my scandinavian home: Search results for winter

Perfect blend: rustic/ industrial/ contemporary

After 8 years in Sweden I thought I knew how to deal with the long winter; leave the country when the snow arrives! If you travel to the Canary Islands or Thailand around early spring you're bound to be surrounded by tanned Swedes stocking up on some much needed sun! But this Autumn I noticed something new- everyone's heading off now too. A holiday in September presumably to soften the blow of the end of the summer. Since I have missed the boat (litereally) I'm mentally transporting myself to this stunning home in Spain by architects / property developers Abaton (via 79 ideas) instead. It has just the right mix of Spanish rustic, industrial and modern designer elements to really soften the blow of the impending winter.

Abaton via 79 ideas

I spy Tom Dixon again in the form of the Beat Lights (just goes tp show how versatile Tom Dixon lights are - yesterday the Copper Shade Pendant looked at home in a retro style home, today the Beat Lights look fab in a contemporary minimalist home. The Wegner Wishbone Chairs also blend in beautifully. I could certainly see myself celebrating the end of summer here, could you?

Do you have any winter survival tips?!

Simple Christmas Touches in A Norwegian Home By a Snow-Covered Fjord

High up on a hill overlooking the magnificent snow covered Stranda fjord, in Norway, Eldrid, Martin and their children Aron and Naomi's home is all ready for Christmas. Forget ostentatious displays, the family have taken a subtle approach, allowing the magnificent, ever-changing snowy scenery to take centre-stage. And I couldn't imagine it any other way!

"When it comes to decorating, I like to keep it simple and organic, yet festive. I often use a combination of spruce, pine, and eucalyptus as well as brass ornaments and a hint of burgundy" - Eldrid.

When you live in Norway, there's never a shortage in Christmas trees to choose from!! And this fine one is a perfect size for the room. I love how it's been simply decorated with a few baubles and decorative pieces.

Glass decorations (such as this pendant tea light holder*) add a festive touch and yet allow the view to shine through. I can imagine it looks so pretty after sunset too!

"In wintertime, you mostly find me on my skis on top of a mountain. We moved here because of the good powder skiing and the nature because we love to be active outdoors. I love ski touring and also spend a lot of time at Strandafjellet ski resort with my family" - Eldrid.

A simple window seat (the Hadley daybed is similar) makes a perfect spot from which to watch the natural world go by (while keeping warm!).

"I love to see how the snow covers the mountains, and how the fog casts a magical spell over the fjord in winter" - Eldrid

A dish made by local sculptur Anna Maria Øfstedal Eng sits beside Norwegian interior magazine Nytt Rom on a set of mid-century nest tables (try an auction site like Lauritz for similar).

I'm such a big fan of eucalyptus at Christmas time. Did you know that you can also hang a bouquet from your shower head? It smells wonderful when the hot water runs over it.

What a beautiful place to spend winter! It makes me want to strap some cross-country skis to my feet and head off across the snowy peaks!

Could you imagine spending the winter holidays here?

See more of Eldrid's beautiful home over at @housebythefjord.

Other Norwegian homes to love in wintertime:

A simple, yet cosy cabin by a fjord

A Norwegian home on Christmas Eve

A lovely Norwegian home decorated for Christmas

Meanwhile in Sweden today, its St Lucia day - one of the biggest events in the Christmas calendar. A 400 year-old custom, choirs (and children) across the country will be taking part in a pagan Lucia procession. The central character is 'Lucia' who dresses in white with a big red sash and wears a crown of candles in her hair, but children might also to choose to dress as a gingerbread man, Father Christmas as well as other characters. It's a lovely celebration (even if most are taking place over Zoom this year!).

Wishing you all a great start to the week!

Niki

Photography courtesy of House by The Fjord with thanks.

FILED UNDER: Christmas Christmas decorations norwegian home

How About A Getaway At This Cosy Lakeside Cottage?!

If your Christmas holidays are anything like mine, we'll all need a holiday to recover from the holiday! And I've got my sights on The Leo Cottage on Lake Michigan, Union Pier, Michigan. It's hard to imagine that interior designer Kate Marker completely transformed the 1920s property in a matter of months - and on a budget too! In my mind, I'm already chilling on the antique furniture and clearing the cobwebs with lakeside walks. But the big question is - do you go for the master bedroom with the beautiful reclaimed clawfoot bathtub or fireside reading in the smaller, yet super cosy second bedroom? Tough call! Whichever, you decide, I'm sure you'd leave e feeling completely revived and ready for the year ahead. Enjoy the tour!

Isn't it cosy?!

Could you imagine relaxing here for a few days? And if so, did you decide which bedroom you'd prefer?! I think I'd plump for the one with the wood burning stove - it looks so toasty!

The Leo Cottage is available to rent here (just saying!).

Oh, and if I've got you in the mood for a winter getaway but Michigan is a bit of a stretch, here are a few other cosy cabins available to rent this winter:

An airbnb hideaway in the woods (before and after!)

A cosy log cabin in a Dutch national park

A dreamy cottage to rent in south east England

Two idyllic Danish cabins to rent

The shack on Bruny island

Roll on the winter holidays!

Niki

Photography courtesy of The Leo Cottage with thanks.

FILED UNDER: Cabins Holiday homes rentals rural retreats Summer cottage

A small Swedish space in winter whites

Happy new year! I have a feeling 2016 will be a great year for us all...how exciting! It's suddenly got cold here in Southern Sweden (- 4 degrees C brrrrrr!) and yesterday we received a light dusting of snow so I thought I'd kick off the year with this fresh 'winter' home. The small apartment in Gothenburg, Sweden has been decorated in whites throughout and softened with cosy sheepskin throws and cotton blankets. I love the touches of black too. Perfect for a room which combines both sitting room and bedroom - don't you think?

Stadshem, Photos: Jonas Berg.

Lovely! Despite the trend towards darks and brights I still love a calm white space.

But really - my eyes are on those croissants - Mmmm! Late breakfast anyone?

Get the look: Karlstad sofa, rattan chair, fluffy white sheepskin throw, this industrial stool is similar as is this grey linen throw and these vintage mirrors (and just how pretty is this vintage art deco mirror?). Can anyone tell us where the black floor lamp and coffee tables are from, I'd love to know?

More small space inspiration here and here (and remember the world's smallest luxury home?!). In case it's monochrome inspiration you're after - this is one of my favourite black and white home tours of all time.

This morning I've really enjoyed catching up on all the posts I've missed from some of my favourite blogs. Here's a round-up of my favourites: Stil Inspiration's winter table setting, a DIY hall wall with a strip of black and how to bring Pantone's colours of 2016 into your home.

It's great to be back!

Have a lovely day!

FILED UNDER: small spaces swedish apartment swedish home White home

A Simple, Yet Cosy Norwegian Cabin By The Fjord

God morgen - as they say in Norwegian! How was your weekend? Here, it was a cold, snowy one but the sun was shining, and I actually found myself squinting in the brightness (you wouldn't believe how much we long for that sensation here in Scandinavia in the winter!). But there can also be a certain beauty in the grey, and our friend Hilde Mork, is the master at catching it. I featured her lovely little Norwegian cottage twice last year, once over the summer solstice, and once at Christmas. And now that cabin has become her studio - and she and her husband and their children have moved into a wonderful cabin overlooking the fjord. The pair have carefully renovated the space over time - transforming the old, uninsulated structure into a modern living space. Here are some snapshots of life by the water in the Norwegian winter.