Design Considered #07
Slimmer Summer Edition (3 of 3) - Sunny holiday homes from Sweden to Queensland and the best furniture to furnish them with.
#01 - Opening Thought
It sounds strange to say, but natural light is trending in 2024. Every health and self-help guru these days is spruiking the idea of boosting our circadian rhythms with ‘sunlight in the eyes’ first thing in the morning. In design writing, a space ‘bathed in natural light’ seems to be shorthand for a place we all want to live in. As someone from one of the world’s sunniest corners, literally called the ‘Gold Coast’ in Australia, I’m well-versed in the vitality that natural light can provide. However, now living in a single-aspect flat in not-so-golden London, I fear my fleeting relationship with sunshine makes me unhealthy.
I shouldn’t worry too much, however, says Swedish architect Andreas Martin-Löf, who, at the time of writing, is most certainly soaked in natural light at the wonderful summer house he designed for himself in the Stockholm Archipelago (pictured) in 2014. “If you look at ancient architecture, they built to protect themselves from the weather,” he explains to Design Considered. “They would direct the light differently through smaller openings, which I am interested in—opening up parts of a building to frame views and let the light in. This is a more interesting way to treat light than just creating a full glass facade.”
This approach is visible in his slightly more luxurious take on the classic timber Swedish summer home. It features a series of pine pillars that keep its glass panes in place and provide a sense of drama throughout the day as the shadows they cast move across living spaces. Designing like this is also a better way to think about sustainable construction. One giant glass pane would have had to be airlifted by helicopter, while here, builders could hand-carry the smaller panes onto the site.
Martin-Löf, who has worked on both modular affordable housing units and high-end yachts, understands how good design interacts with the outside world. One triumph of his “little” summer home is how it faces north, allowing a better appreciation of the surrounding nature as the sun dips in a north-westerly direction each evening. “When the sun sets directly in your face, you’re just blinded, but this way, you can enjoy how the changing light interacts with the trees and landscape,” he says.
Now, back to my vitamin D deficiency in the UK. It’s the Swedes that I (and most of the rest of us) should take pointers from in improving how we live with nature. The timber homes that most of their population retreat to each summer for three or four weeks are deliberately simple. Swedish summertime culture involves exposing oneself to the elements as much as possible by leaving modern luxuries behind. Simplicity and being outdoors are key here. Martin-Löf enjoys his break alone and with friends, returning to work well-rested and revitalised. “A simple Swedish summer house is low-tech but high in the right type of functions,” he says. “Today, we are building such fragile systems—if the internet breaks down, nothing works. Something like that is not a concern out in the archipelago in the summer.”
#02 - Design Selection
With this newsletter’s summer home feel in mind, we’ve rounded up six essentials, emphasising simplicity with a dash of luxuriousness for a well-designed retreat. Strong coffee is just as essential as ‘sunlight in the eyes’ each morning. Therefore, the day’s start should begin with a brew in David Chipperfield’s take on the classic (1) Moka for Alessi. Scandinavian summer houses often come replete with a nice little sauna. The (2) KVJ3 Sauna Stool designed by master woodworker Kari Virtanen for Nikari is ideal for both a steaming perch and taking outside for soaking up nature on. When it comes to reclining in the sunshine, no design brand does the (3) spaghetti lounger quite like Italy’s Fiam, appreciated in summertime across Europe. As the temperature cools in the evening, reaching for a (4) striped cashmere blanket beautifully conceived by Studio Shamshiri, hand-crafted in Nepal and available through Abask, is reaching for a win. Good music is a luxury one shouldn’t sacrifice during summer breaks. Sure, Sweden is the home of Spotify, but when it comes to good summer living there and further afield, the phone should be put away and a good CD selection dusted off. Classic albums can be enjoyed in classic fashion on this Japanese beauty, the 1999 Nakamichi wall-mountable (5) SoundSpace 5, which crops up fairly frequently for sale online. Finally, a remote cabin needs a decent run-around. You can easily get out and about in cool Italian fashion on the (6) Audere Ebike from the nation’s oldest bicycle maker, Umberto Dei, which has operated since 1896.
#03 - Through The Lens
“I'm a natural light photographer; 99.9% of my projects are shot with natural light,” explains Brisbane-based Toby Scott of the design and architecture photography he is respected for. Despite being a sun-soaked corner of the world, working with and around the sometimes super-harsh sunlight in Australia as a photographer can be tough. “Shooting in the winter here with clear blue skies is perfect; you can do it all day. But in the summer, you have to sweat it out, photographing exteriors when the light is best in the morning and evening and working indoors during the day.”
For this wonderful timber holiday home in a tropical Queensland rural area called Agnes Waters & 1770 (stunning place!), Scott worked with Brisbane-based architects Maytree Studios to bring out the best aspects of the building. “It’s a remote place with a rugged coastline, but the home design has a lot of warmth,” says Scott, noting that houses in these types of environments need to be tough, yet Maytree’s effort also offers a lightness in its form. “The charred timber on the outside suits the environment beautifully, and the openness of the design with its big verandah gives it a very ‘Queensland’ feel.”
“Today, we are building such fragile systems” could not agree more🙏
So beautiful all around! And THANK YOU for highlighting Fiam! I saw their work in Milan a few months ago and misplaced their card, forgot their name, and was so sad I couldn't purchase their chairs. Now I've been reminded by this angelic happenstance.