Traditional Wooden Cabin in the Swedish Forests designed by Norm Architects

Project: Forest Retreat
Architectural Design: Norm Architects @normarchitects
Furniture Design: Menu
Location: Sweden
Photographer: Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen @jonasbjerrepoulsen

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Situated deep in the Swedish forests, close to a tiny winter sport area, a small traditional wooden retreat sits on top of a ridge formed millions of years ago. Besides the pine forest covering the fault, the surrounding landscape is a low undulating region of heaths and ridges that rise above gently sloping sandy beaches and small beach towns. Now completely remodeled, the space feels entirely intertwined with nature – both in terms of materiality and outlook.

Designed for a simple life during both summer and winter months, the cabin is rustic yet refined, only equipped with the necessities when opting for a slow living. Surely, the journey towards finding out what is essential in our lives is a delicate balance between the pleasure things and possessions give us and the pleasure of freeing ourselves from them. Essentialism is a natural outcome of a selective process, but not necessarily simple or easy. In a modern urbanized world, constantly offering us much more than we need, it is about deciding what to leave out rather than what to put in – finding out what is essential and important is key to steering life in a direction that creates happiness and well-being.

Consisting of a main house with two floors, and a guest annex built in between the tree trunks, the secluded property can accommodate up to three families with each their own suite, as the bottom floor of the main house works as a hotel suite with its own bedroom, bathroom, minibar, and sauna just as the annex is also completely self-contained.

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