Holiday home on the fjord

Holiday home on the fjord

Between rocks and ferns, the 82 concrete steps wind up the steep mountain. They lead to Jacob and Jenny Fröslee Jonsson’s holiday home: a timeless yet modern 100 m2 retreat on the small island of Flatön on the west coast of Sweden. The architect couple built Villa Yv for themselves and their four children.

The building envelope is made from dark-painted wood which, when viewed from the sea, blends in with the mountain in the background. However, if you move closer to the house, the picture changes: the building stands clearly visible on a hilltop and looks like a large rock.

It is comprised of two parallel but slightly offset building structures with sloped and sharp edges. In the evening, the occupied house lights up; through the different sized windows you can freely observe their family life. The architects explain that the building was designed from the inside. The façade openings are positioned according to how the spaces are used and the relationship to the landscape.

There is a particularly impressive view through the panoramic window (Schüco FW 50+), which dominates the main side towards the water. This opening provides constant, pleasant daylight to the living and dining area measuring 12 m2 and, in some places, 5.5 m high. The void and the windows make the space seem larger.

Project: Villa Vy 
Location: Flatön/SE
Client: Jacob and Jenny Fröslee Jonsson 
Architects: Jacob and Jenny Fröslee Jonsson
Living space: 100 m
Construction period: 2012–2013 
Schüco systems: FW 50+

The kitchenette – made from light-coloured wood like all the other room dividers – was oriented to the north by the architects. An almost room-height and width window ensures an unimpeded view here as well. In the rear area of the living space there are two bedrooms and a shared bathroom. The doors are cleverly concealed in the timber wall or between the built-in wardrobes. A corridor leads to the rear terrace, which is built into the hillside. A staircase provides access to the open gallery level, where two more bedrooms are located. The specifiers oriented one wing-shaped roof terrace towards the east and one to the west. When the weather permits, the family can also use this space for eating, playing and living.

Words: Katja Pfeiffer
Photos: Jacob Fröslee Jonsson

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