Very Old House with Vintage Decoration and Interior

A two-story house on a small island in the middle of a lake near the Swedish town of Svartrud was built in 1885 by a local postman who wanted to engage in farming here. In those days, the first floor of such houses was traditionally reserved for the kitchen and space for livestock, while the second floor was used for living. Hence, this house has a fairly large area—almost 300 square meters and three bedrooms on the second floor.

Time passed, and the appearance of the house changed. It was sold, bought, and resold again. In 1976, Ulla-Britt Englund happened to see it for the first time while taking a boat trip around the lake. The house was very appealing to her, and it happened to be on sale at that time. However, things didn’t work out: moving homes wasn't in Ulla-Britt’s plans, and the necessary sum was still missing for the deal. Someone else bought the house once more, and nearly twenty years later, the woman learned that it was for sale again and realized it was time!

The house was in rather poor condition, and some walls even had to be patched up. Still, this aged old 'gentleman' enchanted its owner so much that she decided to keep it untouched as much as possible.

The kitchen was in terrible shape. Initially, Ulla-Britt considered restoring it, but in the end, she just updated what she could manage and ordered a new kitchen cabinet. They completely redesigned one of the bedrooms.

Vintage wallpapers, which cover almost all rooms, are actually new— the owner carefully selected them to match the character of the house. Chandeliers and candelabras with active decoration are not random either; they harmonize perfectly with the carved veranda and fireplaces.

In winter, the house gets sparsely occupied, and some rooms are closed entirely. At other times, it hosts children and grandchildren of the owner. Several rooms are decorated as children's spaces. The vintage furniture, just like everywhere else, is placed there, only more naive, and the toys are not modern but incredibly charming. There's no ostentation in all of this. But there is something intangible and probably more important— atmosphere.

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• A Cozy Cottage in Australia with a Garden Room
  
• Interior Design in Vintage Style