Summer Cottage Kitchen Renovation Update (Including a Few Nasty Surprises!)

In paid partnership with Bosch:
I thought I'd share a quick update on our summer cottage kitchen renovation with you (see the before pictures here!)! The demolition has begun together with my partner in crime (Per). It took way longer than we thought and we discovered some very nasty surprises along the way but we're feeling proud of all our hard work too! Here's the low down:

Choosing the cabinet colour

Thank you so much for sharing all your thoughts on colour. Based on your input, I tested three paint samples:

NCS S 2002-Y (light grey)
NCS S 3005-G50Y (light green)
NCS S 3005-G80Y (green-beige)

The colours look a lot more muted / softer in this picture due to the camera setting, but in reality, the green shades felt way too heavy and dark for the small space. The light grey, on the other hand, felt fresh and subtle and also offered a gentle nod to the colour of the Nordic sea. I think we have a winner!

Next step: the cabinet fronts and decor strips will be sent to the trusty team at Swiss Metod in Malmö to be spray painted! Yay!

TIP: You don't have to stick to the cabinet colours available at your local kitchen supplier - a professional spray painter can transform the fronts using whichever shade you like! To find the right colour, I tested large squares of colour on ALL the walls and observed them over 48 hours so I could see how they looked in different light. 

Dismantling the kitchen
Per and I stripped out the kitchen being careful to save anything we felt may come in handy. It was a lot of fun, but it also revealed a few nasty surprises...

1. Fire risk! 

When we pulled out the cabinet beside the fridge, we discovered a nasty surprise. The cabinet to the left been placed flush against the wall (which houses the fireplace on the other side). No heat had been able to escape and the wall and cabinet were completely charred black. We were lucky the whole joint hadn't burnt to the ground! I was hoping to go for a 60 cm cabinet here, but now we definitely have to go for a 45 cm with a big gap for ventilation! 

Wood floor

Do you remember I was excited to see if there was a beautiful, 1930s wood floor lurking under the 70s laminate? Well the good news is there is a wood floor. The bad news is it's cheap, poor quality and at some point had been painted dark green! So now we're left with two options: sand it down and paint it or replace it with tiles or a wood floor. Since we're trying to keep the costs down I'm thinking the former, but I'd love to hear your thoughts! 

3. The Walls

The wallpaper came off like a dream (so satisfying!) but lurking beneath was another layer of paper which also needed to be stripped away. I can only describe the work akin to peeling 500 potatoes. Our hands and arms are still aching! 

The current state of the kitchen

By the time we left, we were covered in dust and grime but the kitchen has been completely stripped out - hurrah!  

I'm so looking forward to finally implementing the design plans to make this place as pretty as can be. There's a whole bunch of work ahead but I'm starting to think it's going to be worth it!

See all the before pictures, plans and appliance choices here.

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts, so please do weigh in below!

Niki

*This series is in paid collaboration with Bosch. However, all words and pictures are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too.

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A Beautiful, Atmospheric Malmö Home in Rich Dark Tones

Having ventured to far-flung places like Joshua Tree and Norway on the blog this week (only virtually, of course, although wouldn't it have been nice to have visited in person?!), it feels so good to round up the week with a home tour right here in the heart of Malmö. And it's a beauty too! Think deep, earthy tones, vintage finds in lovely dark wood, a vibrant mustard yellow accent and the odd fresh bloom. This charming Southern Sweden home is bound to put you in a perfectly serene mood just in time for the weekend - and there's so much inspiration to be taken from it too! 

Beautiful.  

To me, it holds a touch of nostalgia too. My Grandmother spent her thirties in the Punjab in India and brought back a lot of her dark wood / cane furniture with her when she returned to England. 

Is there anything that stands out to you? 

If you'd love to see a few more homes in rich, dark tones over the weekend - take a look at these:

A Norwegian home gets the dark treatment - and it's beautiful! 

Make-over: a dated space becomes a tranquil bathroom

Converted stables become a dramatic Norwegian home full of contrast

Is this your kind of look, or do you prefer to decorate your home with a lighter touch?

Right. All that's left for me to say is: I hope you have a fabulous weekend!  Thank you for a brilliant week. I've loved reading all your comments and mails! 

Niki 

PS Speaking of Malmö, I'm excited to be spending the day at the home of the founder and designer behind Aveva Design today: Eva Gassna Jeckelmann. I'll be sharing snapshots from her fabulous home and studio over on Aveva instagram stories if you're curious to see what we're up to!

Photos courtesy of Bo-laget (where it is currently for sale!). Found via Trendenser with thanks.

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My Scandinavian Home Travel: The Hardanger Fruit Trail, Norway

It's not often you follow your nose on a trip but that's exactly what happened when I was invited to accompany Skandinavisk founder Shaun Russell and French perfumer Stéphane, on a scent discovery tour. The destination: Lofthus in the municipality of Ullensvang in the spectacular Hardanger region, a few hours east of Bergen, West Norway.  Known as the 'fruit basket' of Norway, the area boasts over 600,000 fruit trees which run in great lines from the lower slopes of the mountain plains with their crashing waterfalls and coniferous forests to the gentle, shimmering shores of the Søfjord below. The region inspired Skandinavisk's best-selling Fjord collection which is infused with  "joyous notes of woods and ripening orchards, wild berries, blackcurrants and raspberry flowers" and we were back to see if other fragrances might be born out of the area. I hope these pictures might also inspire you to 'check-in and breathe out' at Hotel Ullensvang and treasure a few days looking out over the blossoming fruit trees, Hardangervidda mountain plain and the magnificent Folgefonna glacier - it's a sight to behold.

"Fjordland is one of nature's greatest spectacles, a place where the mountains, the forests, the water, and the flora all come together, so as a source of inspiration it is hard to match." 

Shaun Russell. 

"We want to create the most authentic fragrance interpretations of the Nordic region. Only by visiting and experiencing it for oneself, can we recreate these natural moments." 
Shaun Russell.

Imagine getting married here?! Parts of Ullensvang Church date back to between 1250-1300! 

Our original Fjord fragrance was inspired by fjordland and the little-known fact that Hardanger is the 'fruit basket' of Norway, but there is always more than one way to interpret a region, so we want to explore further and see what else we could find."

Shaun Russell

We borrowed a wooden rowing boat from the hotel and took to the water. it got pretty hot out there - luckily there was a cool beer waiting at the hotel! I thought it was fascinating just how much the orchards looked like vineyards! 

In case you're feeling inspired to take in the wonderful scenery of the Hardanger region first hand, here are some tips I picked up along the way:

A Guide To Visiting The Hardanger Fruit Trail

When to go:
This part of the world is spectacular all year round but if you'd like to experience the fruit trails in blossom aim to be there around the last two weeks of May (this might vary).

How to get there:

• Nearest airport - Bergen (149 km / 2.5 hours drive
• Public transport: Bus from Bergen to Norheimsund and boat 'Teisten' to Lofthus (summer season only). Or Train from Bergen to Voss and then bus to Lofthus.

Where to stay:
Hotel Ullensvang

Things to do:

• Hike iconic trails such as the fruit trail, Queen's Trail and famous Trolltunga
• Take a cruise on the Hardangerfjord or borrow a rowing boat from the hotel
• Visit the 13th century Monk's steps
• Quench your thirst at a local cider farm
• Walk to the Voringfossen waterfall
• Freshen up with a morning dip in the fjord
• Go summer skiing on the Folgefonna Glacier

What to wear: 
- The temperature can fluctuate between baking hot and freezing cold within minutes, so layering is key! In spring / summer I would advise on taking jeans (or other hiking trousers), t-shirts, sweaters, hiking boots / trainers, shorts, sun hat, sunglasses, warm hat, fleece and a rain jacket.

Not ready to pack your bags just yet, but still inspired? You can pick up lush items from the Fjord Collection online.

Who knows? Perhaps there's a new fragrance just around the corner too. "We are already developing several ideas directly inspired by the visit while the memory is still fresh," Shaun tells me.

Watch this space!

I hope you enjoyed this Scandi-land travel post - a bit of a first on My Scandinavian Home! I'm curious to know if you think it would be interesting to see more posts like this in the future? As always, I'd love to hear your tips on places you've visited in Scandinavia and would love to recommend to others!

Niki

*This trip was paid for by Skandinavisk, all words and pictures are my own. 

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Airbnb / Holiday Let: Your Own Bohemian-Style Hideaway In The Desert!

Do you ever feel like you need to get away from it all? Somewhere peaceful where you have space to think and 'just be'? If so, I might have found just the secluded hideaway for you and it's available on Airbnb! Little Jo (great name!) is tucked away in the northern corner of Joshua Tree, Southeast California with panoramic views over the desert. Inside, the 1950s bungalow is a sea of brown,  cream and white with a distinct boho vibe. Bringing friends? There's a separate casita with a queen size bed and a covered terrace for that first coffee of the day (you know, when you're not quite ready to face the world!). What a dreamy home from home! 

I'm already picturing myself on the porch nursing an ice cold G+T while the sun goes down, how about you?!

I have to confess, it would need to be a trip with friends - being an avid sailor, Per might feel it's a little far from the sea for his liking! Mind you, he might change his mind when he sees the guitar and record collection! 

Could you imagine recharging your batteries here?

You can read more about Little Jo here. 

Other holiday lets / escapes I love the look of:

A beautiful Airbnb holiday rental in Bergen, Norway

Two idyllic cottages to rent in Denmark this summer

Rent a romantic lakeside cottage in Sweden 

Dream Holiday rental: a cosy waterside eco cabin in Australia

20 instagrammable places to stay in Sweden

Also see a load of fabulous Design Hotels - for all budgets! 

Speaking of which, it's Per and my 10 year wedding anniversary at the end of June and we're looking for a a wonderful, relaxing weekend getaway in Europe. Do you have any tips on great places to go / a beautiful place to stay? I feel a bit paralysed for choice right now and need a helping hand! 

Happy lillördag (little Saturday!) all! 

Niki

PS If you're looking to make some changes to your own home this spring / summer - or even thinking of putting it on airbnb but need to update it a little first, we're here to help! Find out more about the My Scandinavian Home Studio room by room online interior design service here - we're offering 20% off right now with code MYNEWROOM too!  

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