A Danish Summer Cabin with 10 Garden Elements for a Dreamy Oasis!

Are you a fan of instagram? I have to confess I find it a little hit and miss these days, but right now it's fantastic as I'm trying to figure out what to do with our garden at the cabin and my feed is full of dreamy garden inspiration. Which is how I stumbled upon this Danish cabin! 

Lærke Hentze and her family bought a piece of land in the beautiful village of Gilleleje, North of Copenhagen in 2017 and have since built a charming cabin from the ground up. You'd be forgiven for thinking it's old thanks to a traditional Danish coastal vibe - in part due to the beaded wood panelling and earthy tones which have been carefully selected to reflect the surroundings.

In Scandinavia, summers are sacred, and the garden is an important part of the living space! Scroll on down to discover ten ways Lærke has made the most of their outdoor space to ensure a true summer oasis.  

But first, let's start with the indoors: 

The darker blue cabinets in the kitchen help to add contrast and interest and also nod to the nearby Kattegatt sea. 

The main living area is completely open-plan with a kitchen, dining room and sitting room in one - emphasising the idea of togetherness, an important element of the Scandinavian summer cottage. 

A wood-burning stove is an essential piece of kit for a touch of Danish hygge! 

A striped sofa cover adds a subtle coastal vibe while a designer lamp and safari style chair elevate the room. 

Books are an essential element of any summer cottage, as hopefully you finally time to catch up on some reading! 

I love how vases are filled with flowers and foliage from the garden - no matter the time of year. 

A bar? Now we're talking! 

And how beautiful is the vintage rattan bar cart? There are lots of similar ones to buy here* (affiliate link).

Rattan has been hugely popular for a while now, and I can understand why, it adds an instantly relaxed atmosphere, and on warmer, dry days it can be moved outdoors too! 

Possibly one of the most popular lamps in Denmark (and something I covet for my own cabin, is a Le Klint scissor lamp - beautiful! 

Time to move outdoors? Lærke has created a dreamy oasis from scratch. I discovered ten elements she has included for an idyllic Scandinavian summer cottage garden:  

1. The outdoor kitchen: When you have to endure the long winters that we do in Scandinavia, it's important to embrace every moment of the warmer weather. Outdoor kitchens have become increasingly popular and don't require much in the way of equipment. Freestanding units, a sink, and a gas or electric stove should do the trick. 

A spot under the eaves is used to dry flowers such as crown dill. 

2. Dining area: an obvious one, but oh how I dream about meals alfresco! Do as the Scandinavians and add cushions, blankets, oil lamps and lanterns so you can stay outside for longer after sunset.

3. A parasol: while we all love sunshine, it's not so comfortable if you're feeling the heat! The best parasols have a tilting function and should be around 50 cm to 1 metre wider than the space you would like to cover. 

4. An outdoor living room: why lounge around on the sofa indoors when you can lounge around outside in comfort! The rattan outdoor chairs are from Cane-line and the table is by Fermob. 

5. Summer flowers: the key, I have learnt from my Scandinavian friends, is to create a garden that requires as little maintenance as possible (after all, you're there to relax!) and also flowers when you intend to use it - which in most cases in Scandinavia means June, July and August. 

'Annabelle' hydrangea, with its spectacular white pompoms is hugely popular here - and requires little maintenance. Lærke has combined hers with tall grasses for a more wild, natural look. 

6. An annex: seen here across the flower beds, an annex is ideal for extra guests and afternoon siestas - if you have the space! 

7. The fire pit: a log fire is great way to spend time outdoors in wintertime without feeling the chill! But they are also lovely on chillier summer evenings too. Keep it simple and surround the fire with a few logs for seating. 

8. The sleep shelter: If you head out into the wilderness in Scandinavia, you'll spot these open-sided shelters along the trails. Made from wood, they provide shelter over lunch or at night - just add a sleeping bag and pillow for a good night's slumber! I love how Lærke has included one in her garden so her family can sleep out under the stars. 

9. A hammock: so simple, yet so perfect to spend some alone under the boughs of a tree with a book! 

10. Somewhere to take a dip: Since a morning and evening dip are an essential part of summer life, Scandinavian summer cottages are rarely far from water - whether a lake, river, fjord or the sea. No water nearby? Add a simple bath like this danish cabin - or a small plunge pool! 

I hope Lærke's idyllic summer oasis has given you some inspiration for your own home / outdoor space today. If you'd like to see more pictures, hop over to her instagram at @creating_a_cottage. 

Could you imagine spending your summers here? 

Would you like to see more today? Take a scroll through the Scandinavian cabins archive - there are so many dreamy ones in there! 

Have a wonderful start to the week! 

Niki

Photography: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 , 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 ,15 by Copenhagen based photographer Chris Opander Tonnesen. Others by Lærke Hentze / @creating_a_cottage. Shared with kind permission. 

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Before and After: My Summer Balcony Make-Over

Sponsored* 

On our top floor (third floor) we have a balcony which I have to confess, we've never actually used. In fact, a good friend who has visited my home millions of times even commented that she never knew it existed! It's actually a lovely, peaceful spot which gets at least one more hour than sunshine than our little backyard. And in a time when our homes and outdoor spaces have become increasingly important, I finally decided it was time to do something about it! The balcony is 2.5 metres x 1.5 metres and there's a big door that opens outwards onto it, making it a fairly tricky space to furnish. Fortunately, the wood decking was already in place when we moved in so I didn't need to start completely from scratch - just furnish it! I noticed my lovely Danish client - Nordal had just the outdoor chairs I was looking for and it all went from there. Here's the lowdown:

This is the view from our bedroom. It may look like we only have sheer curtains but look closer and you'll spot a tightly rolled up black out blind over the door. 

I absolutely love plants and surrounding myself with greenery. I planted a wisteria in the ground when we moved in over 10 years ago and it has climbed the entire way up our house, and onto our third-floor balcony! If it could, it would take over the entire interior too (like something out of 'Little Shop of Horrors'!). It's my pride and joy - especially when it blooms - the scent is divine! 

I picked out a pair of rattan-inspired Vasai lounge chairs which have a rattan and wood look but designed for outdoor use.  

Look at any outdoor Scandinavian seated area and you'll no doubt find a blanket - a year-round staple! This one is the linen Saturn towel - which I think works equally well as a blanket, although I have no doubt the girls will enjoy taking it down to the water as soon as Toney catch wind of this new piece!

In my mind you can never have enough greenery so mI'm always looking for ways to add more. This Ajonu pot has a wonderful grainy effect - and is perfect for adding more plants to the balcony (sadly, not everything can grow three storeys high!). 

Since the balcony is on the top floor and therefore quite a long way from the kitchen, we figured a rattan tray would be ideal for carrying items up and down the stairs, but shied away from a table since there simply isn't really the space. Maybe I'll add one later should I feel I miss it!

Also seen here: a summery WEVA pitcher (I might have to exchange the water to PIMMS later!), Tonga notebook in suede and brass watering can. 

I also added a summery jute rug from Granit, so that it would feel softer underfoot. It looks pretty but it will need to bene taken in in wet weather. 

I hope you like my balcony update as much as I do. 

If anyone's looking for us this weekend, you'll find Per and I right here!

See also:

10 Ways To Maximise your Tiny Balcony / Outdoor Space

Wishing you all a great weekend!

Niki

*This post is sponsored by Nordal. However, all words are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too. Thank you for supporting the wonderful businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible.

Styling: Helen Sturesson

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Stockholm space with touches of black and gold

Hello, I hope you had a wonderful Easter break?! It's our last day in London today, the sun's shining and the spring flowers and blossom are out, yay! My girls are waiting to go to the park with my sister's Goldendoodle - they're going to miss her! But first, a home to share. This time a split level apartment in Stockholm decorated with a splash of black and gold and touches of designer, mid century and vintage pieces. Oh and a little outdoor inspiration too, after all it's almost barbecue season, right?! If the sun's not shining where you are, I hope this space brightens your day!

 

Fantastic Frank

Black and gold. What a fabulous combination, don't you think?!

Have you noticed the 'black' wood outdoor trend of late? If it's not the house itself it's the garden fence. Flowers and greenery really pop against it for a striking effect.  The table and chairs are similar to the popular Swedish designed Grythyttan outdoor furniture (I'm thinking about getting a set for my own garden). I love this outdoor string lighting too. For more outdoor / garden inspiration I'm loving some of these spaces. More inspiration squirreled away here too. Oh OK, let's go all the way - pool anyone?! I just love the 'long-day-in-the-garden / nearest park season don't you?!

I spy the brass bumling light and string pocket shelves. Source mid-century furniture on Live Auctioneers or Lauritz.

What are you up to today? Anything fun? We're flying back to Sweden tomorrow so I'm heading off to enjoy one final day of fun with my girls.

Have a lovely day!

PS - thank you for entering my easter give-away, the winner of the Elina Dahl print has now been announced here. 

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Tiny cabin update: Our Outdoor Sitting Room

Thank you to Brafab for a great collaboration 

Hello friends. I thought I'd share a small update from our cabin in the Northwest tip of Skåne today. As many of you know, we finished the build last spring (full tour here). And we'd been so busy counting down the days until we could move in that we hadn't thought about the garden. So much so, that when we arrived the cabin was like an island surrounded by mud! Eager to rectify this before the summer, we rapidly had a deck built and set about sowing the lawn. Admittedly the grass is a bit patchy still and in need of some weeding - but it's hard to get up from our lounge set to get around to it. And this friends, is what I wanted to share with you today! 

At a summer cottage, particularly one with a small living space like this one, I've learned the outdoor space as just as important as the indoor space. Up here, life spills outs 24/7 as one day leaks into the other - I'm sure it's the same where you are too! 

So, the next step was to add some seriously comfy outdoor seating. After a lot of research, we 

settled on the Lyra sofa and armchairs by Brafab. And I have to say, it's one of the best additions we've made to our cabin. We're talking plump cushions and a seat deep enough to tuck your feet up under you. In fact, several of our friends who stopped by for a coffee / drinks this summer have now bought a set too! 

I particularly like the black powder-coated stainless steel and synthetic rattan on the armrest. But also, the cushions are made using water repellent fabric specially designed for outdoor use which means we don't need to sprint around bringing the cushions in every time it rains (which would be often - and with a cramped living space a no-go!). Instead, we just move them inside for the winter (or for completely crazy weather like the recent 'storm Hans' a few weeks ago (when storms have a name you know you're in trouble, right?). 

The other new addition is the Indus coffee table - made from teak ribs and a black metal frame. It was important for us that it was big (it's 135 cm long) so you're never far from your morning coffee, cinnamon bun, glass of wine!

And finally, the parasol! I have to say, we tempted fate with this one. It had been sunny all summer and then the parasol (Trieste in natural) arrived and I'm not sure we saw the sun from then on - isn't that always the case? But the good thing about a parasol is that they're not just designed to keep you in the shade, there's also something cosy and comforting about sitting under them at night, don't you think? 

This one measures 2.5 metres, tilts and is made from beechwood. It can be fairly breezy up in the Northwest corner of Skåne so we've used the Grosseto base made from 70kg of granite (it's on wheels which makes it easy to move around). 

What you don't see, is that I also planted 19 plants - which doesn't sound like much but when you have sandy soil like ours it was a major job! So actually, I was quite grateful for all the rain after all! Let's hope they survive! 

And now, we're hoping for a 'second summer' so we can relax and enjoy the great outdoors for a little while longer! 

I hope you like our outdoor space so far.  If you have any questions about anything you see, please do give me a shout in the comments below! 

Have a 'trevlig helg' (nice weekend) folks, see you Monday! 

Niki

PS Brafab can be found in retailers throughout Europe (our sofa was acquired via Bramöbler). To find your nearest retailer tap here.  

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An idyllic Finnish cottage with an outdoor summer kitchen

As January comes to a close and the short, snowy days continue,  I find myself dreaming of the summer sun more and more. And when it arrives - I'm going to be outdoors along with the rest of Scandinavia. That's why I thought I'd share the latest developments of one of my favourite summer cottages - an oh so idyllic family retreat on an island in the Finnish archipelego. The ongoing renovation project is driven by owner Minna Jones of Time of The Aquarius and her partner and has been well documented here on My Scandinavian Home (here and here plus her year round home here). To me, the residence epitomises the essence of the Scandinavian summer - life at a cabin with a beautiful, yet basic interior and maximised to ensure time outside enjoying the long awaited summer days. Last season the owners added an outdoor kitchen to the mix. And the good news? It's easily replicated.  Here are a few new snaps of Minna's home and her fab new outdoor kitchen.

Minna Jones, Time of the Aquarius

To get a similar outdoor kitchen: try painting an IKEA trestle table,  the water can with tap and lights are from Granit, buy a camping stove here. Finnish birch basket. Rattan furniture is set to be big this spring / summer - I'm a big fan of the uber comfy BYHOLMA chair.

Other items I know and love: Bertoia chairs, Butterfly chair and String shelves. IKEA PS 2012 chest of drawers and FÖRHÖJA kitchen trolley.

To get a full picture of the summer cottage and for more images of the plan, interior, grounds, surrounding nature and family life at the cottage you can wile away a few hours on Minna's dreamy blog.

I also absolutely love this Finnish log cabin with a sauna.

Summer in Finland anyone?!

And because it's still January (just): I loved how Scandinavisk summarises the 'Sense of Scandinavia' in Thursday's piece. And this beautiful video by Volvo featuring Amanda Begman's song 'Vintersaga' (winter tale) perfectly sums up the coldest season in Sweden- I was particularly excited to see it even features the beach by my house here in the South! Thank you AMM blog for the tip!

Have a lovely day!

PS Thank you so much to Ana of Blog Milk Shop for all your amazing technical help with my blog lately! Ana is not only my tech saviour but she also creates the most stunning blog templates available to buy here.  

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