Before & After: A Dated Danish Home Gets a Fresh and Vibrant Makeover

Often when you look at pictures of interiors the design looks so effortless, almost as if someone has waved a magic wand and everything has just fallen into place. Anyone who has carried out a makeover by hand will know this is far from the truth (the sheer labour of love that went into our cottage bedroom this winter remains etched in my mind!). Halfway through you might wonder why on earth you've taken the project on, and the result might not always be perfect (speaking for myself here!) but the connection you feel with your home afterwards makes the work feel completely worthwhile!

Artist Katrine Brandt and her husband bought an early 20th century brick house (known simply as No.14) in Skanderborg, near Aarhus Denmark six years ago and have taken on the task of updating it by hand. Starting many of the rooms again from scratch, the pair have been busy installing a kitchen, transforming a laundry room into a light-filled workspace and giving the bathrooms a fresh update. The rooms have been mainly furnished with second-hand finds and many of Katrine's own artwork can be seen on the wall. Here are some before and after pictures so you can witness the renovation first hand! 

Kitchen - before

The IKEA kitchen was in need of a fresh update. Katrine installed new units in blue (a theme you'll see throughout the house) and sanded down the wood floor in order to remove the varnish which had turned yellow with time. The ceiling has also been plastered and painted - with spotlights added. 

Kitchen - after

Sitting room - shelving before

In my experience, Danes love to create wall-to-wall bookshelves around a doorway - which is a great way to create space for plenty of books! Katrine and her husband built these shelves and cupboards by hand. You can find more details - including step-by-step pictures and measurements in this instagram post. 

Sitting room shelving - after

The result is simply beautiful! It's also provided plenty of coveted open and closed storage. Note the ceiling lamp from one of my favourite Danish brands - Le Klint! 

The walls have been painted in Jotun 'Gullhår' and the curtains are simple ones from IKEA. The chair was found in a friend's loft and given a new lease of life with a set of new cushions. 

A 'kakelugn' (tiled masonry oven) is in full working order and perfect for colder days! 

The art on the wall is by Katrine and can be purchased via her online shop Made By Brandt. Note how the shelves have been painted the same colour as the wall for a smart, seamless affect. 

Utility room - before 

I know a thing about making over laundry rooms - except this one is different. Recognising the beauty of the room and how much natural light it has, Katrine and her husband decided to transform the space into a light-filled workspace.

Utility room - after

A simple, DIY make-over, the pipes are still in place under the desk and a built-in desk has been added over the top. Dark red drawers and a blue chair add a touch of colour to the space. 

Downstairs toilet - before

Bathroom make-overs can be eye-wateringly expensive and tiling etc requires a lot of skill. But sometimes a simple refresh is all that's needed (just as we did with our downstairs loo) - a lick of bathroom-friendly paint, a new cabinet and sink and a shelf was just what this 'powder room' needed, and no doubt saved gazillions of Danish Crowns in the process! 

Downstairs toilet - after

I love the mood lamp in the corner. If you look closely, you'll spot various forms of ambient lighting throughout the entire home - all of which help to create the cosy 'hyggelig' feel the Danes are so good at. 

Bathroom - before 

The bathroom featured a separate bath and shower before being reconfigured. Opting for just a shower has made it so much more spacious and touches of blue (code S 1515-R90B) ensure the room remains in keeping with the look and feel of the rest of the house. 

Bathroom - after

Such a lovely transformation - I love the subtle pastel shades throughout, adding a hint of colour and interest without feeling overbearing. There are also some lovely details throughout - including lamps, ceramics and art. 

The house is still very much a work in progress. If you'd like to follow their decorating journey, check out @nr.14a. 

Is there anything that stood out to you about Katrine's home? 

If you love a before and after as much as I do, check out:

Makeover: a dark house becomes and fresh and bright home

A Copenhagen home is transformed into a fresh family home

A dated house becomes a vibrant summer cottage

Stor kram! 

Niki

Photography by Katrine Brandt, shared with kind permission. 

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Life Change: A Swedish Family Home In The French Alps

We can all agree it's been one crazy year. Never has the home been so important. It presents a safe haven (although I am aware that sadly this is not the case for everyone) in which we can relax and be ourselves. Living in quarantine / isolation - or simply being at home more - has meant taking stock of where we live, and while there are some who are thrilled with where they live, there are others that will no doubt thinking about making some life changes in the near future! 

For Swedish interior designer Bettina Kapare, her husband and two year old son, it wasn't the pandemic that led to a move abroad - but a search for a more meaningful way of life. In 2019, Bettina and her family left their home in Luxembourg after ten years and moved to a small village in the foothills of the French Alps, just outside Chamonix. Today, they enjoy a slower pace surrounded by nature. I caught up with Bettina to find out how they chose their new location, some of the challenges involved with moving, and how she created a home which merges her Scandinavian heritage with traditional Alpine style. Her story is truly inspiring! 

When did you move to the Alps? 

We moved here from Luxembourg in December last year. I guess you can say we made a complete life change. We left Luxembourg after 10 years. At the same time, I quit my job as a business developer in private banking and started working as an interior designer. It's something I'd been dreaming about and had been studying on the side for some years. 

How did you choose the French Alps? 

We owned a small ski apartment in the Chamonix valley and had been spending countless weekends on vacation here skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer. When our son was born, we decided to spend part of our parental leave here and it was during that period we started talking about the possibility of moving here. 

How did you make your move happen? 

At first, it all felt like a farfetched dream. Leaving an organised life and a career in Luxembourg, to go and live in the French Alps. But the more we talked about it, the more we realised that it was what we wanted; for our son grow up in the mountains and change to, what we felt would be, a more meaningful lifestyle, with more family time, more skiing and closer to nature. As the saying goes "create a life you don't need a vacation from".

With that in mind, we started thinking about everything that needed to be put in place. We had to find a house, organise work etc. We thought it was going to be a 5-year plan, but once we'd set our minds to it, the move took less than a year. Somehow everything just fell into place. 

What was one of the biggest challenges with moving to the French Alps? 

One of the most difficult things turned out to be finding a house. There weren't a lot of options that were within budget. I had dreamt of a renovation project involving an old farmhouse with a huge garden. Instead, we bought a traditional style chalet built in 2008. It has an open-plan living room and kitchen on the ground floor and three bedrooms upstairs. It also has a large basement which we use as a home office and studio. 

How did you approach the chalet interior?

I faced a challenge merging our furniture and my style into the traditional chalet style. For me, interior design is not about following trends and constantly buying new stuff, it's about creating a space for the people who live there. Incorporating functional aspects with a personal style and a homely feel.  

Since we're living here all year round, I didn't want our home to have a traditional 'ski holiday' chalet feel. I wanted to turn it into a home where we would feel at home every day of the year.

How have you merged your Scandinavian design heritage with the Alpine style? 

Being Swedish, I believe the Scandinavian style is in my nature. When we moved, I felt that I wanted to incorporate the Scandinavian style. Both the Scandinavian and traditional Alpine style use furniture with simple but elegant craftsmanship - something I always feel inspired by. But the Scandinavian style has a lighter feel than the traditional Alpine style. In our home, I've brought in a lot of solid wood furniture, but with a light white finish instead of the traditional darker one. My Norrgavel coffee table is a fine example of this. 

Where did you source your furniture? 

We actually brought most of it with us from Luxembourg - including many Scandinavian design pieces. It's a blend of items we have inherited and second-hand treasures that I have been collecting over the years. I'm happy that we brought them with us, because it made us feel instantly at home. And with everything that has been happening in the world lately and the past few months of lockdown and isolation - our house has turned into our comfort zone. 

What do you love most about your new home?

Almost every evening I have been cuddling up on the sofa or on the bed, and looking up at the mountains outside the windows feeling grateful for our new home. I love the closeness to nature and I'm so happy we dared to make the life change. We haven't regretted moving one single day, on the contrary, our life choice feels more meaningful than ever. I have never felt happier.  

Thank you so much for telling us about your move and your beautiful home in the Alps Bettina - your story is truly inspiring! 

***

I'd love to hear about how you feel about your home - is it somewhere you can always imagine living, or has your perspective changed this year? 

If you've always dreamed of moving abroad, I hope Bettina's story has inspired you. Your big move might be more tangible than you first thought! 

You can see more picture of her beautiful home over at @chez_kapare and find out more about her interior design service Kapare Interiors. 

Fancy taking a peek at other Scandi homes abroad? 

Step inside a relaxed Finnish home in Mallorca

Feel inspired by a Danish oasis in Palma

Mindful decorating: fall in love with the home of a Swede living in Holland

Ahhhh, I love seeing the Scandinavian design heritage merged with other cultures / styles, how about you? 

Ha det så fint! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Bettina Kapare / @chez_kapare with kind permission.

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A Cosy Country Home in Rural North Sweden

Some of the homes I share on My Scandinavian Home are wonderful for interior inspiration, others tell a story. A story that transports you to another world and has you dreaming of faraway places where life is slow, cosy and remote. This is one of the latter kind. Chilean born Nicole Castillo lives in the countryside just outside Byske, Västerbotten, North Sweden with her husband and two children. When Nicole isn't running her online webshop Nicole's Lantgård, selling beautiful vintage and antique furniture, she's looking out of the window watching salmon jump in the Byske river, baking with her children, feeding the chickens or drinking hot chocolate around a woodburning stove. I caught up with Nicole to ask about life in the Swedish countryside, her love of antiques and how to create an incredibly cosy home! 

Your house looks very old, can you tell us more about it?

It's an old farm property from around 1860, that has been renovated and extended to look more like a traditional Västerbotten Manor House rather than the croft it used to be. 

Who do you live with - I spy some chickens...?! 

We are 11 living on the property: my husband, our four-year-old daughter and two-year-old son, our crazy lady cat Svea, 6 chickens and myself, Nicole Castillo (27). 

Wow! Quite a crowd! Your home is full of beautiful antiques and vintage finds, have you always been passionate about second hand items? 

I am from Chile and I met my Swedish husband while he was working in Chile. When we decided to move to Sweden, he already had this place that he found thanks to his passion (fishing). I studied history in Chile and had only ever seen 'old things' in books (Chile is a young country), When I arrived in Sweden and started to experience old furniture and houses first hand, I felt inspired to create a home full of all the things I love. 

Moving from Chile to North Sweden must have been a big transition, did it take you a while to adjust?

The move from Chile to Sweden was very revealing. I thought I was strong and that I knew who I was, until I arrived here! The distractions of city life that I was used to were muted, and the silence surrounding our new home made me go deep inside myself and accept that I had to make a million changes to become a competent wife and Mother. It took me a while, but when I did adjust, I found I was in a beautiful place - surrounded by wildlife, a country steeped in tradition, amazing landscapes and one of the kindest people I have ever met. 

Do you have a favourite season? 

Today, one of the things I love the most is summer: to see the kids playing in the grass and climbing trees, going jogging while trying to overcome my fear that a bear might try to eat me, seeing my husband catch a salmon and the children helping him to put back in the water. 

Do you renovate the furniture or use 'as is'?

After having my daughter, I decided to paint furniture to give it a second chance, and my love for interior decor and creativity evolved along with this process. 

How did your online furniture shop come about?

I founded Nicole's Lantgård in order to create a job that allowed me to be at home to take care of the family. I started renovating old furniture as a hobby, but later I started to search everywhere for "wow" pieces! As my collection grew, my family and I decided to make my dream become a reality and I founded my online shop. Right now, it's growing in baby steps, we are very happy for it! 

Your home is so cosy! Can you share some tips with us on how to achieve that warm, 'hygge' vibe?! 

Our home is a place where we live, love create and rest from everything, therefore it has to be cosy! To achieve this, we try to create symmetry by matching elements in the room, like colour. We're also mindful of the number of decorative items in the room - and try to ensure everything has a purpose. Also, it's very important to leave empty spaces in a room so that your eyes can rest on 'air' - or create areas that don't have too much going on. 

It's amazing what a lovely atmosphere vintage and antique pieces create in a home, don't you think?

If you have the time, I can highly recommend taking a peek in Nicole's shop - there are some really beauties for sale including display cabinets and rugs to smaller pieces like urns, candlesticks and cutlery. You can see more snapshots of Nicole's home and life in the Swedish countryside here. 

How I'd love to swap my my desk in rainy Malmö for the spot by the window in Nicole's studio, watching salmon jump out of the Byske. Are you also dreaming of that very spot too?!

I guess you know what's coming. Yep! How did you guess?! A round-up of more Swedish country homes. Ha! But they are rather lovely, and now that we're on a roll... here are a few of my favourites: 

An idyllic Swedish country home is restored to its former glory

Step inside an idyllic Swedish country home on a hill

Snapshots from Ida's charming vintage-inspired home in Dalarna

Time to dream of cosy days by the fire, in a charming Swedish country home! 

Ha det så mysig! 

Niki

Photography: Nicola Castillo shared with kind permission

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