My home: dining area make-over

Last week I gave my home dining space a bit of a make-over with a lick of paint and some beautiful items from the Danish brand Nordal. Although Nordal's been around a long time, I only recently discovered the shop - and what a find! It's a family business which started when the father (Ingolf) fell in love with beautiful old Indian furniture. These days Nordal designs and sells a wide range of their very own beautiful pieces, while being careful to keep the original Nordal DNA. Anyway, I'm in love, and now I have a calm space at home to enjoy long brunches with family and friends! I hope you like it too!

Credits: photography Niki Brantmark (me!), styling by Genevieve Jorn.

What do you think?

I can't tell you how long I've been looking for a nice colour for the back wall. Thanks to Gen's recommendation, I finally settled on ALCRO fjäder which I mixed with a sand additive (Roll-A-Tex) for a more textured / lively finish. And I love it!

Here's a low down of other items in my dining area:

 1. dinner plate  2. cake plate 3. cup 4. tea pot 5. soup bowl  6. Chopping board 7. Cutlery 8. pure linen napkins  9. pure linen table cloth 10. glass bottle

The pure linen tablecloth and napkins are so fab! I was so excited when I received them that I've gone and organised a give-away here on instagram so you can win your own set! It only takes a second or two to enter (open until Friday 22nd July, 2016).

Sponsored post -  this post was made possible by Nordal. All words and thoughts are my own and I only ever work with products and services I truly love and think you will too! Thank you for supporting the brands that make My Scandinavian Home possible!

READ MORE...

13

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. 

READ MORE...

12

A Dreamy Manor On the Swedish Island of Gotland

We've come back to the city (Malmö) for a few days - even so, my heart as always at this time of year, is in the Swedish countryside. I have been busy taking my camera around our little neck of the woods on the west coast and hope to be able to share a guide (or at least some snapshots) with you after the summer. In the meantime, I'll rely on my summer fall back: the beautiful island of Gotland. 

And this incredible house has everything you might need for an idyllic summer in the swedish Baltic. Step this way to feel inspired! 

Swedes typically take around 3 weeks holiday in the summer, but it's not unusual to take anywhere between 3 to 4 weeks! Many will head out of town and camp, stay at a summer cottage (their own or visit friends and family) or head on a road or train trip in Europe. Either way, it's all about taking some time out to enjoy everything that nature has to offer at this time of year. 

As you are likely aware, the Swedish weather gods aren't always on our side. And while we have been enjoying some blisteringly warm and sunny weather lately, there's plenty of rain on the forecast next week! Greenhouses have become less about gardening and more about shelter these days, and the warm spaces are ideal for dining and taking afternoon naps when the weather is not quite on our side! 

Swedes are great at seeking out sunny spots. In the garden it's not unusual to find quite a few different areas so you can follow the sun! I love this dining area looking out over the fields of Gotland from under the boughs of a tree! 

This dreamy limestone 'gård' (Manor House) beside a church looks out over the surrounding farmland - and offers plenty of space to be alone (hey, I absolutely love my children, but things can get intense in the school summer holidays, am I right? 

The main room is so large, it offers both a sitting room and dining area. But you could also slope off to play the piano! 

You'd be hard pressed fining a home on Gotland without a local grey sheepskin throw.

I love the wood cladding finishing touch on the storage in one of the children's bedrooms - especially the green hue which helps to draw nature indoors and adds a serene touch. 

I love an A-frame ceiling, it adds a really awe-inspiring touch to a room, don't you think? Plus, old wood beams are a dream!

Quite a children's room, don't you think? 

One of the incredible things about these limestone houses is the thickness of the walls - check out the window area! The rough texture of the walls also catches the light in a beautiful way. 

While the dining spot further up this post makes for a great spot for supper al fresco, I could easily image a fika (coffee and slice of apple crumble!) right here, how about you? 

What a perfect place to unwind in the summer. Actually, scrap that - I could imagine living here all year-round, how about you? 

See more pictures and find out more about this manor house here. 

Would you like to see a few more cottages on the Swedish island of Gotland? Check out: 

A rustic summer cottage with a pool

Elsa's inspiring cottage

A beautiful limestone barn on airbnb 

A converted schoolhouse on the island of Gotland

This weekend I need to write an article about Christmas for a magazine - and I'm kind of struggling to get in the mood. Someone suggested I put on a Christmas jumper and play some jingles ("last Christmas....") let's see what happens! 

I hope you have a summerier weekend ahead than me! Thank you for stopping by - see you Monday! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Bertwig Fastighetsförmedling. 

READ MORE...

6

my home captured by karin: sitting room

Iiiiiit's Friday, woohoo! I'm looking forward to heading home and taking some down time with my little family. Maybe a walk in the forest with my three year old who's going horse riding, or wrapping up warm to take my elder daughter to her ice skating lesson - BRRRR! (I'll be battling with my man over that one!). Since home is definitely where my heart is today I thought it'd be apt to share the next in my mini series of 'my home captured by Karin'. This time it's my open plan sitting room in the spotlight....I hope you like it!

Pictures 1,2,,5,5,6  by Karin Björklund, Picture 3 by me. 

There's so much to do still - for example we'd like to paint the stairs white or light grey - any thoughts? Also we're in need of more light (especially as the days get shorter), I can't see a thing at night! OK, over exaggeration but...tips welcome!

I think Karin's done a sterling job on the photography. Thank you wondrful, talented K! Note though how my styling left a blanket all messy - just goes to show you can't miss a single trick in styling (I once read about someone who did a shoot over an entire day and then realised there was a bright red toy car under the sofa in every shot!).

In case you're interested here are a few tips on where things are from: Sofa, Scandinavian mid-century table and drinks trolley were inherited, black chairs from a flea market, Diamond print, Wasp print, Chair print, Muuto socket suspension light, phone and coloured cushions, Did I miss anything?!

See also my bedroom, my dining area, and my kitchen if you like :) Do you have any photos to share of your home or one you've photographed / styled?

So, the weekend......so exciting! What are you up to?

READ MORE...

49