A place for life

At the top of a rocky outcrop in Roslagen, Jörgen and Johanna have realized the dream of a house – and a life – in direct contact with the seasons. They fell in love with the spot, a natural plot among the trees with exposed rock and a glimpse of the lake Erken in Roslagen, just north of Norrtälje.

Well-built and timeless

Already when they bought the plot in 2018 they began dreaming of building something of their own and found Sommarnöjen. During the pandemic they made the move. They had a clear idea of what they wanted.rn– We were looking for a timeless house that fit the site, with lots of natural materials. It was important for us to get not a luxurious, but a well-built house, says Jörgen.rnAbove all, two things decided the choice: "Sommarnöjen was a perfect fit based on the style we wanted and the risk-free process. If we had let someone design the house for us we would still have ended up with something very similar. We chose a concept, and did not need to go into every detail like wall sockets, tiles, mixers... Then there was the way the houses are built, with the possibility of total responsibility. We had just had our second child and it was important for us that the process was smooth and did not require so much work on our part. Now we could be there undisturbed throughout the summer of 2022, before the house was lifted into place in the autumn" explains Jörgen.

New traditions between outdoors and indoors

The size was limited by building regulations and the choice fell on Tidlös Sommar 80 with plan layout Sjö and interior style Calm. From decision to final inspection it took just under a year and a half. On December 14 the decision came and the family could move in just in time for Christmas. Now celebrating Christmas in Roslagen has become a tradition.rn– It really becomes a winter wonderland, with half a meter of snow. The calm that then sets in is fantastic. You sit inside by the fire by the huge windows, and it feels like you are sitting out in nature, he says.rnIt is the large window sections in particular that they enjoy extra much, all year round.rn– They make you really connected to nature. To sit inside and watch an autumn storm or a winter landscape or to move between outdoors and indoors on a beautiful summer day – outside and inside melt together, he says.

Lively with wood paneling

The floor plan is clearly divided between a social and a private part. In consultation with Tomas Riesenberg Tjajkovski, founder of Sommarnöjen, they chose a more traditional interior with white wood paneling instead of a more stripped-back style.rn– It becomes more lively with wood paneling instead of plastered walls, so we are very happy about that, says Jörgen.rnThe loose furnishings are primarily Johanna's doing. They follow the simple basis of the interior and come to life thanks to touches of color.rn– We have tried to keep it simple, there should be many surfaces to play and socialize on. The ongoing project is to bring in even more splashes of color, says Jörgen.rn

Biodiversity in focus

The garden is also designed around life – both the family's and the surrounding nature's. They enlisted the help of garden designer Nina Thelberg Eklund from Älska Trädgård. The house, with its tar-vitriol-treated facade that almost blends into the rock, was framed with a wooden deck. On one side the view towards the water is maximized while the deck functions as a natural extension of the living room. On the other it transitions into a pergola with the same dimensions as the house and an adjacent herb garden. A simple plank walkway down to the lower part of the plot, where the old cottages still stand for guests and storage, links the level differences.

– Once the house was in place we realized how important the garden was. We have wanted to contribute to biodiversity and keep the feel of a natural plot – not create a perfect garden. If you go down the åsnetrappan you pass an extremely dry and warm spot on the plot. By bringing in greenery and vegetation we have lowered the temperature, and when you pass it it smells strongly of stäppsalvia and lavender. Pollinators like butterflies, bees and bumblebees buzz away, explains Jörgen.

Unpressured and pleasure-driven

The proximity to Stockholm means that friends and family can easily come to visit and the children have just gotten to the age where they have started to play a little with the neighbour kids.

– This is a place for unpressured tinkering. We come up with small fun projects, both outside and inside. There are very few must-dos. For many years I have been renovating a classic garden bench with cast-iron sides; it is still not finished but it is very pleasure-driven. We have kayaks in the lake and love being out fixing in the garden or going down to swim with the children. It is precisely the social community in combination with the nature and everything that happens in Roslagen that makes the place a long-term investment.

"It will probably be an attefall house from Sommarnöjen when the children are older and want something more of their own. This is a place for the rest of our lives," says Jörgen.