Scrolling

A clever, vintage packed home in Madrid

Morning! I have seen this wonderful Madrid home before as I'm sure you have, but it's so wonderful I never tire of it. No guessing why - it has white walls and floors and packed with vintage finds! Not only that, but the vintage and second hand finds are used in such clever and original ways. For example the gymnastic vault in the sitting room storing books and the filing cabinet in the bathroom. Genius! I love it when vintage or second-hand finds are used in a different way than originally intended. Although at cocktail hour I do often think about converting my drinks trolley back to it's former glory!!











Home Life via Plante Deco

What a wonderful home?! Can anyone tell me anything more about it?

Before I leave I wanted to tip you about a couple of fab blog give-aways (other than my own little give-away here of course! - thank you for all the entry so far I've really loved reading all the comments ): Mechant Design is holding a give-away here to win two wonderful lights. And illustrator extroadinaire Tracey English is holding a blog give-away here with a chance to win a great London print! Yaaaay!

And finally, Miss motor-mouth here has one more thing: you may notice my new google ads below each post, this is my way of getting a little back to cover costs so that I can continue to produce the blog I love. I hope you all don't mind :) Have a lovely day!

Twitter FaceBook

Pin It
16

A Warm and inviting Home in Rural Sweden - Filled with Vintage Finds

Hello friends. I'm back here after a week off with my family. Last night the Öresund bridge between Sweden and Denmark was once again lit in yellow and blue as we pray for peace and our hearts go out to all those affected. While I continue to share Scandinavian design inspiration here on My Scandinavian Home, please know you are never far from my thoughts. 

Today, I felt like re-visiting Nicole's charming country home in North Sweden. It's one I think about often (who can forget the seat by the window from where you can sit and watch salmon jump from the river). Originally from Chile, Nicole has carved out a home in rural Byske, and set up Nicole's Lantgård - an online shop selling vintage and antique furniture.  Every room in Nicole's home is filled with an eclectic mix of well-worn pieces - each with a story to tell. The second hand finds create a sense of familiarity and come together to give the home a lovely soul - like a big, warm hug. Ready to see her latest updates?

This room is just beautiful - I can imagine the family spend the bulk of their time here (I would!), snuggled up on the sofa enjoying a book by the fire or playing cards at the table. 

I love how Nicole has chosen to paint the floor in a dramatic dark colour - helping to ground the space  and ensure a cosy feel despite the enormous ceiling height. 

Nicole sells all kinds of vintage and antique furniture through her online webshop Nicole's Lantgard. It's one of my favourite go to sources (she ships worldwide) - I often wonder how she can bear too part with some of the items. Needless to say second hand pieces can be spotted at every turn. 

Despite being far from a town, the house always feels full of life - with children playing and numerous pets occupying cosy spots around every corner.

What a truly lovely home. 

Warming in every way, and so inspiring to see how vintage and antique pieces can be adapted to every space. 

Best of all for me? The library! It's made me realise this is exactly what we need in our tiny cabin. 

Is there anything in particular that stood out to you? 

Stor kram (big hug) to you all,

Niki

Photography courtesy of Nicole / @amvalland

Twitter FaceBook

Pin It
2

Riikka's Idyllic Waterside Cabin in the Eastern Gulf of Finland

Today, I'm excited to be taking you on a journey to Finland and the beautiful island of Rääntiö (try pronouncing that one?) in the stunning Eastern Gulf of Finland. Rather than tell the story of the island and this charming cabin myself, here's the owner Riikka to tell the fascinating tale herself! So, friends, pull up a seat and enjoy the tour, I hope you'll feel as inspired as I am! 

Can you describe Rääntiö island?
Rääntio is quite a small island, with nine cottages altogether, the island is less than 1 km long. We own maybe 25% of the island with our properties on the north, east and south side of the island - so, we have nice paths to go for a little walk or picnic on other side. 

How do you get to the island?
We have our own boat and it takes only 5-10 minutes from the mainland. The sea is normally frozen from January to March / April so then we arrive via ATV (form of quad bike) or snowmobile. 

How did you find the property?
Our cabin life started in August 2011 when we saw the island for the first time. We had heard that this place was for sale and even though we had decided that we would definitely never buy a cabin (as we had just built a house), and especially not on an island - Rääntio captured our hearts instantly! Maybe it was destiny that we came here, the feeling was so strong. We spent our first weekend here with our three sons three weeks later! 


Can you tell us more about your cabins? 
We bought Pohjoisranta (meaning 'North shore') twelve years ago. I just fell in love with the island! It's the first cabin we renovated and it's become our second home and our happy place. It was so nice to see how an old cottage received new life and to create some new spaces as our kids grew bigger. We have since bought two more cottages including Eteläranta (meaning 'south shore') and and Itäranta (east shore). They were lonely, sad and forgotten when we found them, and we have loved renovating them to give them a new lease of life. Itäranta is available to rent via Airbnb

It would be wonderful to hear more about your main family cabin 'Pohjoisranta' - which all these pictures are from. Did it require a lot of attention? 
At first the cabin was very little - around 30 sqm / 322 fsq, but it was big enough for us at the time. The following summer we renovated the existing cabin and then after a few years, as our sons grew older, we built an extension with a second kitchen and a glass terrace to create more space - and for when friends come to visit. The cabin now has 5 sleep alcoves and two separate living spaces. We also have a guest cottage. These days we have really great weekends or holidays with our grown up sons and many friends! 

Note the stick which has been used as an impromptu kitchen roll holder, love that!

What facilities do you have at the cabin? 
We have an electrical (burning) toilet inside cabin for dark or stormy winter nights but mostly we use the bio toilet outside - here it feels important to live as environmentally friendly as possible. 

Do you have running water? 
We have a well, so in the warm season (around the end of April to end of November) we have normal running water (including warm water and a dishwasher in the kitchen and a washing machine). We have cold water in the sauna and toilet. During the winter when it's minus degrees, we carry the water from the well and do the dishes by hand. 

Are your decor choices also influenced by sustainability? 
We have many recycled or reused items in the cabin - and we've also made many items by hand. That's our way to save nature  and I hope also to have somehow a timeless, personal touch which hold special memories from past years with loved family members. 

What is one of your favourite things about the cabin interior? 
I think one of the best things is the functionality. For example, we have only tiny sleeping places / alcoves, which saves space for living areas which gives the possibility to gather more people. It's great to have two separate living spaces - one in the old part of the cabin, and one in the new as this allows for privacy and flexibility. My husband and I like to wake up at 6am when our sons surely want to sleep! 


Would you say the furniture is functional, too? 
I like to ensure the furniture is functional. For example I have 3 similar tables which I move around and change according to the time of year, In summer they are in the glass terrace but in winter I move 1-2 tables inside. Some benches serve as storage etc. 

The glassed-in terrace adds a large living space in summertime. Note the tables which can be combined to create a larger one, or divided up according to what is required. 

I have heard that there are more saunas than cars in Finland! Do you have one on the island? 
We have a traditional Finnish sauna in a separate little cottage by the water, 71 steps down from the main cabin. We use the stove in the sauna to heat the water in order to wash - we have no separate bathroom or shower. The traditional sauna is so relaxing  - heating it up is a calming ritual and then just lying on the benches in a the dark, warm sauna, listening to the sound of the burning wood. During the winter it's very dark, and the only light comes from the sauna stove and maybe some lanterns. 


What is daily life like at the cabin when you are there?
Cabin life is very peaceful (when we don't have a project going on!). We follow nature and birds and listen to the wind and waves. We enjoy a a simple life, often starting the day by making a fire on which to boil our coffee, then heating the sauna, swimming in the sea in all weather and seasons or taking short boat cruises around the archipelago. 

Thank you so much for sharing an insight into your life in the beautiful Eastern Gulf of Finland Riikka, it sounds truly idyllic. I think I might just be booking my family into your Airbnb very soon! 

See more snapshots of daily life on Rääntiö island and Riikka's lovely cottages over at @raantio_suomenlahti and book a week or weekend stay in Itäranta here. Perhaps I'll see you there? 

In the meantime, would you like to see a few other rural Finnish homes? Here are a few I often dream about: 


Have a fabulous start to the week! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of @raantio_suomenlahti, shared with kind permission. 

Twitter FaceBook

Pin It
5

Feel Inspired By a Delightful Colourful Family Home

Eva Kaiser's home has been on my radar for a while now. When I first spotted it on Instagram I assumed it was Danish, since the Danes are doing wonderful things with colours right now. But then I bumped into Eva at Formland design fair and we chatted about her life on an old farm in Northern Germany with her husband, three sons, two dogs and seven Icelandic horses. I was so curious to hear more about the family's recent move across Germany, what it has been like to work with a blank canvas and how she combines colour in her beautiful home. Read on to feel inspired! 

I understand you and your family recently relocated; can you tell us more about your move?
Well, it was the most exciting change of my life. We didn't just relocate, we started a completely new life with our three children. Before, we lived in the South of Germany in Karlsruhe in a beautiful house that we renovated 8 years ago. But one day my husband and I asked ourselves if it was the place we could see ourselves growing old in - and it wasn't.

We had a dream, but we didn't know how it would look in detail. Two years ago, we were on holiday and found that we loved to live with our horses (we own Icelandic horses) but also that we were looking for a challenge. So, we were looking for something that would give our life new meaning. 

We found this beautiful place where we live now, and it took all our courage to sell everything we owned in the South and move away. It was the most difficult - and best decision I've ever made. Within one year we completely changed our lives and now we feel the rewards: we are so happy here, it felt like home in an instant. We are very lucky that my husband and I are both self-employed but nevertheless it took a lot to make the move! 

What was the best thing about having a blank canvas to play with? 
What a question! So difficult to answer! For me, it's been really hard to work with a blank canvas. I've had to make many decisions within a short space of time before we moved in. I was also not completely free to choose colours since there were already some colours present in the house - such as the old terrazzo floor. To be honest, it has been so hard to decorate and finish our new home and it's far from being finished. I've moved many times, but it has never taken me so long to make decisions! You really have to take care to strike a balance between not rushing and yet still moving forwards. That's not easy and you have to allow yourself to make mistakes. I've made many - I can tell you! 




Are there any tricks you use to combine colours?
My favourite trick is to remember your first idea and remind yourself of it after you make your mood boards and have thought about it night after night. Your first, instinctive idea is usually the best. Another trick is to take a magazine and cut out all the colours you love. It doesn't matter if it's a picture or an advert. Or select shades from colour samples from paint producers. once you have picked out all the colours you love, you'll start to notice the same colours appearing. Play around with these colours and create a mood board or just allow them to come together randomly. It's a really fun and creative process. 

How do you find the perfect wall colour?
This is the most difficult thing for me because I always have a really specific colour in mind and I always try to perfectly match it. My partner in crime is Kolorat - a local paint company. They offer bespoke samples. After receiving these, I hope to have the perfect match and test it on every wall. 

Your home is full of interesting furniture and accessories, where do you find them?
Everywhere. I'm always keeping my eyes open. I find pieces at flea markets, on my travels and find inspiration online. 


When I first saw your home, I thought it was Danish, are you inspired by Danish design?
Yes, I am! I love the way Danish people play with colours and the creativity and ease with which they move away from the mainstream interior. But I always try to find my own way and hope to stay unique! 

What's next?
Our home is far from finished. Art is very important to me and we have a wonderful collection of paintings that are waiting to be hung on the walls. 

Hay Star Throw, wardrobe from Reform CPH

I understand you work within the world of interiors?
Yes, I offer workshops around the topic of colourful living and I also produce and sell homeware including cute colourful cushions from second-hand fabric and recycled yarn. You can also stay at our farm in a small holiday cottage that I have just finished furnishing (you're welcome to contact me directly for bookings)! 

As soon as we can move around a little more, I know where my stop will be! Thank you so much for telling us more about your renovation Eva! 

What do you think? Are you also feeling inspired by these beautiful colours? 

Is there anything that stood out to you?

See more pictures of Eva's incredible home over at @lumikello_ and on her blog www.lumikello.de

For more lovely colour inspiration today check out: 


So friends, that's it from me today. I hope this home tour has offered wonderful bubble of respite from all that's happening right now! 

Have a lovely sunny day! 

Niki

Photography: Eva Kaiser, shared with kind permission

This post contains a few affiliate links marked with * which means that if you click through and buy something, I might make a very tiny amount of money. 

Twitter FaceBook

Pin It
1

Subscribe To My Scandinavian Home

Subscribe to My Scandinavian Home

skovby ad


 

site by ANAAR

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.
MORE INFO