An Light and Airy Guesthouse in a Former Potting Shed

Hej kompisar! I hope you had a lovely, relaxing weekend. I mentioned last week that I'd been chasing my tail, and it seems this week is set to continue - I arrived in Gothenburg late last night as I'm set to present on stage at Möbelmässan (the Gothenburg furniture fair) this afternoon. Eeeeek! During my research, I've learnt a lot about 2025 interior design trends which I'd love to share with you soon. 

In the meantime, I thought I'd start the blog week with a total reset in the form of a white shed, also known as The Potting Shed. Set in the grounds of Bunya House in Bowral, New South Wales, Australia, I found myself immediately drawn to it today as a) it's far away 2) it's on Airbnb so we can actually book it! 3) it's small - and if you've seen the tour of our tiny cabin, you know I love small and finally 4) it oozes simplicity. 

The shed is made up of one main room with a sink, small table and bed as well as a bathroom. Since it's hard to tell from the pictures - as you walk in the door seen above, the sink is immediately to your right and the table straight ahead. The bed is to the left. 

Ready to take a little tour of this simple, airy guesthouse? 

Could you imagine staying here and filling it with your holiday wardrobe and food picked up at the local market? Perhaps we could meet there: the main house is also available to rent through Airbnb. Now there's an idea for a Monday! I already see a spot for that glass of wine (Australian of course!). 

Is there anything that stood out to you about this little cottage? I'd love to hear below! 

Although I mainly show Scandinavian homes, you'll have noticed I do have a particular penchant for Australian properties (I must visit one day, never been!). You can see all the tours from the past here. 

Right friends, I need to get ready for this talk now, wish me luck and have a fab start to the week. 

Kram

Niki

Photography courtesy of @bunya_house_bowral, shared with kind permission

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A Playful One Room Swedish Apartment With a Golden Glow

Looks like we made it (in the words of Barry Manilow), it's Friday! I'm not going to lie; it's been one of those weeks where I've been chasing my tail and never quite able to catch up. But I still wanted to stop by and share this happy, golden glow of a home. 

Located in Stockholm, it's 40 sqm (430 ft.sq) so somewhat larger than the small space I showed on Wednesday - but still consists of a one room living room space plus kitchen. I felt it therefore presented another fine way to arrange a room designed for living and sleeping (love the way a canopy is used to shield off the bed and create a cosy, safe nook for some shut eye). If you're struggling with storage, keep an eye out for the units in the hallway (which I believe are IKEA) and the drawers under the bed. Closed storage has been used in other areas too and help to keep the home clutter free. 

But there is also more at play here - whoever lives here is into their funky details and takes pride in sourcing one off playful pieces that all come together to create a beautiful and unique home. 

I got such a lovely vibe from this home, did you? It's so full of warmth and personality. 

When I looked back through the pictures a second time, I couldn't help but notice the wall art which included textiles and paintings. Not only that, but the way a picture has been hung over the door to the sitting room - a unique spot, but it works! That and the mix of textures used throughout which add to the playful feel. 

I'd love to hear about what you noticed about this home - and any thoughts you had while looking through the pictures. 

As mentioned above, sadly I'm in a bit of a rush today - but I look forward to reading and responding to your comments over the weekend - maybe over a nice big glass of wine! 

I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing weekend! 

Niki

Photography by Mia Borgelin, styling by Anna van Keppel, courtesy of Historiska Hem with thanks. 

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A Small Stockholm Home with Room for Everything

Just because you live small, doesn't mean you can't have it all. With a little planning and clever thinking, you can organise a living space to cater for all your needs - including have a place to eat, sleep, chill and socialise! In this 26 metres square / 279 ft sq apartment in Stockholm, the owners have capitalised on ceiling height to create their own two-floor apartment - or put more simply, a loft bed! 

The raised solution helps to separate the living and sleep quarters and creates a cosy nook beneath in which to catch up with friends, unwind or scroll through Netflix (have you seen The Perfect Couple with Nicole Kidman? Per and I whipped our way through it in two days, it's such a great series!).  

While we can't all benefit from towering ceilings, it's great to think about how you can carve out zones in your own home - even if it means a subtle transformation of an area from day to night. And also, how to ensure space for everything without it becoming too cluttered. Here, raised bookshelves and the use of a curtains to cover the wardrobe ensures a calm feel without compromising on your belongings! 

Ready to dive in to discover more+ 

The outdoor space almost doubles the living area in summertime - the owner has once again made maximum use of it, carving it up into a little dining spot and sitting room area. 

A lovely little home, don't you think? 

Is there anything you spotted or felt particularly inspired by? 

Would you like to feel inspired by other small homes today? Why not have a scroll through the small spaces archive? This home could pop up first - if so, just hop over. You might also love this Swedish cabin in the wood on wheels and the world's smallest luxury home. 

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments these past few days, it has been so heartwarming! I wish I was more technical so I could find out how to make it easier to comment under a name (I've noticed not everyone is able to) - but alas, I have no idea how! Even so, I love reading each and every one of your comments, they add so much to each post! 

Happy Wednesday!

Niki

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

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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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