Sanctuary surrounded by greenery on the Baltic Sea

Embedded in greenery with just minutes to bath cliffs, forest, and boat bridge awaits a charming oasis we discovered on Skeppsholmen, located in Saltsjöbaden, Sweden on the coast of the Baltic Sea. The residence was designed by architect Karl-Johan Palmstam, of approximately 1,616 square feet (150 square meters) in an open floor plan with large windows surrounded by patios where you can observe the sun from morning to evening. In the heart of the home are two lounges in open plan to the kitchen with a generous dining area.

Tasteful colors, details and materials selection creates a beautiful combination. The home has wood floors, fireplaces and large glass areas inviting nature. A modern and functional kitchen with white cabinetry features a fireplace and output to a fabulous terrace. There are two bedrooms and a separate bathroom. On the site there is a guest cottage with garden supplies in close connection to the main building. In connection with the terrace is a large greenhouse of 247 square feet (23 square meters), where you can catch a small glimpse of the water.

Beautiful Japanese inspired interiors

Japanese architecture firm Akio Kamiya Architect & Associates have just completed the ‘House in Tanimannari’, a two-part renovation project for a young couple in Okayama, Japan consisting of a total floor area of 4,068 square feet (378 square meters). The property consists of a two-storey detached room and a free-standing greenhouse; the design maintains a careful balance between the old and the new, being sensitive to the pre-existing main building while injecting a modern character through materiality and form.

Located west of the main house beyond a parallel-running retaining wall, the 344 square foot greenhouse provides a place to cultivate local Muscat grapes. The simple, square-shaped plan is pulled up to a symmetrically-sloping roof form that molds the space within into a triangular volume. Completely transparent save for the stacked stone base, the atmosphere of the interior shifts according to the trajectory of the day; natural daylight filters in through the grapevines and surrounding trees, resulting in a porously shaded space. Newly paved with white brick, the greenhouse retains thermal heat during the winter.

A former annex that housed two Japanese-style rooms and a small storeroom, the detached room of 968 square feet utilizes the original structure of the building, maintaining the rich identity of the exterior intact. The ground level accommodates an open dining and living space that features a kitchen at the center of its layout. A staircase at the back leads up to a bedroom that overlooks the area below through a set of sliding screens. Via

Visit the website of Akio Kamiya Architect & Associates here.

Glamorous vintage-inspired greenhouse

For a wedding present, Heather Cameron’s husband, Kevin, renovated a weathered potting shed on their property into a 10 foot by 12 foot greenhouse. He added 11 windows that he had gathered from a salvage yard to the greenhouse, adding panes to create a tempered-glass roof. Creating exactly what Heather had envisioned, the stunning greenhouse was brought to fruition. Then Heather got down to decorating her new retreat with vintage-floral pillows, white-painted furniture, and collections of mint green jadeite and milk glass vases. Everything she collected for her newly fashioned abode was gathered from Vintage Home, a nearby business that reinvents cast-off furniture and home accessories. “I never had time to use the shed for its original purpose as a place to pot plants,” recalls Heather. “I like it much more now as somewhere to escape to and curl up with a book, paint, or visit with friends.” Via

Lush, feminine florals and remade castoffs lend a homey feel to the interior of Heather Cameron’s small retreat.

Heather cut an old door in half lengthwise and placed the pieces on brackets for shelves.

Heather likes to layer jadeite and milk glass to make simple pieces stand out.

Bark cloth was chosen for floral-inspired accents.

A tin bucket turns into a sink when hung from a spigot.

Vintage luggage stacks up for an end table.

Hydrangeas found throughout the property have been collected and filled to the brim of an old metal tub.

A weathered ladder has been used as an inspired display for cups and vases filled with blooms from Heather’s garden.

An old chair from a garage sale has been repurposed with oil-based white paint and three yards of linen upholstery.

Heather Cameron used a carpenter’s tray for toting around various tools for her shed makeover.

A charming fairytale garden shed

This beautiful and very charming little garden shed and greenhouse, owned by Gail and Mark Dupar, is located on Decatur Island in Washington’s San Juan Islands. Tiny Decatur Island is a 31/2-square-mile speck of forested and rolling agricultural land. The farm house itself had been in Gail’s (a freelance artist in Seattle) family for over 100 years. With some creativity and smart planning, the garden workspace was transformed into what appears more like a cozy little vacation cabin. With the use of recycled materials, the cozy cordwood structure is a place to start seedlings, create flower arrangements, raise tomatoes, house garden tools, and lay freshly harvested shallots to dry on the warm brick floor. With the kitchen garden and an ancient well to water it, the couple has learned how to live off the harvest.

Constructed in almost two months, feauturing recycled beams from a pier repair project and cedar discovered on a nearby beach and sliced into rounds. The windows were salvaged from a yard-sale.

A durable workbench has been designed out of a 12-foot-long cedar slab.

Clear glass bottles encased in the wall filters light into the space. Darker bottles, marbles, and twiggy prunings fill in around them.

An antique leaded glass window is hung from a beam overhead.

The attached 8- by 12-foot greenhouse features a shadecloth-covered glass roof, which brightens the room.

The coil hose is long enough to reach all the plants in the greenhouse.

The flooring features brick set in sand atop filter fabric for simple drainage.

To reduce clutter, a salvaged kitchen cabinet was installed to house vases, seeds, and books. Hand tools are stored in a sand-filled crock.

A recycled wood table is used to display fresh cut flowers, the clippings are composted.

Flea market finds have been re-invented into planters for succulents. Be sure to drill a hole in the bottom for drainage!

Photos:  John Granen, Kathleen Brenzel