Before & After: A Rundown Cabin Becomes a Vibrant Danish Summer Cottage

It's safe to say that when Ida Lundsteen and Edward first bought their summer house in Ejby Ådal - an hour west of the danish capital - it needed a lot of work! But the handy Danish pair could see its potential - both inside and out - and set to work themselves to transform it. Today, their hard work has paid off and they have an idyllic retreat in which to unwind in their spare time. Read on to see the before and after pictures and feel truly inspired!

Dining area before

Dining area after

The wood panelling was painted white, and the floor sanded down and treated with a white soap finish. A window was added to allow light to flow through from the side extension. Today, the dining area is bathed in natural light - a perfect spot to enjoy meals on chillier days! 

Kitchen before

Ida and Edward reconfigured the house, moving the kitchen to an area in the sitting room - formerly occupied by an old electric heater. 

Sitting room before

Looking at the pictures above, you can understand the sheer level of work that they have put into the renovation - completely gutting parts of the house. 

In the sitting room they added a lovely nook (with storage) in which to unwind with a book.   

Sitting room nook after

Bathroom before

Bathroom after

The small bathroom was completely updated. The sink was moved to the opposite side of the room, tiles ripped out and a new floor laid. Today it looks fresh and modern in black, white and brass. 

Side extension before

Side extension after

Ida and Edward built an extension onto the side of the house - adding a work space and practical mudroom. 

Garden and terrace before

Life at a Scandinavian summer house is all about enjoying the great outdoors. Doors are thrown open in the morning - and life spills outside to take in the long summer days. 

But for Ida and Edward - there was work to be done. The garden was completely overgrown and although there had been some form of patio, it needed to be worked over from scratch.

The pair built a large wood deck completely by hand - almost doubling their living space in summertime. They also capitalised on sloping land by adding built-in seating to the side of the decking. 

But my eye is on the sunk-in bath. So simple, yet such a clever idea. 

Patio before

Patio after

After a lot of hard graft, clearing foliage, pulling up the old patio and creating new decking - the family now have a wonderful outdoor dining area where they can gather and enjoy summer days long after the sunsets! 

How incredible! It's even more impressive knowing that they did it themselves, don't you think? 

Is there anything that stood out to you in particular?

The decking before and after couldn't have come at a better time for Per and I as we were discussing laying our own decking up at the cabin this summer. We were already feeling inspired by Per's brother who laid decking himself last summer - and now, after seeing this, we're feeling really empowered! 

I hope this lovely danish cottage as given you plenty of inspiration too. You can see more pics over at @bare_byg.

Other Danish summer cottages to love: 

A danish summer cottage oasis on North Zealand

Two idyllic Danish cottages available to rent

A beautifully simple, white Danish cabin

You also might like to check out the before and after archive for other renovations. 

And finally, I can't sign out without a final comment on the bath. I've seen many outdoor baths before (see 15 outdoor bath and shower ideas) - and the incredible wood burning bath at Settle hideaway, but this is the first time I've seen a simple, ordinary bathtub sunk into decking. What a great idea! I could just see myself having a soak there, glass of wine in hand. How about you? Would you like to see how it looks in winter? Here goes: 

Perfect! 

Niki

PS I mentioned yesterday that I would be sharing my latest studio update today, but the post isn't quite ready - sorry! I look forward to sharing it on Monday instead! 

Photography: Ida Lundsteen, shared with kind permission. 

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A Relaxed, Bohemian Orange County Home Full of Plants!

First a TV - now a loo. Whatever next?! Hahaha! Can you tell I'm making an effort to keep things real here on My Scandinavian Home lately? Plus, the 'powder room' in this house is so pretty, I couldn't resist sharing it (after all, we all have one and in need of a little inspiration from time to time, right?)! There is off course WAAAY more about the lovely home of Katie and Tyler Branch (AKA @branchabode) to feel inspired by too. Photographers by trade, the pair live with their young family in a craftsman-built house in Orange County, California dating back to 1909.  The house has been decorated with a wonderful blend of traditional, mid-century and industrial pieces in white, brown, black as well as plenty of lush greenery at every turn. Enjoy the tour! 

Katie and Tyler prefer to invest in classic pieces that stand the test of time. In the dining room mid-century dining chairs circle a round dining table* - and traditional cabinets can be seen in the background. 

Coffee table from West Elm, Pom pom blanket*, Tisca make a similar rug

A little nook by the window makes a perfect spot for a small home office and home for several plants! 

Source a similar mid-century desk here*. 

After a lot of hard graft (including ripping out an ancient wall-to-wall carpet) the master bedroom has become Katie's  favourite room in the house. I think I can see why, can you?!

Blue and white striped linen bedding*

When I came to this picture in the @Branchabode instagram feed, it stopped me in my tracks. If I ever get the opportunity to re-do my bathroom, I'd like it to look a lot like this. Do you feel drawn to this style too?

Ceramic tiles from Daltile, plant stand from Urban Outfitters (FYI - they have the most amazing array of planters right now - check them all out here), this Hammam towel* is similar. 

 

Shower head from Rubinet Faucet Company, Tiles from Daltile (as before)

I wasn't kidding about the loo - and what a pretty little space it is too, don't you think?

The family dine al fresco in the shade of the house under some colourful hanging baskets. The pretty outdoor dining set is from West Elm. 

I love it when I get loads of ideas from a home tour - and today I'm feeling full of inspiration from this abode! I hope you got lots of ideas too! 

Is there anything that stood out to you in particular?

If you'd like to see a few more corners of this home, it's well worth hopping over to @branchabode. You can also check out Katie and Tyler's photography here and here. 

Just in case you'd like to extend your morning / afternoon coffee break, here are some other beauties from California: 

An inspiring and serene home in Napa Valley

A Relaxed, Boho home in Orange Country

A jewel in the suburbs for LA

You might also like to check out the ultimate guide to hanging plants and how to work with indoor climbers.  

Have a wonderful day!

Niki

Photography: Katie Tyler / Branch Abode

*Affiliate links

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The Wonderful, Playful Loft Of A Furniture Designer

Oj oj oj, do I have a treat for you today. And I love that it's so different from yesterday's rustic, farmhouse tour too! This stunning loft in Bielefeld, in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe region of north-east Germany serves as a home and workspace for Lilli, her husband Sascha, a furniture designer, and their two daughters (16 and 6). The light and airy space has been sparingly furnished in a thoughtful way: selecting only pieces with exceptional design including many of the pair's own designs, IKEA hacks and a few design classics. I had a chat with Lilli to find out more about their wonderful, unique home. 

What do you do for a living? 

We live and work under one roof and love to openly connect all areas of our lives. Sascha is a freelance furniture and interior designer and I love working in the field of marketing and social media. 

Can you describe the layout of your home?

Our home is not very big - it has an open-plan kitchen and dining area and two bedrooms, and we have no living room and therefore no sofa. But is more important to us that it is beautiful, than it is practical! 

I'm so curious - how do your daughters find not having a sofa? Mine have been spending half their school summer holiday flat out on ours! 

Haha! She hangs out on her bed - it's her sofa!!

Where do you hang out as a family? At the wonderful dining table?

Yes, we love to play a lot of games as a family, and if we watch a movie, we'll do it together in our bed. 

That sounds so cosy!

The geometric light is from Schneid studio and the table is one Sascha's own designs. 

Can you tell us more about the furniture in your home?

We have many of our own designs and we also have exceptionally designed pieces by younger, designers, as well as a few IKEA hacks and some design classics. We attach great importance to high-quality, sustainably produced furniture and home accessories and therefore prefer to have fewer, but more special things. 

The chair in your dining room is so unique, where is it from? 

The chair is from Japanese sushi restaurant Nihombashi in Berlin. My husband fell in love with it and negotiated with the owner until we could take it home with us! 

I also love the kroko (crocodile) low table (designed by Sascha) in your dining area - and notice that many items in your home are playful, is this something you're drawn to?

We love design that is fun and doesn't take itself too seriously but is still aesthetically pleasing! 

The lips are from Italian brand Seletti - who I see, are currently selling some fabulous face masks too (with proceeds contributing to the Italian multiple sclerosis foundation), the clothes hanger is by designer Florian Saul and the side table is from German brand e15.

And finally, I love the use of colour in your home, have you always been a fan of bringing in bright hues?

In recent years, our loft has become more and more colourful. We love strong Bauhaus colours and earthy, soft nude and red tones. We also like plants, so it's getting greener by the day. 

The bed and smiley steps are one of Sascha's own designs.

Thank you so much for showing us around your home Lilli! It really made me smile in so many ways! 

You can see more pics on her fab instagram feed @kitschcanmakeyourich and check out all of Sascha's furniture designs over at Art can Break your Heart - as well as shop for fabulous pieces in their online shop. 

Is there anything that stood out to you the most about Lilli's home?

Leaving you with a few other playful homes today: 

A playful and relaxed home that will put a smile on your face

The vibrant sitting room of a Swedish photographer

The cheerful Brooklyn home of an artist

Sending lots of love from a rainy Sweden today! 

Niki

Photography Benjamin Janzen 

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I Found The Perfect Table and Chairs For Our Tiny cabin!

Paid partnership with  Skovby, all words and photos are my own and I only ever work with brands I love

Tjena! I hope you had a great weekend! We spent some time up at our little cabin and I'm really excited to share some snapshots of our new dining area with you. I can't begin to describe the feeling when we all sat down for our first family meal there (take-away pizza, so glam!).  

When it comes to furnishing a small space (30 m2 / 322 ft sq.) I've quickly learned that choosing less and choosing right is key, otherwise the space can quickly become cluttered.

These were the criteria I had in mind for our dining area:

1. The table needed to be small but still easily seat four

2. The table should be round to save space and avoid knocking into the corners

3. The table needed to be extendable for extra guests 

4. There should be extra seating which could be stacked to one side 

Danish brand Skovby has been a My Scandinavian Home partner for many years now - and I've always appreciated the high quality craftsmanship of their Denmark-made furniture (you might recall the glass cabinet, Per's desk, the coffee tables as well as countless other pieces). This little gem of a #120 dining table with white oil oak legs and a black laminate surface was the first to spring to mind for our cabin! 

The round table is a compact 102 cm in diameter and extendable with up to two leaves (available to buy separately), which means you can comfortably seat 6 or 8 people depending on how many leaves you add. Perfect! 

Chair wise, I chose the #807 dining chair in oak white oil. You know me, I love wood, it has such a warm feel, and the shell shape has some flex which makes it comfy. But if you want to go all out on the comfort, this model is available with upholstery for a soft touch, and the #802 version also comes with armrests.

I also picked up some #840 stools (in oak white oil) which can be stacked to the side when not in use (we've also already used them as a bedside table, sofa side table and a footrest!).  

I love that its sustainably made from leftover production wood (I first spotted it during my visit to the Danish Skovby carpenter workshop earlier this spring and picked one up there and then!). 

I hope you like the table and chairs as much as we do! In case you're interested in any of these pieces for your own small space, Skovby is available almost worldwide (find your nearest stockist here).

Incidentally, the table is available in 9 different finishes including oak white oil and white laminate tops - you can see all the variations here. 

In case you're wondering about the ladder, it can be removed and placed elsewhere when needed - but I guess someone could perch there too!

Give me a shout if you have any questions about anything in these pictures -I'd be happy to help! If you'd like to add any small space tips and tricks of your own, I'm all ears as the cabin is far from finished! 

I hope to be able to share a post about our kitchen - including all the details - soon (look closely and you'll see the knobs are missing). Watch this space! 

Wishing you all a great start to the week! 

Niki 

Photography: Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home

Styling: Helen Sturesson

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