Life at home in the country

An open invitation

Despite being miles away from urban life in the forests of southern Sweden, Alex and Seb’s cosy and inviting cottage regularly sets the stage for friends – and flavours – from all around the world.

A change of pace

Five years ago, South African couple Alex and Seb swapped city life for the relaxed pace of Småland, a small county where trees far outnumber the local inhabitants. From growing up in the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg – a city of around 6 million people – and a pitstop in the German metropolis, Frankfurt, the couple were ready for a new adventure. “On one hand, packing up our lives to work and live in the Swedish forest seemed totally crazy," says Seb. "But it was also so different from anything we'd ever known – that we were curious to give it a try."

Half a decade and one dog later, it seems like the gamble has paid off, with the couple well settled into their 1930s cottage. The surrounding nature may be quieter than the buzz of the city, but having found a close-knit community of friends from around the globe, there’s always something going on. From weeknight potluck dinners together to holiday feasts, two things their circle shares is a love for food and community. Speaking of, a few friends will be stopping by for a late lunch today. So what's on the menu? "Pasta!" says Alex. "It's my go-to for something quick and delicious. I'm thinking a roasted garlic and squash sauce with creme fraiche and toasted pumpkin seeds."

View from a hallway into a bright kitchen with yellow cabinets.
Dining area with a table set with candles, coffee and cinnamon rolls.
Alex pages through a cookook, while the family dog sleeps on the floor in the background.

Seb and Alex seated at a dining table; Alex looks over at Seb writing a note, while holding a book about pasta in her hands.
A green-painted antique cabinet in the corner of a room.
Alex adds a sprinkle of salt to a cast-iron pan of pumpkin seeds being toasted.
Oven tray of roasted butternut squash and whole heads of garlic.
Overhead view of Alex chopping squash on a wooden cutting board.
Olive oil being drizzled onto a garlic and herb flatbread.

The heart of the party

As the focal point of the cottage's open plan ground level, the kitchen is where gatherings start – and sometimes stay. Its combination of sunny yellow-painted cabinets, light wood accents and warm lighting might have something to do with it! With its central island, guests can also gather around to watch and help as Alex, a self-confessed feeder, prepares anything from party snacks to a full-on feast. “It's tricky when I’m juggling pots of boiling water," laughs Alex, "but it's nice to have a kitchen that people want to be in."

Although the couple have plenty of cooking utensils and dinnerware (Alex is notoriously unable to leave a flea market without a plate or bowl) the kitchen feels surprisingly light on storage. With no overhead cabinets, everything goes under the worktops; giving the kitchen a softer, calmer and more open feeling. "Just don't open the drawers!" she laughs. The spare wall space doesn’t go to waste. A long rail near the sink not only allows the couple to grab tools such as strainers and chopping boards in mid culinary flow, but is also decorative; just like the stacks of wooden cutting boards, bowls of produce, and shelves of cookbooks. "I love to cook more than anything else," says Alex. "And I hope my kitchen shows that."

Alex stands at the island in the centre of the kitchen with yellow cabinets, holding a bottle of olive oil.
View of a corner of a kitchen with yellow cabinets and shelves of cookbooks, which opens to the dining area in the backgrounds.
Pans and other cooking utensils hanging from a copper hook rail on a white-tiled kitchen wall.
Seb styles an arrangement of flowers at the kitchen island.
The hob area of the kitchen with a cast iron pan on the stove, and a green-painted vintage chest of drawers in the background.
Corner of a kitchen with eggs, fruit and wooden chopping boards arranged on the worktop.

“Coming from South Africa, we both appreciate the power of colour – maybe even more so here in Sweden where the weather can be grey a lot of the time." – Alex

A journey well-furnished

Thanks to the open-plan layout of the home, it’s easy for guests to spill out into the living and dining room when the kitchen gets crowded. Alex and Seb's place is full of furniture that they've rescued, renovated and even made themselves – from the dining room table to the coffee table. It makes their home unique, "and always makes for a good story,” adds Seb. The shelving unit in the living room has had an especially interesting life. Made from reclaimed wooden planks from the construction of Seb’s childhood home in South Africa, "I had them as the headboard in my room when Alex and I first met," Seb explains. "Then we brought them with us to Germany, where they became floating shelves, and finally when we moved to Sweden I turned them into a freestanding unit."

The pale walls, light wood floors and painted wood ceilings throughout the home are typical Scandinavian style, but colour makes a strong appearance too. “Coming from South Africa, we both appreciate the power of colour – maybe even more so here in Sweden where the weather can be grey a lot of the time,“ Alex says. Bold paintings and posters from back home, painted cabinets and plenty of lights feel personal and inviting.

Wooden shelving unit styled with South African crafts, plants, storage containers, and an orange VARMBLIXT wall lamp.
A person seated in an armchair leans forward to interact with a black Finnish Lapphund dog.
Overhead view of a person seated on a rug on the floor holding a drink with a slice of orange in it.
A group of friends seated in a living area take pieces of flatbread from a wooden board.

“Music is like the bookmark of my life. A song can take me back to a specific time, place, the people I was with... even what I was feeling." – Seb

View of a living room with a sofa decorated with colourful cushions, a wooden coffee table and black FRÖSET easy chair.

Music and memories

With Alex in the lead on all things delicious, Seb gets to work on other sensory delights to make friends feel at ease. A vase of flowers and a few candles go a long way – but it's music, for Seb, that makes all the difference. A long, customised storage unit runs the length of the wall behind the sofa – displaying books and trinkets alongside Seb’s beloved record player and vinyl collection. On Fridays and when guests come over, Seb takes to his deck.

"I have a small collection of records that I try to add to every other month,” explains Seb. “I keep a stash of my favourites close to the record player, which I rotate depending on the mood in the house,” he explains. “Music is like the bookmark of my life. A song can take me back to a specific time, place, the people I was with... even what I was feeling." Alex agrees. "I feel like food does the same for me. So many of my most vivid memories are set around a table, sharing meals with all the people I've crossed paths with in life."

Alex and Seb seated around the coffee table in the living area with a group of friends.
A shelf in the bathroom styled with bars of soap, hand towels and lit pillar candles.
Close up of plant cuttings in small vessels filled with water near a window.
  • Kitchen island set for a meal with pasta toppings and condiments, cheese, olive oil, candles and dinnerware.
    Seb stands smiling with a bowl of pasta in his hands.
  • Two friends standing at the kitchen island with drinks and bowls of pasta.
    Close up of a hand twirling a fork into a bowl of pasta, with two people also eating bowls of pasta in the background.

What truly makes a home – is you!

Furnishing a home is all about using an empty space as a blank canvas for your memories, your passions, and all the things that make you feel your best. But where to start? On your local IKEA website, you'll find plenty of ideas and inspiration for creating a home that's unquestionably yours.