A Magical Hygge Holiday

Produced by Living4media/Lise Mari Stang-Jacobsen

A couple’s dream home comes alive as they celebrate their first Christmas.

Vibeke and Petter
have found the country cottage farmhouse they’ve dreamed of after years of looking. Now, they’ve decorated for Christmas for the very first time, making every corner feel cozy. Vibeke has a special talent for creating magic out of simple materials that is inspiring and attainable. “I like to tinker with things and create something out of very little,” she says.

The traditional barn red exterior accented with a bright, golden door is extra warm and welcoming with the fresh greens Vibike added for the holiday season.

Through the charming windows of the glass veranda, you can see the twinkle of many small lights. You can make out fir branches, wreaths and a warm atmosphere. As you get closer, you’ll see a rustic board with saffron buns, steaming cups and a beautiful centerpiece on the table. Vibeke’s beautiful still life displays and stunning tables are another forte. On Instagram, she has thousands of followers from around the world who are inspired by her at
@vibekedesign. She stands out among interior accounts, drawing you into a dream world through her photos. Today, she receives interior design and photography assignments both at home and abroad, and she loves to let her creativity flow. “When I get into that bubble, I really enjoy myself. My favorites are natural materials, flowers and recycled materials,” she says.

The Dream of a Cottage

Hunting for old treasures is a joy and interest that Vibeke and Petter share. Often, he gets more excited than she does. For several years, Vibeke dreamed of a cottage in Sweden—a haven where she could freely express her creativity. At the top of her wish list was a kitchen with a white-painted open fireplace with a bread oven—a “spis,” as they say in Sweden. When the couple first came for a viewing, it was far from the charming place it is today. The “spis” wasn’t there, but there was a small black stove in the corner, and they both saw that a fireplace could be built there. “I quickly got a bit excited when we were here, and creativity bubbled up inside me,” Vibeke says with a smile. “There was a lot that needed to be done, but I saw the possibilities.”

Soon after they got the property, they began renovating. They have renovated quite a bit at their former home as well and have great teamwork. They started with the first floor and slept in the TV room next to the kitchen. They traveled there on vacations and holidays to renovate, and Petter also went there alone quite often. In the kitchen, they hired a skilled mason to build the fireplace. The interior is from Ikea, with several unique details that give the kitchen a nostalgic feel.

Vibeke keeps her Christmas styling simple by adding splashes of red in her linens and pillows, bundles of fresh greens and florals. The aroma of fresh carved oranges fills the air.

The coat racks were purchased from a secondhand dealer, and the shelf was made by a carpenter for them. It has been planed and chiseled to look worn and lived in. “We chose surface treatments, like painting the floors and wallpapering the walls,” Vibeke says. “We have everything we need here, and now we’re just looking forward to exploring the local area. There are many hiking opportunities and a nice swimming spot nearby for summer!”

The glass veranda was also something Vibeke instantly fell in love with when they were here for the viewing. She enjoys styling and setting the table there all year round, and the beautiful panes are the perfect backdrop for photos. Vibeke loves the changes that the different seasons bring and decorates inside in sync with those changes. The colors in nature are something she incorporates, and the glass veranda has already been both red and Christmas-decorated, as well as Easter yellow with spring flowers. “I spend a lot of time outdoors collecting materials I use for decorations, bouquets, wreaths and table settings. And I do spend quite a bit on flowers,” she says.

The wallpaper she chose for the attic living room also features many different wildflowers, and Vibeke thinks it’s so lovely that the rooms each have different wallpaper and personality. Most of the time, she makes the right choices, but sometimes she must repaint or re-wallpaper. In one of the upstairs bedrooms, they initially chose a wallpaper with birds, which Vibeke felt was a bit too busy. But now she is very happy with it. At the end of the bedroom, they’ve built wardrobes with doors made from old windows. “I pick up inspiration here and there, but I also like to come up with creative solutions myself,” she says.

The first Christmas

The kitchen smells of oranges and Christmas when Vibeke takes out the engraving tool. In December, she decorates oranges with beautiful patterns, using them for decorations and displays. “I find peace when I’m tinkering with creative projects like this,” she says.

Vibeke finds it easy to add seasonal touches to her mainly white kitchen, Red towels and a checked apron, a few red mugs, and a trio of pomegranates are just the right touch.

There’s a cozy crackling from the dry birch wood in the fireplace, and the mulled wine is kept warm in a new brass kettle Petter found at a flea market. It’s almost time for “fika” (short breaks at 10am and 3pm) in the glass veranda with saffron buns and mulled wine.