A Light and Airy Danish Cabin by The Sea

A few weeks back I told myself it was time to wrap up the Scandinavian summer cottage posts and return to the city or year-round country homes. But you know me, I'm never one to stick to the rules - especially my own! I couldn't resist sharing this charming, simple Danish cabin with you today. The wooden structure is situated in a cosy, untouched area on the southern tip of Falster, an island in south-east Denmark. 

Zine bought the cabin in 2020 and has been busy transforming it into a simple, relaxing, light and airy place to spend weekends and holidays. As with most Scandi getaways, mix and match 'loppis' (flea market) finds, open storage and a cosy spot in the sun are the order of the day. Enjoy the tour! 

Despite being potentially a little higher maintenance with the dusting, open shelving gives kitchens a relaxed grab and go feel and also means that your porcelain and vases can be a part of the decor! 

Coffee beans and percolators - the most important items in any Scandinavian home! Remember to make it extra strength! 

Stripes and art with nautical motives are a subtle nod to the coastal location. 

Le Klint Sax - A popular Danish lamp, for good reason! 

When designing our own cabin, I was very much inspired by Danish cabins with high, wood panelled walls and ceilings and a stark black wood burning stove (ours is from Contura and looks similar to this). I love the contrast, the statement chimney but also the promise of warmth! 

I also love the parquet floor; it makes me feel really nostalgic as we had a similar one in my childhood home. Some of the pieces had become loose and I used to pick it a part and then build things with it. I don't think that gamer was particularly popular with my parents. 

Baskets are really handy at a cottage like this - and make pretty wall decor when not in use! There are so many beautiful vintage baskets available on Etsy*. 

I am guessing you can enjoy this cabin year-round thanks to the wood burning stove and insulation (thinking blustery walks along the beach followed by a coffee by the fire!). 

And the good news is, it's 1 hr 45 mins drive from Copenhagen and available for short term holiday lets! Danish island life, anyone? 

See more snapshots from Zine's cabin here. 

Would you like to explore other Danish cabins and country homes this weekend? Take a look at: 

The idyllic thatched cottage of a Danish artist

Before and after: a century old Danish cottage is given a revamp

A Danish cabin by the sea became a lockdown haven 

Right guys, that's it from me. I hope you've enjoyed the tours this week of three very different properties (did you see the artist's home in Kent and Copenhagen apartment).

Have a wonderful weekend, see you Monday! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Landfolk. 

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Cabin Update: Our Cosy Wood Burning Stove

Partnership with Contura, all words and pictures are my own

Back in January I shared an update on our little cabin while it was under construction. I remember the day well. The sun was streaming in through the windows, even so, clouds formed in the air as we spoke. We decided then and there we needed a log burner!  

  

The idea was to place it in the corner of the sitting room, so we'd be able to see it from all the corners of the cabin (after all, it's about the hygge, right?). 

Our go-to was Contura, who are well respected for producing high quality and efficient Swedish-made log burners .

Since our cabin is only 30 metres square (323 f2), we were looking for a relatively small model and settled on the woodburning stove Contura 810 Style. 

Above, you can see how it looked when I tested it out using the virtual tool back on that cold January day! 

Would you like to see how it looks today? 

Tadaaaa! This is the view from our bed! I can't tell you how much we love to wake up beside a roaring fire. So cosy! 

The 810 model is available in several different finishes and we chose black steel, with a black steel plate underneath.

We also opted for wood storage underneath to save space (it's only a tiny cabin after all) - it's great to not have to go out to the woodshed every five minutes and I love to be able to see the logs, they add a cosiness to the room even when there's not a fire on the go!

I have to say, the log burner is so efficient that we haven't had to use our electric heating once - we're mercifully grateful for that right now! 

Roll on the Swedish winter, we're ready for you! If anyone's looking for us this weekend, we'll be right here by the fire! 

Do you have a fireplace too? I'd love to hear about your experience!

Have a cosy weekend friends! 

Niki

PS If you're looking for a wood burning stove for your home, Contura offers a really broad selection and has dealers throughout Europe - you can view the entire collection here. 

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The beautiful, nature inspired home of a ceramicist

Hejsan, hejsan! Sorry for the silence, I've just returned from 10 truly wonderful days in Kerala, India. My grandparents (and Mother) lived in India for many years and I've always dreamed of following in their footsteps. My expectations, already high), were far exceeded - the sights, the sounds, the smells, the vibrant colours, the lovely people, just everything! Have you ever been? If not you must! We only managed to cover the very tip of the iceberg so another visit is definitely in order! Tips welcome as always! I thought I'd kick off the week with this beautiful country house in upstate New York designed and owned by ceramicist Kelli Cain and partner Brian Crabtree. The open-plan space includes 4.5 metre (15 feet) high ceilings, a cosy wood-burning stove and has been decorated using earthy tones and an abundance of natural textures and objects - many of which have been made from reclaimed materials - for a truly warm and inviting home. 

Photography: Pia Ulin - shared with kind permission.

What a cosy space?

I don't think I've ever seen a fireplace right in front of the stairs before, have you?  I love how the disused space under the stairs doubles up as log storage too - very clever. If I had a wood burning stove I'd have it going right now beside me while I sip coffee and tap away at my laptop, how about you?

I also love how the magnificent barn door made from recycled wood which can be pulled across to slip in light or closed to separate the home office from the living space.

Is there anything that stands out to you? 

Get the look: many of the beautiful ceramics (including the incredible geometric backsplash!) are by Kelli Cain.  Herman Miller saucer pendant light, Carl Hansen CH25 easy chair, natural weave basket (love this!).

You can see a full write up and more pictures over at Martha Stewart.

The space reminds me very much of another home in Upstate New York which I featured in my book Modern Pastoral - both of which truly embrace the idea of bringing the tranquility of nature indoors. So inspiring!

Have a lovely day!

PS I'm announcing not one, but TWO give-away winners to today - so keep an eye out on Instagram and this blog post to see if either are you. 'Holding thumbs' as they say in Sweden!

PPS It was a pleasure to contribute to Houseology's round-up of 51 Scandinavian design ideas! 

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A Waterside Swedish Summer Cottage with a Sauna

A wise person once told me 'everyone has a season' in which they thrive. Do you find this? While I try to embrace each season, if truth be told, my heart belongs to summer! In Scandinavia it's a really magical time of year - time seems to be suspended and the world is bathed in a luxurious pin-sharp light. And the locals know exactly how to celebrate it in style! 

This incredible summer cottage in Värmdo, Stockholm County transports me to the month of July, when many Swedes flock to the coast to make the most of the warm weather. Although understated, the property has everything a family need to make the most of the season: accessible by boat, it has an understated charm, a guest house and sauna. Ready to take a look around? 

Although pared-back, the sitting room still has a warm vibe thanks to a deep red and blue rug and a wood-burning stove. Shelves laden with sea-themed treasures help to bring in the coastal surroundings. 

The dining area is surrounded by windows, giving the space an outdoor feel and views over the water. 

I love the use of texture in the kitchen. Using different finishes like concrete and wood panelling adds interest (see this swedish apartment for a variety of finishes!). 

Open shelving in the kitchen is ideal for displaying summery items like picnic baskets and vases for flowers and also creates a relaxed grab and go feel. 

Guesthouse

A self-contained guesthouse - complete with kitchen, living room area, bedroom and bathroom ensures everyone has their own space - especially great for longer stays! 

The Hemnes sofa bed from IKEA provides an extra bunk when needed. 

Sauna house 

Your very own spa? Heaven! True to Swedish style, the sauna house is understated yet provides everything you might need to relax including a wood-burning sauna, relaxation room and easy access to cool off with a dip in the sea. 

What a place to spend summer. I can just imagine arriving from Stockholm by boat! 

Actually scrap that, get those fires roaring and the sauna going and it would also make a perfect getaway in the winter, don't you think? 

Could you imagine wiling away your weekends and holidays here too? The good news it, it's currently for sale! Shall we pool our money and share it between us? 

Dream away and feel inspired by other Scandinavian summer cottages today in this archive (if this comes up first just scroll down to a load more beautiful properties!). 

Ha det bra! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Norstrand Mäkleri with thanks. 

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Update: Our Tiny House Interior Plans & Inspiration

It's been a while since I shared an update on the tiny house we're building in the garden of the summer cottage in southern Sweden. A lot has been going on behind the scenes, but most excitingly Per and I headed up there for a meeting with the builders last week and it's starting to feel VERY real! A while back, I shared our plans for the exterior. I'm looking forward to sharing the finer details of that soon (once we have settled on the wood finish). Until then, I thought I'd share the plans and inspiration for the interior! 

Layout: 

Our cabin is called a Komplementsbostad which is a special Swedish dwelling measuring 30 m2 (323 f2) and a maximum of 4 metres (13 feet) high. The idea is to use it as a place to unwind at the weekends and in the holidays. If we're staying in the main cottage, it will be a place for guests to stay and hopefully in the future, somewhere our children to come with their family and friends!

The cabin will contain a small kitchenette, social area, bathroom and two sleeping quarters. It's designed to sleep 4. I think I'll start with the latter! 

We decided to lay the sleeping zones out over two floors (which is fairly customary with this type of house). The 'master bedroom' will be in an alcove / nook on the lower floor, and a sleep loft will be placed over the bathroom and bedroom. 

The reason we decided to do it this way and not create a separate master bedroom is because we also wanted to create a nice social area in which to hang out - so we needed the extra space. For the same reason, we also decided not to have a formal entrance / hallway. 

Inspiration for the bedroom / sleep loft area: 

I absolutely love the look and feel of Lina Kjellvertz's cabin (the swede has impeccable taste - check out her house in Mallorca if you have the time!). Her attafallshus was designed by Sommernöjen and features white walls and a light wood ladder and sleep loft - something I am looking to emulate. The only difference is that the atelier / desk area will be exchanged for a bed. Basically like this: 

The bedroom nook will be fairly snug! The cosy danish bedroom below has also been a major source of inspiration for us. See the rest of the lovely cabin here. 

We are looking to convert the under section of the bed into two separate, very large drawers which will be used to store clothes, bed linen, towels etc. A little like the ones in this tiny Norwegian house on wheels.

We're also hoping to add shelving, but sadly we won't have space for a surface behind the bed like the one seen above since the nook is the exact length of the bed! 

Kitchenette

The kitchen and dining area is very much a work in progress! As with everything else, it will of course be small. Since space is of a premium, it will involve upper and lower cabinets. I love this kitchen by Swedish Nordiska Kök - it's clean and contemporary, but also features some beautiful natural elements including stone and wood, which would be a nice way to bring the surroundings inside. Do you like this look too? Clearly the island is a no go, as we simply don't have room! Instead, I'm hoping to find a small vintage table for four. Let the hunt begin! 

One big dilemma: we were hoping to put the boiler in the top right cabinet BUT the plumber told us it would be way too small. Instead it might need to be placed to one side of the sleep loft which is not ideal. I know my family, and they do love their showers! If you have any other ideas on where to place it, I'm all ears! 

Main living / social area

You might have noticed that all these inspiration images have something in common: wood panelling. I absolutely love wood panels, they bring a more relaxed feel to space and help to add a coastal touch.  Are you a fan of panelling too?

This panelling by Swedish brand Norrlands Trä seen in this Scandinavian cabin is spot on. I'm just in the process of ordering samples to see which style would look best (every panel option comes in an option of at least two different whites as well as various textures - I tell you, it's a minefield!).

Sitting room

I'm going to be honest, we still haven't decided which direction to go in with the sitting room. All thoughts are welcome at this stage! The only thing we do know is there are a LOT of windows and doors to contend with (see plan) and there'll definitely be a woodturning stove (more info to follow soon!).

But what we don't know, is what seating to go for. 

Do we go for some kind of built-in bench running from the kitchen units to the wall with storage underneath like in these lovely rooms?

Or do we opt for a sofa-bed with storage to make room for extra guests? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Looking at these images I'm wondering if I've over sold our cabin now!! I mean, some of these spaces are simply incredible and quite a lot bigger than our cabin! The pressure is on! 

I can't wait to share more plans with you soon including the bathroom, outdoors space and wood burning stove! Meanwhile, we're hoping the first spade will go in the ground this week - woohooo! 

For more tiny cabin inspiration check out: 

Opening doors vs folding doors - see the comments for the final reader verdict!

And the tiny house archive - which is full of inspiration for small spaces! 

Right guys, that's it from me this week, thank you for coming along for the ride - and for all your kind messages in yesterday's post, it really meant so much. 

Trevlig helg / have a great weekend!

Niki

Photography: 1. House Doctor. 2&3 Sommarnöjen 4, 5 & 10. Morten Holtum 6. Nordiska Kök 7. Norrlands Trä 8. Femina 9. My Domaine

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