Beautiful and Unique Places To Stay, Sweden: Stedsans in the Woods

I don't know about you, but when I go on holiday (or away for the weekend) I always start with a search for 'unique places to stay' - the more special, rare and off-beat the better! Do you do the same? If so, imagine my delight when I stumbled across this gem an hour or so North from where I live! The place in question is Stedsans in the Woods - a retreat in Bohult, Halland, West Sweden. Owned and run by Danes Mette Holbæk and Flemming Schiøtt Hansen, Stedsans in the Woods offers an idyllic, food-centred experience which aims to bring people closer to nature through the use of fresh ingredients and simple cooking (foodies rejoice!). In addition to the wonderful meals, guests are invited to soak up the surroundings, cleanse and relax in the floating sauna and sleep in (comfy) tents under the stars. What's not to love?!

Beautiful and such a perfect way to experience Swedish nature in all its pureness and tranquillity, don't you think? 

All that's left for me to do is check my calendar!

If you're visiting West Sweden this spring / summer - perhaps I'll see you there?!

You can find out more info about Stedsans in the Woods and make a booking here. 

Looking for other beautiful places to stay? Here's my list of 20 Instagrammable places to stay in Sweden. Love some of these! 

Into camping? Thanks to Allmansrätten (the freedom to roam) - one of the beauties of Sweden is you can camp wild. Just be mindful not to pitch your tent on farmland, within 50 metres of a house, water sources etc and show respect towards the environment (forage away, but never take everything from the patch, respect wildlife, take your litter with you etc). There's more info and inspiration about camping in Sweden in my book: Lagom, the Swedish Art of Living a Balanced, Happy Life. 

Have a lovely day! 

Niki

Photography: Stine Christiansen

PS Anyone else still reeling from the incredible before and after pictures in yesterday's post? Simply amazing! 

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Before + After: A Welding Plant Becomes an Incredible Home and Wedding venue!

It's not like me to begin with a less than picturesque shot, but I didn't want to ruin the surprise! I mean, there are before and afters and there are BEFORE AND AFTERS! Today's post is for all of you out there who like to dream big! WOOHOO! Meet Seth, "the bearded carpenter who doesn't say a lot but dreams as big as the stars", and Jenna Wright, "a tiny person with more to say than anyone could ever have time to hear!", who live with their five children in Utah. A year and a half ago the Wrights bought a derelict, industrial 1930s welding plant with the idea of using it as a carpenter workshop. Little did they know that the top floor (comprising 3000 square feet / 278 square metres) would eventually become their home and the lower section an incredible wedding venue. Sometimes pictures say more than a thousand words - and you've really got to see the space to believe it. Let's dive sin!

The exterior

The kitchen

Sitting room

Library

Children's bedroom

Master bedroom + ensuite

Wedding venue

*Speechless*!

Is anyone else now wondering which old garages / warehouses could be transformed in your neighbourhood?! There are some derelict spaces just near Limhamn in the outskirts of Malmö.... hmmm (*Per suddenly feels uneasy across town without knowing why*).

The family have since carried out a new renovation project called 'The Orchard House' which will become the family of seven's fixed abode. It was with mixed feelings that they moved on from what they affectionately refer to as 'The White Shanty' (although they will continue to spend some weekdays here). Jenna had this to say:

"Now, this old place serves so many purposes as if to resurrect and come back, teaching me that all things, with Love, and a lot of hard work, can be made whole and beautiful again."

Inspiring words to live by!

You can read more about the renovation and see what they're up to next over on their blog and instagram.

Niki

PS There's a load more before & after projects to feel inspired by in this archive. Just saying!

Photography: Seth & Jenna Wright - shared with kind permission. 

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A Dutch Family Settle In A Charming House in the Forests of Värmland, Sweden

Some days I spend hours looking for homes - other days they simply pop up in my inbox (hooray!). Today is one of those lucky days. Photographer Chantal Bruienne-Buil emailed me these beautiful images of her home in Sunne, Värmland. Originally from The Netherlands, Chantal and her husband and their daughter emigrated to Sweden 14 months ago in pursuit of a quieter life surrounded by nature ("one of the best decisions ever").  After a period of time in Småland, the Dutch family were drawn to this early 20th century house in the middle of a forest in central-west Sweden. I caught up with Chantal to find out more about their move, transforming their house into a home and the inspiration behind their online print / poster shop Loveprinted.

What attracted you to the house?

While house hunting, we saw this 1909 build and felt immediately smitten by it. It's in the middle of a big forest with all the freedom and peace and quiet we were dreaming of. The perfect place for my husband, our five-year-old daughter and I! So of course, we put in a bid and the house was ours one week later!

Source similar vintage pendant lights on Etsy*, Stokke chair (green)*, Kitchen aid*

How did you turn the house into your home?

Never before has a house felt like home so quickly. I immediately knew what our home should look like. So, making decisions wasn't difficult at all. We love white and wood and natural colours you find in nature so we used these plus a touch of gold. Decorating our home has been a real treat and I love how it all turned out. It really suits our lifestyle. 

This moss green linen throw* is similar, Forget me not print, Reflection print

Tell us about your choice of wallpaper

I've been wanting to use lovely William Morris & Co. and Engblad & Co wallpapers for ages and now we had the perfect home for it. The funny thing was that we took down a wall in the living room and were surprised to find layers and layers of very old wallpaper and even some bits of newspaper dating back to 1912! 

What inspires your work as a photographer?

As a real nature lover, I like to be outdoors: to grill over an open fire, enjoy long walks with my family and capture the Swedish countryside on my camera. I wanted to share this - I mean if it makes me happy surely it must make other people happy as well, right?! That was why I started Loveprinted, an online poster webshop where we sell our nature photography and graphical prints. It's a place where I combine my passion for photography, graphic design and interior design.  

Moonphase print

Lagom print

Thank you so much to Chantal for sharing your lovely home with us! 

See more pictures of her lovely home on @movingslowly.se and @loveprinted

I'm really enjoying seeing wallpaper pop up more and more in Swedish homes (check out this archive  for a load of Scandinavian homes featuring beautiful wallpaper!). Could you imagine using wallpaper like this in your home?

Ha det så fint!

Niki

Photography by Chantal Bruienne-Buil (with a little colour re-touch by me!)

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A Delightful Pared-Back Oasis In The Heart Of Copenhagen

Why, hello there! How are you today? This weekend we had a bit of a spring clean and sent a load of stuff to the local loppis (flea market). It felt surprisingly satisfying but at the same time I have a niggling doubt that I may have been over zealous. Help! What would Marie Kondo say?! Do you ever feel like that too?! I have a sneaking suspicion that this is why I've chosen to share this incredibly pared-back Danish home with you today (minimalinspiration!). Despite enjoying life in Copenhagen, Pernille Bastrup sometimes finds the hustle and bustle of the city overwhelming and has deliberately kept her apartment 'light and airy' to carve out a place where she can find peace, think and focus on what matters most in life: good times and being with the people she loves. 

Louis Poulsen light*, Ferm Living pear storage basket*, art by Jonathan Lawes

Craft sisters quilt, camel velvet pillow* 

Skagerak Edge plant pot*, Kristina Dam Cube table 

From Nature bag 

& other stories linen trench coat*

Kamut Print, Sebra cot*, Georg mirror, Source a similar Moroccan rug here*, Mira 4 Opal light

There are so many pieces to love in Pernille's apartment (I guess if you're going to whittle down your possessions to only a few, you'd better make them count!). 

My favourites are the Skagerak plant pot and the pear storage basket! Did anything stand out to you?

Check out more of Pernille's home on her blog and instagram - and tour a whole load of other inspiring spaces in the Danish home archive! 

Have a wonderful start to the week friends!

Niki

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