Big sea. Small house.
Just south of Grisslehamn on Väddö lies Skottviken, a small bay out towards Ålands hav with only a few houses. It is here, among bare sea cliffs and wind-swept pines, that Liselotte Schillén Wenger finds her peace.
Her family ties to the area go back generations, with the family having owned both holiday homes and forestry since the 1950s. One of the houses, a seafront plot with a magical view, was for a long time a place where Liselotte could enjoy the sea horizon from the best seat.
But Ålands hav can be fickle. Sudden changes in weather and violent storms are part of life for archipelago residents, sometimes with devastating consequences. The storm Alfrida that moved in over Roslagskusten in 2019 hit the island hard – and when the storm finally subsided the beach house was completely destroyed, she says:
– Then I wondered how you could quickly get a new house here that was move-in ready straight away, because building something yourself was not an option. I have renovated several properties and know how incredibly time-consuming it is, not least finishing those final details. You should not underestimate the value of every little nook and nail being in place with a turnkey solution.
Floor plan that maximizes the view
For Liselotte it was important to have a house that really blended into the surroundings, but that was also not too large. After some research she found Sommarnöjen, where the floor plan Hav in the model Modern Sommar 60 became the decisive factor
– I was drawn to how resource-efficient and well-planned the floor plan was. Since I have this fantastic view I wanted nature to be the focus with large sliding glass sections facing the sea.
Due to the pandemic the delivery of the house was delayed and when the time finally came at the beginning of 2021 Liselotte was unsure if it was even possible to get it in place. The weather conditions were not exactly optimal:
– It was in February and fairly bad weather with both wind and snow. I was doubtful whether it would be possible to assemble the house, but there were no problems at all.
The two bedrooms on the south side of the house were equipped with their own window doors that can be kept open to provide coolness during warm summer days. Liselotte also had a stove installed in the living area, something she is particularly pleased with:
– I love the autumn out here when it storms and it almost feels as if the waves come into the house. Then I sit by the large windows and observe the drama outside in the warmth from the lit stove. It is very special.
Prefer several small houses rather than one large one
A few months later a deck was built around the house, which was constructed by a local contractor. Here Sommarnöjen helped Liselotte with the drawings so that the result would be as cohesive and seamless as possible. Now she plans to install a sauna at the water's edge and perhaps add another smaller house on the plot:
– For me it has been important to have a flexible home that feels sustainable from an environmental perspective, not to have a too large house but several smaller houses that can be heated as needed. So many people build so big. When you are here you should be outdoors for the most part and not sit inside. The house should harmonize with nature, both in terms of size and design.
Recently Liselotte has started renting out her accommodation via the rental service Airbnb, partly to supplement the household income but also so that the house really comes into its own:
– Everyone thinks it is an absolutely incredible house. It blends in here without taking focus away from nature, while at the same time it doesn't look out of place where it stands, she says.