The Greek island home

As I mentioned earlier on the week I'm still clinging to that summer feeling (are you?) - on colder days I'm even dreaming about summer 2015 (cue slight obsession with my Pinterest travel board!)! One country my family and I have our sites on next year is Greece. Oh how I'd love to rent a Greek island home. Which is why I was so excited to find this beautiful cottage on the Greek island of Lesvos (thank you Style Files!). It's the home of Australian author, photographer and designer Claire Lloyd and her British artist husband  Matthew Usmar Lauder. In 2007 Claire and Matthew fled the rat race for a more simple life on Lesvos, how inspiring?! You can read more about their adventures and see more pictures of this wonderful home in Claire's book 'My Greek Island Home'. And the good news? They have a guest house for rent...wow, wow and wow! Greece 2015 anyone?!

Photography Cara Coulson, Home owner: Claire Lloyd and Matthew Usmar Lauder

Photography Cara Coulson, Home owner: Claire Lloyd and Matthew Usmar Lauder

Photography Cara Coulson, Home owner: Claire Lloyd and Matthew Usmar Lauder

Photography Cara Coulson, Home owner: Claire Lloyd and Matthew Usmar Lauder

Photography Cara Coulson, Home owner: Claire Lloyd and Matthew Usmar Lauder

Photography Cara Coulson, Home owner: Claire Lloyd and Matthew Usmar Lauder

Photography Cara Coulson, Home owner: Claire Lloyd and Matthew Usmar Lauder

Photography Cara Coulson, Home owner: Claire Lloyd and Matthew Usmar Lauder

Photography Cara Coulson, Home owner: Claire Lloyd and Matthew Usmar Lauder

Could you spend your summer holiday here?!

For more Greek summer house inspiration you also might want to check out this Greek escape and this rustic retreat.

Speaking of summer holidays - make sure you pop back to enter my exciting weekend give-away tomorrow!

Have a lovely day!

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.

A super stylish get-away in Northern Sweden

I hope you had a great weekend?! I'm often receiving mails from readers asking for suggestions of wonderful places to stay in Sweden. And today I found a new tip - Sågverket - an oh so cool youth hostel / conference centre in Northern Sweden. Described recently in Residence magazine as Norrland's super stylish hang out, Sågverkat is a got-to place for romantic weekends, creative conference or simply somewhere to relax and get-away from it all in a stylish environment. Personally I'd go there just to enjoy the decor and scenery alone how about you?! But we all need to be quick, it's up for sale. Anyone sitting at their desk this Monday morning feeling like a new challenge?!

Fantastic Frank

To get a complete picture of the beautiful property and it's surroundings you can see more pictures over at Fantastic Frank.

Tempted?!

Today is my eldest daughter's first day at school. I thought she was so big until I dropped her off at the school gate this morning and she suddenly looked so small. I hope she'll be OK.....

And I hope you have a great start to your week too!

A beautiful pared-back Finnish cabin

Well hello Monday! I hope you had a great weekend? For my family and I it was a matter of unpacking and settling in back home punctuated by the odd dip in the Öresund sea. Although my summer holidays are over for this year (sniff sniff), it doesn't stop me dreaming and feel inspired by idyllic Scandinavian holiday homes. Take this Finnish summer cottage I spotted over at Emmas Design blog, for example. Belonging to Johanna Lehtinen and photographed by Krista Keltanen , this black, white and wood cabin is beautifully simple, letting the surrounding nature do the talking. Just as a holiday home should do. I could spend some downtime here, could you?

Photography: Krista Keltanen, Bolig Liv. Via Emmas Design blog with thanks.

What a location?!

Anything you love in particular about this summer cottage?

If you're after more Finnish cabin inspiration this bright Monday morning how about this one from Time of The Aquarius (pictures here and here) another fine eample of the pared-back Finnish holiday home style.

 Have a lovely day!

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 beautiful German boat house on the baltic

As you may know, I'm a big fan of the ocean. In fact any pool of salty water will do. In the summer I always strive to be on, near (or preferably in) the sea and I love exploring the Swedish islands on both the east or west coast by sail boat. Recently my husband and I have been talking a lot about exploring the German North coast too. And then this home popped into my mail box from the owners. Located in Rugen on the shores of the German Baltic coast, Strandwood House is nestled among boat houses looking out over the harbour. But then there's the inside too - white, grey and minimal allowing the tranquil views over the water do the talking. Forget sailing, I think we'll get the ferry over and rent this space next summer!

Strandwood House

Could you spend a summer holiday here?!

Or perhaps you're lucky enough to live on the Northern German coast yourself? In which case I'd love some tips for next summer! 

For more summer inspiration pour yourself a coffee this lovely sunny morning and scroll through these Scandinavian and international summer cottages. You'll feel like your there! 

Back to my own summer holiday - we're just leaving the beautiful Danish island of Samsoe - what a place?! The island is full of honesty shops where you can leave money for home grown fruit and vegetables, flowers and even bicycle hire. Do you have honesty shops where you live?! We're now heading South to discover other Danish islands.

I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday. See you in a couple of days! 

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!