A family vacation cottage on Sweden’s rugged west coast

Sweden’s western coastline north of Gothenburg is rugged and craggy, scoured by glaciers that left behind thousands of islands and skerries, outcroppings of rock too small to be inhabitable. This family vacation cottage is located on one of the larger islands, Gullholmen, where it sits on a rocky bluff overlooking the nearby islets and channels.

The cottage was built in 1980 in the island’s traditional style with a rectangular floor plan, board and batten wood siding, and a gabled roof covered in red tiles.

One corner of the ground floor is taken up by the bathroom, laundry room and stairs, while the rest is an open L-shaped living/dining/kitchen space. The dining area gets the best views with large corner windows, including a five-panel folding glass door opening to the wraparound deck. The interior finishes are done in classic Scandinavian style with a mix of natural wood and white-painted surfaces along with a few splashes of color.

A woodstove is located in the center of the floor plan, allowing the heat the reach all parts of the living area evenly as well as to rise up the stairway to the second floor. There you will find two bedrooms and a cozy loft area, although that could easily be walled off to create another bedroom. Combined, both floors add up to 101 m² (1,087 ft²).

There is additional sleeping accommodation in a separate small guesthouse that likely started out as a shed but is now outfitted with a bathroom and bunkbeds. The cottage, guesthouse and a connecting wall create a semi-enclosed courtyard. It provides a sheltered place to sit outdoors on blustery days and enjoy the ever-changing seascape.

Enjoy your weekend!

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Photographs courtesy of Skeppsholmen.

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