Two houses by the sea in Dyvik

When Johan began looking for a plot for his new summer house he was primarily searching for one thing – stillness and quiet. In the small locality Dyvik in Österåker he found exactly that, on a hilly plot 50 meters above sea level with nature as his closest neighbor.

– It is hard to understand that you can live like this 45 minutes from central Stockholm. It is an incredibly beautiful environment with wind-swept pines that have probably stood here for hundreds of years.

Two houses with sea views

There was already a cottage from the 1960s on the plot, but it was in worse condition and was demolished to make room for not just one but two new dwellings. The plan was to build two holiday homes for both Johan and his adult daughter and other guests. Now Johan wanted to design a solution that could offer both the greatest possible comfort and relaxation for two visiting families at the same time.

A fully equipped interior was therefore an important requirement, but also a well-considered placement where the plot's sea view could best be appreciated:

– For me it was important to have sea views from both houses, but also that they would be separated from each other for privacy and peace, he says.

When simplicity is combined with comfort

Johan had previously come into contact with Sommarnöjen in connection with another construction project and was then taken by both the style and the architecture, where “every little detail was so well thought out".

The choice fell on Original Sommar 90 and Attefallshus 30, both with a facade color in tar vitriol to match the plot's color palette. With the pared-down interior style Calm and its nature-inspired tones, the inside of the houses could also blend in with the pine forest, which instead allowed the view through the large windows to provide the decor. 

A stripped-down interior does not mean one has to compromise on comfort – both the large and the small house were therefore equipped with a washing machine and a dishwasher:

– I wanted a whole family to be able to live in the smaller house completely on their own and not be dependent on the large house at all, explains Johan.

A customized model based on the detailed plan

Johan nevertheless ran into trouble when the municipality did not allow a residential house larger than 75 square meters, but Sommarnöjen then adjusted their drawings to produce a model that would be approved by the municipality's detailed plan.

When the houses were to be installed in 2023, he had some concern about whether Sommarnöjen would manage to get through the narrow and winding roads up to the plot:

– I didn't think that Sommarnöjen would make it through with the trucks because the roads are so narrow here, but it was no problem.

A few years have now passed since Johan ended up with two summer houses, but Johan has not exactly been idle since then. Terraces have been built around the houses and on the plot there is also a lawn where guests can enjoy games of badminton and other summer activities. At the entrance Johan has also constructed a roundabout and parking that make it extra convenient for visitors arriving by car.

“It feels like the most natural thing in the world that my houses are here”

Now, however, Johan thinks that's enough projects on the plot, saying that the final result turned out much better than he had expected from the start:

– The houses are so discreet, it feels like the most natural thing in the world that my houses are here. But when you build houses you never really know how the final result will turn out. Some things turned out incredibly much better than I expected, he says and continues:

– This applies, for example, to the small house, where you get a fantastic sea view through a gap between the large house and the pine forest. Standing there on the terrace and looking out over the sea is probably my favorite spot on the plot.