A Norwegian House By A Fjord

A friend of mine visited Zanzibar a few weeks ago and told me she's found her special place. "It was something to do with the light, I can't really explain it, but it gave me so much energy," she said. I understood immediately. I feel the same about Norway. If you haven't been, it's a MUST - the scenery is magical! One family who get to enjoy the power of the nature daily is Eldrid, Martin and their little son Aron. The family live in a house overlooking one of Norway's most stunning fjords in Stranda in the SunnmØre region of Western Norway.  These snapshots from the main living room beautifully capture a home where nature is the order of the day - inside and out! 

"Soon the snow will melt, the waterfalls will make music again and the green beauty of the fjord will spring forth." - Eldrid

Could you imagine looking out over this fjord? The weather changing every five minutes as it rolls in off the North Sea - so dramatic!

We're going skiing in Hemsedal in early January - I can't wait! If you have any tips I'd love to hear them!

You can see more pics for Eldrid's cabin here and read more about the region here (I see you can ski there in the winter!)

Naturally I can't wrap up the post without sharing a few more inspiring Norwegian cabins with you! Here are a few I love: a magical Norwegian mountain cabin, a rustic Norwegian cabin hide-away and a cosy Norwegian ski chalet.

Where's your special place?

Niki

Photography: House By The Fjord shared with kind permission

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An Idyllic Fjord Side Summer Retreat in Norway

Today the weather gods have delivered horizontal snow mixed with rain here in Southern Sweden. Typically, we're still on our bikes, but it wasn't that fun getting to my studio I can tell you (I'm still thawing out!). But the light has returned, and that's what gives us hope spring is just around the corner. And after spring comes the wonderful Scandinavian summer. And with that in mind, I thought we could all dream about this idyllic summer retreat in Norway today! Captured by Norwegian brand Slettvoll as part of their spring-summer campaign, the fjord side cottage will have you dreaming of days on the water's edge under the midnight sun! 

The property has two separate buildings as far as I can see - a guest house (pictured top) and a main house - where the interior pictures were taken. With a setting like this, I'd be perfectly happy to wake up in either one - how about you? 

Sidenote: how beautiful is the outdoor furniture pictured above? You can find more info about it here. 

It's not always warm enough in the evenings to sit outside (when we were sailing last summer on Sweden's west coast, the temperatures varied between 12 and 15 degrees celsius (around the mid 50s Fahrenheit) for several weeks! BRRRR!) - but I wouldn't mind, if I had a view like this. 

I love how a bench with built-in storage doubles up as seating at the table. 

The calm, white interior decor is earthy and pared back, allowing the view to take centre-stage. 

Pretty much all the furniture in the picture is from Slettvoll - more info here. 

Beautiful! 

Could you imagine spending lazy summer days here? 

Actually, scrap that, I'd happily spend a week there right now,  snow, rain, gale and all! 

In an ode to all things Norwegian today, here are some other tours I love: 

A Norwegian house by a fjord

A simple, yet cosy Norwegian cabin by a fjord

A charming yet simple Norwegian cabin by the water

Oh, how I miss this incredible country! I still dream about my trip to Hardanger in 2019 with Skandinavisk  and dream about returning with my family! 

Have you ever been to Norway? If so, I'd love to hear about your trip! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Slettvoll - found via Planet Deco with thanks. 

PS This post is not sponsored, I just felt inspired by the pictures, and thought you might be too! 

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A Norwegian Home Gets The Dark Treatment, And It's Beautiful!

People often refer to Scandinavian interior design as a 'trend' - but to me (and I'm pretty sure all Scandinavians) it's anything but. The beauty of Scandinavian design is that's is timeless and surprisingly versatile - the simplicity means it blends with different styles, eras and architectural elements. And as this home shows, it definitely doesn't need to be all about the white / light look! Interior stylist and visual storyteller Catrine Svellingen has transformed her home in Oslo, Norway into a luxurious yet calm sanctuary using a delicious deep blue, rich greens and black and peach accents. The furniture is a mix of elegant contemporary classics, new Nordic design and the occasional IKEA piece for a smart yet homely feel. Are you ready to take a tour?

White Juju hat* (on wall), Kong Gloria candle / vase*, order a made to measure Beni rug like this here*, Flos 2097 chandelier. Oh and what's that we see peeping into the left of the first image? Shock, horror - a TV! Ha ha! It blends in so well it's barely noticeable too - another reason to go for a darker wall colour! 

Paint colour code. S3020-Y40R, Eames side chairs*

Pov wall candle holders* 

How beautiful this home? 

I love the colour combinations (I'm just trying to find out the exact shade she's used in the living room and will hopefully be able to stop by and update the post shortly.  

Is there anything you love about this Oslo home? 

You can see more pictures of Catrine's beautiful home and follow her latest styling projects here. 

I also thought I'd spread a little more Norwegian home love with this beauties: 

Lessons to learn from a colourful yet calm Norwegian home

A serene Norwegian space for the weekend

A Norwegian House by a fjord

I'm really excited to be heading to Bergen next month for a work trip - but thinking about staying for the weekend. Any tips are so welcome! 

Are you up to anything fun this weekend? Whatever you do, I hope you have a fabulous (and relaxing) couple of days!

Niki

Photography: Catrine Svellingen shared with kind permission

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6 Rustic Cabins For a Cosy Weekend

As we inch nearer December the temperatures are starting to dip and the North of Sweden, Norway and Finland are dusted in snow. Sadly, there's no snow here in the south yet, but the cold wind has me dreaming of snuggling up in a rustic log cabin by the fire this weekend. Do you feel the same? 

I did a little digging in the My Scandinavian Home archives to retrieve some of my favourite cabins. Some  are way out in the woods and others are deep in the Norwegian fjords or by a frozen lake in Finland. One of them (the last one) I have had the pleasure of visiting not once but twice in person! The first time was to shoot the Norwegian cabin for my book The Scandinavian Home*, and I was so mesmerised by it, I returned with my entire family that winter. If you click on the link you can take the entire fabulous tour - and see my girls in action. It was minus twenty-five degrees celsius so we were well wrapped up! 

I hope these cabins get in you in the mood for a cosy weekend and you can experience the wonderful feel of them through the pictures! 

1. Visit Lisa's cosy cabin deep in the Norwegian fjords 

2. A rustic hideaway in a former railway carriage, and boutique stay

3. A cosy Finnish cabin boy a frozen lake

4. A cosy cabin in the woods

5. Hilde's Norwegian cabin in wintertime

5. An incredible Norwegian cabin for cross country skiing

Oh, so lovely! I would be perfectly happy to spend my weekend at any of these cabins, how about you? They all look so cosy with their roaring fires, snuggly blankets and rustic backdrop! 

We are driving up to Norway after Christmas for a few days to relax and enjoy the snowy landscape - maybe do a little skiing if it's not too cold. Having seen these pictures, I can't wait! In the meantime though, I'll imagine I'm in one of these lovely places! 

Have a cosy weekend all! 

Niki

Credits: 1. Gunn Kristin Monsen 2. Settle 3. Krista Keltanen 4. Alice Saunders 5. Hilde Mork 5. James Gardener for CICO Books. 

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A Norwegian Home With A Cosy Autumn Vibe

Someone once described Norway to me as 'Scotland on steroids' - simply because the nature is so vast and awe-inspiring. And in my mind, the country really comes into its own in Autumn when the fjord lands put on a spectacular display of golden hues and fiery reds. I reached out to Astrid Marie, a Norwegian interior designer whose wonderful home in Western Norway is always a perfect reflection of the season - to hear her best tips on how to harness the beauty of the season. And best of all, most of them won't cost you a penny! 

"Go outside and look for pieces from nature that can be used to decorate your home. I love using branches with or without leaves alongside fallen pinecones"

"I love to take branches from my beech tree. They keep their brown leaves all winter before the fresh green leaves take over in the spring."

"I add pillows and blankets to create a cosy feel. I love to bring the colours of nature inside and choose pillows and blankets in brown, ochre and rust colours. Sheepskins are also nice at this time of year." 

"I love my fireplace, it makes our living room feel complete. It's especially cosy when it's cold outside. I like to listen to the crackle of the wood burning. The logs are a beautiful element in the interior even when the fire is not lit.  I also light a lot of candles during autumn and winter. I love scented candles!" 

"In summary, natural elements from nature are the ultimate decoration in autumn, and best of all, they're completely free!"

Such great tips! I don't know about you, but I'll be heading out to the woods beside my parents' house this week to see what I can find on the forest floor. I love that you don't have to spend a fortune to create a cosy Autumn feel at home - the Norwegian way!  

You can see more of Astrid Marie's lovely home here. And don't miss her instagram where she shares snapshots of her interior as well as latest Norwegian interior design projects. 

If I've got you in the mood for Norwegian style - there are a load more homes here - and there's a ton of Autumn ideas in this archive. 

Here's to a cosy start to the week! 

Niki

Photography: Astrid Marie

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A beautifully serene Norwegian space

I've had the pleasure of visiting Norway twice in the last six months. Both times I've been truly amazed; not only is it the most beautiful country on earth, the people are so warm too! I've been welcomed into many homes - and felt truly inspired by what was within (you can see the results in my book The Scandinavian Home: Interiors inspired by light out soon - exciting!). Although I've never had the pleasure of meeting Norwegian architect and blogger Katerina Dima in person, we've been in regular contact over mail (us bloggers do like to keep in touch!). Originally from sunny Athens, Greece, Katerina lives in Sogndal with her husband and cat. Despite her background, she has always been drawn to the Scandinavian aesthetic and chosen to decorate her home in a 'cool tone palette' using soft greys and fresh white, adding a touch of yellow to the paint to add warmth. Sheer fabrics and natural textures such as wood, cotton, linen and wool add a wonderful softness to the space. Let's take a peek inside!

Photography: Katerina Dima / Only Deco Love.

I absolutely love the canopy over the bed - it's dream like!

Is there anything you love in particular about Katerina's home?

Get the look: bedroom - Skagerak mirror and Georg stool, relaxed light linen bedding and valence, (absolutely love this!),  Flowerpot lamp, Petits Papiers Mad et Len scented candle,
The Kinfolk Table. sitting room - le lampe gras wall light (also seen in Katerina's office), grey ruffled pillow (so lovely!), belly basket, Landmarks print.

You can keep up with Katerina's latest projects,  houses renovations, interior design ideas and whatever captures her eye in the interior world over at her lovely blog Only Deco Love and Instagram.

Got you in the Norwegian mood? You might also like to check out a cosy Norwegian home in the country, a serene home on a hill, the home of a Norwegian blogger - all beautiful in their own way!

Have a lovely day!

PS Looking for a new watch or a present for a friend? Don't miss the 15% discount off an Abbott & Mosley watch with a dial made from real Italian marble!).

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