Home tour | A contemporary take on a traditional Swedish longhouse
For today’s home tour we’re heading to Österlen – a picturesque region of Skåne in southern Sweden that’s famous for its rolling countryside, verdant orchards and white sandy beaches. It’s here that Stockholm-based Note Design Studio, long known for its product- and interior-design expertise, has created a minimalist villa that takes its cue from traditional longhouses – its second foray into full residential architecture, following on from a rural cabin it developed last year.
Like the cabin, the Österlen villa is firmly rooted in its setting. But whereas the former has an isolated location amid the rugged mountain landscape of Ottsjö, the latter is tightly interwoven into a historic village environment, with views over bucolic farmland and the wide expanse of nearby Hanö Bay.
Österlen’s cultural heritage and the proximity of the local church had a strong influence on the project, inspiring both the material choices and the overall form. The architecture takes its starting point from a skånelänga – a long, narrow house typical of the region – and follows the contours of the gently sloping site, bridging the differing orientations and levels of the surrounding buildings. The plastered stone façade and zinc roof, meanwhile, echo the textures and tones of this protected area and were selected for their ability to develop beautiful patinas as they age.
The interior of the house is defined by warm Swedish pine, Norwegian slate and Bohuslän granite – materials chosen for their durability and low environmental impact. The wood plays a particularly important role and is finished with a mix of oil-based pigments and lye that give it a soft, milky tone.
“The development of the special wood finish was one of the most demanding parts of the project, but also one of the most successful,” says Note architect Jesper Mellgren. “The colour works beautifully with the changing daylight, and each room has its own character depending on how the sun moves through the house.”
The Nordic materials are complemented by a restrained colour palette, which lends a calm atmosphere throughout, and by various other custom-made elements. These include sculptural paper lamps, bespoke joinery, a wood-encased bar pendant light over the kitchen units, and a monolithic dining table that offsets clean lines with richly patterned grain. Also running across every room is a beamed timber ceiling, which creates a solemn, almost sacred mood while still feeling warm and intimate.
The internal layout of the house has been carefully considered to provide both communal zones and moments of quiet retreat. The result is a ‘broken-plan’ arrangement that balances connection and privacy, with a sociable kitchen-diner separated from a living room by a half-height wall and a change in level. Throughout, cleverly positioned windows frame views of the village and surrounding countryside, connecting the interior spaces to the world beyond. Large, elegant pivot doors enhance the flow between rooms, while the ground-floor chimney breast is highlighted in a deep, earthy red to create an enticing focal point.
The first floor is illuminated by an oversized skylight, which brings in plenty of natural light and maximises the vista over Hanö Bay. Pared-back furniture and accessories keep the atmosphere in the bedrooms restful and serene.
The bathrooms, meanwhile, feature Zellige tiles in nature-inspired browns and off-whites. Their glossy glaze and slightly irregular surface appearance set up a striking contrast with the stone flooring, timber ceiling and sleek vanity units, adding texture and warmth to the spaces.
I always enjoy seeing homes that are shaped by their surroundings and context, and the emphasis on materiality and craftsmanship throughout the villa is truly inspiring. I hear Note Design Studio is already working on its third architectural project, which sits in an old quarry on the Swedish island of Gotland, and I can’t wait to see what form it takes.
All photography courtesy of Note Design Studio
