A Home Filled with Sunshine: Inside Ebba’s Vintage-Inspired Haven

It’s Friday… and I’m in love. In love with the tiny shoots sprouting on the rose bushes outside. In love with the fact that March arrives tomorrow, bringing us one step closer to spring and summer. And in love with the idea of a weekend stretched out before us—not because anything special is planned, but simply for the slow mornings, the little household projects, the chats with my family, and the joy of popping out for errands. Are you feeling the weekend vibes too?

I’m also in love with Ebba Barkenbom’s house. Ebba—a certified doula and photographer who specialises in capturing the first moments of a baby's life—shares her home with her photographer husband Oscar and their three children, Ingrid, Maj-Britt, and Bertil. Every room in their beautiful family home is sprinkled with yellow, filling it with sunshine even on the cloudiest of days. It’s brimming with charming vintage touches, and there's the sweetest DIY idea in the children's bedroom—how I would have adored a nook like that as a child!

Ready to take a peek inside and soak up the sunshine-filled charm? Let’s dive in!

Ebba has painted the wood panelling in Claro from Jotun and the cabinets in NCS 1015-Y20R. 

The table is a DIY project - combining a worktop with the base from another table. 

The sofa is from IKEA and has been transformed with a linen cover and cushions from Bemz. 

The very cool hand-built bed nook has been made using wood panelling painted in linseed poil paint in tone burnt terra 15% and Green earth 7% from Gysinge Byggnadsvård. 

I love the sky blue on the floor and yellow touches around the window in the little bathroom, it may be a small space, but it sure is pretty! 

A charming family home, full of unique finds. Just lovely! 

Did you appreciate the touches of yellow too? 

It's time to wrap up here on the blog for the week, so I'll leave you with some Danish homes to dream about in case you find a quiet moment to browse with a coffee this weekend: 

A small-ish Danish apartment with a vibrant sunny feel

Spring has sprung in a Copenhagen home full of pastels

Warm, earthy tones in an international family home in Denmark

Happy weekend friends, thank you so much for stopping by! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of @ebbabarkenbom, shared with kind permission. 

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Swedish Charm: Step Inside An Idyllic 1907 Villa

Do you live in your forever home? As someone who loves change, I find it remarkable that we've lived in our Malmö townhouse for seventeen years. While I love it and cherish the many memories we've created here, I can definitely see us moving once our children grow up. Perhaps it's because it's modern (built in 2001), and I've always been drawn to older properties—homes with charming details from a time when architects added decorative touches purely for the joy of it.

For this reason, one of my favourite pastimes is scouring real estate sites in search of forever homes, daydreaming about what could be! Admittedly, I may have even signed us up for the odd viewing—much to Per’s bemusement! And today, this lovely villa popped up—one I would undoubtedly consider a forever home!

Painted in the traditional Swedish red and white, the house sits just outside Stockholm and dates back to 1907. It has been beautifully maintained by the current owners, who have created a light-filled space with soft, muted tones, patterned wallpaper, and a mix of designer pieces. In the summertime, there are so many inviting spots to soak up the warmer weather—from quiet nooks and social gathering spaces to a sun-drenched terrace, all framed by a charming heart-motif fence.

The downside? It’s 620 km away—which is quite a stretch (Per would say impossible!)—but I thought maybe it might entice one of you, or at the very least, we can dream away together!

Ready to take a stroll on the sunny side?

In Swedish houses sun rooms like this one are extremely popular as they provide a sunny, sheltered spot to enjoy the garden, even on cooler or rainy days—which, as we know, can be quite frequent!

Note the calming shade of blue in this room. We painted Liv's room (old pictures now but you get the idea!) in a very similar shade called 802 clouds and it remains one of my favourite shades. 

A pair of classic Swedish DUX Karin chairs and a Gross ceiling light add a cool design touch to the room.  

Where would we be without wishbone chairs? Here, sheepskins help to create a cosy touch in winter. 

The pantry has had a huge revival in recent times - with many new kitchen designs incorporating once in some shape or form. I always look on in envy at my friends pantry's - some of whom have an entire little room (larder) dedicated to dried foods! 

PS I'm happy to see they love a Hellman's mayonnaise - as unhealthy as it is, no sandwich would be complete without it! 

Svenskt Tenn Klöverblad wallpaper adds interest to the otherwise fresh white stairwell and landing area. 

Notice how a children's storage unti from IKEA has been given a nice update with linen fabric. I'm also loving the striped wallpaper! 

This bunk bed is from Oliver furniture. 

 

A beautiful home - don't you think? It seems to tick every box - it's traditional yet brought up to date, features lovely wood floor and high ceilings, has working fireplaces and is filled with light. Plus the outdoor space is great too! Yes please! 

Could you imagine living in a house like this too? More images and information available here. 

See more lovely houses in this archive today. 

Wishing you all a happy Wednesday!

Niki

Photography Samuel Uneus for SkandiaMäklarna

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Feel Inspired by a French Antique Dealer’s Charming Home

Tjena vänner! It's great to be back here on the blog again (thank you for your patience), especially as I have a lovely home to share with you!

One of my friends, Bettina—a Swedish interior designer living in a lovely chalet in Chamonix—writes a fantastic new weekly newsletter (definitely worth signing up here). In her latest edition, she recommended taking a look at the wonderful world of Fabienne Nomibis on Instagram, and I was so excited by what I found.

An antique dealer, Fabienne uses her charming French home as a photographic backdrop for the antiques she sells through her brick-and-mortar store, Archives, in Reims as well as online. Needless to say, every corner of her home features an ever-changing treasure trove of furniture and fascinating trinkets, with every single possession telling a wonderful story of a past life.

Also, keep an eye out for beautiful tiled floors, internal windows that help the flow of light, and bookshelves laden with tomes and other curiosities. There's so much to look at and feel inspired by! Ready to take a look? Bienvenue!  

Does this make anyone else feel like planning an urgent flea market road trip? Now that spring is in the air, I’m sure many will be throwing open their doors here in Sweden too—and I’ll be ready and waiting.

If you’re passing through Reims in France, Archives is open for business as well–and there's also Fabienne's online store Nomibis!

Did anything catch your eye? Perhaps a particular room or a specific item? Do you have a lot of antiques in your home? I grew up in a house full of antiques but sadly feel like I don’t have enough in my own home. Hopefully, that will change soon!

I’ve featured some beautiful French homes here in the past, including those of Swedes who have made the move south—like photographer Anna Malmberg with her lovely abode—and the holiday home of Kristin Lagerkvist. I am also a big fan of these charming French homes:

A stunning French country home filled with antiques
Old meets new in a former basketry workshop
An idyllic home on the south of France

As a child, we’d visit France all the time since it was easy to make day trips over the Channel. We also went with school a lot to practice our French (not that it got us very far!). It’s a little further away from us here in Sweden, so sadly I don’t get to go as often—which is why I really enjoyed today’s virtual trip. I hope you did too!

Niki

P.S. I’m looking forward to sitting in the sunshine with a coffee this afternoon and reading/responding to all your comments from last week. Thank you so much for taking the time to write; it’s always a pleasure to read your thoughts.

Photography courtesy of @nomibis, shared with kind permission. 

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Slow Living: My Peaceful Little Cabin in Sweden

Glad Alla Hjärtans Dag! (Happy Valentine’s Day!) Today is all about celebrating love in all its forms, so I thought—since this blog is all about our shared passion for the home—why not shine a light on the places we cherish most? Those spaces where we instantly relax, the ones we long for when we're away, and where we feel truly at peace. It might be a house, a room, or even just a cosy nook somewhere.

For me, that place is our little cabin. Members of this community will know we designed and built it a few years ago, carefully considering every detail (Per might say a little too carefully, but now he agrees it was worth the effort!). Nestled on Sweden’s west coast, it's just 30 square metres (322 square feet), but it has everything we need: a place to cook, eat, gather, listen to music, play games, and sleep. In winter, we arrive eager to light a fire; in summer, life flows effortlessly between indoors and out (hopping between the two depending on what the Swedish weather gods decide to throw our way!). We divide our time between the terrace, the beach, long coastal walks—and of course, the local pub—soaking up the changing seasons.

My heart belongs to this little retreat, where I'm happiest, surrounded by family and visiting friends. I hope you enjoy these pictures—some might be familiar, while others are new. I’ll share some details in case anything catches your eye!

Above: Wooden floor and panelling from Norrlands Trä. Windsor chairs, Skovby extendable table, IKEA kitchen (with a slight hack!) - complete guide here.

Plums from our neighbours garden in a bowl from Mölle Krukmakeri.

Monarch chair and Plico chair, Contura woodburning stove, Tense light by New Works

Children's wishbone chair

The ladder and railings were handmade by a local carpenter. 

Little wooden stools from Skovby

Complete guide to our bathroom here.

We've felt so honoured to see our cabin feature in Simply Scandi magazine and also Cate St Hill's forthcoming new book The Japandi Home. This year we hope to focus a little more on the garden (is it just me, or are gardens really tricky? I think it's going to take some trial and error to create the oasis we hope for, but we'll have fun trying!

In case you're curious about the layout and exterior, you can find more info here. 

I'd love to hear about the place you most cherish, if you'd like to share. 

Today, in southern Sweden there's a little extra love floating around as the sun is shining and it's the start of the 'sportslov' (meaning 'sports break'–or what others refer to as half term). I'll be taking a short break with my family and will be back on the blog on Monday 24th February. In the meantime, if you'd like to see a few more tours, you might want to cosy up and delve into these archives: 

Swedish cottages

Danish homes

Norwegian homes

Boho style homes

Vintage inspired abodes

Thinking of visiting Scandinavia this summer? You can find all my travel guides here. 

Looking to fill your home with a little Scandinavian romance? Skandinavisk have just launched a KYSS (Swedish / Norwegian for 'kiss') scented candle with notes of blackberries, rose, sugar candy and cloves and it's divine! 

Right friends, I'd best be off. Have a wonderful week and a very happy Valentine's Day! 

Niki

PS I came across this lovely rustic Swedish cottage earlier which I had completely forgotten about, take the tour here. 

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