Free-range family: A country home for a big family

This big-city crew traded the concrete jungle for a calmer, fresher life in the country. With nature as their next-door neighbour, their safe and welcoming home is where their three children have the freedom to learn, play and thrive.

Three small children and their parents go happily about their business in a dining area with a grey-brown KLIMPFJÄLL table.

Why did you move to the country?

‘We loved our life in the city, but fitting a big family into a small apartment was a tight squeeze. We dreamed of moving somewhere with a little more space, and lower rent, where our three little ones could grow up closer to nature. When we were both able to work remotely, we decided to just go for it!’

A person pouring water from a black watering can onto a raised flower bed in a garden filled with green plants.

A black-and-white, schematic sketch of the layout of a home.

A white HEMNES bench with shoe storage and grey-mesh IVAR cabinets in a mudroom. A bright-yellow exterior door stands ajar.

A JÄTTELIK dinosaur-decor storage bag with toys in and around it stands on the wooden floor of a hallway.

A girl in a dress stands on a yellow TROGEN children’s step stool placed in front of a black TOFTBYN mirror in a hallway.

In this family’s country home, growing up is the greatest adventure of all. Take a look at their new life closer to nature, with fun and learning at every turn.

What was important to you when furnishing this house?

‘When you come into our home, we want you to get the feeling that family comes first. We chose bigger furniture so everyone can be together, and added activity zones and storage just for the kids. We also went for a more traditional style to enhance the country feeling.’

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A large living room with a white GRÖNLID 4-seat sofa with chaise longues, a white LUNNARP coffee table standing next to it.

A pair of blue NORDRANA baskets with shoe-care accessories hang from a black PINNIG three-hook rack on a white wooden wall.

A man and a child play-wrestle in a hallway amid hanging clothes, a skateboard, and toys in a JÄTTELIK dinosaur storage bag.

A wooden-floor room with a white PAX/GRIMO wardrobe combination by the far wall. A pendant lamp hangs from the ceiling.

A white HEMNES combined bench and shoe storage unit stands in a hallway, holding multiple colourful shoes and boots.

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Get the look

The fresh, country feel of this home is achieved by pairing traditional-style furniture with pops of primary colours and patterns.

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How did you make your home functional for a big family?

‘Storage, storage and more storage. A lot of stuff goes along with three children and all the adventures of country life, so we had to find good places to pack it all away. The things that the little ones use often are kept in low, easy-to-reach spots, so they can find what they need and pack it away themselves.’

See all storage & organisation

A girl sits on a PERJOHAN pine bench that stands beneath a window. Beside the window stands a grey HAUGA high cabinet.

A living-room section where a grey HAUGA high two-door cabinet holding storage and decoration stands between two windows.

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Fun and creativity feels like a big part of this home

‘Yes! We really believe in learning by doing, so we’ve tried to make every area of the house a place where the whole family can create or play. The dining area isn’t just where we sit down for meals together, it’s also where we do crafts, look after plants, read together and work from home.’

Next to a plant pot and beneath flower-themed wall art hang cleaning accessories from a HÖVOLM oak six-knob rack.

A BERÄKNA glass vase with a single stalk in it stands in a window. A MORGONTIDIG glass dome covers a similar vase next to it.

A pine-and-black VANILJSTÅNG plant stand beneath a window holds gardening accessories and several sprouting plant pots.

A section of a white wood-panel wall with a HÖVOLM oak six-knob rack holding various brushes and cleaning accessories.

A wide, doorless opening connects a living room to a dining room, the latter with a grey-brown KLIMPFJÄLL dining table.

Is there anything you miss about the city?

‘The internet out here is a lot slower... and there also aren’t as many options for eating out! But that’s made us appreciate home-cooked food more. Now that we have a garden, we grow our own fruit and veggies which we love turning into delicious meals or sweet treats.’

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A worktop in a red-tiled kitchen where a freshly baked pie in a grey HEMMABAK springform rests on red HILDEGUN pot holders.

Multiple utensils hanging from black HULTARP rails in a red-tiled kitchen with a white marble-effect worktop and grey fronts.

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What’s your favourite part of the house?

‘Tough question. We love every room, but—as busy parents—our bedroom is such a calm and cosy retreat at the end of a long day. It has a comfy bed, generous wardrobes, and even an extra workspace for when one of us needs some peace and quiet to send a few emails.’

See the HAUGA bedroom series

A room with a large bed by a window, grey BLÅVINDA bed linen, a grey HAUGA bedside table and a white RISBYN pendant lamp.

A bedroom where one wall is taken up by grey HAUGA sliding-door wardrobes, its front lit up by top-mounted spotlights.

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By a large, gridded window stands a beige BJÖRKBERGET chair and a grey HAUGA desk with a dark-grey HEKTAR work lamp on it.

Section of a bedroom interior in a light colour scheme with a white, onion-shaped RISBYN pendant lamp.

A sunlit bed standing beneath a gridded window. The bed is made with grey BLÅVINDA pillowcases and quilt cover.

Part of a bedroom with a dark-grey REMSTA armchair, contrasting against an otherwise light colour scheme.

The back of a beige BJÖRKBERGET swivel chair, where a pocket formed by zipped-together textile flaps hold two notebooks.

Any tips for children sharing a room?

‘They’re all still small, so one room for our three little ones has worked out well. Since they play so much outside and elsewhere in the house, we didn’t have to fit everything in here. There’s enough space for their beds, clothes and a few of their favourite toys. To make sure it’s safe for all of them, we’ve secured their furniture to the wall, and have chosen toys and bed linen that are suitable for all ages and free of toxic chemicals.’

See the full children’s room

A children’s room with a pair of side-by-side, white SLÄKT extendable beds. Toys, decorations and storage line the walls.

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What’s the best part of the day?

‘Bath time in the evenings is always special. Even when the children are covered in mud and sleepy, hearing stories about their adventures and what they’re looking forward to tomorrow, makes us realise moving here was so worth it.’

See all bathroom storage

A white-tiled bathroom with a plant in the window, a bath behind a shower curtain and a grey ENHET wall storage combination.

An anthracite-and-grey ENHET wall storage combination placed against a white-tiled wall and holding bathroom accessories.

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A white-tiled bathroom with an ENHET/TVÄLLEN bathroom furniture set. Beneath stands a VILTO step stool.

A toy zebra standing on a washcloth placed on a grey ENHET cabinet in a white-tiled bathroom.

A green JÄTTELIK stegosaurus towel with hood hangs from a hook next to a bath in a white-tiled bathroom.

Neatly stacked, light-beige VÅGSJÖN towels lie along with other bathroom accessories on a wooden step stool.

A white-tiled bathroom wall with a blue NORDRANA hanging storage unit on a black PINNIG coat rack and bench combination.

Which part of the house makes your life easier?

‘The current record for an empty laundry basket in our house is around fifteen minutes, so our laundry has been a life changer. From sorting, scrubbing and soaking, to washing, drying and ironing—this room takes care of it all. We even dip-dyed our curtains in here last weekend!’

See the full dip-dyeing tutorial