An Idyllic Swedish Country Home in a Former Mission House

We arrived back in the Malmö metropolis last night, but my soul is still in the Swedish countryside where wildflowers grow along the roadside and the meadows and woodland are a vibrant green. That's what drew me to Maja Olausson's beautiful house deep in the heart of the countryside of North Skåne, a mere hour or two from here. 

A former mission house, the property was built in 1922 - and is steeped in history. When Maja took over the reins in 2019 along with her husband Johan, two daughters Majken and Juni, three cats and a rabbit, she was careful to respect the heritage of the house while adding modern comforts as well as kitting it out with beautiful vintage finds, some fabulous New Nordic lighting and plenty of patterned wallpaper against an earthy backdrop. The garden has also sprung to life in her care - with each season erupting into a colourful display of blooms including roses, dahlia and other delights. Välkommen in! 

The large hallway is all original except for the floor - giving a wonderful glimpse into its former life as a former mission house. 

Last summer, Jonas Lundberg and Anna Truelsen stopped by to capture the house for magazine Lantliv - the shoot included this glimpse into the kitchen dining area where Lilla Dockekulla wallpaper from Duro Sweden draws nature indoors. 

The above picture is another one for the series captured by Jonas and Anna. It was following a budget-friendly 'mini' renovation which included repainting the kitchen cabinets (NCS S2005-Y10R) and swapping out the floor, giving the kitchen a much-needed refresh. 

The eclectic array of pieces such as a Smeg fridge / freezer and Tropez light (one of my favourites!) are typical of the type of different styles and eras you will find throughout the house. 

You might recognise the large dining room as I featured a wonderful picture of it at Christmas time on my instagram last winter. It's fun to see the same space in summertime!

The large sitting room is dominated by brown suede sofas and a chaise longue from Sweef furniture, as well as a shaggy rug (which are having a moment!) and two poufs which Maja designed as part of a collaboration with online Swedish store Ellos.

A platform at the back of the sitting room serves as a reminder of the past. 

Juni's room is like a fairytale - as well as super cosy! I think one of the take-homes from this lovely scene is the red toadstool lamp - I love how it pops against everything else in the room adding a visual element of surprise. Something to think about when decorating / furnishing a room.  

The feather lamp is available here. 

Outside, Maja has created a wonderful oasis with several seating areas where you can eat, socialise, relax or simply reflect, surrounded by flowers and homegrown herbs and vegetables. 

How utterly charming! 

I particularly love how Maja and Jonas have transformed this space into a home, while still respecting the historical heritage. So inspirational! 

All in all, it's a magical indoors and out. 

Is there anything that stood out to you? I love your observations as they really add so much to each post, thank you! 

See more of Maja's house over at @majasmissionshus

Would you like to take a tour of a few other Swedish country homes today? Here are three you'll love: 

A cosy country home in North Sweden 

An idyllic red and white Swedish farmhouse

A cosy living space in a Swedish country home

Have a lovely day friends! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of @majasmissionshus 

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A Charming and idyllic Swedish Country Home in Summertime

The Swedish country house of interior stylist Anna Furbacken would look perfectly at home in an Astrid Lindgren tale. It's so idyllic! Nestled in the countryside in central Sweden, the historic croft is made up of one larger house and several outhouses positioned astound a central lawn - making it a perfect venue for parties like midsummer this Friday! 

Anna has been renovating the house over time to create a home where she and her family can relax and be themselves, both outdoors and in. The interior offers a refreshing respite from the 'perfect' living spaces we're so used to seeing these days, offering a wonderful glimpse into family life on the farm. Look out for antique furniture, an array of vintage lights and soft, earthy, muted tones - as well as refreshing glimpses of laptops, cables, messy cushions and the odd margarine tub. 

Outdoors, there's plenty of seating to go around with a chilled bamboo sitting room area, hammocks and a long table with a mix match of chairs. It's the kind of place, you'd be happy to pull up a seat and stay for a while under the midnight sun. 

Note the choice of panelling in the kitchen (I'm all into panelling having installed it in our cabin. See my panelling guide here) - Anna has opted for a traditional bead panelling which perfectly matches the history and style of the house. 

The pendant you can catch a glimpse of in the picture above has become really popular in Sweden among the boho living aficionados, it's from HK Living. 

I'm sure many happy childhood memories will be made at this beautiful house. And what a glorious place to spend midsummer's eve! 

Could you imagine wiling away your summer days here? 

See more of Anna's home over at @annfurbacken and more about her work as an interior stylist here. 

Here's a peek inside a few other Scandinavian country homes this bright and sunny Monday: 

An idyllic red and white Swedish farmhouse

A cosy country home in rural north Sweden

Jessica's charming croft from 1900

Kram! 

Niki

Photography: @annfurbacken shared with kind permission

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Before and After: A Rundown Croft Becomes an Idyllic Swedish Summer Cottage

When I first visited Sweden at the tender age of nine, I completely fell in love with my Swedish friends' summer cottage. It was everything you'd associate with the Swedish summer: a picturesque red and white cottage surrounded by woodland, lakes and the sweet scent of roses. Oh, and maybe the odd mosquito! When I stumbled across Alex and Erika's country home online yesterday, it took me straight back to that summer! Affectionately known as Gubbetorp, Alex and Erika's croft is located in the beautiful Östergötland countryside and has been lovingly restored one room at a time.  The pair share a passion for  antiques, vintage finds and up cycling all of which add to the charm of the space. Here are a few snapshots from before and after the renovation - including ikea hacks, outdoor loo and all! 

Kitchen before

Kitchen after

Sitting room before 

Sitting room after

The pair peeled back the laminate floor to discover a beautiful wood floor - what a great discovery! Wallpaper from Böråstapeter adds a cosy touch to the room and helps draw nature indoors. 

The hall before 

Hall after 

Alex and Erika picked up an IKEA chest of drawers for a song (100 SEK - or 8 quid!) and painted it in a soft grey-green. Rabarber 1792 wallpaper adds a vibrant feel to the space. 

Outdoor loo before

It's not that uncommon for Swedish cottages to have an outdoor loo with no running water. I recently stayed at Helen's lovely place which was the same! It took me back to the days I spent Grandmother's house. Granny Ruth had an outdoor and indoor loo. We never used the outdoor one as it was always full of spiders! 

But the ones I've experienced in Sweden are so much fresher - especially after a make-over! 

Outdoor loo 

Erika and Alex have completely spruced up their outdoor loo - adding wood panelling which has been painted in the same hue as the cottage interior. 

They've also added home comforts such as a hand towel, magazines, fresh wildflowers and perhaps most importantly - a vintage water tank for washing hands. 

The standout piece though, has to be the magnificent antique dresser - it adds such a homely touch! 

What a difference! 

Their garden is simply magical - especially in summertime. It has me dreaming of midsummer (which is only 8 weeks away!) and long summer days alfresco! 

I hope you enjoyed this before and after feature as much as I have! 

If you'd like to see more snapshots from Alex and Erika's home head on over to @gubbetorp.

You might also like to feel inspired by other idyllic Swedish summer cottages here: 

A fairytale Swedish summer cottage

A photographer's charming summer cottage in the woods

A charming open-plan Swedish summer cottage

And of course, before and afters! 

Here's to a sunny, carefree weekend ahead! 

See you Monday friends! 

Niki

Photography: @gubbetorp shared with kind permission

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