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.

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!

A tranquil holiday home in Corsica

If like me, your idea of the perfect summer holiday is to head to a retreat with your family and get away from it all you'll love this holiday home set in the rocks of Corsica. Designed and built by Carol, Director of Communication at Zadig et Voltaire and Fred, her photographer husband and enjoyed by their children, the tranquil summer house is built over three storeys, each enjoying sea views. The family love to visit from California and spend their summer's relaxing in the tranquil garden by the pool and circumnavigating the island by boat. And who wouldn't? It's simply stunning!

Photography: Karel Balas. Stylist: Isis-Columbe Combréas. MILK Décoration with kind permission

The pool looks divine, doesn't it?!

Last week I stayed at Le Chateau De Saint-Privat-Des-Pres in France for my sister's wedding. It was so beautiful I didn't want to leave. The most interesting thing about the Chateau was that it had an 'eco lake' instead of a traditional swimming pool. It was my first encounter with an eco pool (or 'natural swimming pool') and I was slightly sceptical at first......however, after a few days swimming in the relatively clear, cool waters I became quite accustomed to the odd frog leaping in beside me and pond skates sharing the water. As a result if I were to ever have a home with a pool (hey, it's Friday, a girl's allowed to dream), I would definitely choose an eco pool. Have you ever encountered one?

Other island retreats I love include this one on Mykonos and for stunning garden oasis with a pool, I have always taken inspiration from this space in Montreal. 

Have a wonderful weekend and see you Monday!

PS Since I am still on holiday, I will continue to post every other day for the next two weeks, thank you for your patience! 

A chalet in the Swiss Alps

Hello Friday - woohoo! A dream weekend for me is all about planning great escapes to rural outposts. So this Friday it had to be some kind of cabin tour to celebrate the end of the week. And I've got just the thing. Montagne Altarnative  are farm buildings which have been converted into contemporary living areas in the heart of a medieval village in the Swiss Alps. The renovations have been painstakingly carried out with passion, dedication and openness to integrate harmoniously with the rugged mountains and beautiful nature beyond. Weekend in the Swiss Alps anyone?!

Montagne Alternative as featured in Marie Claire Maison. Via Blissful Blog with thanks

Ooooo, how I could Whisk myself away there....how about you?!

Although I love to ski in the Alps in the winter I've never visited in the summer, have you? It's definitely a dream of mine.

This space reminds me a lot of this dreamy Norwegian cabin by the sea (same look, different nature!). Even if, like me you live far from the mountains, this mountain-themed children's bedroom is proof the mountain can come to the city too!

On Monday we're heading to France for our summer holiday. I'm so excited as I absolutely love France, and we'll be attending my sister's wedding while we're there! Since it will be a bit hectic, I've decided to share posts every other day (rather than every weekday) over the next fortnight starting on Monday, I hope this is OK?

Have a wonderful weekend and see you Monday!

The idyllic Swedish island holiday home

Hello Friday! Yay! Today I'm so excited to share a beautiful home with you that I hope will draw you in to the spirit of the Swedish holidays (if you're not there already!). It's an oh so stunning summer cottage on the island of Gotland belonging to photographer and stylist Amelia Widell of A Beautiful Living blog . It perfectly reflects the essence of the pared-back, relaxed Scandinavian holiday home but with a touch of mediterrenean spirit. I absolutely love the stone walls and simple, pretty way Amelia has decorated it. Summer holiday on Gotland anyone?

Photograohy / styling: Amelia Widell A Beautiful Living with kind permission - Featured in Residence magazine. 

*sigh* so beautiful. I particularly love the last picture of Amelia and her lovely little girl, so sweet!

Gotland is fast becoming one of Europe's hip place to visit. I'm not surprised as it's beautiful and there is just so much to see and do. For more inspirational home-tours from this little island on Sweden's east coast check out this, this and this home. Oh and you can rent this place through Air BnB - ja!!!!

My family and I are also busy packing for a trip to my mother-in-laws cottage on Skåne's west coast for a few days - I can't wait!! But it's all go, go, go so I'd better hurry!

Do you have any great plans for the weekend?

Have a lovely, relaxing couple of days and see you Monday!

A retreat in the Catskill mountains

With the summer holidays fast approaching it's important to plan the perfect downtime. For me it's to retreat to nature, at least at the start. I would love to say I'm a camping kind of girl but sadly all I could muster under canvas is about one night (two at a push!). I'd much rather stay in a lovely cabin by the sea / or lake. If you like your wood cabins too I think you'll love this country house in the Catskill mountains owned by Amanda Bupp (and captured by Maxwell Tielman). Decorated in monochrome and neutrals you could almost believe you were in Norrland, Sweden and not the Southern part of New York state. I could wile away my summer here, how about you?!

Photography: Maxwell Tielman. Via Design Sponge

For more information about this lovely cabin and where items are from check out the full article over at Design Sponge.

In case you missed them I'm also dreaming about this Stockholm archipelego cabin, a lighthouse-keepers cottage on Gotland and all the other home-tours under rural retreats! *Sigh* I feel relaxed just looking at them!

How do you like to spend your holidays?