Update: My very own picture wall

Way back in February, I wrote about wanting to create a picture wall in our living room, and I realized I haven’t really given an update on that! Well, I tend to have a million ideas and plans, and I also tend to abandon the larger part of them rather quickly. But this project I actually completed, and here is the result!

picturewall1

I’ve actually already changed one of the pictures in the frames, and I’ve added something new as well. That’s the beauty of the picture wall - it’s easily adaptable to taste, season, etc.

picturewall2

For my own picture wall, I decided to have a nice mix of prints and photos, and I added the two wooden letters for our initials L and M that we once got for a christmas present, to mix things up a little bit.

picturewall4

I found this classic “DANMARK” print at one of my favorite stores, Girlie Hurly (for a really nice review of the story, check out Melanie’s blog “Dejlige Days”), and I just love it. I keep wanting a Copenhagen map from Kortkartellet, but they only come in sizes too big for the picture wall. I’ll just have to find another place for it!

picturewall 3

On the other side, we have my lovely “YapYap” print, a funny postcard in German (to balance out the Danish! It reads “Shh, is that a chocolate cookie calling?”) and a picture of the best pets ever to walk this earth (who both, sadly, passed away). They will always hold a special place in my heart, so I put them up there as well!

I’m always looking for new ideas and inspiration, so if you know of a great artist, let me know!

Day dreaming: A New England beach house

Not that I don’t love Copenhagen right now, especially when it’s so nice and sunny out (okay, except for today). but one of the top travel destinations on my must-go-to-list (which is long and ever-increasing) is the East Coast of the United States, namely New England. Especially in the summer months, I would love to go up there and spend some time in one of the classic New England summer houses, typically decorated with a nautical/ coastal theme, lots of white and blue, and just the right pinch of shabby chic.

I’ve collected below some of my favorite pictures from Pinterest that I like to look through and dream myself away to sunny days spent reading on the front porch, tanning on the beach, sailing on the sea, walking on the pier, discovering New England’s typical seaside villages, and long nights with a nice barbecue and a glass of wine, with the sounds of the ocean in the background…

Lighthouse in Nantucket

Beach cottage

Classic blue and white interior

Classy white living room with blue accents

Love the four-poster bed

Another lovely bedroom with shutters for extra beach feeling

Pillows and linens

Wooden boxes - essential for the beach cottage style

Nautical decor all over!

 

If you don’t have a couple of hundreds bucks to spare for a last-minute plane ticket over there, you can capture some of the East Coast spirit with a classic cocktail, the Cucumber Cape Codder, made with vodka, cranberry juice, lime and cucumber. Here’s the recipe from Martha Stewart. Cheers!

A weekend wishlist

I’ve been out from work this week for medical reasons, and since I was mainly lying around on my couch, that gave me plenty of opportunity to browse the net and find a lot of great things to put on my wishlist…

For example, how great is this lemonade jar from HouseDoctor?

On the website here, find a local dealer here

Just ordered a pair of these Lacoste slippers - can’t wait to wear them around the summer house!

Lacoste “Marice” slippers, via Zalando here

Now that spring is here, I can’t wait to get my hands of some fresh rhubarb! I’ve pinned about a thousand recipes already, but how pretty do these meringue nests look?

Meringue nests with basil scented strawberry rhubarb compote, recipe here

Since I’m currently not allowed to wear heels, I’m always hunting for nice flats and sneakers. How cute are these seersucker keds? I’m obsessed with the nautical style!

Seersucker keds, via Urban Outfitters

For all the nice spring flowers, I want one of these adorable flower pots! They also come with the print “A little flower makes me smile”.

Madam Stoltz flower pot

Finally, I really, really, really want to go back to Croatia…

Croatia in seven stops, travel tips here

 

Spring favorites - what I love this week

I am known to obsess about things, every once in a while… okay, okay, ALL THE TIME.

This is a (non-exhaustive) list of things I’m currently crazy about, in no particular order!

 

White Converse sneakers

white_converse

I mean, how great are they?! I’ve had them for a couple of years, but haven’t really worn them in a while. Why not, you ask? Good question! I’ll definitely pull these babies out more often this spring and summer!

 

Pleated skirts

pleatedskirts

I love skirts, in general, and the latest spring trend of pleated skirts (mostly tea-length) is really cute. I love the way that they are styled in the pictures, and I have my eyes on that Zara one in the upper right corner. Doesn’t it have the greatest colors?!

Lemons

lemon_recipes

Maybe it’s a spring thing, but I am currently finding myself pinning insane amounts of lemon-based recipes, for example Lemon Creme Brulee, Lemon Sorbet or Lemon Pasta with Asparagus and Bacon. I’ll have to try them all, and soon!

Fedoras/ straw hats

fedora

First of all, I’m not a hipster (I hope!), and second of all, I know I’m late to the party, but better late than never, right? I just love the laid-back style, it just screams long summer nights and bonfires to me.

Coral

coral

This might just be my favorite color for spring and summer. Admittedly, anything coral you wear looks much better with a tan, but I’m working on that! The “I heart you but I’ve chosen disco” t-shirt (Ganni) is on my wishlist, and essie’s “Sunday Funday” is one of my go-to nailpolishes these days!

Sommerhusstil - Danish summer cottage style

Yesterday was the first day that actually felt like spring, and the first day this year that allowed me to pull out my sunglasses. The day itself was beautiful, with fresh air, clear blue skies and non-stop sunshine. We spent it with a family brunch and birthday in Frederikssund in Northern Sjælland (Zealand), and after a downright food orgy with brunch, coffee, cake and sweets, we took a walk on the beautiful Roskilde Fjord. One thing I love so much about Denmark is that, no matter where you are, you’re never far away from the ocean. I’ve always wanted to live near the water, so this is absolute heaven for me. And the walk along Roskilde Fjord was stunning, with the sun in the blue sky, the clearest, freshest air, and the calm water as far as the eye could see… on the way back, we passed through a small, idyllic residential area, where every couple of houses, you’d see a “dannebrog” flying in the soft ocean breeze. I forgot to bring my phone or camera to the walk, so no pictures, unfortunately.

But this amazing day in Nordsjælland made me think of Rørvig, where my boyfriend’s parents have a “sommerhus”, a typical Danish summer cottage, near the beach, and where we’ve spent some time last summer. We’ll probably go up there again for the traditional family Easter lunch this year, and hunt for chocolate in the garden.

Danish summer houses have a very unique style. The classic “sommerhus” is usually a one-story building made of black wood, with white windows, surrounded by a small garden area with bushes and trees. Many sumer cottages have a flagpole as well, and usually you will see some bikes leaning against the house or standing in a shed. The interior is cozy and homely, the famous “hygge” is as important as ever. The traditional “sommerhusstil”, or summer house style, is very romantic. As opposed to the stylish, clear and modern interiors you find in fancy Copenhagen and Frederiksberg apartments and houses, summer houses will have plushy couches, fluffy pillows, carpets and curtains. Many summer houses have wood-burning stoves or fireplaces, because evenings and nights in the Danish early or late summer can be chilly. (When we arrived for our vacation last summer, we almost smoked out the entire house when trying to get a little fire going to warm us up…)  As for the colors, furniture will often be white or of light wood, and color schemes range from romantic pastels to nautical-themed blue and navy tones. I’ve really fallen in love with the Danish summer house, and we’ll probably be spending some time there again this summer. For me, summer cottages mean long, wam nights, cycling to the beach, barbecue on the porch, and drinking a cold Carlsberg. They mean “hygge” and relaxation. They are the epitome of Danish summer.

Typical Danish summer house

Front porch for playing games and barbecues

Inside the sommerhus: Fireplace

A green oasis for relaxation

Some interior brands capture the essence of the Danish summer house:

Greengate: Romantic designs, floral patterns and soft pastels are the trademark of Danish company Greengate, and you’ll probably be able to find many a Greengate product in Danish summer houses. http://www.greengate.dk

Cath Kidston: Similar to Greengate, this UK brand is also focusing on playful patters, romantic flowers and pretty colors. If you like the “shabby chic” trend, you’ll also be right at home here! They also have clothes and accessories available in the online shop. www.cathkidston.com

Lene Bjerre: I’ve written about this brand before, but if I had a sommerhus, I’d be sure to put a ton of their products in there! They are less playful but no less girly and pretty, with more natural colors and high quality materials. http://www.lenebjerre.com

There are some blogs I’ve found that are dedicated to the Danish sommerhus:

Further, I’ve found some great posts here:

  • Transforming a summer cottage from French style to “sommerhusstil”: here
  • A very stylish and pretty Danish summer house: here
  • Recommended Danish summer cottages in shabby chic style or black-and-white style (in German)
  • Ready for hygge and sommerhusstil: here
  • Shabby chic romantic summer house: here