Beni

Tjena! It's long been known that Swedes love their summer cottages - usually somewhere rural and near water for morning dips. But when you can enjoy a summer cottage lifestyle year-round like Kristin Lagerqvist does at her home in Varberg, West Sweden - a holiday home needs to offer something different. And Kristin and her family, found their paradise in Languedoc-Roussillon, Southeast France. True to Kristin's signature style, the home is decorated with local vintage and flea market finds and earthy tones which look beautiful beside the original French floor tiles and architecture of the old town house. On warmer days, life moves up to a rooftop terrace with a dining area and daybed. Bienvenue! How lovely!!  And what a wonderful change of scene! They must feel like they've really landed when they arrive. And I bet there's no end to the enjoyment Kristin gets from those French antique markets and curiosity stores. magnifique!   Her house is charmi...

It's Friday, the sun is shining in Malmö (for what feels like first time in months!) and we're pedalling a little extra fast as we move into the weekend. Woohooo! I hope you've got some relaxing / fun plans! Before we all hit the pause button, here's one final home tour for the week.  Eagle eye readers might recognise the living space, as I featured Tim Labenda's home a few years ago as part of a feature about my friend Igor Josif's book Plant Tribe . So much has changed in terms of the furniture arrangement and style that I felt a new tour was definitely in order. Captured by Laura and Nora (of Our Food Stories fame), Tim and his boyfriend Hannes Kraus' Berlin home is full of contrast, mid-century furniture, danish design (including my favourite Hans J. Wegner Flag Halyard Chair) plants and quirky touches (look out for the fabulous art behind the bed - more details at the bottom!). Buckle up friends, you're in for a treat!  I have to ...

Originally from Latvia, Ilze Upatniece and Gunars Upatnieks have lived in Berlin for ten years. They have long harboured a dream to own a house in Latvia as a place to return to for vacations with their children.  Three years ago, their dream became a reality when they found a plot of land near Saulkrasti on the east coast of the Gulf of Riga. Read on to find out more about the build and see pictures of the fabulous holiday cabin they've created!  What was the plot of land like before you started? It was a forest plot which meant we had to do everything from scratch. The electricity was already connected but we had to arrange water and sewage as well as countless other things!  What was your vision?  Originally, we wanted to build a larger house, but soon understood that with two full-time jobs on the side of Europe and two young children, a prefab tiny home was perhaps a better idea. For inspiration, I spent half my life on Pinterest , reading different int...

Allow me to take you back in time today. Well, you'd be forgiven for thinking so but actually, this charming Norwegian cottage belongs to Liv Sandvik Jakobsen - a freelance journalist, who has carefully restored the property, while being careful to keep the original charm. Liv and her family live in near the village of Kviteseid, 3 hours' drive West of Oslo. The cottage has views of the fjords, which are equally spectacular in the winter as they are in the summer, and all seasons in between! Inside, the wood panelling has been painted in soft earthy blues and greens to reflect the colours of the surroundings, and antique furniture provides cosy spots to gather around a table or keep warm by the fire. Ready for the tour? Welcome to Liv's cosy world in the Norwegian fjords!  Liv has used piping over the stove to store 'knekkebrød' - traditional crisp bread.  The interior is mainly made up of vintage and antique furniture, however you occasionally spot a...