A thoughtful rethink of a Swedish holiday home

What makes a holiday home feel special?

It’s rarely about big, complicated renovations. More often, it’s about a few careful decisions that help a holiday home tell its story more clearly. This gem, built in the 1970s, already had a lot going for it: generous windows, warm wooden details, and a layout that flowed naturally. For this makeover, we looked for ways to bring those qualities forward - while adding just enough to make it feel even more inviting.

At Landfolk, we believe every holiday home has the potential to feel personal and full of character - especially when it reflects the time and place it was built. With thoughtful updates, a space can become more coherent, more welcoming, and easier to enjoy. That’s something both guests and hosts benefit from.

A clearer flow, with colours that connect

To highlight the home’s existing features, long sightlines and large windows that bring the outdoors in, we partnered with Swedish paint brand Klint. Known for their curated palette and nature-inspired colours, Klint helped us find a soft green and a complementary palette that calms the living space and reflects the woodland surroundings. Before thinking about tones or colour pairings, Klint starts with a simple question:

“Start with the feeling you want the space to give. Should it feel calm and restful, light and airy, or maybe a bit more bold and playful?”

Their hand-painted sticker swatches could be easily placed directly on the walls and moved around, making it simple to see how each colour would look in different rooms and light - and helping us choose the tones that felt most natural for this particular home.

→ Read more about Klint’s colour philosophy here

Furniture with purpose and longevity

We also knew that furniture would play a key role in tying the spaces together - and in supporting the way the home is used, both by our hosts and their guests. In the dining area, we added a restored table, two Hedda chairs and a Ronja armchair from Gärsnäs - a Swedish company with more than a century of craftsmanship, rooted in a family-owned factory among the red beech trees in Österlen. Gärsnäs furniture is made locally, often using wood from the surrounding forests, and is designed to last, be repaired, and feel natural in the spaces it lives in:

“It is about bringing the actual outside inside, but it is also about effortlessly respecting the holiday home, its history and its provenance.”

→ Explore the full Gärsnäs story here

Flexible furniture for changing needs

In the living room, we added multifunctional pieces from Karup Design, whose minimalist approach complements the home’s original 1970s lines. In holiday homes, where spaces often serve different purposes throughout the day and across seasons, furniture that can adapt is especially valuable.

The sofa from Karup Design can easily be folded flat to serve as an extra sleeping space when needed, and the light, white upholstery helps make the room feel more open and airy, enhancing the natural light that already fills the space. By choosing flexible designs like these, we created a living area that feels calm and spacious while remaining highly practical for both hosts and guests.

Adding texture and atmosphere

Beyond colour and furniture, we made a few simple additions to soften the interiors and enhance comfort: new curtains for extra texture, additional lighting to create smaller zones throughout the open plan, and carefully chosen artworks from Swedish artists to give the home an even stronger sense of place. Existing furniture was selectively repurposed to maintain the home’s original character while creating a more coherent flow.

Why it matters

At Landfolk, our holiday homes aren’t just places to stay - they’re places that are loved. Most are used regularly by their owners, our hosts, who know the routines of the house, what matters most during a stay, and how to create a great experience. That care is something guests will notice immediately. When a home is gently updated with intention - using quality materials, calming colours, and timeless design - it becomes easier to live in, easier to maintain, and more enjoyable to return to. Hosts get more out of the spaces they already value. And guests experience a stay that feels warm, coherent, and truly personal. We believe it doesn’t take a complete and complicated overhaul to make a holiday home feel better. Often, it’s just about recognising what’s already working - and choosing details that will help it shine.