Tiny Cabin Bathroom Sneak Peek - Plus a Few Questions!

*GSI Ceramica and Cristina Rubinetterie are kindly partnering in our project. 

I can't tell you how much progress we've made in the bathroom at the cabin* since I shared the original plans. After a copious amount of work (who knew a 3.6 m2 (38f2) bathroom could take up so much time?), it's finally coming together! In fact, it's almost finished, woohoooo! Here are some snapshots of the progress which I snapped with my phone. Oh, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on some of the final details too. 

It's been fun to see the space come together - one layer at a time, starting from the bare bones. 

Wall tiles

For the shower and lower section of the wall we chose matt white square tiles with a simple white grouting (I felt this would give a cleaner, less fussy look in such a small space). 

Wall mounted loo and taps

I love a wall hung loo (specifically the WC Kube X from GSI Ceramica) they look so sleek and also help to contribute to an airier feel in a small space. I was also keen to install wall mounted taps (I selected the Basin Mixer CRITV257 from series Tricolore Verde by CRISTINA Rubinetterie). However, in order to achieve this we needed to build out a section of the wall by 15 cm (wide enough to fit a Gerberit cistern). I was a little nervous as it's already a narrow bathroom - but actually, I'm thrilled with the result. The shelf has turned out to be a real bonus!  

Bathroom paint colour

For the ceiling and walls (without tiles) I went for Kalk from the Jotun Lady Aqua bathroom range. It's a lovely, soft, warm tone which compliments the matt white sink and loo as well as the stone floor. 

Wall mounted sink and cabinet

Here's a close up of the sleek, timeless Kube X washbasin (60 x 47) in matt white. I'm so happy with it as well as the Prisma Unit cabinet (also from GSI Ceramica) - it's perfect for storage, and since the entire unit is mounted, it gives the illusion of space. 

Taps and shower

Above and below you can see a close up of the basin Mixer CRITV257 and External Thermostatic shower mixer with overhead and hand shower CRITV486 from CRISTINA Rubinetterie. The 'brushed old brass' finish has a beautiful patina and adds so much texture. 

Shower door

We still need to add a glass wall (80 cm wide) between the shower and sink. However, I haven't decided if we also need a shower door (70 cm wide) across the front, what do you think? 

Floor tiles and details

And finally - the stone floor. I sourced the Tumbled Turtle tiles from Swedish brand Stiltje (I love the owner Pamela; she has incredible taste!). We really splurged on these and once the floor had been laid, there were a few tiles leftover which we used for the ledge above the sink and a corner shelf in the shower.  

I hope you like what we've done so far! I'm so excited the bathroom is nearly finished. We're on the home straight! 

 

The next step is to add:

1. A shower wall and potentially a shower door 

2. A privacy film inside the garden glass door (or should we go for a blind?) 

3. A loo roll holder - any thoughts on where this should go? 

4. Hooks for towels, robes, swimwear etc. 

5. All our toiletries! 

I'd love to hear your two pennies worth! 

Hopefully it will all be finished in the next few weeks - I'm so looking forward to sharing the final reveal once everything is in place!

Niki

All photos taken with my iPhone. 

*For those of you who are new to My Scandinavian Home - Per and I are building a 30 m2 (323 f2) cabin in the garden of my Mother-in-law's summer cottage on Sweden's West coast. You can see the plans here. 

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25

A Dated Home Becomes a Fresh, Modern Farmhouse

Ever since I stumbled across the portfolio of Pittsburgh based interior designer Leanne Ford and featured this incredible home, I've been a huge fan of her work! Leanne is currently the star, along with her brother and contractor Steve Ford, of Restored by the Fords on HGTV, which follows the siblings as they turn some of Pittsburgh's most dated buildings into magazine-worthy homes. Their latest project was to transform the Faraci family's pokey ground floor (made up of three rooms) into a fresh, open-plan space. I caught up with Leanne to find out more about the project...

What was the design brief?

I loved the Faraci family! They are so lovely and loving and their demands were rather simple! They wanted a simple and well designed home to be together as a family and to entertain in. The first floor of their house was separated by three walls when we got our hands on it. And of course, I removed them ALL. We wanted those in the kitchen to be able to see out the front window. And we wanted a more welcome communal living space for them.

What style were the family after and how did you achieve it? 

"They wanted a fresh and modern farmhouse style. We gave them all the classic fixings; subway tile, butcher block counters, classic white cabinets, open shelving, farm table down the center of the kitchen, simple design and decor. And I played with all of these features over the original and very beat up wooden floors. Though they started out as a kind of disaster to try to make them work, they ended up being my favorite feature of the home. Ain't that how it happens. The rough and vintage floor really adds life to the clean lines of the new kitchen." 

 Do you have a favourite feature from the make-over?  

That amazing modern "sculpture" of a stair case that Ed Zeiler from Wood N Wrench made us! We had to totally reconfigure where the staircase went after ripping walls out, so we played with the new "railing/wall" And made it a design feature.

 Did you experiment with anything new? 

"We did Board and Batton on the INSIDE of the home for a change. It was a simple and economical way to bring texture and character into this home. Over the coffee table you see a white chandelier that I TRIED to make... I would say this is one of those examples of letting art evolve...I certainly never set out to make the light look like that, but let's just say it really "wanted to" ;) The family made me feel better when they said it looks like something from the MOMA. I don't know about that, but... I'll take it!"

Photography: Alexandra Ribar

Thank you so much for sharing this beautiful make-over with us Leanne!

If you love this look and want to steal a few ideas (I certainly will be!) - here's a quick guide:

Get the look

1. Nuvo lighting, warehouse shade
2. Vintage chopping board
3. Glass cake stand
4. Natural linen napkins
5. L:A Bruket liquid soap
6. Drip Glaze 16-Piece Place Setting
7. Tour Eiffel brackets  
8. IKEA armchair with Bemz Loose Fit Country cover (get 15% off design covers for IKEA furniture at Bemz with code '15myscandinavianhome' until 11th Feb - ships worldwide!).
9. Woven basket pendant light
10. Sisal natural jute rug

Ahhh, so inspired by this space - the statement basket lamp, the asymmetry of the chairs and bench around the table, the open shelves. So much to love. I hope it's inspired you too!

Have a lovely day.

****

Complete Source list:

Kitchen: Cabinets / Miter Box (custom built),  Farmhouse 3018 sink in pearl / Native Trails, Trinsic kitchen faucet in champagne bronze / Delta, White subway tile / Jeffrey Court,  Butcher Block countertop / IKEA. Cutting boards / Whitney Jurgovan of Kinsey Vintage market, Small white rug in bleached jute ivory / world market*, Wooden shelving with Tour Eiffel brackets / Anthropologie*,  Napkins and Tea towels, Parachute home, Vintage Mirror / Garden Style Living, wooden kitchen table / Weisshouse, Woven Basket Pendant / World market. Wooden chairs / 1stdibs. 

Family room (with fireplace): Cloud sofa in beligan linen natural / RH Modern,  Sisal natural jute rug / World market. White linen armchair / Weisshouse. Blue Tin Washer // Kinsey Vintage Market, coffee table / weisshouse, Metal Locker Boxes // Urge Studio.

Living room: White rug in bleached ivory jute / World market, Burlap sofa / Weisshouse,
wooden coffee table / IKEA, Chandlier custom made by Leanne, Green credenza / Urge Studio.

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5

My Summer Cottage Kitchen Final Reveal (+ Get The Look)!

In paid partnership with Bosch:
I can't believe we've finished our summer cottage kitchen! For a mini, 8 m2 / 86 sq. ft. kitchen, it sure was a whole lot of work! Thank goodness for You Tube and all your wonderful tips and words of encouragement along the way. There certainly wouldn't be a kitchen to enjoy without either of these ingredients! It seems a lifetime ago that I shared the before pictures, design plans - and a few nasty surprises along the way - so without further ado, here is the final reveal!



A little background
Our wooden cottage is located on the West coast of Sweden and was built by my husband's grandfather in the 1930s. It isn't insulated, so we're only there on weekends and school holidays between April and October. Life at the cottage is simple and involves a routine of eat, swim, sleep, repeat! It's somewhere we go to escape the city, kick back and enjoy everything the Swedish summer has to offer with no flights to catch and no schedules to keep. I was keen for the kitchen to reflect this back to basics way of life and create something simple, understated and comfortable.

The Colours
The house is a few hundred metres from the shores of the Kattegat sea where off-white sands meet cool, grey-blue waters. A pine forest leads down to the shoreline - and offers a perfect place to forage for berries and mushrooms. I opted for soft,  muted, subtle greys and whites with touches of lush greenery to reflect the lovely surroundings.




THE CABINETS
We chose simple veddinge cabinets from IKEA which I had spray painted by the fab guys at Swiss Metod in Malmö. We completed the look with bagganäs brass knobs (thank you for your help deciding these in my instagram stories poll!).

Above: While we tend to lead a back-to-basics life at the cottage, we still delight in a few modern comforts, and a dishwasher is one of them! We were going to go for a compact / slimmed down size but in the end went for the standard size Dishwasher Series 6 SBE46CX05E so we wouldn't be constantly emptying and refilling it! Since it's a small kitchen we integrated it behind the cabinets for a seamless look. It's also dead silent, so you'd never know it was there! 
 
I felt it was important to inject some of the original features. The original Bakelight fittings had been swapped out for white plastic fittings in the 70s and I felt it would be nice to reinstall replicas from this time. My Mother-in-law thought this was very amusing: "I still remember the day we installed the new light switches. They felt very state-of-the-art.". I wonder what the next generation will do?!





The worktop
If you've been following this journey, you'll know we went backwards and forwards on the worktop for weeks (thank you for all your words of wisdom!). Since it's not our permanent home we wanted something inexpensive, durable and practical. In the end we chose Ekbacken white marble effect as it covered all basics. I am super happy with how it looks and can highly recommend it. However, the 'purist' in me is pining for a natural surface so one day I might just swap it out for wood or stone, we'll see!

Oven, induction hob and fan
Having had Bosch appliances in our home for over ten years and knowing they can be integrated seamlessly into IKEA kitchens, it made sense to go for Bosch goods in our summer cottage too. I'm so happy with our Oven Series 8 HBG872DS1S and Induction Hob Series 6 PXE611FC1E, they're super sleek and state-of-the-art! We're also pleased with the fan, which is tucked into the cabinet above (allowing for more storage space above). You can read more about why I chose these appliances here.

I registered my appliances at My Bosch which allows me to test the appliances for 100 days and return them if I'm not satisfied - how helpful is that?! I also receive recipes, first insight into promotions, and a customer service VIP number - well worth signing up for!

Chopping boards!

I can't tell you how many wooden chopping boards I have (my husband has placed a ban on me acquiring anymore (along with the cushion embargo!). Fortunately, I had enough at home to donate to the cottage!).  I love that they are both practical and add instant texture and warmth to a kitchen - plus they only get better with age. Do you have wood chopping boards too?

Sink area
I think this area is my favourite. Since the house is quite old, the window height isn't standardised, so we hung a linen curtain (which my Mother-in-law found at a flea market) behind the sink to stop things falling down behind the countertop and add a hint of traditional Swedish cottage style. The sink is the porcelain Havsen from IKEA and the tap - which I LOVE - is by Tapwell (see the get the look below). The latter was a little bit more of an investment, but I completely fell in love with the rich patina and love the feel of it when in use - and am so happy I went all out with the it.



The details
Although a white and light grey colour combination helps to make a smaller kitchen appear larger, I was aware that it can also feel quite cold. I therefore added a load of natural textures in the form of linen, stone, wool and wood in order to add depth and warmth as well as draw nature indoors.

I picked up the stone vases at a local nursery (Trädgårdspalleten) in Malmö. I love the rough, imperfect nature of the surface. It's perfect for wildflowers too! Brass items with a subtle patina like the tap and nautical lamp also help to add interest to the room.

Soap dish (of sorts!)
My younger daughter brought this pebble back from the nearby beach, it makes a perfect soap dish!
 
Nautical pendant lamp
I am so pleased with this nautical-style pendant over the sink (from Rowen & Wren) - I got the idea from Jeska Hearne's kitchen! When lit, it looks really cosy and brings a subtle nautical touch to the room; I can imagine every kitchen window in the fishing village had a lamp like this at some point.



Fridge-freezer
In a small kitchen, it's vital to make use of every inch - which is why we opted for a Fridge-Freezer Series 4 KIN86VS30 and installed it behind the cabinet doors (read more about the fridge-freezer here). Not only does it make the kitchen feel less cluttered, it also allowed for more storage (and plenty of space for our summer wine and cheese!).
 



The floor
When we started the floor was covered in a plastic laminate which we ripped out. The wood floor beneath was fairly low quality so we decided to sand it down and paint it with hard wearing floor paint in white (take a peek here!). The walls have also been painted in a simple, matt white to create a light and airy feel.

The Curtain
Since the house isn't very well insulated, a linen curtain helps to keep out drafts by the back door, and adds a softness to the overall look. The stripes are another subtle nod to the coastal vibe, and I love how it billows in the breeze.



Open storage
If you've been following my blog for a while, you'll know I love a row of hooks (I'm pretty sure Per will put an embargo on buying more of these soon, too)! But they're soooo handy and also add a cosy feel. I actually picked up these mango wood ones at H&M Home - such a find as they have a slightly aged look. I placed three side by side. The ones nearest the door are reserved for 'hallway' stuff like shopping baskets and outdoor items, while the hooks towards the centre of the room are for more kitchen-based items.








And that's it!

I hope you enjoyed the tour and like the result as much as we do!

The space feels extra special having done it all ourselves (save for a little plumbing and electrics).

In case you're curious on where items are from, here's the complete low down:

GET THE LOOK

1. Nordal Carpet with Fringes
2. IKEA VEDDINGE cabinets
3. HUBSCH Barstool
4. IKEA Brass Door Knobs
5. Byggfabriken White Photo Lamp
6. NCS Colour S 2002-Y
7. IKEA Natural Net Bag
8. Tapwell EVO184 Kitchen Faucet
9. IKEA White Marble Effect Countertop
10. Redecker Wooden Handheld Dish Brush
11. Byggfabriken Vipp Grounded Outlet
12. Byggfabriken Vipp Switch Trapp
13. IKEA Beige Curtains
14. Woven Finds Co. Straw Bag with Long Tan Leather Handles
15. Bergs Potter Helena Rose Tree Pot and Saucer Grey
16. Bergs Potter Helena Rose Tree Pot and Antique Rosa
17. Medium Hammam Towel With Fringes
18. IKEA Beige Dishtowel
19. H&M Round Straw Tray
20. Iris Hantverk Dustpan & Brush Set Black
21. Rowen and Wren Fowey Pendant
22. TOWA Workshop Japanese Tetsubin Tea Kettle
23. Nordal Chopping Board


APPLIANCES


1. Bosch Hood Series 4 DFM064A51
2. Bosch Dishwasher Series 6 SBE46CX05E
3. Bosch Oven Series 8 HBG872DS1S
4. Bosch Fridge Freezer Series 4 KIN86VS30
5. Bosch Induction Hob Series 6 PXE611FC1E

Did I miss anything? If you're wondering about any of the details, just give me a shout below and I'll do my best to help!

I am so looking forward to chilling out in the summer cottage garden in a few week's time, what do you say?! Not before baking an apple pie first, of course!

Niki

Thank you to: 
The wonderful team at Bosch who made this renovation series possible, the interior design guys at My Scandinavian Home Studio, Per for being my partner in crime and our children who spent HOURS on the trampoline while we worked! I'd also like to say a huge thanks to Sofie Lawett for looking over my ideas, my dear friends Jess Forsberg and Ullis Sjöström and the fab guys at Swiss Metod and Geijersgatan 53. 

*This series is in paid collaboration with Bosch. However, all words and pictures are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too.

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44

Tile style: Three Living Rooms, Three Different Vibes

Considering floor tiles for your living space? My sister's Goldendoodle (google 'Goldendoodle puppies' and your heart will positively melt) put paid to their wooden floor. So, in their recent renovation they opted for tiles instead. Growing up in a home with wooden floors and wall-to-wall carpets, tiles are a bit of a new area for me. So, for fun, I decided to experiment with three tiles from the Gemini Tiles floor tile collection available through CTD Tiles to create three different living room vibes. The brand offers an extensive collection of handpicked wall and floor tiles which take inspiration from both traditional and contemporary styles so there were a whole load to choose from! In the end I opted for the Cuban Black Block tile, Buxy Gris floor Tile and Cuban Silver Sky tile. I can't wait to hear which one you like the most!




Be still my beating heart! How fabulous is this Cuban Black Block Tile? Inspired by traditional hot wax paintings, the tile comes in size 223 x 223 mm and is made from glazed porcelain with a matt finish. The intricate geometric look instantly took me back to an elegant, eclectic contemporary Parisian hotel I stayed at last November. Think gold, luxurious velvet in deep earthy blues and emerald greens and the infinite depth and nobility of black marble.  I might just be willing to forgo my pattern shyness and go all out in my own home with this one - how about you?

Get the look:

1. Vitra Suita Sofa Designers Choice
2. Twice Ceiling Light
3. The Lily Candleholder
4. Ferm Living Marble Table Black
5. Gubi Bat Lounge Chair High Back
6. Embroidered Velvet Star Cushion
7. Boule Vase
8. North Shelf
9. & Tradition FLY Chair SC1 Smoked Oak
10. Gubi BestLite BL1 Table Lamp Brass
11. Fishbowl Vase





If the industrial look is more your thing - I picked the Buxy Gris floor tile for its cool, contemporary urban style. Think New York loft living meets Scandi minimalism! The grey porcelain floor tile comes in 600 x 600 mm and a 600 x 300 mm size and looks pretty fabulous with a cognac, grey, white and black palette. Throw in furniture made from cool metals, wood, leather and wool to bring natural warmth to the space. I love the fresh, earthy look of this style, and it's timeless too! Could you imagine incorporating this look into your home?

Get the look:

1. Tribeca Series Franklin Chandelier
2. Anderssen & Voll strip back the sofa
3. The Art of Fabric Print 3 
4. Vitra Eames Hang It All - Walnut & Chocolate
5. Lína Swivel Chair
6. Metal Candlestick
7. The MANTIS - DCW BS5 SW Wall Lamp
8. Carl Hansen CH28 Chair
9. Magis Lem Round Table



And last, but by no means less - if you love to rock a boho look, you might be drawn to this fresh yet cosy contemporary Mallorcan finca vibe. Inspired by traditional encaustic tiles, I feel the subtle colour palette and intricate pattern of the glazed porcelain Cuban Silver Sky tile in size 223 x 223 mm gives a space a lovely, cool look and feel. I love the idea of pairing it with beautiful natural wood finishes, rattan furniture, glass, brass and linen to add character while keeping the look calm, and cosy yet bang up to date. If you don't want to go all out, this is the type of tile which would also look pretty in the hallway or bathroom, don't you think?!

Get the look:

1. Gervasoni Ghost Sofa
2. Dutchbone Brute Side Table Aluminium
3. Binga basket
4. NORR11 Nomad Lounge Chair Bamboo Cognac Leather
7. Colton Coffee Table
8. Large Glass Vase
9. Genuine Moroccan Ottoman
10. Silk Cashmere White Cover Lamp
11. Round Metal Tray

Did you have a favourite style?

I could quite easily envisage all three in my home but if I had to pick just one I'd go for the third.  Perhaps that's just because the sun is slowly fading in Sweden and I'm pining after the med! Plus I've always loved pretty patterned tiles!

Niki

This post was brought to you in collaboration with Gemini Tiles, all words and styling are my own. Thank you for supporting the wonderful, hand-picked brands that make My Scandinavian Home possible! 

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