Black and White Cottage in Sweden with Perfect Terrace

You can spend years searching for your dream countryside home, carefully studying the real estate market, comparing and hesitating… and then stumble upon a perfect match by chance. For example, spouses Camilla and Johan discovered their ideal home during a summer walk around Värmdö, one of the islands in the Stockholm archipelago. In fact, it was the stunning view over the water that sealed the deal, rather than the building itself: it will be completely renovated next summer.

In the course of a year, they expanded the house, updated wiring and windows, renovated the kitchen and bathroom, and turned the attic into a guest room, where friends of their daughter often stay. Now, the house can be lived in all year round, not just during summer as before. In addition to the main house, they built a smaller cabin after obtaining local municipal approval.

Both houses look stylish and cozy inside and out, thanks entirely to Camilla. She is a designer, so she took charge of all the work related to the exterior appearance of the houses, interiors and terrace.

Her idea was to create light, breathable interiors with simple furniture made from natural materials like rattan, jute and cotton. The furniture is quite affordable, mostly IKEA and H&M Home. To make a bold statement, Camilla painted the facades in contrasting black and white colors. “It always works,” says the designer.

But the main focus is, of course, the terrace. Camilla and Johan’s terrace looks like a patio straight out of an interior magazine. And although the owners didn’t invent anything new, it’s full of cute design elements like woven furniture, soft cushions and throws, decorative trees in knitted planters with thin trunks and lush leafy “hats.” Still, why reinvent the wheel? The perfect terrace just looks like that.