Karen's Lovely Summer House in the South of Sweden

I started blogging 12 years ago - and one of the things that has surprised me the most, is how many wonderful people I have met! Interior designers, photographers, homeowners, bloggers, brands and most importantly you guys via your comments and mails (even if you're a 'silent' participant, I see you!). It's meant that I have never felt alone - despite tapping away at my laptop solo! Thank you! 

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting photographer Karen Hilmersson who reached out via Instagram. Karen is French and lives in Belgium with her Swedish husband Pelle and their teenage children Lilly (15) and Eliott (soon 18).  The family frequently visit Malmö and recently bought a charming summer cottage in nearby Österlen. We discussed the project over a coffee recently and their holiday home is every bit as lovely as Karen described. Read on to discover more! 

Where is your summer cottage located? 

The house is situated near Sandhammaren in Österlen. We love the South and this part of Sweden as we always spend days here before going back to Brussels, and we have friends in Malmö and Lund which are very close. I also like the proximity to Copenhagen. I love Sweden and am so happy to finally have a place here we can call ours. 

Österlen is popular among Swedes especially in summer thanks to the beautiful nature, is this one of the reasons you picked this location? 

Absolutely. Our cottage is close to marshland... we have fields on the one side with the sunset in front of the terrace and woods on the other side. The beach is only a ten minute bike ride. 

I'm excited to see inside! First, let's take a look at the floorplan. 

Glossary: Vardagsrum (sitting room), Kök (kitchen), Sovrum (bedroom).

Can you describe the layout? 

It's a summer house that originally had three separate units from the 50s, and the previous owners turned into a whole house (keeping one unit separate - not featured here as we have yet to renovate it!). The former owners lived here year-round and the house was in good condition, which meant we could focus on more cosmetic updates. 

I love the kitchen! Did it look like this when you moved in?

We kept the kitchen that was already in place and painted the cabinets in French Gray from Farrow & Ball. The vintage dining table is from AB Småland in Malmö. 

What do your days look like when you are at your cottage? 

We enjoy this house in every season. In the summer, we love to make meals and invite friends over on one of our long tables inside or out and watch the sunset from the terrace. We also enjoy the fireplace and watching movies on the big sofa (from Meli Meli) in the autumn and winter. The surroundings are also very important to us, the beach at Sandhammaren and the hills of Kåseberga are amongst our favourite and Kivik is a short 40 minute drive. There are also some nice restaurants nearby and we love Orum117 bakery and pizzeria! 

Decorative bedspreads can really lift a room! I love the ones you have in your bedrooms, where are they from? 

We found them both in AB Småland in Malmö, I think they are from the Danish brand Masala. 

I like simplicity of this bedroom. Can you tell us about the details?

The overhead lamp is from Malmö Möbelfabrik and the Pool Lines art print is from Hotel Magique. The floor is from Norrlands Trä. 

The wall lamp is from French company Silly & Billy and the vintage chair is from AB Småland. The Mirror Mirror print* is by Sofia Lind. 

I understand the bathroom was one of the bigger renovation projects? 

Yes, it was a total renovation. The floor tiles are from Marrakesh Design and the subway oat milk wall tiles are from Dekora (although they looked verrrrrry different in the shop!). The sink is called SVEDBERGS MYRE from Bauhaus and the shower and taps are both from Tapwell. 

What a wonderful getaway you have created! Thank you so much for giving us a tour! 

***

You can see more snapshots from Karen's home as well as her beautiful portrait, lifestyle and travel photography at @karenhilmersson or on her website where she also sells a selection of her prints. 

I hope you enjoyed the tour of her home as much as I did! I am looking forward to meeting Karen next Friday along with the Australian lifestyle and travel photographer Lean Timms here in Malmö. So exciting! My job is to find the best coffee and cinnamon buns in town for our 'fika'! Tough but someone's got to do it! 

Would you like to see a few other beautiful Österlen homes today? Don't miss: 

Marianne's charming country home

A 19th century cottage where the past meets the present

Laura and Nora's dream Swedish country home

Planning to visit Österlen? This house belonging to an architect is available to rent via Airbnb! 

Happy mid-week friends! 

Niki

Photography: Karen Hilmersson, shared with kind permission. 

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A 19th Century Swedish Cottage Where the Past Meets the Present

In the space of three years, owners Malin, Wilhelm and their daughter Olivia have transformed a former Fisherman's cottage in beautiful Österlen, South Sweden into a light-filled family home. A combination of white, wood and concrete, the living space has gone through a total gut renovation and appears way more spacious than its 85 m2 (914 f2) thanks to the airy open-plan layout and wonderful high ceilings. Malin and Wilhelm were keen to flirt with the past - and signs of the original 1870 architecture are everywhere: exposed beams, wood panelling and on the upper level - the original floor which has been whitewashed - all of which adds oodles of charm! At this time of year, life spills outside where several seating areas and an abundance of fruit trees await! Anna Truelsen and Jonas Lundberg paid a visit to take these pictures. 

What a summer oasis! 

I can't even begin to imagine the level of work the family have put into this renovation (it would be so interesting to see the 'before' pictures - apparently it was in a total state when they bought it!). 

The bedrooms in particular really stood out to me - I love the dark wood exposed beams, they add a wonderful contrast to the room. 

Is there anything that stood out to you? 

Österlen is a lovely part of Skåne (the county I live in) and known for its beautiful landscape and light, attracting many artists. 

I recently featured this house in Österlen, being sold by Laura and Nora of Our Food Stories and out of coincidence, I met the new owner at a party last week (Sweden is a very small world!). Needless to say, they were thrilled and can't wait to spend summer there! 

Other houses I've featured (and love) from the area include:

Marianne's charming Swedish country home

The before and after pictures of a Swedish fire station that became a home

A 100-year-old Southern Sweden house

A charming shaker-style Swedish country kitchen in Österlen

Here in Sweden, the sun is shining, and the school summer holidays have begun (queue very messy house and an empty food cupboard!). This afternoon, I'm sneaking off over the bridge to Copenhagen to see all the latest design news from 3 Days of Design. If you'd like to follow along, head over to my instagram stories! 

Wishing you all a lovely, sunny day! 

Niki

Homeowner: Malin Hansmark

Photography: Jonas Lundberg 

Styling: Anna Truelsen

Featured in LEVA&BO

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A Charming Holiday Home in Österlen, Sweden’s Summer Escape

My younger sister and her family are currently island-hopping in Greece, and every now and again she FaceTimes me all excited, ready to give me a real-time video tour of her Airbnb. I absolutely love these virtual tours – not least because they transport me straight from my desk to the shores of the Ionian Sea – but also because they remind me how much it matters to find a holiday home you truly love. It can honestly make or break a trip, do you agree?

That’s why I hunt high and low before booking our own stays. And since I so often receive questions about where to stay in Sweden, I thought I’d share a gem with you today.

Österlen is an area in southeastern Skåne, in South Sweden, known for its rolling countryside, sandy beaches, whitewashed fishing villages, apple orchards, and rich cultural history. Long beloved by artists, it has a special light and creative atmosphere that draws painters, writers and makers year after year.

This particular holiday home, named Försammlingshemmet in Fågeltofta, is charming – with old beams, walls rich in patina, and interesting colours (think deep forest, raspberry and earthy tones). There’s a wonderfully comfy-looking four-poster bed, a pool to cool off in on warm days, and serene views across the Österlen landscape.

One to bookmark for next summer, perhaps?

Lovely!

I’ve also been reading a lot about Scandinavia being the new “coolcation” – the perfect antidote to increasingly hot summers in central Europe.

Summers here can indeed be wonderfully mild, usually around 18–25°C (68–77 °F) in July (the height of summer in Northern Europe). Of course, you can be a tad unlucky too – in which case we’re all dreaming of a last-minute trip south… or digging our knits back out of winter storage!

Have you been on holiday to Scandinavia? If so, I’d love to hear about where you went!

If you're planning on coming south, you can find this home on Airbnb here. 

I have also shared a ton of other beautiful Airbnb's in the past. 

Would you like to see some other homes in Österlen? Here are a few of my favourites: 

My friend Karen's lovely summer house 
Marianne's Swedish country escape
A 19th century cottage where past meets the present
The home of an architect

Have a wonderful start to the week! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Airbnb / Församlingshemmet, shared with thanks.

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A beautiful Swedish home in Österlen

Tomorrow is a big day in Sweden; Midsummer's eve. It's always a wonderful day (even though, by tradition the temperature drops by 10 degrees with horizontal rain!!). I've been learning how to make the midsummer wild flower crown for my two little girls hair and we'll all be leaping around a maypole like frogs (don't ask) out in the countryside. So to celebrate the occasion, here's a lovely home from a beautiful part of this region in Skåne - Österlen.

Hus o Hem, photography: Karin Foberg

I spy shabby chic dressers, beautiful mosaic tiled floors, crates used for shelving and Tolix chairs. What a lovely relaxed home from home don't you think? If you could see the surrounding nature of Österlen you'd be even more in love. You can see more pics and read more info about this home here.

And tomorrow I'll also be announcing the winner of the Japanese Washi tape! So don't forget to stop by and see if you've won (if you haven't entered, hurry! click here).

Niki x

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