In just six months, Anna Landfors and Marcus Sandström went from breaking ground to moving into their newly built house. We visited them in Svartbjörnsbyn to hear the story behind the construction and their future plans.
Although they are happy in their new home, which is exactly what they wanted, they call it a 200 square meter unique building. They created an Instagram account when they started building, mainly to have as a picture diary to look back on themselves. But the account grew to over a thousand followers who wanted to follow the project.
One is quickly welcomed by the openness, light and space right in the entrance. There is an open floor plan and high ceilings. In the kitchen, Marcus is preparing a burrata pasta. The sound of a pepper mill can be heard and the smell of tomato sauce and garlic fills the house.
MADE A DISCOVERY
Anna comes from Lombäcken, a small village 20 minutes from the city. Marcus is a “bear” from the beginning and grew up a stone’s throw from where they now live. When a plot of land appeared in Svartbjörnsbyn, there was nothing to think about. Marcus got homesick, and they jumped at it.
– We had first looked at plots in Sävast, which had also been good, but when we heard that a plot would soon be available in Björns, we could hardly believe it. We didn’t think there were any plots left there,” says Anna.
Marcus is a former hockey player, but has now put the stick on the shelf and now works at a construction store in the city, within cycling distance to work. In addition to hockey sticks, he has also held the odd screwdriver over the years when he was also a carpenter. So it wasn’t much of a problem to build a house that was just the way they wanted it.
– There wasn’t really a house model that we liked and was exactly what we wanted, so we took a skeleton from a house manufacturer but have, together with an architect, redesigned almost everything on the inside.
The couple hesitate a little when they say that the house turned out to be almost exactly what they wanted. They had planned for a two-storey villa, but when they applied for planning permission for the newly found plot, it turned out that the maximum height for the area was 1.5 storeys. They had to change their minds and chose a house that was as close to their wishes as they could get.
IN THE MIDDLE OF LOCAL LIFE
In addition to being within cycling distance to work, Marcus’ children will start school a few hundred meters away. Right next to the house is a public playground that runs alongside their plot. The plot feels bigger than it is, and it has become a bit like the playground is theirs too. The family also appreciates the nature just outside the village. It can be mushroom or berry picking and snowmobiling, but also just taking a ten-minute walk to the beach and having a picnic there. Even the circle of friends has become part of local life. Most friends and acquaintances live in Svartbjörnsbyn, and it’s easy to have big dinners and events on the corner.
A PLACE FOR PLAY AND CELEBRATION
The house was built quickly: the groundbreaking ceremony took place in May 2020, the foundations were laid and the house was ready to move into in October of the same year. They are very grateful to friends and family who helped with the construction. Anna’s brother is a painter and helped paint the whole house inside, and Marcus’ father spent his entire vacation and took additional leave from work to help with the carpentry.
Although the villa was ready to move into, there are always new projects. “A house is never really finished,” the couple points out, laughing. For example, they have just converted an office into a climbing wall for the children. In the social area near the entrance, they replaced some paintings with a stylish wall panel with wooden slats and black felt, which is both stylish and improves the acoustics of the open space.
– We are very happy with the social layout. We are often large groups and love open spaces so everyone can socialize at the same time. Someone can stand at the kitchen island and cook, but at the same time talk to all the guests.
Anna became the house’s interior design manager, and was given a free hand in this. Creativity is not in short supply. Everything feels well-planned and chosen with fascinating care. Everything from the stone soap dispenser that matches the marble bathroom and sauna, to a painting hanging in the kitchen made from leftover putty from the construction. Anna took out a comb and pulled out the putty on a canvas so it became a neat work of art. Smart reuse too!
Plans for next summer include a hedge around the plot, and the greenhouse that Anna dreams of, with the luxury of being able to go out and pick her own salad for dinner. The garden would also need to be supplemented with strawberries and strawberries. Right now, it’s the neighbor’s raspberry bush that gets raided from time to time by the youngest in the family.
THE DREAM HOUSE
When asked if this is the house where they will put down roots and grow old together, Anna starts to look around, takes a sip from her coffee cup and dreams away.
– Well, we would like to build another house. The dream would have been a meadow house, in a slope down to a lake and a large and lovely patio.
Their only possible regret about the corner villa is the location of the bedroom, which is south-facing and gets a lot of sun during the summer. With hindsight, they would have planned it differently, but they see it as a lesson for any future building projects.
– We’re in no hurry to leave, we like it here and are very happy with the house, but if the right plot of land comes up at the right price, it may be possible. It feels a bit tempting to build again,” Anna continues.
Who knows, maybe we’ll be back in a future issue of Neighborhood Life, when the real dream house is in place, on a slope near you!
TEXT: ROBIN SÖDERLUND
