to build a loft bed with built in storage - while saving much needed floorspace. Despite the home staging and pared-back look, there are some fairly quirky touches. I'm particularly curious to hear what you think of the peeling kitchen wall: design feature or in need of a fresh lick of paint? The jury's out! Join the debate in the comments! 

 

 

 

I'd love to know (and be able to advise) on the paint colours, but I'm not entirely sure since I found this little apartment on Swedish estate agent site Historiska Hem where it' is currently for sale. But you never, know - often when I feature a home the home-owner steps forward, so we'll see! 

Is there anything that stood out to you about this space?

Take a look inside a few other small spaces in the archive, there are some really beauties in there! 

I have to confess, I'm in a bit of a rush today since the crazies started school today (late morning) and it's also Liv's 12th birthday - happy birthday to our wonderful girl! - so there's lots to do before they get home! 

Wishing you a wonderful start to the week! 

Niki

PS - I'm looking forward to sharing some pictures of our new wood floor tomorrow, we're so happy with it, I hope you're going to like it too! 

Photography courtesy of Historiska Hem

READ MORE...

11

An Interior Designer's Beautiful, Calm Open-Plan Living Space

How about something calm to complete the week? No one does soothing colours and materials like Holly Marder, an interior designer and co-founder of Avenue Design Studio. I once had the pleasure of meeting Holly when she came to photograph my home in Malmö many moons ago - and I've been following her work ever since. In 2019, Holly and her husband completely gutted the ground floor of their 1920s house in Delft, and set about renovating it with an aim to add "light, flow and functionality". The pair opted for a minimalistic palette inspired by nature in order to convey "a sense of calm and cohesiveness" throughout the down stairs living area. An eclectic yet muted array of furniture, mid-century art and ceramics collections complete the lovely space. Welcome to Holly's world - as with all her projects, you're in for a treat! 

Beautiful!

I always find muted colour schemes like this so calming and the wood adds so much warmth, don't you think?

I've shared so many of Holly's fab projects in the past - curious to take a look? Here are some of my favourites:

Holly's beautiful sitting room make-over
Take a tour of a calm, natural kitchen

Holly's former studio in the attic (and how she transformed it into a lovely guest room)

The crazies FINALLY go back to school on Monday and I'm looking forward to writing my daily posts again. Next week I've got a few exciting things lined up including some BEAUTIFUL home tours and also the final reveal of my new wood floor!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend - I hope the sun shines for you!

Niki

Photographs: Holly Marder / Avenue Design Studio

READ MORE...

4