A Dreamy Swedish Country Home

This summer photographer Anna Malmberg (owner of this lovely home) and Mari Strengheilm made their way out to the countryside near Nacka, Sweden to capture this charming rural house. Painted in traditional red and white, the 1920's house has wonderful high ceilings and large windows, which are thrown open ion warm evenings to welcome in the sweet scent of jasmine. A disused paddock on the grounds is used as a make-shift dining room for lunch and supper alfresco, even when the rain comes down. With a heavy heart, the owner has decided to put it on the market after twenty years - and now it's up for grabs! How unbelievable tempting is that?!

Bistro chair*, jute rug*

Rustic stool, Gotland sheepskin*

Wishbone chairs*

Wooden bench*, grey linen throw*

 I can feel the warmth from the pools of dappled sunlight from here, how about you?!

This lovely paddock / barn is perfect for parties (one of my friends had a wedding in a place like this a few years back and it was so romantic!). Imagine it all candlelit!

Isn't this place a complete dream?

I need to call the man and break the news that we're moving to Nacka.

Could you imagine living here too?

More country homes here. 

Ha det så fint!

Niki

Photography: Anna Malmberg. Styling Mari Strengheilm. For sale through Historiska Hem.

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Before + After: A Dated Danish 1950's House Gets A Fabulous Make-Over

I love a 'before and after', don't you? And this 1950's house in Fredericia, Denmark, designed by architect Knud Billund, has gone through quite a transformation! When photographer Mia Mortensen, Martin and their adorable baby boy, Aston first moved in, the space was dated and begging for a little TLC.  Mia and Martin set about painstakingly renovating the 3-storey house to create a fabulous family home which combines contemporary touches with 'functionalist' bones - and lovely, warm accent colours.

Before

The master bedroom (before)

 During the renovation

The pair laid a concrete floor in the kitchen and dining room from Danish brand Conteco.

The kitchen and dining area and upstairs landing are connected by a magnificent 1950's staircase.

The couple were really keen to add a large round table to the dining area, and drew a sketch of the room to ensure there was enough space.

 They settled on a fabulous round table from Traefolk and added a set of chairs which include the Ant*, 7-series Thonet (this one* is similar) and CH88P chair not a bad collection!!

After

The back wall of the dining room has been painted in Burnt Earth by Flugger - and has been used as a gallery wall made up of art from Hein Studio (including the Line Collection No.04* and Line Collection No. 05*) and Nelli Arnth, among others. I also spy a fabulous Verpan Moon Pendant light and the Hans Wegner Shell chair!

 The kitchen tap is by Quooker - and the lights over the work station are from Menu. 

Sometimes it can be hard to get an idea of the layout of a space (I really must be more organised and try to provide this... perhaps when the intern AKA knight in shining armour starts!). From the top of the stairs you can catch a glimpse of Aston's room beyond the dining room and the kitchen is to the left. 

I couldn't resist sharing a before picture of the upstairs landing. The pair re-plastered and painted the walls and ripped up the floor boards and replaced it with beautiful square parquet flooring. 

I always get a little nostalgic when I see this type of flooring as we used to have it in our kitchen as a child.  I used to pick out the individual bricks and use them to build homes for my play people. Not popular, I can tell you!

Window nook before

Window nook after

Borders rug by Ferm Living

What a wonderful, light-filled place! I do love a window nook, don't you? I've got a whole Pinterest board dedicated to them!

The warm accent colour (Terracotta by Jotun) creates an almost cocoon like feel in the bedroom, while the light floor helps to brighten up the room (you can see how it looked before the wood was sanded down and white washed in this film!).

The Crinkle thrown in peach by Hay works so well with the Terracotta wall - and I love the touches of brass (that chair!! *jaw drops*).

The bedroom also doubles up as an office space. Seeing this, I'm kind of tempted to update my own office wall - in terracotta, what do you reckon? I hope the man doesn't read this, he'll go nuts that I'm even considering changing the colour once again! 

And finally, Aston's room has been painted in a rich blue hue and all his teddies look completely at home and tucked up for bed in that cosy Stokke Sleepi cot!

What a truly lovely home! I'm such a huge fan of 1950's architecture and so happy Mia and Martin have given it the full treatment and turned the space into a fantastic family home!

Is there anything about this home that you love in particular?

You can keep up with Mia's latest renovation projects over at her Instagram feed still_sunday and take a peek at her photography here.

Oh, and check out more fabulous before and after make-overs here! 

Have a lovely day!

Niki

Photography by Mia Mortensen, shared with kind permission

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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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