Situated between two fjords of the North Sea, this Swedish vacation home was built to fit the needs of a couple who wished to be able to host themselves, their parents, and one set of other guests with ample privacy for each group. Constructed on a stilt system above a landscape of time-word seaside stone, the cabin compound is comprised of three distinct dwellings, each with its own living and kitchen spaces. All three cabins are oriented in the same direction architecturally and feature domed rooftops which help direct wind around their profiles, but the layout of the three dwellings allows each a unique view of the sea and complete autonomy. Inside the walls of each building, made from glass, wood, and corrugated metal, a single interior design theme creates unity, dominated by nearly orange wooden planks lining the walls and sparse yet comfortable furnishings. Small personalized touches give each cabin its own mildly changed environment; for example the parents’ cottage has traditional wicker beach house furniture instead of the contemporary pieces of the main home. While each residence is distinct in the details, they all form a single property, interlinked by decks and pathways between them and shared social space.
Set upon a fairly harsh rocky landscape, the main cottage is raised on stilts above the land surrounding it, enabling a flat platform to build on without destroying any of its surrounding environment. Additionally, the elevation of the house above the property gives picturesque views of the landscape for miles around.
The summer homes employ domed roofs to deflect predictable seasonal winds coming in unobstructed from the countryside, allowing air to slide over the top of each building without buffeting against the front facade. The domed roof also adds height to the compound’s interiors, opening up relatively compact rooms.
From the front, the main house looks like a futuristic, glass-walled vision of modern style, but retains a connection to building traditions through the use and reinterpretation of common materials, such as a wooden frame and corrugated metal exterior walls. The middle portion of the home’s front glass can be slid to the side for warm days, letting natural breezes through the dwelling.
In front of the main building, the only major alteration made to the landscape is the concrete filling of one rocky area to form an organically-shaped patio beyond the wooden deck off the living room. Around each side of the house, different wooden decks lead to stairs which connect the main house, guest suite, and parental cabin.
Inside, the rooms are made light and airy through a combination of intelligent layout, high ceilings, and bright colors to maximize the light entering through the wide windows. Most of the home’s walls and ceilings are covered in wooden planks with a sandy orange hue.
The front room of the master house, taking up its entire front wing, is comprised of a living room and a kitchen, separated on the rear edge by an ultramodern furnace but kept united as one space overall.
This wide front room gives impressive views of the rocks and seaside beyond, with only two places in which the windows of the house are interrupted by structural supports. During the day, no artificial lighting is needed in almost all of the main house’s rooms.
The building’s furnace shares the appearance of its smokestack with the hood over the house’s oven, unifying two items which are traditionally very different in design. Due to their proximity, however, it made sense to give the two pieces a similar look.
The kitchen features an island-style counter with cooking spaces and a sink, and storage is kept in wall-mounted cupboards behind the island which share their wood finish with that of the interior walls themselves. In line with the two vents already mentioned, the countertop is mirror-finish metal instead of stone.
Two eating spaces are present in the main dwelling: this dining table in the kitchen and a casual table for six on the concrete patio.
The furnishings inside are minimal and modern, yet ergonomic and inviting in appearance. As with the house as a whole, the decor theme here blends contemporary cues with practical comfort.
In the second, smaller cottage for the homeowners’ visiting parents, a private sitting room features its own views of the sea and more traditional beach house decor, including wicker furniture and a black-clad fireplace.
At one corner of the compound, the guest house occupies an additional angle looking out over the rocks and the water, with its own more conventional kitchen and storage space tucked under the roof for daily items. Just down the hall, the guest bedroom looks out onto a deck shared with the adjoining kitchen.
The master suite features built-in bedside tables (designed in right-angled contemporary fashion), sliding wooden doors, and other touches which help give the space even more warmth in comparison to the house’s public rooms, while still entertaining a full view out its left-side window wall.
Mats Fahlander
