Architect Martina Eriksson has created her dream house on the island of Gotland in Sweden.
For six years after buying the plot, she and her husband Michael lived in a caravan, building the house in stages. They started with a small outdoor kitchen and a bathroom, which have been kept as part of the house’s courtyard and allow the owners to spend the summer months outside, in nature.
The design approach draws on the local vernacular architecture of churches and fishermen’s huts.
Fully integrated into the rural landscape, the house has a “rural culture” of its own. For the architect, what mattered was a “connection with nature”.
Built like a wooden tower, it rises over two floors. The interior staircase feels like a secret passage leading to the “retreat” of the upstairs bedrooms and Martina’s study.
The interiors are defined by simplicity, in both the design and the decorative choices. White and wood are the dominant elements. The furnishings are minimal, combining modern pieces with a link to tradition, which was also the aim for the exterior of the house.
The fireplace in the living room acts as a “focal point” in the space, anchoring the ground floor.
Text and editing: Natasa Lianopoulou
