Houzz Tour: Distinctively Raw in Sweden
This unadorned house by a top Swedish architect lets nature’s beauty shine through
“It was definitely a dream to build a house that is so unusual for this location,” says Jonas Lyckstedt, who with his wife, Maria, built this house in Bredsand, northwest of Stockholm, in 2010. It is in a neighborhood with many other modern buildings, but this one has more of a raw character. Jonas says that visitors are split into two factions: “those who love the house and find it extremely beautiful, and those who almost hate it.” More buildings should have a distinct character capable of evoking strong feelings and drawing diverging opinions, he says.
The couple immediately fell for this style of house when they visited a friend who lives in a similar one, also designed by Gert Wingårdh, one of Sweden’s most famous architects. They liked the space, size, floor plan and well-placed windows. “Gert Wingårdh is good at drafting floor plans that allow you to see through the house, and you’re constantly curious about what’s waiting around the next corner. Once you’ve lived in this kind of home, you understand the beauty of a building in which the architect really thought through the placement of the windows,” Jonas says.
The couple immediately fell for this style of house when they visited a friend who lives in a similar one, also designed by Gert Wingårdh, one of Sweden’s most famous architects. They liked the space, size, floor plan and well-placed windows. “Gert Wingårdh is good at drafting floor plans that allow you to see through the house, and you’re constantly curious about what’s waiting around the next corner. Once you’ve lived in this kind of home, you understand the beauty of a building in which the architect really thought through the placement of the windows,” Jonas says.
The wooden facade has been treated with ferrous sulfate, which adds color without masking the details and characteristics of the wood. The windows are made by Velfac; they are popular because, as Jonas notes, they are sleek with a thin frame.
The house is just on the edge of the forest, and pines stand close by. Instead of balconies, which would have overshadowed the terrace, there are waist-high glass barriers on the insides of the windows.
The house is just on the edge of the forest, and pines stand close by. Instead of balconies, which would have overshadowed the terrace, there are waist-high glass barriers on the insides of the windows.
The property consists mostly of trees and land in its natural state, without any landscaping. At the back of the house, a garden area — designed by Johan Myhr at LandArk — features a mix of grass plantings, gravel, concrete and rusty sheet metal. Myhr was also involved in choosing the placement of the house.
“We collaborated well with LandArk, and together we chose to keep the natural landscape and the forest, which matched the rawness of the facade. The plants in the garden are [likewise] very common around here. Outside the entrance … we decided not to go with a hedge, but instead to just plant tall grass to make it more secluded,” as hedges would have felt too landscaped.
“We collaborated well with LandArk, and together we chose to keep the natural landscape and the forest, which matched the rawness of the facade. The plants in the garden are [likewise] very common around here. Outside the entrance … we decided not to go with a hedge, but instead to just plant tall grass to make it more secluded,” as hedges would have felt too landscaped.
At the front, a wide window creates a bright entrance, but it is positioned to make it difficult to see into the house from the street. The idea was to have the front facade shield the interior of the house while leaving the back open to the surrounding greenery.
The ground floor is one big social area with three zones: the kitchen (just out of the shot at the back left), an area with couches and an open fireplace, and a dining area (in the front right corner).
“The shop counter at the back of the picture I found in a candy store in Smedjebacken in Dalarna,” Jonas says.
Table behind the couch: Asplund; rabbit lamp: Front; couches: BoConcept
“The shop counter at the back of the picture I found in a candy store in Smedjebacken in Dalarna,” Jonas says.
Table behind the couch: Asplund; rabbit lamp: Front; couches: BoConcept
“The inside decor is quite raw, just like the outside of the house. To really emphasize the theme, we have used Cor-Ten steel, which looks rusty, on planters in the garden. We also wanted to incorporate that [feeling] into the inside decor by using different tones of gray, raw materials and a simple overall style.”
“Gert designed the house with one section of windows on each side. We didn’t want individual windows in various places, but window sections of varying sizes. It gives character to the entire house,” Jonas says.
The kitchen counter is deeper than standard. The light that comes in through the windows falls beautifully on it, reflecting the forest outside.
The custom countertops around the sink and on the kitchen island are made of Corian, which is more resistant than stone.
Kitchen system: Less series, Kungsäter Kök; appliances: Miele
The kitchen counter is deeper than standard. The light that comes in through the windows falls beautifully on it, reflecting the forest outside.
The custom countertops around the sink and on the kitchen island are made of Corian, which is more resistant than stone.
Kitchen system: Less series, Kungsäter Kök; appliances: Miele
White-stained plywood boards cover the wall in the dining area. They work as a background for the Tom Dixon copper pendant lights. The dining table is from No Early Birds, and the chairs are from Muuto. To the left is a cabinet with doors from Superfront. The small table in the corner is from House Doctor, as is the wall light.
Have you noticed the carpet with fringes down the two long sides? The Lyckstedts made it themselves out of three simple rugs from Coop that they cross-stitched together with orange thread.
“It was difficult to find carpets that were large and nice. Plus, we have kids here. We thought, ‘How can we make something cool, that looks good, [that we won’t] really have to take care of?’ This was the solution. We bought a big needle and the same kind of thread you make rugs with, but in a color,” rather than the white or other neutral tones that are standard for warp thread, Jonas says.
One room that’s not in the pictures is the combined study and spare room to the right of the dining table. It’s painted in a warm gray shade.
Have you noticed the carpet with fringes down the two long sides? The Lyckstedts made it themselves out of three simple rugs from Coop that they cross-stitched together with orange thread.
“It was difficult to find carpets that were large and nice. Plus, we have kids here. We thought, ‘How can we make something cool, that looks good, [that we won’t] really have to take care of?’ This was the solution. We bought a big needle and the same kind of thread you make rugs with, but in a color,” rather than the white or other neutral tones that are standard for warp thread, Jonas says.
One room that’s not in the pictures is the combined study and spare room to the right of the dining table. It’s painted in a warm gray shade.
The bathroom has a striking lighting detail, which is a great idea for any dark, windowless bathroom. “It’s customized frosted glass in opaque white, with a light strip at the bottom,” which was fixed to the wall, Jonas says. “We paid around [$1,150] for everything, including the lamp, and we did most of it ourselves with the help of an electrician. You need to use hardened glass. The brackets were the most expensive — it takes quite a lot to hold such a heavy piece of glass.”
Bathtub: Mora
Bathtub: Mora
This luxurious and functional Swedish house obviously has a beautiful and functional sauna. “It’s great having a deeper bench at an angle to provide a wider seat. The sauna heater is manufactured by Harvia. Since it’s high and can hold so much stone, you can pour water over a bigger area to create more steam,” he says.
The floor and walls — as well as the floors in the hallway, kitchen and both bathrooms — are decorated with Concrete tiles from the Portuguese supplier Revigres.
The floor and walls — as well as the floors in the hallway, kitchen and both bathrooms — are decorated with Concrete tiles from the Portuguese supplier Revigres.
Silk curtains hang on the window of the master bedroom; the other curtains in the house are linen.
Two reading lamps from Örsjö hang cleverly from the ceiling.
The Lyckstedts painted playful rooms for the children. For example, the yellow paint on the accent wall in Moa’s room continues up onto the ceiling to emulate sunbeams.
Jonas sawed down the legs of a chest of drawers from Ikea to get it to a proper height for a bedside table.
Jonas sawed down the legs of a chest of drawers from Ikea to get it to a proper height for a bedside table.
A plastic dog designed by Eero Aarnio for Magis guards the hammock.
The family room upstairs offers a great overhead view of the garden. “Up here we also have a washing machine and a dryer in the bathroom to avoid having to carry the laundry between the two floors,” he says.
The paintings make the ceiling appear lower, creating a more intimate feeling. Don’t miss the small squares in the ceiling: They’re embedded spotlights that create a cozy atmosphere when darkness falls over the forest outside.
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Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Jonas and Maria Lyckstedt and their children, Alma and Moa
Location: Bredsand, Sweden
Size: 2,260 square feet (210 square meters) of living space, 323 square feet (30 square meters) of storage space in a garden shed, and about a half-acre (1,948 square meters) of land
Architect: Gert Wingårdh
The floor plan is one of a series of designs by Gert Wingårdh. “There’s also a version that you can build on a slope, and one smaller and one larger version of the same house,” Jonas says.
A small patio with a pergola that gets morning sun features prominently on the right side of the house. The back terrace gets sun during the day and in the evening.
Illumination designed by Delta Light kicks in when darkness comes. “We have the same lights both inside and out, to create a unifying effect. [Delta Light] offers product lines that stand out and also mask the light source itself. We are especially fond of the deep, embedded spotlights.”