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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Jessica's Beautiful Swedish Country Home and Garden

The towns and cities in Sweden have become distinctly quieter as more and more head out to the countryside to enjoy the nice weather (hey, we've waited a long time for this sunshine, we're not going to miss it!). For Swede Jessica Hedin, life continues at her quintessential country home from where she drives her business as a mindfulness therapist and coach - in between renovating a beautiful old house and toiling the soil to produce an abundance of home-grown vegetables and flowers. 

Step inside, and the house has been renovated with a deep respect for its past. Wood beams, panelling, exposed brickwork and original doors and windows provide a backdrop for an interior that's been painted in a soothing light green and white as well as with touches of traditional wallpaper. The living space has been furnished with a blend of antique furniture and light fittings which add to the wonderful, relaxed countryside vibe. Ready to take a peek? 

Beautiful! 

I particularly love the downstairs loo! And I find the garden so inspiring too. The grass was pretty much ruined at our cabin during the build and so I feel like we're starting from scratch. I don't think our garden will ever look quite like Jessica's, but I do love the idea of growing sweet peas, roses and dahlia as well as having a vegetable patch - something we've never been able to do in our tiny city garden! 

Is there anything that you felt particularly inspired by?

See more pictures from Jessica's house and garden at @angadalen and find out more about Jessica's work as a health worker and therapist - including courses and workshops here. 

Would you like to see a few other Swedish country homes today? I love: 

A charming and idyllic country home in summertime

A house and garden with a beautiful greenhouse on Gotland

A pretty red and white house in rural Sweden

In case you missed it: I have now moved into my summer holiday posting schedule (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). Have a relaxing few days and see you Friday! 

Niki

Photography: Jessica Hedin shared with kind permission

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