A dreamy little space to call home

One of my dreams is to have a a work studio in my (future) garden which doubles as a pretty guest house for friends and family. Do you share a similar dream?  Then I came across this shed conversion on Design Sponge and my idea was immediately brought to life! Over the space of two months designer, stylist and artist Paige Morse converted a shed in her back garden into a stunning Scandinavian inspired black and white retreat. Her goal was to create a space from which she can work, She was so thrilled with the outcome she now actually lives in the 'Casita' and rents out her house to afford the lifestyle she so desires: to work on her creatives full time. What an inspiration?!

Before:

Photos Cody Ulrich. Paige Morse. Via Design Sponge with thanks. 

Be still my beating heart!

This really is the casita of my dreams! The only thing I would add is a turf roof as seen on this and this home. How about you? Could you see yourself working / living here?

You can see the full before and after shots over at Design Sponge and read more about Paige's work here.

Other fantastic, unusual and alternative garden shed conversions here and here.

Have a lovely day!

The Greek island home

As I mentioned earlier on the week I'm still clinging to that summer feeling (are you?) - on colder days I'm even dreaming about summer 2015 (cue slight obsession with my Pinterest travel board!)! One country my family and I have our sites on next year is Greece. Oh how I'd love to rent a Greek island home. Which is why I was so excited to find this beautiful cottage on the Greek island of Lesvos (thank you Style Files!). It's the home of Australian author, photographer and designer Claire Lloyd and her British artist husband  Matthew Usmar Lauder. In 2007 Claire and Matthew fled the rat race for a more simple life on Lesvos, how inspiring?! You can read more about their adventures and see more pictures of this wonderful home in Claire's book 'My Greek Island Home'. And the good news? They have a guest house for rent...wow, wow and wow! Greece 2015 anyone?!

Photography Cara Coulson, Home owner: Claire Lloyd and Matthew Usmar Lauder

Photography Cara Coulson, Home owner: Claire Lloyd and Matthew Usmar Lauder

Photography Cara Coulson, Home owner: Claire Lloyd and Matthew Usmar Lauder

Photography Cara Coulson, Home owner: Claire Lloyd and Matthew Usmar Lauder

Photography Cara Coulson, Home owner: Claire Lloyd and Matthew Usmar Lauder

Photography Cara Coulson, Home owner: Claire Lloyd and Matthew Usmar Lauder

Photography Cara Coulson, Home owner: Claire Lloyd and Matthew Usmar Lauder

Photography Cara Coulson, Home owner: Claire Lloyd and Matthew Usmar Lauder

Photography Cara Coulson, Home owner: Claire Lloyd and Matthew Usmar Lauder

Could you spend your summer holiday here?!

For more Greek summer house inspiration you also might want to check out this Greek escape and this rustic retreat.

Speaking of summer holidays - make sure you pop back to enter my exciting weekend give-away tomorrow!

Have a lovely day!

A striking Danish log cabin

Hello Friday! To celebrate the weekend I always try to find an all singing all dancing, awe-inspiring home. I spent several hours rifling through Pinterest and other sources for the perfect home today. And then I found it! It's hard not to instantly love this Danish cabin by the Haderslev Fjord with it's almost entirely exposed wood interior, high ceilings and contemporary furniture. The basic way it's been furnished allows the incredible vista to do the talking and yet there's also something incredibly cosy about it too. I could definitely spend my weekend here, how about you?!

By LivingGap.com / Photos by Karsten Damstedt. Architect Kim Holst.

By LivingGap.com / Photos by Karsten Damstedt. Architect Kim Holst.

By LivingGap.com / Photos by Karsten Damstedt. Architect Kim Holst.

By LivingGap.com / Photos by Karsten Damstedt. Architect Kim Holst.

By LivingGap.com / Photos by Karsten Damstedt. Architect Kim Holst.

By LivingGap.com / Photos by Karsten Damstedt. Architect Kim Holst.

By LivingGap.com / Photos by Karsten Damstedt. Architect Kim Holst.

Such a fantastic space, don't you think?!

I have a real penchant for Scandinavian holiday homes as you'll know from these archives: rural retreats, summer cottages and log cabins. Pure escapism for the weekend (just scroll past the home above as it will likely come up first).

I hope you have a fabulous couple of days and see you Monday!

A cottage in the Stockholm archipelagos

I don't know what the weather's like where you are but here it's starting to feel....er.....dare I say it....Autumnal. So today I thought I'd add a little sunshine here on the blog instead. And if I close my eyes this rainy, windy Tuesday morning I can dream I'm at on this beautiful waterside cottage. It's the fabulous home of one of Sköna Hem blogger Åsa Myrberg of @mycasa on Ekerö in the Stockholm archipelagos. If the beautiful, light filled and relaxed interior doesn't do it for you, the setting certainly will. Summer anyone?

Sköna Hem, Pernilla Hed. 

Sköna Hem. Pernilla Hed.

Sköna Hem. Pernilla Hed.

Sköna Hem. Pernilla Hed.

Sköna Hem. Pernilla Hed.

Sköna Hem. Pernilla Hed.

Sköna Hem. Pernilla Hed.

What an incredible place to spend long summer days?! The Stockholm archipelagos really are fantastic too.

For more Scandinavian summer cottage dreaming click here - warning, you'll need to pour yourself a cup of tea first - there are hundreds of them! (the home above might come up first, if so, scroll past it).

I'm off to The Conference in Malmö today - anyone else going? Last year's was so inspiring!

Have a wonderful Tuesday.

A beautiful pared-back Finnish cabin

Well hello Monday! I hope you had a great weekend? For my family and I it was a matter of unpacking and settling in back home punctuated by the odd dip in the Öresund sea. Although my summer holidays are over for this year (sniff sniff), it doesn't stop me dreaming and feel inspired by idyllic Scandinavian holiday homes. Take this Finnish summer cottage I spotted over at Emmas Design blog, for example. Belonging to Johanna Lehtinen and photographed by Krista Keltanen , this black, white and wood cabin is beautifully simple, letting the surrounding nature do the talking. Just as a holiday home should do. I could spend some downtime here, could you?

Photography: Krista Keltanen, Bolig Liv. Via Emmas Design blog with thanks.

What a location?!

Anything you love in particular about this summer cottage?

If you're after more Finnish cabin inspiration this bright Monday morning how about this one from Time of The Aquarius (pictures here and here) another fine eample of the pared-back Finnish holiday home style.

 Have a lovely day!

The bohemian summer home of a Swedish fashion photographer

Many Swedes choose to spend their summers on the beautiful east coast island of Gotland and I can totally understand why. One such person is fashion photographer Peter Gerhke (who has shot for H&M among many other brands) and his family. The family's relaxed, bohemian style stone country house is radically different from their permanent residence in Stockholm which is decorated with a far more contemporary feel. The family spend their time at the summer cottage bare foot, enjoying the grape vines and fig trees in the garden, cooking using home grown vegatables and herbs or fishing and swimming in the clear waters of the Baltic sea. Now that's a way to spend a summer!

Photography: Martin Löf. MILK Decoration with kind permission. 

I love the idea of hanging out bare-foot and care-free don't you?!

My favourite room, has to be the bathroom. I love free standing baths in the middle of the room, and just look at that beautiful original wood floor!

For more inspriation from Gotland you might want to check out this former light house keeper's cottage, the idyllic summer home of the blogger behind a Beautiful Living, and a beautiful Swedish summer retreat. Summer on Gotland 2015 anyone?!

It's Friday - woohoo! Any great plans for the weekend? Whatever you do I hope you have a fantastic couple of days. See you Monday!

The idyllic lake-side Danish summer cottage

Do you prefer to stay at home or go abroad for your summer holiday? When the days are long and it never gets truly dark at night in Scandinavia I can totally understand why people prefer to retreat to summer cottages by a lake or sea. Take a look at this Danish cottage in Furesoen for example. The owner Per has lovingly restored it to create an idyllic lake-side holiday home. I could spend my entire summer here, how about you?!

Photographs: Mikkel Adsbol with kind permission. Bolig Magasinet. via French By Design with thanks.

 I love the combination of dark wood and dark blue it has such a calming effect. And that view...!

Mikkel always manages to find the most stunning spaces to capture including the very cool home of a Danish architect and an oh so stunning Danish haven in Cannes. You can take a look through Mikkel's portfolio here.

For more holiday home inspiration I do love the 25 home tours here: rural retreats, and of course there's this idyllic Danish summer cottage. Scandinavian staycations please.

Have a wonderful weekend and see you Monday!