Before & After: A Dated Danish house Becomes a Vibrant Summer Cottage

The rain is coming down in Sweden and I'm guessing there are plenty of card games going on behind closed doors of everyone's summer cottages. Meanwhile, judging by these pictures, the sun is shining over the Öresund strait in the Danish town of Rørvig, North of Zealand. 

This pretty 80 sqm / 861 ft2 cottage in the woods is owned by sisters Ane and Sigrid. Since buying the property, the pair have completely renovated the property both inside and out to create a dreamy place for their families to spend summer and in fact, to get away from it all in other seasons too. 

It's somewhere they come to relax - clearly seen by the day beds, window seats and casual style. The fresh whites help to create a bright and airy feel, while pops of pink and other bright colours add to the vibrancy of the living space. Ready to see a few before and after pictures? 

Exterior before

Exterior after

An entirely new shade (earthy pink), new windows, sunroom extension and new deck have completely transformed the exterior into an inviting cottage! 

A cosy dining nook has been carved out under the sloping roof using built-in seating and rattan chairs. 

Kitchen side view before

Kitchen side view after

Walls were knocked through to create a light and airy open-plan living space and a new kitchen has been installed with pretty blue cabinet fronts to reflect the coastal location. 

An antique bed serves as a place for afternoon naps and overnight kips! 

Sunroom before

Sunroom after

New windows, a fresh lick of white and a new herringbone floor was what was needed to completely transform the sun room into a beautiful bright space to relax, surrounded by greenery! You often see pretty floral cushions like these in danish summer houses. 

Bedroom before

Bedroom after

I am guessing the beautiful wood floor was lurking under the laminate flooring - what a find! New windows, a fresh lick of paint and old beams have added a wonderful summer cottage vibe to the bedroom. 

Toilet before 

Toilet after

A new, larger and lower window has made a huge different to the feel of the bathroom. I also love the tiles! 

What a perfect transformation from a slightly pokey, dated house to an idyllic summer cottage. I would perfectly happy relaxing here all summer - sunshine or rain, how about you? 

You can see more pictures of Ane and Sigrid's cottage over at @det_lille_hus_i_skoven. And also, great news. If you're looking for a holiday home to rent in Denmark this summer, this one is available through Landfolk here. 

Take a peek inside a few other Danish summer cottages today: 

A dreamy danish summer cottage with an outdoor bathroom

An idyllic summer oasis on North Zealand

A light and airy summer cottage by the sea

I hope today's post has transported you to summers in Denmark and filled you with inspiration! 

Niki

PS if it's sunny where you are, please can you send a little our way?

Photography courtesy of @det_lille_hus_i_skoven with thanks. 

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Before and After: A Rundown Croft Becomes an Idyllic Swedish Summer Cottage

When I first visited Sweden at the tender age of nine, I completely fell in love with my Swedish friends' summer cottage. It was everything you'd associate with the Swedish summer: a picturesque red and white cottage surrounded by woodland, lakes and the sweet scent of roses. Oh, and maybe the odd mosquito! When I stumbled across Alex and Erika's country home online yesterday, it took me straight back to that summer! Affectionately known as Gubbetorp, Alex and Erika's croft is located in the beautiful Östergötland countryside and has been lovingly restored one room at a time.  The pair share a passion for  antiques, vintage finds and up cycling all of which add to the charm of the space. Here are a few snapshots from before and after the renovation - including ikea hacks, outdoor loo and all! 

Kitchen before

Kitchen after

Sitting room before 

Sitting room after

The pair peeled back the laminate floor to discover a beautiful wood floor - what a great discovery! Wallpaper from Böråstapeter adds a cosy touch to the room and helps draw nature indoors. 

The hall before 

Hall after 

Alex and Erika picked up an IKEA chest of drawers for a song (100 SEK - or 8 quid!) and painted it in a soft grey-green. Rabarber 1792 wallpaper adds a vibrant feel to the space. 

Outdoor loo before

It's not that uncommon for Swedish cottages to have an outdoor loo with no running water. I recently stayed at Helen's lovely place which was the same! It took me back to the days I spent Grandmother's house. Granny Ruth had an outdoor and indoor loo. We never used the outdoor one as it was always full of spiders! 

But the ones I've experienced in Sweden are so much fresher - especially after a make-over! 

Outdoor loo 

Erika and Alex have completely spruced up their outdoor loo - adding wood panelling which has been painted in the same hue as the cottage interior. 

They've also added home comforts such as a hand towel, magazines, fresh wildflowers and perhaps most importantly - a vintage water tank for washing hands. 

The standout piece though, has to be the magnificent antique dresser - it adds such a homely touch! 

What a difference! 

Their garden is simply magical - especially in summertime. It has me dreaming of midsummer (which is only 8 weeks away!) and long summer days alfresco! 

I hope you enjoyed this before and after feature as much as I have! 

If you'd like to see more snapshots from Alex and Erika's home head on over to @gubbetorp.

You might also like to feel inspired by other idyllic Swedish summer cottages here: 

A fairytale Swedish summer cottage

A photographer's charming summer cottage in the woods

A charming open-plan Swedish summer cottage

And of course, before and afters! 

Here's to a sunny, carefree weekend ahead! 

See you Monday friends! 

Niki

Photography: @gubbetorp shared with kind permission

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A Magical Little Swedish Summer Cottage (And It's For Sale!)

Why, hello there lovelies! Are you ready for a little summer dreaming today? Here in Sweden the summer holidays are a mere one month away, and planning is in full force. Except, this year of course, it's a little restrained. Who knows what might happen in the next four weeks? The one thing we do know, is that we'll be staying put. And, up and down the country, Swedes are dusting down the cobwebs and oiling the shutters at their summer houses, hoping it'll be permitted to dream away a summer surrounded by everything the Nordic nature has to offer. If there's one thing I love about the Swedish summer cottage, it's that it's pared down and all about living a simple life. This idyllic little cottage is nestled away on the island of Klåverön in the mesmerisingly beautiful Gothenburg archipelagos - and waiting for a new owner - could it be you once we're all free to travel again? 

Summer's in the Gothenburg archipelago are all about hopping on and off boats and enjoying a picnic on your own little island. 

In this lovely open-plan living area the outdoors takes centre stage. An antique bench doubles up as storage for extra cushions and tableware. 

A patterned rug adds a little colour to the living room, while open shelving ensures a relaxed feel. 

Botanical themed bedding helps to draw the nature indoors and a wall-mounted shelf clears floor space for a light and airy feel.

A DIY rail and row of hooks is ideal, summer dresses, linen shirts and a hat or two. 

I am already imagining following the 24 hours sun around the cottage on the various decks - and chatting the four-legged neighbours, how about you?! 

Ooooh, so lovely! 

We've spent many summers sailing in the Gothenburg archipelagos, and I can't tell you how magical it is there. Perhaps I should speak to Per about this cottage? Not sure he could take it on a Monday! 

I know things are tough right now, but this too shall pass, and when it does, this Nordic country is waiting for you to experience it in all its glory! In the meantime, I hope the tour provides some wonderful summer-inspiration for your own home! 

Here are a few other summer cottages to feel inspired by: 

A photographer's charming summer cottage in the woods

An idyllic cottage that dreams are made of

A pared-back summer home on Gotland

Have a great start to the week. We've got this! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Bjurfors.

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