Blacksmiths Emilia and Adam found the perfect farm in Sörbyn, Boden municipality. Here, their blacksmithing business can grow into a creative destination with proximity to multi-generational living, nature, and friendly villagers.
The white house is beautifully nestled in greenery and flower meadows. Around the adjacent newly renovated large barn, tall old pine trees stretch towards the clear blue summer sky, creaking protectively against the smithy’s roof in time with the wind. Adam and Emilia open the doors to their new life, and the sun sends its rays over what’s emerging. Inside the barn, an entire blacksmithing operation has moved in with hammers, anvils, forges, and raw materials to forge. A large shelving system signals both nostalgia and orderliness. A few more brush strokes and the new smithy will be ready for its official opening, with the scent and sound of blacksmithing work spreading across the neighborhood, just as in the time when there were three blacksmiths in the village.
HOME IMMEDIATELY
“The dream was to find a rural place, preferably in Norrbotten since I have roots in Överkalix and have been there a lot. We’ve looked at many places, but it always fell through because of the outbuildings,” says Emilia.
When this farm came up for sale, two independent people tipped them off. Adam and Emilia heeded the advice to go to the house viewing and got in the car, driving straight from southern Sweden where they were at the time. Once inside, they immediately felt at home.
WELCOMING COMMUNITY
Even before moving in, they were welcomed by neighbors and villagers.
“When it was coldest this winter, a man called and said, “I’m Gerda’s house elf, would you like me to check on the house?””
Gerda was the older lady who had the house before. She lived to be 99 years old and had equipped the house with both fiber optics and triple-glazed windows.
“Even though we never got to meet Gerda, it felt like a part of her was still here,” says Emilia with a smile, running her hand over the large kitchen table.
Adam explains that they’ve kept some of the interior because it felt like that was the type of furniture that should be here. Side by side, the couple’s forged items and extensive music collection coexist. In one part of the house, Emilia’s mother is currently living, and there’s also room for friends and potential future course participants.
The couple has quickly been welcomed in the village and have themselves opened their door for spontaneous visits from residents around. The house elf Torbjörn has been invaluable, as well as Gerda’s family who had been on the farm before, and other local talents who introduce them to their networks and show them around.
“We’ve never been as social as when we moved here,” they laugh, and explain that they’re already active in both the local heritage association and the sports club, have celebrated Midsummer with other villagers, and frequently have coffee visits at home in their kitchen.
FUNCTIONAL AND ARTISTIC BLACKSMITHING
Both Emilia and Adam have undergone thorough training in blacksmithing. They had the opportunity to acquire all the equipment from an existing smithy. This has been supplemented with selected new accessories that have now taken their place in their barn in Sörbyn.
The dream is for both of them to be able to live entirely off their joint company Smedja Brinna. There, their skills in both functional and artistic blacksmithing come together.
Emilia enjoys working with small details while Adam’s favorite is functional blacksmithing, but they both do pretty much everything. Adam has previously worked a bit with wood. Together, they have also worked with historical forged objects and public decorations.
Their breadth is unique and includes traditional hot forging and its techniques, but also knowledge in welding, different metals, cold forging, and restoration of metal objects. They also plan to hold courses and receive visitors at the farm.
“This must be the best working environment in the whole world. With the possibility of having the smithy in the backyard with water, mountains, school, country store, and nature nearby. Everything that feels important and everything we need is here.”
TEXT: ANNA BERGSTRÖM
