Suvi's Beautiful Modern Home on Finland's West Coast

Hei, Kuinta voit? ('hi, how are you' in Finnish I hope!). It's Friiiiday - woohooooo! I always find it so hard to concentrate at the end of the week, don't you? (it could be the thought of a G+T on ice just around the corner!). Tomorrow we're heading to the family cottage a little further up the coast where I'm hoping to take some long walks (the nature is beautiful up there). A girl after my own heart on the nature front is Suvi Melender-Lågland who lives on the beautiful West coast of Finland with her husband, children, Daniel and Fiona and two cats. Suvi's inspiring blog Valkoinen Harmaja and instagram feed features snapshots from her modern Scandinavian home peppered with intermittent pictures of the incredible nature that surrounds it. Let's take a peek inside Suvi's world!

Rocking chair, Round mirror: Save / splurge, Kähler Omaggio vase.

How would you describe your style? 
Modern scandinavian with a cosy twist.

What's your goal when it comes to decorating?
I want to create a timeless interior, which I spice up with small trendy items. Interior trends can be seen in textiles and smaller accessories.

Flos 2097 Pendant, Artek stool by Alvar Aalto, Bertoia chair, Series 7 chair

Would you say your home is fairly minimalist?

I am not a minimalist in the strict sense. It is important to me that home feels cosy and inviting - not too styled.

Can you spot the TV?! Maybe my greenhouse make-over last summer might give you a clue?! It's the Samsung The Frame disguised as art!

If you had to pick one Finnish designer who would it be?

My all time favourite Finnish designer is Alvar Aalto.

I love Suvi's bedroom, it's so pretty! There's something about the combination of dusty pink bedding (this one is similar) against the St Paul's Blue by Jotun Lady wall colour. It also helps that one of my favourite lights (the Formakami by &Tradition) has also been thrown into the mix (remember it from this home?). 

The bespoke headboard has been painted in the same St.Paul's blue as the wall and doubles up as a shelf - such a clever idea when space is of a premium. I think I prefer this to the wall mounted shelf, there's something cosier about it, what do you think? Suvi has shared the DIY instructions here (in Finnish but the pictures are helpful!).

Do you have any tips for anyone looking to bring Finnish style into their home?
Use (Finnish designers) Aalto furniture and Iittala and Marimekko. Keep everything simple and minimalistic.

And finally, where would you recommend people to visit in Finland?
I would recommend spending time in nature - it is very inspiring! Beautiful areas in Finland can be found around the coast (we are just starting to build our summer house by the sea and the nature is so beautiful there!) as well as the East side where there are thousands of lakes. Lapland is a great place to visit in the winter. Visit Finland shares some great tips!

Thank you so much for inviting us into your world Suvi!

You can see more of Suvi's home over on her blog and instagram feed. I also featured her sitting room back in 2014 (it's gone through quite a big transformation since then!).  

In case you missed it, I shared another Finnish home earlier on in the week here - both homes have opted for blue in the bedroom but the one from earlier in the week has a surprising twist!

And finally, if you're looking for a simple way to incorporate Finnish style into your home, Suvi suggests adding a Finnish design piece, and one of these beauties are a great place to start:

5 Finnish Design Classics That look Great in Any Home

1. Artek A331 Beehive 2. Oiva teapot by Marimekko 3. Aalto Stool in Birch 4. Aalto vase 5. Block light

If you're into bold and bright patterns - Marimekko sells some really funky fabrics both for the home (check out this bedding!) and to wear (this skirt is pretty!). And of course, no mention of Finnish design would be complete without the Moomins! Who doesn't love the Moomins?!

Right. I think that's it from me for the week! I hope you have some great plans for the weekend! See you Monday campers!

Niki

All photography © Suvi Melender-Lågland
My Scandinavian Home posts include affiliate links. 

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A Charming Little Summer Cabin By a Norwegian Fjord

We're at the summer cottage this week, so I'm strictly in holiday mode - even if the weather is not! Even so, I couldn't resist pouring over beautiful 'sommarstuga' (summer cottage) inspiration and thought it would be rude to keep this little gem to myself! The Norwegian cabin in a former boat house belongs to Jotun colour Manager Lisbeth Larsen. Measuring a teeny 36 square metres (387 sqft), the cabin in beautiful Nesodden, Viken County, has everything you might need for a wonderful holiday including a sleep loft, dreamy open-plan living space and direct access to the Fjord! Oh, and being the colour maestro that Lisbeth is, it also has a beautiful harmonic feel. Ready for the tour? 

The cabin has been furnished with a mix of old and new including a kitchen from Kvik, table and bench from FRAMA and vintage chairs which have been painted in Lady supreme finish 4477 Deco Blue. 

On chillier summer days (err... like today, as well as the past 10 days, and if the forecast is anything to go by - the next 10 days too - baaaah!), a Jøtul wood burning stove comes in handy (if I ever satisfy my lifelong dream of a burner, I'd like one of these bad boys!). 

The back wall behind the sink has been painted in LADY Minerals 0394 Varmgrå and LADY Minerals sealer. 

The wonderful wide wood plank floor is from Moelven and the bulk of the cabin has been painted in LADY 10679 Washed Linen. 

This cosy bedroom to the right of the sink has been painted with LADY Pure Colour 4629 Skuggblå and the bedding is from Swedish brand Himla. 

You couldn't get closer to the fjord if you tried. How wonderful to enjoy a morning coffee looking out over the water! 

Could you imagine spending your summer here? 

Love the blue and greige colour scheme too, it perfectly matches the cabin surroundings, drawing the nature inside. 

Oh, how I love property conversions, how about you? They always make for the most interesting homes! Here are a few others I love:

A beautiful rustic barn conversion

A home inside a shell of a magnificent old warehouse

A Finnish family home in a former schoolhouse

Also see the schoolhouse, warehouse and barn conversion archives - so inspiring!  

Do you have a favourite?

I'll be back on Friday (now on Swedish summer holiday timings!). 

Ha det så fint! 

Niki

Photography: Per Erik Jæger

Styling: Siv Brenne

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A beautifully simple cabin on an island in Finland

In July many Scandinavians flee the city for cottages and cabins by the lake or sea. I've featured Minna Jones' wonderful Finnish cabin overlooking the West Finland archipelago many times both before and after it's been refurbished, but thankfully for us, Minna's constantly updating the look and feel! The look is simple and pared back with warm natural wood and carefully selected items - which allow the fabulous views out to sea take centre-stage. Could you imagine waking up here everyday this summer?

Source - all images by Minna Jones / Time of the Aquarius, with kind permission. 

Oh so lovely, don't you think?

I'm really hoping to visit a few Finnish islands this August (fingers crossed!)....have you ever been to Finland?

A few items I know and love from Minna's lovely home: sitting room - pick up a similar Beni Ourain rug, Bertoia diamond chair, cork bench. Kitchen / dining: this La lampe gras (how nice is this wall lamp too), bertoia chairs, this is a great source for vintage chopping boards, sinnerlig jug. Outside: sea grass belly basket, off white linen table cloth.

I think this definitely calls for some more Finnish summer cottage inspiration today, don't you?! Here are a couple of my favourites from past posts: an idyllic cabin with a sea view and a lakeside cabin with a twist!

Have a lovely day!

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A beautiful back-to-basic Finnish cabin

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Minna of Time of The Aquarius. Her style is stunningly simple, and everything she touches turns to gold. Minna and her family have been renovating their beautiful Finnish summer cottage (seen here, here and here) for some time and today I can reveal a glimpse of parts of the new monochrome living space. It's everything a Scandinavian retreat should be and more. Oh how I'd love to visit one day! How about you?

Time of The Aquarius - shared with kind permission.

I do love a back-to-basic minimalist feel. So airy and light. How about you?

Although around 80% of the items in the home are vintage finds, there are a few pieces we can readily find - the kitchen is from IKEA. The worktop is from Bauhaus and painted black using Osmo Color. The dining chairs are Bertoia. There are several lovely items by the lovely Finnish brand Verso Design too. But what I really want to know - (and I'm pretty sure you do too?) is where that light in the kitchen is from. I'm working on it I promise - and will be back shortly! Do let me know if there is anything else you're wondering about.

You can see more pics of this lovely cottage and keep up to date with their renovation project on Instagram. Or take a peek at Minna's year round home here.

More stunning Finnish homes here (scroll passed the first as it will most likely be this one) and if you're in the mood - you might want to check out the log cabin and rural retreats archives too - soooo idyllic!

Have a lovely day!

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A White Summer Cottage in Finland that Oozes the Simple Life

This morning I'm prepping for my panel discussion about 'maximalism' at Formland design fair in Denmark tomorrow. So, I thought - why not go all out with a minimalist tour on the blog today (I can't help it, it's the rebellious streak in me!). Tarja, her husband and two boys spend their summers at this lovely summer cottage in Finland - and everything about it oozes the simple life. The wood panel walls, ceilings, beams and floor are a sea of white while furniture has been kept to a fairly spartan selection of vintage pieces - all of which emit warmth and nostalgia, giving it the space a cosy touch. 

I can just imagine the family leaving the hectic city behind and heading here to switch off for the weekend / holidays. No distractions, no schedule to keep, no mess - just an easy life flitting between the calm interior and the great outdoors! 

See more of Tarja's city house and country home over at @villavalkea. 

What type of vibe did you get from this cottage? I'm curious to hear! 

It's been while since I featured a Finnish home, why not stay a while and take a look at a few more: 

Step inside Maiju's delightful home in Vaasa

A beautifully simply island hideaway

Kati's charming 19th century log house

Stor kram! 

Niki

PS I'll share a post on the 2022 trend: 'Newstalgia' or new maximalism soon! It's an exciting development I the world of interiors, with something for everyone. 

Photography: @villavalkea

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