Situated on a beautiful lake in Kalvsvik, Sweden this beautiful lakesideĀ cottage was built in 1934 and renovated in 2008. The gorgeous 538 Sq. Ft. cottage features an open kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, bed loft and a largeĀ patio. The kitchen is open and airy and is connected directly with the living room so that you can cook and converse with your guests at the same time. The interior is stark white making it feel fresh, open and airy. The door in the living room opens up to a large outside patio with amazing views of the lake, perfect for entertaining.
TheĀ cottage’sĀ master bedroom features an open wall that will allow you to feel as though you’re bringing the outsideĀ in; the bathroom features a space saving shower that has two swinging leaves that you pull out to form a shower enclosure when needed and can close for additional space when not in use. All in all, the cottage is a masterpiece!
538 Sq. Ft. Cottage in Sweden
Images Ā© Sotheby’s
Images Ā© Sotheby’s
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Sabrena
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Nice little place and would certainly enjoy hanging my hat there, no doubt about it BUT the Monochromatic White “everything” is overload. Why would anyone want that kind of “sterility” in such a lovely spot… bring in nature and include it…
Steve asked: “BUT the Monochromatic White āeverythingā is overload. Why would anyone want that kind of āsterilityā in such a lovely spotā¦ ”
Because it’s SWEDEN and that’s how we roll! LOL
No, seriously…google “Swedish Interiors” but put on your sunglasses first before viewing the images as they are ALL blinding white!!! I’m Swedish and at birth, we pledge allegiance to White Interiors. And kipper snacks. š
I could hear you scream in delight all the way down here when “sweden” showed up in the title š This is soooo pretty, and what a view!!!
I <3 Sally.
I’m from New England (USA) and I’m loving the Swedish penchant for white. I also pledge allegiance to white interiors š It’s open, airy and light, and allows any colors from furniture or decorations to pop.
Wow! I’m half Swedish and maybe that explains why I just
love, love love ALL WHITE! I like this little place and the view brings plenty of nature in to suit me! While I love white, can’t say the same for Kippers (however OK with Pickled Herring)! š
vee! Welcome to the Ex-pat Swedish thread! LOL
Yuppers, if you’re 1/2 Swedish, a White Interior is part of our D.N.A.–think of all the snow, and the Midnight Sun, and the glory of light glimmering off those fjords!
Have you ever had home-made pickled herring? It is to die for!!! Out here, by our cottage, we have THREE real-time butcher shops that smoke all of their own meat/fish in their smoke houses and also make-from-scratch pickled herring steeped in onions! A wee bit of herring, placed on top of a freshly made buckwheat blini slathered with sour cream and sprinkled with some lump fish eggs….bliss, I tell you…bliss!
Like most things made from scratch, home-made trumps store bought EVERY day!
Glad to see another Swede on here. š
I am not half Swedish, but I am one quarter Swedish and I love the white interior — so bright and open — this cottage is very well done — love the deck area and the sitting/sunning area down the path. Plus is actually has a useable kitchen — fancy that. Absolutely perfect — now if only I had the land for it AND, oh yes, the MONEY. I am planning on a white interior in my new build.
C: Thanks so much for the recipe for Pickled Herring!
Sounds yummy!! As for the all-white look, I am currently doing this on a “tiny house” (625 Sq. ft.) build I am doingā¦..the white makes it all look larger. Of course, if one adds natural wood and plants and art work — it can be just lovely — tranquil and serene. You have to live with it (which I have) to appreciate. Wish I could send you a ton of beets and some dill for a thank you!! :)!
Good Morning, vee! š
I know of which you speak, regarding this: “.the white makes it all look larger. Of course, if one adds natural wood and plants and art work ā it can be just lovely ā tranquil and serene.”
You just described, 100%, what our cottage looks like! Pure white walls, polished honey-coloured wood floors with Oriental rugs, antiques, plants and tons of flowering and green plants. My husband was quite surprised that I wanted so much white in the cottage, in contrast to our city condo. I explained “That’s EXACTLY why I want all that white!” Our cottage is 800 sq.ft. and the rooms are teeny-tiny but with a gazillion windows in the walls. During Winter when we have chronic and constant Lake Effect Snow and cloudy days, if I didn’t have that bright interior, I’d find an ice flow to climb upon and float off to sea. LOL
And I’m enjoying your virtual dill and beet treats. š Yum!
The white interior is nice, fresh, clean and crisp. I bet it also helps with dealing with long dark nights, foggy overcast days. I THRIVE in overcast and rainy days. I would LOVE to live right there, right now! <3
I like the white. It enlarges the space and is so crisp and clean. Just add some colorful dishes, towels in bath , fresh flowers etc. and there you have it!
I wonder if there’s some kind of Swedish penchant for small houses, because I too am more or less half Swedish (half French). And while I’ve always liked the white interiors, I have to say that I’ve moved away from it personally. My ex was Brazilian, and so the current residence is still mighty colorful. I do love this house and wonder if Kate (from the thread on the Seattle floating house) would find this kitchen (and overall ambiance) more her speed? I am pretty much ambi-stylistic, and can readily adopt or adapt! One thing I surprisingly like here is the “wasted space” of what could have been a loft over the living area. The sacrifice of possible upper floor space in exchange for openness is appreciated.
KIPPER SNACKS!! Yum! I can totally nosh on some kipper snacks…for every meal LOL!
I’ll take your kippers but not all white. It reminds me of a scene from the Kubrick film 2001. Anyway I’ve seen other Swedish interiors and some of you Swedes aren’t holding to your “White Interiors” pledge.
I’m not Swedish but I, too, live under the 60th parallel and so I can understand the Swedes’ white craze a bit more than someone from California or Miami.
After short white summer nights and a couple of months of no real darkness there will be short black winter days, and for about half a year people live in light deficit. White “sterility” can help– at least its not black.
;O)
Hi, Urmus, (cool name, by the way!)
It’s nice to read another positive comment regarding Swedes and their love of a predominantly white interior.
We had dinner with a friend of ours last night who is an interior decorator and this subject of “White Delight” or “White Fright” was brought up at table. She provided me with some great insight that I’ll pass along. She pointed out that NO ONE objects to or can’t interpret a home in the desert being decorated with soft buff, beige, and rose or a home by the sea or lake decorated with soft blues, greens and beige tones…both of them pulling colours that you’d see right outside of their windows. So, she said it made sense that since SNOW and sparkling light off of fjords = white for Nordic Interiors. I don’t know if this is a certifiable “scientific study” but after a bottle of great wine, it made sense to us. LOL Just passing the thoughts along. š
W.J.
I take issue with your American clutter remarks. Although Americans share the guilt, we are far from being alone. Love of antiquity often leads to large, dark rooms filled with empty vases and useless eye candy. American styles pretty much run the gamut from sparing to hoarding. Miami probably has more sparse, white interiors than not–at least among those who can afford decorators.
And, oh, yeah–Hail to the Swedes! This place is fabulous.
What a lovely home–so clean and crisp. I love it. Color can be added and changed throughout with accessories as throws, pillows, vases, etc. if wanted. I like it as is. This is such a perfect spot to live, especially for boaters!
Major deck envy. Seriously. Oh and those white interiors make it a lot easier to spot the creepy crawlies so you can flick them outside. Totally eliminates that surprise factor of suddenly being confronted with a sniggering wolf spider waggling legs in derision. The cheeky buggers like to sneak up and do a Miss Muffet.
Plus, we must remember that the WHITE is more intense in the photos; I’ve enjoyed many, many a white interior in real life and it’s rarely off-putting unless too much stainless steel is involved. THEN, to my taste, it’s a wee bit sterile. White + wood is a classically charming interior, especially in an area of the world that there is no daylight at all from mid-December to mid-January! In the summer, however, the same areas have constant daylight from mid-June to mid-July! So for half of the year itās nearly always day, and for the other half itās nearly always night. White just makes sense as it brings *light* to the darkest of nights and we’re starved for *bright* by time Summer rolls around.
NOW, I understand MY propensity toward want a lighter color all year long. It keeps me from getting the blues. I had wondered also about the ‘brightness’ of the whites. I too would bring the outside in, and incorporate some wood furniture and/or accessories (sp), even antiques. You can add teacher to your extensive list of acomplishments, Cahow.
To Lucy: š
Yes, bright crisp white + antiques and a spot of colour here and there describe our cottage interior. BTW, I also suffer from S.A.D. so I must have all that brightness in our home to off-set the “blues.”
I adore this house! The layout is very friendly, even though the space is “small” it could hold a crowd of friends and dtill feel open. I would paint a mural on the ceiling of the sleeping loft to give it some color, or install whitelights to glow like the night sky.
How do I get in touch with Alex? I have a house I’d like him to consider featuring, but gmail does not recognize any of the emails listed under “contact.”
Hi Sally just send me an email at [email protected] š
Maybe it’s the Scandinavian in me but I LOVE everything about this small home.
Anyone who has been to Sweden in winter will appreciate the white colour scheme, which on long dark winter days makes for a brighter environment.
LOVE the clean lines of the kitchen which again fits in with the Swedish lifestyle and healthy whole food choices.
A BIG ‘shout out’ to a fellow Scan-di-hoovian! š
Beth: I’ve been eating Scandinavian my entire life; I’m honestly shocked that there hasn’t been a “diet” that mimics the way I was raised. Typical Scandinavian meal of Yore: 2-3 vegetables at each meal, NEVER with a sauce or covering! One starch, ONLY…if potatoes, they were boiled with butter and parsley. NEVER gravy or any white sauce, NOTHING was ever fried. Fresh fish or pork, well seasoned but again, nothing to mask the fresh flavours of the meat. Dessert was berries with cream, home canned peaches, applesauce or a sugar cookie or two. Root veggies are King and Queen of the table: beets, swedes, carrots, and parsnips. Snacks were kippers, sardines and pickled herring…omg!
But, that was then and who knows what young Swedes eat now? Probably pizza and crisps, followed by gallons of sugary soda. š
http://www.tryswedish.com/en/swedish-cooking-pushing-the-limits/
Many, many thanks, alice h., for that FASCINATING article!!!
BIG (((hugs))) to you!
Alice B thanks for the link. A good article that brought new foods to me. Moss, lichen – they’re edible? Wow.
I always understood root cellars to simply store food, I never thought that different bacteria would affect its flavour. Something we have lost with modern techniques, along with the range of varieties of each item in the shops today.
You lost me at the herring . . .
But I LOVE this house. White overload? Wait until it is surrounded by snow!
My house is all white, but people always comment on the color; quilts, pottery, graniteware make up for the walls and ceiling.
Yes please!!!!
I want to live in that house, but having lived in California for 56 years and the past 9 in NM and Nevada, I want and NEED color. Be nice to me because I’m painting the rooms orange, aqua, and wheat! Also I want it close to the ocean on the Mendocino coast. I love the open floor plan. I lived in 685 sq ft for 6 years, but the rooms were so isolated from each other that it became claustrophobic.
Dear Shirlok: in our city living room, 3 walls are aubergine, one wall is goldenrod and the trim is Hunter’s Green! In the bathroom, the walls are turquoise with an aubergine door. Dining room is goldenrod with blood red wall where the fireplace and family photos are located.
You’re in good stead with your colour choice of orange, aqua and wheat. Sounds like a winning combination to me!
Thanks for your input Cahow! Right now I have a muted orange kitchen not by choice. I wanted bold orange like I had in 3 previous kitchens. It stimulates my mind. I have way too much “gold” in here now thanks to a painter that had his own thoughts on color. It was supposed to be wheat. I bought a house in Vegas, chose a painter and colors, and then had to drive back to NM to pick up 2 of my dogs. I had been staying at a La Quinta for 3 months with one dog so was anxious to move into my house. HAH I got back here and “the painter” had revamped the color scheme! My bedroom was correctly painted aqua and that’s where it ends. He painted a windowless bathroom blue. I had chosen a pale yellow to bring some light into the room. Needless to say he didn’t get a good Yelp review! I was very upset with the friend who recommended him. It will all be fixed eventually.
I like your color choices. Very stimulating!
Shame-Shame on that painter!!!! WHO gets hired to do a task and then changes the task???? I’m glad to hear that you finally gained satisfaction.
I dearly wish that photos could be posted in these threads. I’d love to show you photos of our city place.
OH those 3 colors go sooooo nicely together!
What a gem…I LOVE the “all white” interior..levers season, different pillows, throws, bedding colors, dishes. Wonderful!
Wow! Has anyone got a retailer or brand name for that great space saving shower door?
This is a fabulous tiny home! The floor plan is functional, the kitchen practical, and the colours are vibrant white! Nothing to change! I would purchase this home within a heart beat! Thanks for sharing! Best, Indira
Love this little house mainly because it is all on one level but the lack of color beside white is a bit much. I would have left the natural wood color.
I would need another bed room and I would put two bathrooms with each bed room. I would turn that big bathroom into a small half bath with washer and dryer area in it. Ooopppsss… that is what I am going to build in Maine.
Steve-S, I already know what your place looks like. I am a second generation Swede who loves this home and the lack of junk on the walls and shelves, what a wonderful,peaceful home.
This is the ultimate house of beauty, in my opinion.
I absolutely adore this abode
Love this! Love how the red life preserver changes the look of the white walls–wonder of this is paint or white=-wash.
I woud LOVE to know more about the shower door–as some one who needs to be able to place a bath seat in there or for some one who might need to use a wheel chair or a second person to assisst them===would be a great idea.
Would love to have the plans for this house. The layout is perfect. Wish we could see the sleeping loft.
I’d like to give my welcome for Sabrena to Alex’ team! Good luck and, again, Welcome to you, Sabrena!
Best,
Gloria
I could live there! Sweden is positively gorgeous.
I like this house. A lot. Use the bedroom as an art studio and the loft as the only bedroom. If guests need privacy they can use a tent in the garden. š
I know the white makes sense in Nordic countries for the light, but some light pastels on the walls would suit me perfectly. Pale green and soft grey to bring the outside in?
And a wood burner. I don’t see any heating for the cooler weather.
Look over the kitchen sink window, there’s some sort of unit up there. Here in US they are often by Mitsubishi.
IĀ“m Swedish from the north city UmeĆ„. I donĀ“t like the sterile white, that we all Stockholm white. ItĀ“s more common in the south than in the north, although some people here take after the trend of white. I like my home to be warm and welcoming with warm colours. That gives me the feeling of cosiness and I mix old and new furniture, I buy a lot of secondhand stuff too. When I build my tiny home it wonĀ“t be white.. š
I love this house. Location, outside, inside… wow…
I love this floor plan. Thinking about building a small house this year. Is there any way I can get the plans for this house?
I’m a Finn living in Australia these last 45 years so I have some insight into the all-white interiors. Most Scandinavians love white walls and interiors due to the light deprivation caused by the short days in winter. When we moved to Australia, the opposite was the new fact of life for us! We spent hours in the sun and soon learned to cover up or be burned! Luckily we lived near the beach so my interiors are mostly white walls with green, aqua, tangerine as furnishings and timber furniture. It is pleasant and relaxing. I love the yellow and white exterior of the house in the article! Thank you for bringing it to our notice. Truly inspiring residence and brings back memories from my childhood
Hi, Rita. I really enjoyed reading your perspective on Scandinavians and their Love For White Walls & Interiors. It makes so much sense.
And your Ozzy home sounds refreshingly exotic and it reminds me of my Mum’s interior in one of our homes. She decorated it with a Polynesian theme with your identical colours PLUS a lilac-coloured carpet…you should have seen the eyeballs *pop* out of people’s heads when they came inside! (I still have the fondest memories of that interior.) š
I absolutely love EVERYTHING about this house!
Great house! Great location!
A great big THANK YOU to Sabrena for sharing this wonderful little cottage with us. =)
Absolutely LOVE it. Love the white.
Half Swedish here too. When I am in Sweden for the first time in the summer of 2016, where would I go to get a glance at this small home? I don’t need to go in, just look from afar. We plan to build a small home in a few years and I love this one. I am collecting ideas, floor plans and a vision. I know I will love Sweden. I am already in contact with relatives there.
Ah! Endless summer!
The white interior is appropriate to the latitudes and you don’t have to be Baldir to understand the meaning of a light-concentrating interior to people who live at sub-arctic latitudes, even if conditions are moderated by Baltic and North Sea. As for 1/2 Swedish …. maybe you are lucky enough to be a ‘LynxScort’ or a ‘JimZer’ : cars which use components from different factories for identical designs. There aren’t so many, even of such ‘outsourced’ specimens any more, but if you are lucky, maybe you have chromosomes unaltered even from the places and times where the Aesir lived. Their reputation was not false. Irony was invented by a Scandinavian blacksmith, 11,000 years ago, when his family’s diligence was confounded by the breaking of the Great North American Ice Dam, which event caused the temporary resumption of the ice age and the historically accurate account of the family of Aesir, finally caught by Ragna Rok and frozen alive in their underground bunker refuge ……. It is from such creatures that the naturally unsadistic but viable tolerance, as shown by Scandinavians and Commanche orginals …. they just wondered if there would be a real secular break in the weather some time in the next 25,000 years as they peered out of their warm shelters and sought for messages on this point from the other planets and stars …… !!
I love this home in every way and it is built upon a rock! What more could anyone want? I love the white interior because if you want color it can be added or taken away as your mood changes from sunny to moody. Perfection in Sweden.
I’m back commenting on the White and being half Swedish — I’m sure the need for pure, clean white is soothing to me tho I live in sunny, warm weather — still — I simply prefer the look. I’m currently having
a very small apt./condo/pied’a terre built for me and this lovely Swedish cottage confirmed what I’ve done so far — White walls and white tile thru out. It makes my small space appear more spacious.
I’ll have no problem adding wood and metal and green plants. Art on the walls will add the necessary color — but no too much! Thanks for these wonderful small homes — sure gives me inspiration and courage to go smaller and simpler!
Gorgeous. The white interior is perfection — everything stands out beautifully against white: wood, architecture, artwork, and textiles. Always my favorite pallette.
Chaput, we are blessed to have so many choices here (sometimes too many?!) so that’s why we question the sterile white, and we are NOT going to apologize for it..
There so many colors to choose from here, and in shades so light that they almost are white-one could consider using those….:)
Geegaws and LOVERS? That is an extremely negative blanket assumption you made there which was highly uncalled for and does not belong in discussions about Tiny Houses.
Here-Here, Susanne. But, get used to W. J. Chaput’s comments; they are ALWAYS Anti-American and he/she responds back to no one. This is a case of where I wish we had an IGNORE button. ~sigh~
Enjoying all the comments and info on Sweden. I also have white or light colours in my DNA. Have lived with mostly wood interiors and found them tiresome after a while. With white, one can change colours at any time and a few paintings or wall hangings the white virtually disappears. Love the house and it would be easy to keep clean which is a huge plus for me. No more big houses with constant housework for me. Have lived tiny for many years and love it, especially when it is moveable. Prefer to change the view than the house when you have one that works for you!
Arrrrgh! Got blinded by the white… apologies to Manfred Mann for the slight plagiarising.
Lovely home in a spectacular location. Not sure whether I have any Swedish ancestry or not, but I do admire the pure white. However, I am really a warm blue person. So if I did have an all white home there would be plenty of aqua, french blue, cadet blue, etc., in it. I might even spice it up with deep raspberry pink.
Forgot to mention that there is a wonderful book, Shed Decor, by Sally Coulthard. It is full of gorgeous photos of interiors and ideas that could be used for sheds and tiny houses. I think everybody could find inspiration in this book. Pinterest is another great source for ideas and DIY projects.
Love this place more and more every time I see it. Would live there if given the chance.
does anyone have the floorplan with the dimensions.
Love the white! Perfect for a woman! Beautiful setting……couldn’t really see anything I didnt like about this adorable cottage!