An Inspiring Island Retreat Mixes Scandinavian Style With Japanese Simplicity

At the northern end of the Stockholm archipelago, a humble cottage becomes a gorgeous seaside retreat for a nature-loving family.

Text by

Lucy Wang

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When Stockholm–based architecture practice Kod Arkitekter was asked to design a summer retreat on a Swedish island north of the capital, the brief came with the unusual request that the small cottage on site be preserved.

Naturally, the existing 700-square-foot structure became the starting point for the design of the new residence, which combines cues from the building’s simple gabled form built in the Scandinavian cottage vernacular with a simplicity inspired by Japanese design.

A place of unspoiled nature with breathtaking views, the island property spans approximately 1.6 acres in size.

Expanded to 2,260 square feet, the Summer House in the Stockholm archipelago seamlessly integrates the existing cottage with a common roof and, through careful design restraint, emphasizes strong connections with its forested surroundings and exceptional sea views beyond.

The house is clad in vertical planks of black-painted fir.

Pictured on the left is the former cottage that's located on the north side of the house. It houses two bedrooms, a kitchenette, dining area, bathroom, and a mud room.

The volume that extends toward the south of the site (to the right of the central volume) also contains two bedrooms.

"The building is made of wood, an obvious choice of material for a location this close to nature," explain the architects. "[It’s] an interpretation where simplicity, wood, and the relationship with the surrounding nature are at the heart of the architecture."

White-washed birch plywood has been used for the interior walls.

Large windows pulls views of the landscape indoors to create an immersive experience in the open-plan living spaces.

A small loft space sits above the living room and overlooks views of the forest and sea.

The house is organized in a T-shaped layout with the common areas located in the middle, while the private zones are placed at the far north and south ends. The open-plan living room, dining area, and kitchen are housed in the central protruding volume that has been elevated on steel posts to mitigate changes in slope.

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Elevated on steel posts, the central volume and exterior deck project west toward the sea.

The exterior decks are made of silicon-modified pine from OrganoWood.

This effect gives the impression that the house is hovering over the ground note the architects, and "creates a beautiful relationship between the building and the landscape, with its features of heather and rocks."