Maria's House By The Sea on Sweden's Breathtaking High Coast

This summer, my eldest daughter Liv is swimming in the Swedish nationals. She has worked so hard to qualify (mornings before school and all) so there's no way we're going to miss it, even so it's taking place in Sundsvall, some 980 kilometres (600 miles) from Malmö! And then I realised something. It's only a short hop to Sweden's Höga kusten (High Coast) in the Gulf of Bothnia - a world heritage site known for its archipelago and breathtaking scenery. Needless to say, it's somewhere I've always wanted to visit but never really had the opportunity until now! 

While researching our trip, I remembered Maria's beautiful house in the area (I have followed Maria on instagram for quite some time now!). The pictures Maria shares of her home often have me dreaming of living a life in an old house on the water's edge - particularly as magical as this one. 

A traditional red and white house, it's filled with earthy tones, wood panelling, vintage furniture, roaring fires, views over the water and plenty of star-gazing! Welcome to Villa Kusten on the Swedish High Coast. 

Down by the water's edge, Maria and her family have an outbuilding where they can enjoy long lunches, evening meals and gatherings overlooking the water. 

What a magical place to live! 

I especially love the dining area in the outbuilding - and the jetty! Imagine enjoying a midsummer's eve supper out there? 

Her house looks equally lovely in the snow too. There's no light pollution so on a clear night you can see the entire galaxy and if you're lucky, the Northern Lights! 

This has made me even more excited about my trip to the Swedish High Coast this summer. I hope I can find somewhere as wonderful as this to stay.  I'd better get planning! 

If you've been to the area, please do share your tips! I promise to take lots of pictures and share a guide afterwards. 

See more pictures of Maria's house and garden over at @villakusten. And for those of you who share the same dream as I do to live in a house by the water, here are a few other Scandinavian homes to love today: 

My day at a Danish cottage by the sea

An idyllic Finnish summer cabin on the water's edge

A magical fjord side retreat in Norway

Also: 

15 coastal living ideas to steal from a breathtaking Danish home. 

And in case you'd like to visit Sweden this summer, here are a few of my guides: 

10 beautiful islands in the Gothenburg archipelagos

Island hopping in the Swedish Baltic

Happy Wednesday!

Niki

Photography courtesy of @villakusten shared with kind permission.

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Elsa's Beautiful Swedish Home is For Sale!

Hello dear friends! I hope you had a lovely weekend? I've got a beeeeeautiful home tour for you today which I think will put a spring in our step! 

I've been a fan of Elsa Billgren's work for many years. The Swedish TV presenter, fashion and interior stylist and author has such a lovely sense of style and anything that she turns her hand to turns to gold - in a way that's authentically Elsa. Hence why I have featured many of her homes in the past, including her Gotland summer cottage, previous colourful apartment - and even this one! 

And then this weekend, I discovered that Elsa has put her Stockholm home on the market! There are three great things about this: 1) we get to admire every nook and cranny once again, 2) we get to peek around corners we might not have seen before and 3) it's available to buy! 

Get ready to feel inspired by antique pieces, cosy texture and a Swedish style where tradition meets contemporary elegance. 

How lovely! Do you agree?

A wise friend (Holly Becker of Decor8 blog) once said to me that when you listen to a talk, no matter how familiar the topic, you usually learn at least one new thing. This has proven to be true time and time again. And I think the same goes for home tours! 

Per and I have been trying to find a way to cover the really ugly fuse box in the tiny hallway at the summer cottage. We were considering building a box around it - but the area is so tight and awkward. A curtain (like the one seen in Elsa's home) might just be the answer we've been looking for!! I love the floor too! 

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

I can't wait to see what she does next!

Have a fabulous start to the week raringar! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Historiska Hem with thanks

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Imagining a Weekend At Lovely Millington's house, Tasmania

Happy Friday! As you know, I try to stick to my Scandi theme here on the blog. But every now and again I go rogue and show a far away place - albeit with a touch of Nordic style. Today is one of those days. 

Photographer Abbie Melle had the pleasure of capturing Millingtons House for it's owners - and found it so peaceful. She particularly favoured the spot in the window which is 'perfect for some reading with a hot tea'. Perhaps this is why this lovely getaway appealed to me so much today - it's been one very hectic week and if I lived nearer, I'd book it for the weekend in a heartbeat! 

Located near the beach in Tasmania, the house dates back to 1925 and has recently gone through a big renovation. Today, the tones are inspired by the surrounding nature, and the decor is very much about finding a place to plonk yourself down and get comfy!

Keep a look out for the checked ceiling and lovely window seat and imagine crawling under the covers for a cosy read! The countdown to the weekend starts.... NOW! 

Sign me up.

Could you use a weekend here too? 

One of these days, I'm going to make it to Tasmania, and when I do, I'm going to spend months hopping between all the lovely holiday lets I've featured from the island. Maybe I'll even change the name of the blog to 'My Scandinavian and Tasmanian Home'. What do you think? 

Have you ever visited? 

Discover more about Millingtons House. 

Tonight I'll be raising a toast to all the strong, fabulous women I know - and don't know. Happy International Women's Day. 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. 

Niki

Photography by Abbie Melle. 

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Details that Elevate the Room at Our Summer Cottage

This post is kindly sponsored by Corston. I only work with brands I love. Thank you for supporting the amazing companies that make My Scandinavian Home possible. 

A few weeks ago, I shared the before and after pictures from our summer cottage bedroom renovation. Per, the girls and I went up over the weekend, and I was so happy to open the door to the room once again. I think something happens when you renovate a space yourself, do you agree? - you get a special connection with it. 

A labour of love, we're really happy with the big changes we made, but when it comes down to daily life, what really makes the difference funnily enough, are the details! Read on to discover some of the details we paid special attention to and why. 

To me, the items you touch in a room are incredibly important to the overall experience. When carrying out a renovation, it's often the small details such as a tap, cabinet handles and utensils in a kitchen or the door handle and light switches in a bedroom that make all the difference and elevate the space. 

In this renovation, we picked out the details from Corston architectural details, a UK based company selling throughout Europe. Their collection includes premium switches, sockets, hardware and lighting in antique brass, polished nickel and brass, all designed to elevate a room. 

In the bedroom, I was weary that the first thing you touch when you enter a room is the door handle - so I picked out the sprung Digby Bronze door handle with a traditional look and feel to match the style of the cottage. Dark bronze is a popular material in Swedish summer cottages and country homes and is often seen on door handles and curtain rods. I love the contrast with the white of the door! 

We're so happy we finally sorted out the electrics too. Up until now, we haven't had an overhead light - and you'd need to scramble through the darkness to fumble for the bedside lamp switch on the opposite side of the room. An electrician came in to rewire the room, adding a beautiful antique brass dimmer switch beside the door as well as an antique brass wall socket which has already come in handy for the heater, vacuuming etc! 

On the far side of the room, we had only had one wall socket located directly behind the middle of the bed. One of the best things we did, was change this to two separate sockets either side of bed - way more practical! 

We picked out the antique brass wall socket with space for two plugs and two USC so that we can plug in everything from lamps and laptops to phones. They've added a touch of luxury to our humble little cottage! 

And finally, other important details: a small collection of shells from the nearby beach... resting on top of a pretty little vintage side table which has always been there!

AND a freshly baked cardamom bun from the nearby bakery. Of course! 

Edible details are the best, don't you think? 

And now, we feel the room is finally complete! 

I hope you have felt inspired by these details too! 

If you're renovating, I can highly recommend checking out Corston to see the complete collection of handles, switches and hardware. They have something for every home! 

Do you have any details in your home that you love in particular? If so, please do inspire us all with the details in the comments below! 

See you tomorrow with a beautiful scandi home tour.

Kram! 

Niki

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