A contemporary family house in Sweden

So far the small houses we’ve featured have had one or two bedrooms. We also want to feature smaller houses that are suitable for families with three or more kids. Today’s house would meet the needs of a larger family. It is actually two small houses, a main house with a self-contained guest house behind it. They are located in Sweden on a hill with amazing views over Fiskebäckskil, a fishing village dating back to the 16th century:

The main house offers three bedrooms and an open kitchen/living/dining room in 119 m² (1,281 ft²). The living space extends out to a large deck with several covered and uncovered seating areas. The exterior is kept low-key, its zinc roofing and weathered pine siding and deck boards blending into the rocky hillside. The interior has crisp trimless detailing with little to detract from the views.

The layout is interesting because although the house has two full bathrooms, both open off the hallway. In the typical North American house, one of the bathrooms would open off the largest bedroom to form the “master suite”. Having both bathrooms off the hall gives the occupants more flexibility in how they use the rooms. For example, the largest bedroom could instead be occupied by two smaller kids with sufficient room for playing as well.

Behind the house is a separate 22 m² (237 ft²) studio guest house with its own bath and kitchenette. Separating the guest space provides obvious flexibility as well: it could be occupied by guests, older children or aging parents, or used as a rental unit as the needs of the family change.

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Photographs courtesy of Skeppsholmen Sotheby’s.

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