A magnificent chalet in the Austrian Alps

A few weeks ago I was invited to visit the Bernd Gruber studio and workshop in Kitzbühel, in the Tyrol region of The Alps, Austria (imagine the little dance I did when it dropped into my mail box). Bernd Gruber is a carpentry and interior design business working with clients all over the world to create bespoke homes. Not only are the team passionate about incredible craftsmanship, honest materials and attention to detail (the fittings and furniture are created in their workshop in the quiet countryside of the Stuhlfelden region), the occupants are central to everything they do. 'The things we surround ourselves with know far more about us than we think: we are not the same person in each room. This knowledge allows us to create rooms that suit the character of their inhabitants – by telling a story about that character, ' says Bernd Gruber, who took over the business from his Father in 1992. Located a few kilometres from Kitzbühel, Chalet Jochberg was completed in 2015 and is a fine example of their work. The interior is both modern and timeless in equal measure and beautifully crafted down to every last detail. I could just imagine returning here every afternoon after a day in the mountains, how about you?!

All photography by Alexander van Berge.

What an incredible space?! The natural materials, the warmth of the wood, the incredible finish - and of course that view! I can just see myself sitting amongst those cushions with a good book and a glass of Gluehwein, how about you?

Is there anything that catches your eye?

Thank you Bernd Gruber for a fabulous weekend in Kitzbühel. I hope one day you're able to design my mountain chalet (I just need to to acquire one first......eh hem......anyone want to go in with me?!).

It's been a while since I've been in The Alps and there's no way I could leave without hitting the slopes! I had such a magical day skiing, taking in the scenery, snapping inspiring log cabins, enjoying the fresh air and of course, picking myself up from the odd wipe-out!  Have you ever been skiing in Austria? If not, I can highly recommend it!

Have a wonderful weekend!

An idyllic white and wood Scandinavian style cabin

Wouldn't it be a dream to do up a summer cabin? I'm forever creating moodboards in my mind  - white floors, sheepskins, a sofa next to a roaring fire, an outdoor bathroom....(what does yours look like?). Perhaps we can all take some inspiration from John and Juli Baker's idyllic summer cottage overlooking Lake Huron in Canada? As owners of Mjölk, which sells 'pure, honest, and essential' items for the home with a gallery exhibiting 'work by artists and artisans from Scandinavia and Japan', it makes sense that the recently updated (see previous pictures here) country retreat has a Scandinavian look and feel to it.  Think white washed walls and floors and plenty of natural wood. Let's take a tour...

Source: John & Juli Baker / Mjölk - shared with kind permission. 

Pared back and simple yet super cosy. Everything that a rural retreat should be. 

Could you imagine spending your weekends and holidays here? 

Almost all the items you see in John and Juli's cabin are available at Mjölk - perfect!

For more inspiration in a similar style you might also want to check out their Toronto apartment.  And there's an entire archive dedicated to beautiful Scandinavian style cabins here (if this home comes up first just scroll past it). Feel free to dream away. You never know when that second home might crop up! Or perhaps you already have a summer cottage - in which case we'd love to see pictures?!

And that folks, is it from me - oh, except for an incredibly exciting give-away this weekend - so stay tuned and don't forget to stop by!

Right, better get packing for my trip to London and Norway now - eeeee, so excited!

Have a wonderful weekend and see you Monday!

A pared-back forest cabin in Holland

I do love a pared-back rural retreat. Every Friday I dream about packing my weekend bag and zooming off to the countryside. There's something wonderful about the back-to-basics, fuss-free life-style, don't you think? This lovely cabin is located in a forest in The Netherlands. The owners (with the help of stylist Kim Timmerman) have brought in hints of the great outdoors - including a bird garland, animal motif cushions and bedding, and a branch used as a clothes rail and kept everything else very simple. Oh, how I could unwind here, how about you?!

Stylist: Kim Timmerman   Photography: Rene Gonkel

Lovely! 

And there's good news too. It's available for rent here (oh yes! I've packed my bags I'm ready to go....).

I'm bsolutely loving all these Scandinavian inspired country cottages / cosy cabins too

My sister has just arrived from London *so great to see her*! We're heading off in a minute for lunch and a day of shopping in Copenhagen - I've been looking forward to this day for so long! 

Have a fabulous weekend! 

PS  If you're planning on doing any shopping, don't forget the 10% discount on all items from Blackthumb with the code MyScandi10 until 31st March. 

PPS Great weekend give-away coming up so stop by tomorrow if you have the time!

The rustic Norwegian cabin hide-away

It's the weekend! Yay! Any great plans? We'll be at home this weekend but what I'd really like to be doing is escaping to this rustic cabin high up on the cliffs of Western Norway.  Imagine taking a walk in the blustery north wind followed by a hot drink next to the roaring fire? That's a part of every day life for Norwegian couple Elin and Rune. As lovers of the great outdoors, the duo are firm believers in the saying 'there's no bad weather, only bad clothing' and wanted to live somewhere they could enjoy Storfjorden and the surrounding mountain range. The cabin developed stage by stage, and although basic, it has everything they need  to observe the changing weather and delight in the uninterrupted views of the nature that surrounds them.

 Photo: Carina Olander with kind permission 

Photo: Carina Olander with kind permission

Photo: Carina Olander with kind permission

Photo: Carina Olander with kind permission

Photo: Carina Olander with kind permission

Could you spend your weekend here?!

There's something so romantic about this retreat, don't you think?

I've spoken before about my dreams of walking one of the 'hytte to hytte' trails in Western Norway. I even asked my Mum for hiking boots for Christmas. Yes, really! But seriously, couldn't you walk 20 km just to spend a night in a 'hytte' like this?!

For more rustic log cabin inspiration (it's got to be done right?!) I love this Norwegian cabin by the sea, a Norwegian hide-away, and a pared-back Finnish retreat. Why do I do this to myself?!!

Have a truly fab weekend!

PS images found via House of C with thanks. 

An idyllic Finnish cottage with an outdoor summer kitchen

As January comes to a close and the short, snowy days continue,  I find myself dreaming of the summer sun more and more. And when it arrives - I'm going to be outdoors along with the rest of Scandinavia. That's why I thought I'd share the latest developments of one of my favourite summer cottages - an oh so idyllic family retreat on an island in the Finnish archipelego. The ongoing renovation project is driven by owner Minna Jones of Time of The Aquarius and her partner and has been well documented here on My Scandinavian Home (here and here plus her year round home here). To me, the residence epitomises the essence of the Scandinavian summer - life at a cabin with a beautiful, yet basic interior and maximised to ensure time outside enjoying the long awaited summer days. Last season the owners added an outdoor kitchen to the mix. And the good news? It's easily replicated.  Here are a few new snaps of Minna's home and her fab new outdoor kitchen.

Minna Jones, Time of the Aquarius

To get a similar outdoor kitchen: try painting an IKEA trestle table,  the water can with tap and lights are from Granit, buy a camping stove here. Finnish birch basket. Rattan furniture is set to be big this spring / summer - I'm a big fan of the uber comfy BYHOLMA chair.

Other items I know and love: Bertoia chairs, Butterfly chair and String shelves. IKEA PS 2012 chest of drawers and FÖRHÖJA kitchen trolley.

To get a full picture of the summer cottage and for more images of the plan, interior, grounds, surrounding nature and family life at the cottage you can wile away a few hours on Minna's dreamy blog.

I also absolutely love this Finnish log cabin with a sauna.

Summer in Finland anyone?!

And because it's still January (just): I loved how Scandinavisk summarises the 'Sense of Scandinavia' in Thursday's piece. And this beautiful video by Volvo featuring Amanda Begman's song 'Vintersaga' (winter tale) perfectly sums up the coldest season in Sweden- I was particularly excited to see it even features the beach by my house here in the South! Thank you AMM blog for the tip!

Have a lovely day!

PS Thank you so much to Ana of Blog Milk Shop for all your amazing technical help with my blog lately! Ana is not only my tech saviour but she also creates the most stunning blog templates available to buy here.  

Could you spend your summer in this log cabin?

As the snow falls outside I can't help but dream of cosy cabins. And then I found this one, deep in the heart of the Drents-Friese Wold National Park in Appelscha, The Netherlands (thank you Style Files!). Accessed by a long track, this lovely family owned log cabin is one of those magical places where you could be happy in any season, rain or shine, indoors or out. Imagine reading a book or playing games with family and friends by the wood burning stove? Or exploring the forests on cross-country skis (winter) or by bicycle (summer). There's even a lake for swimming within 500 metres. And the best news? It's available to rent. I know!!

Credits: Boshuisnijhildenberg. Post inspired by the Style Files. 

Could you holiday here?

I love the family's Pinterest boards which are built up of snapshots of everyday life at the cottage (which sleeps 8)...so lovely!

See you at the hand-over?!

I'm thinking why not go all out Dutch today with more inspiration from this lovely cabin and a lorry load of beautiful homes from The Netherlands here, I particularly love this fabulous rental home near Amsterdam.

Have a lovely day!

PS This post is not sponsored by The Netherlands tourist board - although I'd forgive you for thinking it! I'm simply feeling a whole load of love for this wonderful nearby country today!