An Idyllic Red and White Swedish Farmhouse In The Countryside

Mina damer och herrar (Ladies and gentleman), allow me to introduce you to Ekekullen, an idyllic farmstead in the village of Månstad, West Sweden. When Sara Sjöblom and her family moved in five years ago, they became the fourth generation to take-over the beautiful Falun red and white family home.  Sara and her partner have been renovating the property little by little over time while respecting the original structure, built by Sara's great grandfather. Think earthy tones, vintage and antique pieces and a wonderful, relaxed vibe. A perfect country home which combines and old and new and enjoyed by Sara's family, three cats and a flock of chickens. Välkommen in! 

Sara replaced a window with old doors bought from a friend - which her Father then renovated. "It's really lovely to just walk out of the kitchen into the garden in summertime" she tells me. 

The kitchen cabinets (from HTH) span the entire length of the kitchen and have been topped with concrete which has been impregnated and treated with a warm grey tone. 

These 'kakelugn' (swedish masonry ovens) get to me every time - they are just so beautiful, and the heat they give off is incredible! 

Sara found the chairs in a nearby 'loppis' (flea market) and painted them in 4502-Y from Beckers. 

It's funny how an item can suddenly evoke a memory which has been buried deep in the archives of the mind! Sara's vintage mirror reminds me of the one I saw in the Norwegian home of Tone Krok which I captured for my second book The Scandinavian Home. I had been convinced it was antique, but actually Tone had simply bought a new mirror and left it exposed to the elements in the garden for a couple of years - and it looked just like this one. Now that's a trick worth knowing! 

The grey ball vase* is from popular Swedish brand Cooee. 

A vintage coffee table - a local flea market find - rests in front of a sofa from Decotique.  

In the summertime, life moves outdoors to soak up the midnight sun on rayon chairs from Mio and a handmade table. 

Lounge chairs and a loveseat from Jakobssons (check out their entire outdoor range - so many lovely pieces!) have been arranged around a handmade table for a relaxed outdoor seating area. 

How unbelievably idyllic! It's everything I imagine a Swedish country home to be and more!

I love the outdoor spaces too - some lovely ideas here. Keep an eye out for more outdoor inspiration soon! 

Could you imagine living here? 

If you don't follow Sara on instagram yet, you're missing out! Hop on over to @ekekullen1 for more! 

Fancy taking a peek inside a few other Scandinavian country homes today? How about: 

A cosy country home in rural Norway

A warm rural Swedish country home that combines old and new

A cosy living space in a Swedish country home

Magical! 

Oh, and a total sidenote - Swedish names! In the UK surnames tend to be centred around a trade, for example 'Smith' or 'Taylor'.

I've noticed in Sweden however, many surnames tend to either be family names (Larsson - 'son of Lars') - some of which have become so common that the younger generation are swapping them out for made up names. In my experience it's also not uncommon for a married couple in Sweden to also choose the more unusual surname among the pair. 

But it's also common for surnames to have origins in nature. Sara's surname 'Sjöblom' for example, means 'seaweed'. 'Lindgren' of Astrid Lindgren fame, means 'green woodland' while Bergman (Ingrid Bergman) translates as 'Mountain man' and my own name 'Brantmark' means 'steep ground' (not quite as romantic as the others, I know!). I have always loved this. 

Where dot eh family names in your country originate from? 

Niki

Photography: Sara Sjöblom / Ekekullen

READ MORE...

5

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. 

READ MORE...

7

An Earthy Swedish Apartment Where Old Meets New

This Swedish apartment in Linnéstaden, Gothenburg fascinates me. It's contemporary yet traditional - urban yet country. And it's beautiful. Every room has its own subtle earthy tone which adds interest and an element of progression but also ensures a cohesivene look throughout. Keep an eye out for the rich patina in the sitting room and bedroom (I chatted about chalk and limestone paint the other day as I recently applied it to my bedroom wall).  In fact, keep an eye out for all the details - there's so much inspiration to be taken from this beautiful 60 sq m (645 sq ft), turn-of-the-century apartment! 

I once captured a similar glass cabinet in this corner of my home. I have a bit of a thing for these as they offer a beautiful way to ensure treasures and practical items stay dust-free while also on display. 

Notice the blend of furniture in the corner above which ticks every trend - rattan (set to continue for the foreseeable future), a marble 'sculptured' table and an arched mirror. 

Arched mirrors are a big micro-trend right now - so much so that I think I might just create a post around them, what do you think? It looks pretty in this corner - and helps to bounce light into the room from the window. But they also look great propped up against the wall in the hallway, landing and bedroom (if young kids are about always attach the mirror to the wall). 

While the cabinet has a traditional feel, the Alma wall light brings the look bang up to date. I have actually been thinking of getting a light like this too - I've been a big fan ever since seeing it in the danish home of Marianne Jacobsen. 

It's hard not to notice the texture on the bedroom wall. The effect has most likely been created with chalk paint paste using a spatula. It adds a LOAD of interest and depth to a room, however this look might be too much for some. What are your thoughts? 

I love how a simple linen curtain has been hung in front of the wardrobe. Not only do curtains add softness to a room, but they're also a great way to dampen sound, hide items or provide makeshift wardrobe doors. The only problem is, I know that in our hose no one will ever close them - the crazies have a hard enough time opening the curtains in front of the windows! Grrrr! 

Love the William Morris hallway wallpaper, it adds so much character, don't you think! A lovely entryway to come home to each day!

Is there anything that stands out to you?

If you're in love with the space - good news, it's for sale! You can see more pictures and find out all the details over at Alvhem. 

Right, I'd better hurry, due to family circumstances I am flying to London in a few hours time and have so much to organise (I haven't even packed yet - but I do have my double vaccination certificate and my negative test so that's a good start!).

Wishing you all a happy midweek! See you Friday!

Niki 

Photography: Henrik Lindén

READ MORE...

8