A Charming Summer House on the Swedish Island of Gotland

Tjena! Summer in Scandinavia is still in full swing. You may have noticed from my posts lately that it's a time everyone takes super seriously - if you haven't got your out of office on, are you even Scandinavian? With this in mind, I hope you don't mind that I share one more summer cabin today. I know many of you are here to feel inspired by urban spaces too, so I promise to dig around and find something beautiful for you in the city for Wednesday. But this one, I couldn't resist! 

A barn-style property, this charming house on the summer paradise of Gotland was built in 1970 but has the appearance of a traditional Swedish house with its red walls and yellow window frames. The deck is a natural extension of the house, providing plenty of space to relax, hang out and dine in the sunshine, while a large open-plan living space ensures everyone can be together, yet still do as they wish. Large rooms like this can be difficult to furnish, but I think the owners have done a great job - carving out a spacious dining area and a cosy sitting room / TV corner in one. 

Upstairs, angled ceilings and beams create interest and an airy feel. I picked out one bedroom in particular that caught my eye thanks to the pretty botanical-themed wallpaper which draws nature indoors. 

I hope you feel inspired by the tour! 

Such a summer paradise, don't you think?  

One of the things I remember most from visiting Gotland was how wildflowers lined the roadside. Evidence of these can be found dotted around the rooms, and even the table outside! 

Do you have a garden or meadows nearby which are full of flowers that you can bring in at this time of year? I'm working on it in our summer cottage garden but it's going to take time - as a gardening rookie I had no idea how complicated it can be - but I'm enjoying the challenge! 

Is there anything that stood out to you about this lovely summer house? 

Check out more cottages on Gotland here and my guide to the island here. 

Have a great start to the week friends! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Svensk Fastighetsförmedling with thanks. 

READ MORE...

11

A Swedish Summerhouse in the West Coast Archipelago

Hej friends! The sun is shining, and the Scandinavian summer is in full swing. I have been swept up in the relaxed vibe and now that my children are finally free, we have arrived for a few days in the Swedish high coast - to explore and soak up the scenery of the breath-taking archipelagos. With this in mind, I will be taking some time out from My Scandinavian Home and will be back here again on Monday 22nd July. 

But I'd never leave you high and dry without some inspiration - so here are a couple of snapshots from a stunning summer house in Smögen, on Sweden's West Coast complete with its own jetty - after all, Mondays are made for dreaming, right? 

So beautiful! 

The more I explore of Sweden, the more beauty I find - and with its immense coastline and thousands of lakes, waterfront cottages are forever present! 

I have a dream to live overlooking the water - maybe one day this will come true, but for now I will admire from a far! Do you share the same dream? Or perhaps there are other vistas you long for? 

Wishing you all a wonderful week - see you next Monday!

Niki

Photography courtesy of Fastighetsbyrå, shared with thanks

READ MORE...

9

A Light-filled Converted Schoolhouse in Sweden

Oh, how I love a converted schoolhouse. The large windows, spacious rooms and high ceilings are a perfect basis from which to create such a light-filled living space. And Gladhammar school in Västervik is no exception! Built in 1915, the property is vast (500 square metres / 5381 square feet) but this didn't put a family off from lovingly restoring each and every room. 

Here is a taster into the impeccable restoration - which includes hues of green, aubergine, and cream, as well as wood panelled walls and a blend of furniture. Look closely and you'll even spot some gym equipment reminiscent of my own school days (I used to be terrified of those 'horses' - how about you?). I promise to share a link to the full tour too, but here are a few snaps to whet your appetite! 

Lovely! 

As promised, here is a link to more pictures of this beautiful property (which is currently for sale). 

Take a peek inside five more converted schools this weekend here: 

A beautiful former school in the Swedish countryside

A light-filled former school in Sweden

My friend Louisa's home in a former school in Eslöv

A swedish florist turns a schoolhouse into a home

A converted schoolhouse on the Swedish island of Gotland

We are spending some days up in beautiful Sundsvall in Norrland Sweden (thank you for your well wishes for Liv's swimming competition, it's all very exciting and such an honour to be here). If you haven't been to this part of the world, I can highly recommend it! I hope to share pics once we're home! 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Fastighetsbyrån, shared with thanks

READ MORE...

3

An Idyllic Swedish Summer Cottage in the Forest

Today, I'm continuing with my summer cottage theme to match the relaxed holiday vibe in Scandinavia right now - and the sun has come out just for the occasion! This Swedish beauty belongs to Johanna Hagbard (whose city home I featured in 2018). Johanna acquired this beautiful croft 40 kilometres (24.8 miles) from Gothenburg ten years ago. It had been derelict for many years - save for a local orienteering group who had been using it as a clubhouse due to its location in the middle of a forest. Needless to say, it needed extensive work. 

A handy couple, Johanna and her husband have slowly transformed the property into a magical year-round country escape - with a cosy interior and hand built sauna and a plunge pool. Summer days are spent outdoors looking out over the wilderness and lake in the distance and a caravan serves as an extra indoor space to hangout! 

Ready to feel inspired by the tour? Step this way! 

A magical place to spend summer, do you agree? I can imagine it's really cosy in winter too! 

You can see more snapshots from Johanna's lovely croft over at @johannahagbard. 

Would you like to see a few more pretty Swedish crofts today? 'Why not' I hear you say! Pour yourself a glass of something cool and enjoy:

A fairytale Swedish summer cottage

Jessica's idyllic Swedish croft from 1900

Before and after, a Swedish croft becomes a summer house

Oh, so pretty! 

My family and I are currently trundling up the E4 motorway on our way to Sundsvall to watch Liv swim in the Swedish nationals this week. We've been passing forest and more forest - with 5 hours of forest to go (it's a 10 hour very forest-y drive in total!). I'm excited as I've never been to Norrland before, and we've booked a little cottage on an island just outside the city. I'll share more from our adventure on my instagram stories if you'd like to follow along! 

Have a happy Wednesday!

Niki

Photographs by @johannahagbard, shared with kind permission. 

READ MORE...

8

Old Meets New in a Cottage in South Moravia

"Time slowly passing, homely comfort and instead of a television, only a huge window with a view of the garden." This is how Marika and Jirka - food bloggers and authors of cookbook The Kitchen Story, describe life at their cottage in a small South Moravian village. 

It all started with a simple wish: "to switch off for a while, escape from everyday life and just be at peace." The pair were looking for somewhere they could getaway from the city and gather with friends and family without distraction. And they fell instantly in love with Chalupa mez sklepy. 

The cottage required so much work that in the end it became a re-build, but the couple were determined to maintain the rural character and style (keep an eye out for wooden windows and floors, stone lintels and an exterior designed in collaboration with Adéla Lipar Kudrnova and Petra Stein). 

Today, Marika and Jirka love coming here with friends and family (it sleeps up to 10) - and also rent it out as a guesthouse for others to enjoy. Let's take a look around. 

Wow! I think this is the first home I have featured from the Czech Republic, which makes it entirely unique to me. I love the tones of rust red, pale blue and cream - which match the colours of the village.  And I also appreciate how Marika and Jirka have combined a modern feel with a rich historical touch from the region, all while keeping the look simple, understated and comfy looking. 

Was there anything that stood out to you about this lovely home? 

You can see more pictures over on their instagram @chalupa_mezi_sklepy and find out more about booking the property as a holiday home here. 

You know what's coming, don't you? Yep, I found another home tour from the Czech Republic that I've featured in the past! Take a peek at: a Scandi-inspired home in the Czech Republic in soothing neutrals. 

Other connections on My Scandinavian Home include a beautiful Swedish home featuring a mural by an artist from the Czech Republic. And also, I feel very honoured that my Lagom book is available in Czech too! 

Have you been to the Czech Republic? I haven't, but it's certainly on my wish list! 

Have a great start to the week!

Niki

Photography courtesy of @chalupa_mezi_sklepy, shared with kind permission. 

READ MORE...

18