Step inside Swedish summer house Horsö

Horsö Swedish summer house — (Image credit: Photo: Erik Lefvander)

Swedish summer house Horsö is positioned between a natural reserve and the Kalmarsund coastline, offering the perfect setting to appreciate the surrounding landscape. Designed by Stockholm-based architecture firm Atelier Alba, this example of humble elegance and playful minimalism was crafted to stand the test of time and envisioned as a place to host a growing family.

Horsö is a Swedish summer house to experience and explore

Drawing from the natural environment, materials such as wood, stone, and untreated timber ensure the house will age gracefully and endure. The simplicity of the design is balanced by meticulous detailing, with consistent features throughout the exterior and interior. Elevated to anticipate potential rises in water levels, the structure is designed to minimize its impact on the terrain, seamlessly integrating into the natural landscape.

The playful yet subtle character of Atelier Alba’s design is most evident in the interior. Smooth concrete floors and warm wooden surfaces create a harmonious sense of minimalism and elegance.

Large glass openings are set back into the façade, connecting the interior to a sheltered outdoor area and offering a gentle dialogue with the surrounding environment.

The emerging Stockholm studio, headed by Pelle and Sofia Bross and Nick Flygt, spans architecture and interior work, including product and furniture, which speaks to their practice's rigorous attention to detail. Several of the built and freestanding items in this project too were created by the firm - either bespoke or as part of their ongoing design explorations.

The Horsö summer house is a testament to Atelier Alba’s commitment to craftsmanship, material integrity, and timeless design. It evokes a sense of belonging—a place where one can reconnect with memories and feel inherently at home.

atelieralba.se

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Smilian Cibic is an Italian-American freelance digital content writer and multidisciplinary artist based in between London and northern Italy. He coordinated the Wallpaper* Class of '24 exhibition during the Milan Design Week in the Triennale museum and is also an audio-visual artist and musician in the Italian project Delicatoni.