A Photographer’s Charming Swedish Summer Cottage In The Woods

Buoyed by my recent summer cottage kitchen renovation I picked up a copy of Swedish magazine Lantliv (Country Life) a few weeks ago. And, OH WOW, did it have some incredible homes in it – don’t you love it when that happens?! I got particularly stuck on this charming summer cottage in the woods of Northern Uppland. A former petrol station dating back to 1930, the building was about to be torn down when photographers Lina Ericsson and Karl Anderson acquired it as a weekend retreat from busy Stockholm life. The pair set about lovingly transforming it into a unique and charming home full of antiques, second hand finds and pieces from Lina’s sustainable interior shop Noy Road. The result is everything a Swedish summer cottage should be; simple and relaxed yet warm and cosy and packed with charm: a perfect place for Lina, Karl, daughter Charlie and their Jack Russell Terrier, Vilda to switch off, surrounded by nature.

The kitchen is a mix of freestanding and open shelving from IKEA – giving the space a relaxed vibe. I love how the couple have maximised space by adding a book shelf over the window.

The six metre (SIX METRE!!!) high ceiling gives the sitting room a lovely light and airy feel. The rattan chairs are from Silka Design and the handmade wool rug is from Noy Road. Source a similar sheepskin here*.

Vilda has adopted the handmade wool rug as her own – and who can blame her?! The linen cover and cushions on the IKEA sofa are also from Noy Road.

Sheer curtains in the sitting room help to keep out bugs while slipping in a soft pool of light. On warmer days they can move outside and enjoy the shaded terrace (as demonstrated by Vilda – who’s looking super relaxed out there, I must say!).

Lina and Karl have made a feature of the doors and architraves by painting them a soft green. The hammam and linen towels are from Noy Road.

The veranda has been given a new lease of life with recycled windows from Umeå Byggnadsvård while the floor was transformed using a linseed oil-based paint. I absolutely love this type of painted chequered floor – it’s so easy to achieve and yet so striking! Do you feel tempted to do the same in your home?

The cottage was originally a traditional Falu red but Karl wanted to do something different and opted for green umbra. The garden is packed with homegrown vegetables – one of Lina’s passions.

Just beautiful.

I can’t imagine a more idyllic retreat, can you?

Imagine how difficult it would be to close the doors on a Sunday and head back to town! Mind you, you’d feel relaxed knowing that the place is waiting for you come Friday.

Did you spot the DIY clothes line in the main dining room area (first picture)? – isn’t it clever? I found a DIY tutorial here – and you can also pick up a similar one here.

If you’re feeling the Swedish summer cottage vibes after this tour, why not pour a coffee, light a candle (hey, we’re talking Scandi here, after all!) and check out this Swedish Cottage archive. It’s one of my favourites! If this cottage pops up first, you might want to look through the pictures all over again, or simply scroll on passed for more inspiration!

Ha så fint!

Niki

These photographs were taken by Karl Anderson / @karlandersonphotography and shared with kind permission from Lantliv.

*affiliate links