A Small, Cosy Swedish Pad with Warm Tones

It's all very well showing incredible country houses with sweeping staircases or apartments made up of a myriad of large, spacious rooms - after all, I'm a firm believer that you can take inspiration from just about anywhere. BUT, if you are dealing with just one room to live in it can be a little tricker to achieve the look you're aiming for. Fear not, this delightful Swedish studio is proof that sometimes the best homes come in small packages. Designed by Emma Fischer, the Gothenburg living space is a sea of earthy, autumn tones and features an abundance of texture giving the home a lovely, relaxed look. Step this way for the tour!

After my post about round coffee tables last week, I've had many responses from readers saying how much they love theirs. In many ways they are so much practical than a square table: no corners to bang your shins on and they're great for entertaining - but also, from an aesthetic standpoint, the shape helps to soften the look of the room. 

Also, the fluffy rug makes the entire room feel real cosy. 

I love how this sofa has a built in shelf - multi-use furniture is always handy in a small space. 

I'm a huge fan of glass cabinets and this vintage one is a beauty, don't you think? It's important to keep clutter to a minimum in small spaces, and this cabinet helps to maintain a neat and tidy look. I am guessing there's a wardrobe on the hallway for clothes etc. And the bed skirt could also be hiding drawers. 

Book lovers would also need somewhere to store their tomes - I would suggest built in shelves above the sofa or over the bed. 

So pretty! 

I hope you felt inspired by this too! 

See a gazillion more small spaces in this archive. 

I haven't quite decided on the order of my posts this week - but I'm looking forward to sharing a cabin update and my first Christmas post of the year (yes, I know it's a tad early, but it's starting to get very Christmassy around here in Oslo, and it's got me in the mood for some 'Jul' inspiration!). 

Ha en fin dag! 

Niki 

Photo -Anders Bergstadt

Styling - Emma Fischer

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The Vintage-Inspired Stockholm Home of Elsa Billgren

If you love vintage, you'll love the home of Swedish TV presenter and interior / fashion blogger Elsa Billgren. Elsa lives with her family in Mosebacke, in the hip district of Söder in Stockholm. Despite being in the heart of the capital, Elsa's apartment is a picture of calm thanks to rustic furniture that wouldn't look out of place in a country home, plants around every corner, relaxed piles of books, art and plenty of cushions, sheepskins and blankets! Once into bright colours (see her previous Stockholm home), Elsa has toned down to a more earthy palette over the years - but look closely and you'll spot soft hues of red, green and blue. Ready for the tour? Put your feet up and enjoy! 

The dining area is a made of a blend of vintage pieces including a fabulous rustic farmhouse table with drawers. 

I'm really curious about this table, as I've passed up tables like this in the past due to the bars just above the floor and lower drawers. Maybe I should take another look and see if it's possible after all. Does anyone else have experience with using these types of tables as a dining table? 

Contemporary pieces like the modern art and Valerie Objet number 2 wall lamp make a nice contrast with the older vintage pieces - adding a cool, personal vibe. 

A rustic side bench* provides a perfect spot for plants, books and candles. 

I love the quirky touch with the blue architrave around the door. Notice how Elsa has also added blue cushions on the sofa to balance the look.  

How beautiful! It makes me want to scour the internet for antiques - do you feel the same? 

Is there anything that stood out to you? 

Thank you to Idha Lindhag for the kind permission to share these images. If you'd like to see more of Elsa's home hop on over to instagram. She also has a book Elsas Husdröm 2021 and also a Podcast: Billgren Wood (both in Swedish). 

Have a great start to the week! 

I've just arrived in Oslo, Norway for a few days - very exciting to be out travelling again, even if it's for work! Follow my adventure on Instagram stories if you're curious to see what I get up to! I hope to write a guide here soon too! 

Niki

Photography: Idha Lindhag, shared with kind permission

*This post contains an affiliated link 

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Helen's Cosy Swedish Summer Cottage Living Room

Kindly sponsored by Nordal, thank you for supporting the brands which make features like this possible*

A few weeks ago, I headed off to My Scandinavian Home interior designer Helen Sturesson's 19th century summer cottage in Blekinge on Sweden's east coast. We had such a lovely time! Last week I shared some information about the cottage's fascinating past and some snapshots of the cosy kitchen, including her Mum's incredible apple pie - take a peek here if you missed it! Today, I'm looking forward to showing you a tour of the main living room area and bedroom (the entire cottage is made up of three rooms: a kitchen, sitting room and bedroom. The loo is at the end of the garden and the bathroom is... in the Baltic Sea! A special thanks to Nordal - the Danish brand who made this trip possible - you'll spot many of their lovely pieces throughout the rooms! Ready to take a look?

The cottage is L-shaped, and the sitting room connects the kitchen (to the right) with the bedroom, when the family of four are here, they all share a room. Two windows flood the space with a warm southerly Autumn light. 

The room is made up of many different items collected over time - including a vintage sofa, a big glass cabinet which helps to keep books and games dust free as well as an incredible mirrored coffee table!

Oka coffee table with antique mirror sides and stone top, Mahe candleholder, Vela linen cushion cover

When Helen moved in, she peeled back the plaster on the wall to discover beautiful wood panelling. The planks are all numbers which could indicate the house has have been moved here - although this isn't confirmed (I have come across 'house moving' before in Sweden, does this ever happen in your country? 

CEMA pots in medium, large and extra-large, Club lounge chair in teak and paper rope.

Large 'kakelugn' (tiled ovens) stand in the corner of the main living room and bedroom and are amazingly effective at heating up the house.

Roa basket

In this picture you can catch a glimpse of the wood floor which squeaks as you move across it. A traditional Swedish 'trasmatta' (rug woven with rags / scraps of cloth which I wrote about in my Lagom book as they are a big part of the Swedish heritage) helps to keep drafts at bay and if you look very closely you'll notice the walls are wonky, adding to the charm! 

In the bedroom, floral wallpaper and natural wood help to bring the outside in and a candle brightens up the dark autumn day while adding a sense of calm.

Teak wooden stool, Aula linen bed cover

I hope you enjoyed this snapshot into Helen's cottage.

If you have any questions about anything, give me a shout in the comment section below and I'll ask Helen for the low down. 

Incidentally, it's not possible to buy the Nordal items directly from their website (they sell wholesale only), however, there are many webshops throughout Europe which stock their things. Find your nearest stockist here. 

Next week, I'm looking forward to sharing the final post of three: Helen's cottage ready for Christmas - weeeee, so excited about this one! 

Meanwhile, I'm busy packing for a two-day trip to Oslo, Norway (very excited!) where I'll be writing a guide for Simply Scandi magazine UK (my guide to Helsingborg appears in the latest edition and there's also a Christmas edition on sale right now which features a piece I wrote about our Swedish Christmas). The mag is available here in case you're curious! 

Do you think it could be interesting to share a guide to Oslo here on My Scandinavian Home too? 

Wishing you all a REALLY wonderful, relaxing weekend - and look forward to seeing you here again on Monday! 

Niki

*Thank you to Nordal for this paid partnership and helping to make My Scandinavian Home possible. All words and photos in this post are my own and I only ever work with brands I love and think you will too. 

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A Bright and Airy Southern Sweden Home (With The World's Cutest Puppy!)

From a rustic railway carriage in Norfolk, England yesterday to a bright and airy Swedish home today - My Scandinavian Home is full of surprises and that's just the way I like it! I hope you enjoy the daily surprises! I discovered Swedish digital creator Kajsa Svensson on instagram a while ago - and have been meaning to share some snapshots from her lovely home in southern Sweden ever since. Expect large open plan rooms, pops of pastel, gallery walls, vintage furniture and cuteness overload. Ready to take a peek?

And wait for it. The cuteness overload I promised: Svea as a puppy!

Altogether now....

...awwwwww!

There's something wonderful about this home - it feels so welcoming and relaxed. 

I hope it's given you some ideas for your own home too! 

See more of Kajsa's home over at @kajsasven.

And for other Swedish home inspiration - pour yourself a coffee, find a cosy spot and delve into this archive. 

I've got a big photoshoot at my studio today - it's something I've been working on for a while and I'm slightly nervous but also very excited! I can't wait to share more soon! You may have noticed, I recently stopped posting on Fridays BUT I'm stopping by tomorrow as I'm super keen to share more of Helen's charming 19th century Swedish cottage with you. See you then!

Niki

Photography: Kajsa Svensson, shared with kind permission. 

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Settle: A Rustic Hideaway In A Former Railway Carriage & Boutique Cabin

I have a total weakness for rustic spaces, do you? I spotted this cosy gem of a retreat over at Desire to Inspire yesterday and fell in love! 'Settle' is a retreat in Norfolk, England created by John - who owns and runs a reclamation yard, and his partner Jo - a well-known floral designer.  The incredible resort offers guests a choice to unwind in rustic railway carriages, bell tents or a boutique cabin overlooking woodland and lakes. I'm particularly in enamoured by the railway carriages and cabin which combine earthy textures and heritage materials with contemporary comfort - so, it's just to turn up, light a fire, maybe run a bath (wait till you see the outdoor one!)... and relax. 

The carriages: 

My eye is on one of the three beautifully restored retired railway carriages. Each offer two berths, a lounge area with a wood burning stove as well as a bathroom and small kitchen - although you might prefer to cook supper over the lakeside fire pit! 

The Cabin

If you'd prefer something a little more spacious, there's also the boutique cabin which looks like something out of a magazine (actually scrap that - it has been in a magazine!). Hand built by Jo and John, the fully equipped cabin has everything you might need for a relaxing retreat - a real home from home! 

The questions is, would you go for the freestanding indoor bath, or the lakeside wood-burning tub? 

Meet you there? 

In case you're keen - hop over to Settle to find out more (or simply dream!). 

Shall we indulge our shared love of rustic further today? How about these cosy gems? 

Before and after: a dated cabin becomes a Scandic-inspired Colorado retreat

A cosy candlelit cabin in the Norwegian fjords

Leanne Ford's dreamy cabin

A charming A-frame cabin on the Danish island of Orø

Have a hyggelig day friends! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Settle, via Desire to inspire - with thanks. 

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