A truly idyllic Swedish 'kolonistuga' (allotment cottage)

With July just around the corner Swedes across the country are gearing up for the summer vacation. Some will go abroad, some to summer cottages. And some wile away the long days at a 'kolonistuga'; a small cottage on an allotment. This pretty, pared-back kolonistuga just outside Gothenburg, belongs to Elin Lannsjö and her boyfriend Viktor who enjoy relaxing summers bare-foot, tending to their garden and entertaining friends.  When it comes to decorating, Elin relies on her gut feeling, selecting items made from natural materials such as wood, stone, cermics (including her own creations) and natural colours. What a truly idyllic space! Could you spend your summer here?

Lovely Life: Styling Johanna Bradford. Photography Kristin Lagerqvist

Oh so lovely, don't you think?

Sadly we can't all have a Swedish 'kolonistuga' but the great thing is we can create a wall of chopping boards, straw hats or anything else that takes our fancy (do you have a collection gallery wall?). I also love the Thonet chairs painted in matt black leaving only the tip of the legs in natural wood - this trick could be used to spruce up flee market finds or items at home you've grown tired of (remember these beds and side table legs painted in neon?!). There's always Pretty Pegs too. I see a potential DIY project for the weekend, do you? And it's only Monday! 

See more images and read about this lovely home here (in swedish).

Other home tours beautifully captured by Kristin and Johanna include the boho home and atelier of a Swedish artist and a relaxed space with floaty linens. Or if you're after more 'kolonistuga' inspiration - how about this one?!

Have a great start to the week!

An idyllic Swedish cottage with outdoor kitchen and shower

Hello! How are you this Monday? The schools break up in Sweden later this week and I'm starting to get that summer feeling; think bare feet, dips in the sea, fishing, cooking and eating alfresco and showers under the open sky. At least that's what would happen if I were to spend the summer in this idyllic Swedish summer cottage. Like many Scandinavian holiday homes, it's been designed to make the most of the outdoors. And for rainy days, the interior has been decorated with traditional rag rugs, summer quilts in a basket, antique and vintage Swedish furniture and wicker chairs for enjoying the summer read. Oh yes! Could you spend your summer here?

 

 

Photography: Clive Tompsett (shared with kind permission). Sköna Hem

I'm such a big fan of holiday homes with a black exterior (see also this and this cottage!).

And I've always been a fan of bathing and showering outdoors (do you remember this post?!). Not only is there something special about washing under the open sky but they're also perfect for rinsing little feet after a day at the beach. Do you have an outdoor shower?

And move over barbecues - this summer I've got my eye on an entire outdoor kitchen (more inspiration can be taken from this Finnish cabin - so wonderful?!). 
More fabulous Swedish summer cottage inspiration here.

Thank you to everyone who entered the Houseology give-away this weekend. The winner has now been announced here..(oh how I wish I'd won!). 

Have a great start to the week!

Peek inside the world's smallest luxury home

....And it's fab too! The brainchild of Tiny Heirloom, this super cool custom home on wheels, was handcrafted in Portland, Oregon with an aim for people to have the freedom to enjoy a little luxury and then be able to pass it on to the next generation. Beautifully built with everything you could possibly need (and a pretty cool interior to boot), home is literally where you park it!

How fantastic? Could you take off in one of these?

Where shall we head first...?

It reminds me of previous fabulous homes on wheels I've featured- including this alternative garden shed (so cute!),  an out house retreat in Nashville (available on AirBnB) and a vintage caravan (available to rent), who needs a real house anyway?

And do you remember the girl who renovated her garden shed into a work studio and then loved it so much she moved in and rented her house so she could pursue her art full time?!  And it seems there's a load more people following suit - you can read more about the tiny house movement here if you'd like. Makes sense? I also love '8 reasons I love life in a small house'.

I once surprised my husband with a stay at the world's smallest hotel in Copenhagen, Central Hotel og Café, it's honestly the greatest place I've ever stayed! It had a tiny reception with one key hanging on a hook for the one room, outside two bikes were waiting for us (do you remember the beautiful home of one of the girls who works there?).

While researching for today's post I discovered a lorry load of inspiring blogs dedicated to tiny houses including: tiny house swoon,  tiny house blog, small house big adventure.

I have to admit, I feel so inspired by today's post, it makes me feel I could live on our little sail boat and travel the world after all....

Have a lovely day! 

A Scandinavian inspired Georgian Bay holiday home

It's so nice to be back at my desk (a table by the window in a café by the sea). I've missed my mornings in Malmö! Even so, today I'm going to escort all of us to the other side of the atlantic- specifically - Georgian Bay, Canada. This lovely Scandinavian inspired seaside cottage has been lovingly restored by Juli and John Baker, owners of Mjölk - a shop selling Scandinavian and Japanese design items. Juli inherited the space in 2004 and together with her husband, set about creating a dream holiday home in 2008. The original structure has been painted 'cloud white' and they've added fir plywood boards in the kitchen and bedrooms for a modern look. I love the pared-back, relaxed look and feel - perfect for wiling away long summer days, don't you think?

Juli and John Baker - Mjölk / Kitka

Could you spend your summer here?!

Some items I know and love: PH5 pendant light,  Dining space: Moooi two tops table, J77 dining chairs. Sitting room: Børge Mogensen sofa. Twin room: Hudson Bay Blankets (also seen in this home) and Luxo reading lights. Many of the items you see can also be found at Mjölk.

Is there anything you love in particular about Juli and John's bay side home?

More pictures of this home can be found here. I once showed their fab guesthouse here too - the couple clearly have an eye for design! 

If like me, you love the ocean I can highly recommend this beautiful limited edition sea print by Kara Rosenlund - it's become my favourite piece, and perfect if you live far from the coast.

Have a lovely day!

A pared-back Australian beach house with a retro vibe

Spring is in the air...at least in the home tours this week (and outside here in southern sweden, yay!). This pared-back Australian beach house certainly adds to the vibe.  Located in the coastal town of Merrick, Victoria, it's decorated with pretty pops of colour, retro floral prints (my grandparents had curtains just like these in their sitting room, they had fab style), and freshly cut branches from a cherry tree. The owners have completed their holiday home with a mix of vintage, industrial and modern furniture as well as homespun textiles for a relaxed, bohemian feel. An Australian take on the Danish home we saw yesterday? Just lovely! I could wile away a summer here, how about you?!

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Photography: Brooke Holm (kind permission). Styling: Marsha Golemac for interior designer Shareen Joel. via Share Design.

Anything in particular you love about this holiday home (or everything perhaps?!)?

 Items I know and love: Try Etsy for retro floral print curtains, Tivoli radio, Moka coffee maker. Wood wool stool sells crocheted items.

I dream of having an outdoor shower, there's something very cool about them and instantly conjure up days of long summer days at the beach. Here are some of my favourites.

The other thing I noticed are the shelves across the window - what a great idea?!

See more pictures and a full write up of the house here.

Other holiday homes in which I could wile away a boho summer include: this tranquil space in Corsica, a white and wood villa on Mykonos, a Norwegian cabin by the sea, and a Scandinavian style cottage in Oregon.

Roll on summer!

Have a lovely day!