A Contemporary Swedish Hillside Cabin (With An Incredible Infinity Pool!)

I absolutely love the idea of weekend / holiday retreats, how about you? A complete change of scene, somewhere you can unwind. It doesn't need to be anything decadent - a small log cabin surrounded by woodland or a little house by the sea.  Then again, when I see this, perhaps an infinity pool wouldn't go amiss either, what do you reckon?! This incredible cabin in Aspvik, East of Stockholm was designed by Andreas Martin-Löf architecture and successfully combines the pared-back nature of a Scandinavian retreat with a touch of LA luxury! Talk about taking 'forest bathing' to a whole new level! Come on, let's take a peek inside!

Made from steel, timber and glass, the structure allows you to sit back and enjoy panoramic views of the woodland from anywhere in the house. Or, you could just relax in the infinity pool and breathe in the fresh scent of pine!

The majority of the interior is made up of wood giving the space a wonderful organic feel. Other natural elements include cork (the cork table, bench and chairs are by Ilse Crawford for IKEA).

Open shelving (also seen in this make-over) ensures plenty of storage without interrupting the flow of light in the open-plan kitchen and living room area.

A grey marble worktop and splash-back brings the look up to date and contrasts beautifully with the timber. I love the patina on the brass tap too - and just how fab is that sink?!

The stairway leads down to the master bedroom, where you can look out over the forest from bed - not a bad way to start your day!

Just in case you can't quite shake off that weekday feeling - there's also a poolside sauna. I don't think I've seen a black one before - I'm feeling relaxed just looking at it, how about you?! And it's Monday.

Wow!

Could you imagine spending your weekends here?!

You can read more about the project here. And dream away by visiting the log cabin and rural retreat archives!

Thank you for the tip Nordic Design!

Have a great start to the week vänner!

Niki

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Snapshots From A Family Home in The Swedish Countryside

Oj oj oj! I do believe it's Friday! Bring on the weekend! It's feeling decidedly Autumn around here so it's definitely going to be a cosy one. I thought this Swedish family home was the perfect way to get us all in the spirit! Built in 1980, the 250 metre square (2600 foot square) "big red" house just outside the small town of Gränna belongs to Linnéa Rolfsson, a physio therapist and student.When Linnéa, her husband Simon and their two children acquired the house, she was finally able to tap into her passion for interior design and create a lovely, warm family home. The pair have made many structural changes and today the space is made up of a kitchen, sitting room and playroom on the ground floor, and large second sitting room (with a teepee), the children's bedrooms and a master bedroom on the upper floor. I caught up with Linnéa to find out more.

Who lives in your home?

Me, my husband Simon and our kids Ebbe (nearly 5) and Elis who is 2 years old. 

String pocket shelves, KitchenAid*, 'Just my cup of tea' cup

Teepee*, Pirum Parum print

Where did your passion for interior design come from?
I’m a physical therapist but right now I’m also studying digital communication and marketing. I’ve always loved interior design and have always liked to surround myself with nice things. As a kid I would redecorate my room every time I cleaned it. My passion for interiors really took off when we moved to our current house. It's the first time we have owned somewhere and got the chance to really make it our own. Around the same time, I also discovered Instagram and my passion just grew and grew. Also I think for me, decorating is a kind of therapy. When it feels stormy on the inside, I find it helps to create a warm and beautiful space on the outside.

 Belly basket*

Would you say your home is typically Swedish?

Yes, I would say it’s pretty Scandinavian/Swedish. We like what we call in Sweden 'ljust och fräscht' - white walls, bright floors and furniture. We have a lot of furniture from Ikea but also a few Swedish and danish design classics like the Arne Jacobsen 'Sjuan' chair* and Bruno Mathsson Karin armchair. Maybe our home is a little more colourful than the typical Swedish home. 

How you would describe your style?

Oh, that’s a tough one! I’d say my style is colourful, Scandinavian with a touch of retro. I appreciate interesting objects/furniture that you don’t see in everyone's homes. I love buying stuff second hand and vintage, it often makes a home feel more personal and unique. 

Where do you buy things for your home?
I would say most of it is second hand. I look through 'Blocket' (a Swedish online second hand site) every night before going to bed. In our first apartment we bought everything from IKEA and when a friend came to visit she said "OMG, it’s like visiting the IKEA catalogue!" It was said as a compliment, but I didn´t take it that way! Maybe it was then I decided to try to go for a more personal expression. Vintage furniture often comes with a feeling that new things don’t. It’s hard to explain. I don’t just buy old pieces second hand, the other day I bought a two year old IKEA drawer set. It was in quite bad shape, so I renovated it and it turned out great! Second hand items are good for both the environment and your wallet.  I also try to look around and see what we already have in our home (or in the basement). Often you can make something new out of stuff that you already have.

What is important when it comes to decorating a home with young children?

The kids are allowed everywhere in our house, I can’t imagine having it any other way. So you have to think twice when you decorate. The things they play with are put in bags or baskets on the floor, and the things I don’t want them to play with are kept out of their reach. We have just bought a new couch, a white one (yes it’s OK to gasp!). So we’ll see how that goes and how often I will regret it! But hey, it’s just furniture. I’d rather have a white couch with stains but that I really love than a boring, practical one that I will want to throw out in a few years.

Linnéa painted the IKEA drawer set in 'Soft mint' by Jotun

Which swedish instagram / blog are your favourites?

I really love @leilabavcic @juliaspasteller and @bloggaibagis - they always give me so much inspiration!

Thank you so much for inviting us into your lovely home and telling us all about it Linnéa!

Linnéa's home is very much a work in progress. If you'd like to see a few more pics and follow the progress, you can always follow along on Instagram here.

Other homes with touches of pastel to be found here.

I'm heading over THE bridge to Copenhagen shortly for a meeting with Skandinavisk (love that brand!) and then I'm holding a talk for a Danish company (eeeek, so nerve-racking!). I'll be so ready for a drink after that - luckily the Danes have the best beer in the world (probably!).

Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?

Whatever you do, I hope you have a fabulous (and relaxing) couple of days.

Vi ses på Måndag! 

Niki

Photography Linnéa Rolfsson - shared with kind permission.

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A tranquil, light-filled Swedish home

Good old Emma Fischer - up to her usual wizardry styling tricks! This beautiful Gothenburg home she styled for Bjurfors recently perfectly captures my image of the Swedish home - pared-back, light-filled, and featuring an abundance of natural materials.  Think soft, muted tones, paper, wool, wood and an abundance of plants. The entire apartment is an exercise in peace and tranquillity! Prepare to lower your pulse!

Mantis BS3 table lamp*

This looks very much like The Frame TV (which cleverly disguises itself as art). I've had a weakness for these ever since my greenhouse make-over with Emily Henderson.

I'd love to be able to update the post with the name of the chair in the foreground if anyone knows it?

As you know, I do love a Kakelugn (Swedish masonry oven), and this looks like one in full working condition too - yay!

Formakami JH4 Pendant lamp* (also seen in this relaxed Stockholm home!), Ant chair*

Klong oil lamp* (I love these - they come in a ton of different colours and materials too). And just how beautiful is the table? A vintage / antique find - keep looking guys, they turn up when you're least expecting it!

 

My friend and neighbour Lisa Hilland designed the stunning Torso chair* - she's so talented, I really must see if she'd like to participate in a design story so I can share more of her designs with you! Pick up a similar pretty ruffled bed skirt here*.

I love the off-white wall colour too, it's so calming. I wonder what shade it is? I recently painted my daughters room in Complexion by Jotun - I can also highly recommend it, but it has a slightly warm, pinkish hue to it.

Aaaaa, who needs yoga when you can have a home like this?

I so enjoyed the tour, how about you? It's made me feel the need to nip out and buy a couple of cheese plants too!

Is there anything that inspired you about this home?

If you'd like to see more beautiful Swedish homes today - why not take a tour of this archive - there are literally hundreds and hundreds of drool-worthy spaces in there. Varsågod!

Have a lovely day y'all!

Niki

PS I'm so excited to be holding a FAB global give-away to win a set of Montana Free Shelving System on Instagram until 6th October - if you'd love one of these in your home hop over here to enter!

Photography Alen Cordic / Styling Emma Fischer for Bjurfors 


Affiliated links in this post marked with *

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A Summer Retreat On The Greek Island of Milos

It's been raining for 24 hours in Sweden- bah! I'm going in search of some sunshine - fancy coming along for the ride?! It seems there's plenty to be found in this house perched on a cliff edge on the Greek island of Milos. The 19th century stone house has been carefully restored by K-STUDIO to provide a London-based family an authentically traditional, yet practical summer retreat.  Due to the narrow streets, locally sourced building materials had to be carried up through the village by hand. Today the simple, raw finishes offer a cool respite from the midday sun while slate and timber flooring and unpainted walls allow the house to breathe. Bespoke crafted furniture and fittings were chosen to respect the local style and give the house a lovely, warm, welcoming feel. Enjoy the tour!

I love the matching stools in different sizes - and of course the beautiful Gervasoni Ghost 05 armchair! The sofa is also interesting - I wonder if it's bespoke? If you have any info please give me a shout in the comment section and put me out of our misery!

The original wood ceiling and linen bedding adds warmth and texture to the otherwise pared-back bedroom.

Not a bad place to retreat to in the summer / at weekends - not bad at all! Could you imagine?!


It came as no surprise to find that the space has been nominated for "Best Residential Property" in the Big See Interior Design Awards 2018.

What's more, I just looked up the Greek island of Milos and it's described by Condé Nast Traveller as having "the best beaches in the Aegean, a fascinating history and superb seafood." Check out the full feature here .- it looks and sounds incredible! If the picture below is anything to go by, I think I've found my next holiday destination! See you there?

More dreamy inspiration from Greece includes this Greek island home, an oh so fabulous Greek escape and a cool white and rustic retreat on Mykonos (while you're there you could also treat yourself to a stay in this little patch of paradise!).

Rain? What rain?!


Photography courtesy of  K-STUDIO
Milos island photo by Andrew Urwin for Condé Nast Traveller

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