Ida's Beautiful, Considered Southern Sweden Home (And 7 Tips On How to Create an Environmentally Friendly Space)

Remember Ida Magntorn? I first met the Lund-based photographer at an event a couple of years ago and I've been following her work ever since. Ida has always been passionate about creating a sustainable and environmentally friendly interior - which she demonstrates beautifully in her own Southern Sweden home. And now she has written a book dedicated to the topic: Ett Hem Med Omtanke - Hållbar och Miljömedveten Inredning (which loosely translates to 'The Considered Home - Sustainable and Environmentally Conscious Interiors'). The tome is dedicated to everything Ida lives by and covers  everything from buying second hand, managing your appliances, plants and flowers and growing your own fruit and veg as well as a room by room guide - arranged around series of dreamy Swedish interiors. Here are some recent snapshots of her lovely living space - and most importantly:

Ida's 7 tips on How To Create a Considered Home: 

1. Use what you have: it doesn't matter how environmentally friendly your new kitchen is if you rip out something that was already working. 

2. If you're tired of something in your home - think of ways to change it, upcycle it, paint it or even use it for something completely different!

3. Look for items that can be recycled - such as solid wood instead of veneer. The easier it is for you to care for, the longer it will last. 

4. Buy second hand - if you need anything new for your home. 

5. If you can't find something secondhand - invest in a design classic since they are often better quality and have a good second hand value. Of course, these can usually be found second hand on auction sites too! 

6. If you choose to buy something new - make sure it bears an environmentally friendly symbol - and check what components of the item are included in this. 

7. Take care of what you have - by looking after your furniture and other belongings, you will prolong their life and save energy and materials.  

I'm so excited to dip into Ida's book and discover her room by room guide!

Ett Hem Med Omtanke - Hållbar och Miljömedveten Inredning is currently available in Swedish. However, an English version will be available soon. Keep an eye on Ida's website and instagram for updates! 

Is there anything that stood out to you? I love the tip about looking after what you have. Sharing my studio with upholsterer Carina Grefmar has taught me a while deal about restoring furniture to make it look as good as new!

Also - isn't Ida's home beautiful? You'll likely recognise it from this feature, but I couldn't resist sharing a few more snaps! 

Looking for some more inspiration today? Check out these vintage-inspired Scandinavian homes: 

A warm, earthy, vintage-inspired Swedish home in the wing of a castle! 

A charming Copenhagen home full of vintage finds

A stunning Danish home with vintage treasures

On a separate note - my youngest daughter has just started piano lessons. I have to confess that I was particularly excited about this idea as it meant we'd have an excuse to buy a secondhand piano (such lovely pieces!). Of course, I love the sound too, though being tone deaf I think the family is relieved it's not me learning. The only place for a piano in our home is on the third floor - and I've heard these things weigh a ton. Pianist friends - do you think this will be possible? Please say yes! 

Happy mid-week friends!

Niki

Photography: Ida Magntorn - shared with kind permission

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A cosy and warm Finnish table setting

With the shortest day of the year fast approaching here in Sweden natural light is scarce. As per Scandinavian tradition the best way to let natural light into the home over the winter months is through candle-light, whether on the dining table, in the windows or outside the front door. I've noticed that even my children's nursery have candle light on their breakfast table! This cosy dining table setting for two has been styled by Maiju of Finnish blog my second hand life for Lapuan Kankurit. It looks so cosy and warm, I could see myself having a 'fika' here with friends, anyone want to join?!

My Second Hand Life with kind permission. 

Other than the fabrics and square plates, everything used for this setting are flee market finds!

I found beautiful vintage lamps on Etsy yesterday, the candle holder is the Nappula from Iittala, find beautiful linen table cloths and napkins in white and dove grey here. The chair with the wooden legs is 'About a Chair' by HAY.

If you'd like to read more about this table setting you can always pop over to Maiju's wonderful blog.

I also love this Christmas table setting (imagine?!) and this New Years Eve table setting (I just bought star garlands like these from Illum but you can also buy similar ones online here). And look at these beautiful DIY rosemary napkin rings - perfect around a fresh white linen napkin?

How will you decorate your table this season?

PS I think you're going to love tomorrow's home tour! See you then :)

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Our Weekend At A Swedish Cabin In The Calm of The Forest

My Scandinavian Home Partnership:
In Sweden, there's a season for everything. To me, the summer is about lazy days by the water when the sun sparkles like diamonds on the gentle waves. And when the leaves start to turn, we head to the forests to forage, take in the changing light and enjoy the sweet scent of spruce and pine. Every now and again we come across clearings where a shaft of light dances on the mossy knolls and allows the delicate Harebell to bloom. Little wonder these magical boreal forests are the inspiration behind the wonderful Skog collection from Skandinavisk. Their products come infused with delightful hints of spruce and pine needles, woodland lily of the valley, musk and aged leather - making it one of my favourite collections! As part of my ongoing partnership with Skandinavisk, my family and I headed to a friend's log cabin just North of Malmö to relax, play games and take in the calm of the forest first hand. As we pulled up, life's stresses and strains immediately fell away and we were completely alone save for passing roe deer, foxes, squirrels and the silent badgers - never seen, but forever present! 



Furnished almost entirely with second hand pieces and dotted with sheepskins, my friend's cabin is understated yet super cosy! A wood-burning stove kept away the autumn chill and filled the cabin with a wonderful scent of pine. 



The crazies enjoyed hot chocolate sprinkled with cinnamon and nutmeg, by the light of a Skog scented candle. The only tense moment came when it was discovered the cinnamon buns were different sizes. A lengthy division process began, right down to the last crumb.

Skog scented candle


Per discovered a guitar - which helped to diffuse the bun situation and restore calm to our weekend! The aptly named 'Norwegian Wood' is one of my favourite tunes he plays (I also love 'Streets of London' - can you see him rolling his eyes?!). 

Pots, jugs and containers made from wood, stone and glass line the surface of the bookshelves adding a warm, personal touch. Beneath the shelving there was a great stash of board games which we played well into the night, being a tad competitive none of us were going to bed until we'd won at last one round!

Skog Scent Diffuser

Skog hand and body lotion, hand wash and bar soap.

We discovered that a basket doubles up as a very useful tray  – it’s a perfect way to transport sausages, buns and marshmallows down to the fire pit! 





A walk in the forest led us through a forever changing scene where dense ferns hid in the shadows, fungi clung to bark, and patches of vibrant green moss were lit by sudden beams of light. The only sound came from the distant sound of a babbling brook and the shriek of delight from one of the girls as they stumbled across a chanterelle. 






That's Per with the Skog hand cream - yes Per! We both love it because it's richly moisturising (him!) yet lightly scented (me!) (it contains aloe vera, shea butter, almond, apricot and beeswax with extract of birch bark). Did you know birch bark is a natural antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that calms irritated skin, stimulates circulation and helps skin stay energised? Perfect for the Scandinavian winter. 



A little book (Svampar: Lilla fälthandboken av Rikard Svartvik) helped us to identify mushrooms. However, I would never dare to eat any unless verified by someone in the know - and bearing in mind we were only accompanied by the odd roe deer, we only foraged for fun! We returned to the cabin relaxed, revived and with the sweet aroma of pine, and fir in our hair - and in need of another cinnamon bun!



All in all, it was a truly magical weekend!

I can't wait to return to this wonderful little cabin again soon.

In the meantime, the Skog collection will help to fill our home in Malmö with the calm scent of the Scandinavian Boreal forest, and serve as a wonderful reminder of our weekend - if only I'd won that game of Cluedo!

Do you love the forest too? If so, I'd love to hear more about your favourite time of the year to visit and what you like to do in the forest.

Oh, and one final thing: exciting news, you can win the SKOG hand cream, hand wash, hand lotion, bar soap, body wash, scent diffuser and scented candle 190g on my instagram this weekend. Hop on over tomorrow (Saturday) if you'd like to enter!

Have a fabulous weekend friends!

Niki

This weekend was part of an ongoing partnership with Skandinavisk. All words and pictures are my own and I only ever work with brands that I love and think you will too. Thank you for supporting the businesses that make My Scandinavian Home possible. 

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Four Day Travel Guide: Helsingborg, Helsingør and Kullaberg

In paid collaboration with Visit Helsingborg. Thank you to Visit Helsingborg for making this trip possible. All words and pictures are my own and I genuinely love this part of the world so it was a pleasure to produce this guide! 

Helsingborg, what a great Swedish city! I received so much positive feedback from my Helsingborg city guide last summer, I thought I'd create a follow-up to include some of the beautiful surroundings. 

I am a big fan of the area as my husband is from Helsingborg. I've also had the opportunity to spend plenty of time in the surrounding area since Per's father and stepmother live in a charming fishing village in Kullaberg - a peninsula and nature reserve jutting out into the Kattegat Sea, north of the city. I have to say, the region is a firm favourite of mine. If you love art, farm shops, vineyards, spectacular coastlines and great food, you're bound to fall in love too! 

I've also extended my guide to include a day trip to the picturesque Danish town of Helsingør - a short 20-minute ferry ride over the Öresund strait. Helsingør is home to the UNESCO heritage site Kronborg castle - the home of Hamlet and a perfect place to wander the cobble streets in search Danish antiques, second hand clothes and experience a buzzing restaurant and cafe scene. Ready to feel inspired? Here's my four-day guide to the area. 

Getting there: the southern Sweden city of Helsingborg is easily accessible by train from Copenhagen airport, Malmö and Stockholm. You can also arrive by ferry from Helsingør Denmark. 

Day one - Helsingborg

Check-in at Elite Hotel Mollberg

Occupying a historic 14th century building on Stortorget a short walk from the train station, Elite Hotel Mollberg's couldn't be better located. Plus the impeccably decorated restaurant / breakfast area and the beautiful high ceilings and period features will send your design heart into a flutter! 

I also love small boutique V Hotel - and Clarion Hotel Sea U is a popular choice with its rooftop pool. 

Explore Helsingborg 

There is so much to do in this wonderful city. See my guide to 48 hours in Helsingborg last summer for all my favourite sites, design shops, cafes and restaurants! 

You might like to pay a visit during the forthcoming H22 City Expo (30th May - 3rd July 2022) which promises a full schedule of exciting cultural events, guided tours, music and entertainment and gastronomical experiences for all ages!

Kärnen

Something I missed in my previous guide but well worth a visit is Kärnen. Located in the centre of town by Stortorget, the medieval tower is the last remaining section of a larger fortress built by the Danes. It controlled the entranceway between the Kattegat and Øresundsbron sea along with Kronborg castle in Helsingør. Standing 35 metres high, a spiral staircase will lead you to the top, from where you can enjoy spectacular views - and get your breath back!

Sofiero

A cycle or bus ride from Helsinborg will take you to the magnificent Sofiero castle and grounds which bursts into life in springtime. My family and I often visit for a stroll around the gardens, to nip into the nursery shop, see the latest exhibition and enjoy lunch at the Orangeriet. I've even been to a few open-air concerts here - keep an eye on the events calendar for details! 

Recover from your day by treating yourself to a culinary experience at Chateau Foret (listed in the White Guide), or head to the water's edge and tuck into seafood at one of my favourite restaurants: Sillen & Makrillen. 

Day Two - Helsingør, Denmark

Hop on a ForSea battery-operated ferry to Helsingør - the picturesque Danish town on the opposite side of the strait. There are about four boats and hour and the 20-minute, 4-kilometre crossing will take you straight to the town centre. 

Per explained that some Swedes never get off the boat - choosing to go back and forward across the sound while enjoying the lively ferry bar (I saw it in full swing later on in the day - he wasn't kidding)!

Kronborg Castle, Helsingør

You can't visit Helsingør and not go to Kronborg castle! Known as Elsinore in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Kronborg is a 15th century renaissance castle and a designated UNESCO world heritage site. Keep an eye on the official website for guided tours, treasure hunts and open-air plays. 

Stroll the streets 

An easy day trip from Copenhagen (and an even easier one from Helsingborg!), Helsingør is incredibly picturesque. Take good walking shoes as you'll want to take your time to wander the pretty cobblestone streets and small courtyards while popping in and out of boutique stores! 

Antique and second-hand stores

The bustling town is full of small antique, vintage and second-hand stores selling unique Danish treasures. I particularly loved Bror & Søster, situated down a small side lane off the main shopping drag. 

Another favourite is the tiny Louies Brocante which spills out onto the cobbled backstreet.

Keep a look out for the Saturday flea markets on Svingelport (0.00 - 15.00). Arrive early for the best bargains and enjoy live music, a great coffee and a Danish pastry at Lagoni. 

A word of warning, many shops close as early as 14.00 - 15.00 on Saturdays so go early to make the most of your trip! 

There are many great places for lunch - including seafood restaurant Jellyfish. As a Helsinborg guy, Per insisted we paid a nostalgic visit to the main square - along with throngs of other Swedes - to tuck into a traditional Danish smørrebød (open sandwich) accompanied by a Carlsberg (of course) and a customary shot of snaps! The square had such a wonderful, lively atmosphere (it could have had something to do with the snaps!) - we could have stayed all day! 

But our ferry was waiting, and it was time to head back to Helsinborg to continue with the tour! 

Day Three - Höganäs and Mölle

A 40-minute ride on the 220 bus will take you from Helsingborg to the small coastal town of Höganäs, in Kullaberg. 

Salthallerna, Höganäs

I always start my visit to Höganäs at Salthallerna. The former industrial site is home to a great homeware and clothing boutique as well as a host of art exhibitions. You might want to stay for a while as it also has a great cafe selling divine tasting kanelbulla (cinnamon buns). Keep a look out for a new restaurant and BadAss Ceramics opening soon! 

Saltglaserat ceramics 

Next door, you'll find the famous Höganäs Saltglaserat workshop and store where you can watch the potters in action and pick up beautiful ceramics to take home.

Garage Bar & Höganäs Bryggeri

Around the corner you'll find Garage Bar - famed for it's 'nothing less than junk food royal' slogan - needless to say our kids love it! And Höganäs Bryggeri where you can sample locally produced brews (a favourite of Per's!). 

Keep an eye on the events calendar for Blå Hallen - a short walk away. It hosts some amazing flea markets in the summer! 

Kvikbadet

Feeling like you need to re-energise? Book a slot at the wonderful Kvickbadhuset sauna by the harbour. We often go as an extended family on big holidays such as Christmas and Easter, it's a wonderful way to cleanse the mind, body and soul!

Bike tour from Höganäs to Mölle

If you're feeling energetic, hire a bike in Höganäs harbour and follow the Kategattleden to Mölle. It's hard to say how long it takes as I kept stopping to take pictures and enjoy the view - but it's around 10 km and an easy ride - very flat! 

The bike trail follows a disused, converted railway line which takes you along the coast, passing farmland, forests and small, pretty fishing villages, including Nyhamnsläge and Lerhamn. 

Krapperup Castle

Don't miss signs to Krapperup castle (as a Brit it took me a while to get over the name!) along the way (for those who opted for the 222 bus instead - there's a bus stop right outside!). The grounds of the 16th century castle are beautiful - especially when the rhodendrums are in full bloom. You'll also love the cosy cafe, art gallery and boutique. 

Mölle

Continue your cycle ride through the nature reserve until you come to the picturesque 19th century fishing village of Mölle (bus number 222 will also take you from Höganäs to Mölle) and then rest your weary legs quench your thirst at one of the many Harbourside cafes and restaurants. 

Check in to Grand Hotel Mölle

Follow in the footsteps of smart, early 20th century holiday makers, who flocked to Mölle by train to enjoy a rejuvenating stint at this 'badhotell' (bath hotel), today known as Grand hotel Mölle. Per and I stayed in the turret which had wonderful views over Mölle!

Mölle Krukmakeri

You can't visit this village without popping into Mölle Krukmakeri - a ceramics atelier and popular boho hangout, serving great pizza! I have several of their bowls at home too. 

Hike to Kullens Lighthouse

Depending on how you arrived in Mölle, you might be feeling energetic enough to hike along the coast Northwards to Kullens Lighthouse - climbing over granite rocks dotted with pink thrift, and through incredible ancient beech forests as you go . Take your swimmers - there are plenty of bathing places along the way! If you're short on time but still want to take in the views from the tip of the peninsular, there's also a parking spot 300 metres away. 

Cocktails and supper at Ransvik Havsvaranda 

On the way back from the lighthouse, you'll pass Ransvik Havsvaranda - an absolutely wonderful restaurant nestled in the cliff overlooking the sea. On summer evenings it comes alive with locals enjoying cocktails and dinner out on the terrace. 

Day Four - Arild - and the Kullaberg countryside

I've packed in a LOT activities on day three - so you might want to take your foot of the peddle and save some of the areas around Mölle for the fourth day. In summertime there are lots of extra activities available such as s whale and propose boat safari in the Kullaberg nature reserve. There are also many wonderful trails to explore by foot or mountain bike! 

On your way back to Helsingborg, take a short detour to the pretty fishing village of Arild, stopping off at Flickorna Lundgren for a traditional fika (coffee and cake).

Another favourite stop is the restaurant and farm shop Trädgården På Skäret - I'm told their oyster and champagne lunch in summertime is not to be missed! It looks like I'll need to return to the area soon! 

I hope you'll find this guide useful, and it might inspire you to come and explore this wonderful part of the world! 

If you'd like to visit Helsingborg soon, why not come during the H22 City Expo between 30th may - 3 July 2022. The 30-day event promises captivating, exhilarating and innovative cultural attractions, exhibitions, talks, music and entertainment for all ages and gastronomical experiences. Find out more about the H22 City Expo and plan your visit. 

Please do feel free to add your own tips from the area below - there are so many amazing places to visit that I'd need to write an entire tome to cover them all! 

Wishing you a great weekend!

Niki

Photography: copyright - Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home

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