Set on a beautiful lakeside plot outside of Stockholm, this modern reappraisal of Scandinavian cottage architecture is a comfortable retreat for a city-dwelling family. Designed by Tham & Videgård Arkitekter, the home is exceptionally spacious, with a large common area featuring open views of the water, but is designed with privacy in mind as well. The main home’s bedrooms gain light from skylights, keeping the road-facing side of the home free of windows. In addition to that touch, an entire section of the home is detached and linked by an architecturally homogeneous awning, meant as a master or guest suite and featuring its own kitchen and bathroom facilities. This all means that, while the anyone staying in the home has easy access to commanding views and open spaces, they can also rest assured that their personal privacy is intact.
The general shape of the home is reminiscent of traditional Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish cottages in towns on the lakes and seas of Scandinavia, with gabled roof sections and simple charm. Tham & Videgård elected to keep their creation’s exterior largely free of distracting design elements, opting for a smooth concrete surface similar in hue to the bedrock of the home’s local area. Inside, the home adds some warmer tones with wood and paint. Sliding wood doors connect to each room from the main space, avoiding the need for square footage-consuming hallways. The warmer and more homey touches add to the tradition-inspired shape of the home to immerse homeowners in a space that is both strikingly modern and calmingly comfortable.
The immediate outdoor space of the home is well organized and fits into the architecture of the buildings themselves. A concrete bench, pool enclosure, and walkway all flow out from the home, extending its impact beyond mere walls.
The entire lake-facing side of the main building is taken up by a single long room, which has within it casual spaces for living and dining. This room is the main social area of the home, and can fit the occupants of every bedroom and then some. The glass is a more comlex arrangement than a single sheet so as to allow doorways and panels to be built into the home. This split glass arrangement also gives more visual definition to the home’s exterior, contrasting the smooth surface of the concrete.
The roofline of the home closely mimicks traditional Swedish cottage design, but is free of shingles or other adornment to generate visual continuity and ensure a clean, modern design.
Each section of the main room has its own egress point to the patio, yard, and the water beyond, so that somebody wanting to enter the yard from the kitchen need not obstruct the view of those in the living room to get there.
Since the home is closer to a major roadway than most of Tham & Videgård’s projects, liberties had to be taken at its rear to ensure that its owners would not be uncomfortable at their own getaway spot. To maintain the natual and private air of the view towards the lake, the only window in the back of the home is from the kitchen.
Because the weather doesn’t always hold up to ideal in northern Europe, a faux roofline awning bridges the gap between the main building and the detached master suite, with doors set in the side of each building directly underneath the cover. To avoid that awning being too imposing, it’s made of clear material and kept open-air.
The main living area is much more welcoming than many ultramodern living rooms, with ergonomically-shaped furniture and natural wood tones on the walls. It’s a space that is actually almost pedestrian in decor, without any strange touches.
At the back of the living room is a series of sliding panels that lead to a number of compact bedrooms, a functional modern kitchen, and the main building’s bathroom. When closed, they make an attractive full wall with uninterrupted wood tones.
This view is the reason for all the glass area on the home’s front. A direct contrast to the private concrete finish of the home’s rear, the glass-walled living room shows off why the homeowners are there in the first place.
The most traditional part of the home, this living room also features the most comfortable furniture. The cushioned couch and chairs are a meeting point for family friends come eveningtime.
The gabled roof is not in the home solely for show. In parts of the home (especially in the smaller building), extra beds and storage are kept above head.
The kitchen cabinets and drawers exhibit extremely efficient use of space, with simple shapes and no surface area wasted on gilding. With a stove flush to the drawers, the ensemble is modern, organized, and out-of-the-way.
The bedrooms in the main building are purely functional spaces, encouraging children and guests alike to spend their hours outdoors or in the company of others. Still, attention is paid to make sure that they don’t feel as small as they are, with arched ceilings and spacious closets.
Tham & Videgård Arkitekter
