Trevlig Helg / Have a Wonderful Weekend!

Hello lovely friends. A little note to say that I've had some very worrying news concerning a beloved family member (older generation) and have had to take a last minute trip. I'll hopefully be back on Monday with a new post, but please bear with me if not. Keeping fingers crossed for the best. 

Trevlig helg (wishing you a wonderful weekend!),  

Niki

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Cosy Danish Outdoor Lights - Handmade Using Recycled Glass!

Partnership*

Determined to make this autumn and winter as cosy as possible, I've added some new lights to our little backyard. After all, once the sun sets, it becomes very dark, very early, very quickly, and there's nothing like the warm glow of lights to lift your spirits! These beautiful ReUse light chains are from Pernille Bülow - a small atelier on the Danish island of Bornholm.  Regular readers will know that Pernille Bülow is a big favourite of mine and I have SO many beautiful handmade pieces from this atelier around my home (including SKY lamps and Odin tableware).  But there's something EXTRA special about these outdoor ReUse light chains, and the clue is in the name. Read on to discover more! 

True to Pernille Bulow style, each of the 9 pendants are mouth blown and handmade in the workshop in Svaneke, Bornholm (if you're ever on the island, you must pay a visit - I love the shop!). This means that each glass light is ever so slightly unique - one of the wonderful hallmarks of handmade pieces. 

I used two sets in our little back yard to create a little extra glow (the chains are three metres long and attachable, so you can easily string together as many sets of lights as you wish which is really handy).

Best of all? The ReUse collection is made of waste from Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical company that has large amounts of excess borosilicate glass from their diabetes drug production. Rather than going to waste, Pernille Bülow remelts and moulds the glass into beautiful objects, including these ReUse light chains and a pendant lamp! 

The light chain also come with 9 2 W energy optimised LED bulbs which are CE marked. 

In order to really put them to the test, I invited a few friends over from the neighbourhood for an autumn evening alfresco - (any excuse!).  

It was a bit of a 'knytkalas' - where everyone (including my dear friend Ullis - above - and interior designer Jessica Ward - below) brought whatever they had in their fridge and wine cabinet! 

We had such a mysig (cosy) evening under the warm glow of the lights - even if coats were a must! Brrrr!

Roll on more autumn evenings al fresco! And even when it's time to move indoors, we'll still enjoy the twinkle through the window! 

If you'd love these lights for your outdoor space, the ReUse light chain is available to pre-order here  - and will be available from mid-November. There's a list of countries Pernille Bülow ships to here. 

I'm curious - can you still sit outside in the evenings in your country? 

Wishing you a great day! 

Niki

*This post is a paid partnership with Pernille Bülow. All words and images are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too! Thank you for supporting the small Nordic businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible.  

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A Cosy Finnish Log Cabin In Winter Time

This morning I had to wear gloves for the first time while cycling to the studio. It was one of those crisp sunny mornings - and I found myself excited about the prospect of winter woollies and thick socks! Are you there yet? In honour of this, I thought we could embrace the Scandinavian winter spirit with an über cosy Finnish log cabin. Flanked by lake and forest in Sastamala, 3-hours from Helsinki,  'Koivikko' (meaning 'birch grove') cabin provides the perfect retreat for owners Kimmo Pirhonen, head of Finnish clothing and homeware brand Balmuir, and Ville Pursiainen. The cosy 100-year-old cabin required little in the way of renovation, with the floors already painted soft grey when they moved in. Instead Kimmo and Ville have focused on creating a cosy hide-away, from where they can recharge their batteries and enjoy the peaceful surroundings without distraction. Ready to get toasty? Step this way...

How lovely! 

I could head there for the weekend and stay the month, how about you? 

The timber walls are just beautiful! 

Imagine waking up in that fluffy bed beside the fire on a winter morning - coffee gently brewing on the stove. Gaaah! 

Check out the original feature in Sköna Hem (in Swedish).

If I've got you in the toasty cabin vibe now, check these 'hyggeligt' hideaways out too: 

A rustic Norwegian log cabin hide-away 

A cosy Norwegian mountain cabin

A cosy off-the-grid cabin in the woods

Anyone else dreaming about a weekend at a cosy log cabin now? 

Niki

Photography: Krista Keltanen, shared with kind permission. 

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Old Meets New in an 18th Century Basketry Workshop

Shall we shake things up a little today? I spotted these stunning images of Atelier Vime over on Desire to Inspire this morning and thought it would be rude not to share them with you! The French vintage shop and design studio occupies a 18th century property in Vallabrèges - a small village on the banks of the Rhone in Provence known for basketry. Set-up in 1878 as a basket-making workshop, Atelier Vime has expanded into wicker and rattan furniture, as well as vintage mirrors, lighting and other beautiful pieces. Formerly built for a noble family in 1758, the house provides an incredible backdrop for their furniture. I particularly love how old and new come together in a striking way. Ready to transport yourself to Provence? 

So beautiful, don't you think? 

Did you see the floors? If not, it's worth going back through the pictures and just focusing on the floors alone!  

These pics have me pining for a trip to France! As a child, we used to go to France several times a year via the channel ferry. I've just realised how much I miss this beautiful country. 

Shall we indulge our inner Francophile with other beautiful French inspiration today? 

Old meets new in a charming Paris home

A Swedish-run B&B in the south of France

A relaxed family home in the heart of the Beaujolais wine region

A beautiful bohemian retreat in Marseille

Oh la la! 

I feel like I've just spent the morning in France - all that's missing are the croissants!

Have a lovely day friends. 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Atelier Vime, found via Desire to Inspire with thanks

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An Inspiring Family Home Which Combines Old and New - Inside and Out!

Hej raringar! How was your weekend? Per and I are feeling revived after a night in Copenhagen. I was so overly excited to be back in the Danish capital (while being very careful, of course) - what a beautiful city. I can't wait to share some pics soon. Slightly further afield, Jessica Haas has created her own inspiring oasis at home.  Jessica lives in a beautiful house from the 1930's in Hamburg, Germany which she shares with her husband Christoph, their five-year-old daughter Greta (such a pretty name!) and two cats. The home is filled with some fabulous Scandinavian design pieces and calming pastel tones as well as warm wood, cane and rattan. Keep a look out for the before and after of the house exterior too. The perfect tour with which to kick of a shiny new week!

Spotted in the kitchen: eco and allergy-friendly hand wash and other items from Danish brand Humdakin. I use their cleaning products and LOVE them.

I spy a Skagerak side table and HK living stool in the sitting room. I'm not sure which exact shade of pink has been applied to the wall (I promise to update this post if I find out) - but Deco Pink from Jotun Lady is similar. 

Note the pink colour blocking above - with the lamp in a darker shade of pink against a lighter shade on the wall - a clever styling trick which never fails. 

"One of the most important things (to me) is the mix of old and new. During the renovation, we preserved a lot of the original elements. I love to combine vintage and handmade furniture with some newer pieces"  - Jessica

String shelves help provide a place to store items. The JWDA lamp* is from Danish brand Menu and the Slåtterblomma print is from Fine Little Day. The Eiffel coffee table* is from Hay. 

"Our home is clean, minimalist bit still cosy. I prefer soft and earthy tones. I like to take home decorating inspiration from interior magazines, Instagram and Pinterest." 

- Jessica

A Formakami JH4 lamp hangs over the bed, which has been covered in a beautiful waffle Anadia bed spread from Urbanara. 

I LOVE the family bathroom! Jessica has managed to turn fairly awkward angles into a design feature - and the wooden casing around the bath gives the room a warm, spa like feel. Beautiful!

The family have also done a lot of work with the exterior of the house, including revamping the original facade, creating a modern entranceway and adding a contemporary extension. This is what it looked like before: 

 And this is how it looks today:  

Incredible transformation! I love a good 'before and after', how about you?

We're thinking about building an outhouse / guesthouse in the garden of our summer cottage and this might just give me the confidence to go modern. Are you a fan of combining modern and old architecture? I know it's not everyone's cup of tea. 

Head over to Jessica's lovely Instagram @dekorationswut for more inspiring pictures of her home. 

Big news from the Brantmark: we have a birthday in the house - Allie is ten today! We had a birthday breakfast this morning, which involved her favourite 'kaiserschmarrn' (Austrian pancakes) - which her big sister made. And soon it's time for some after-school fun! 

Wishing you a wonderful start to the week! 

Niki

Photography: Jessica Haas, shared with kind permission.

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