How a Family Couple Remodeled a House with Their Own Hands

It all started simply: architect Viktor and ceramicist Elena moved to the Goteborg Majorna area and settled into a rather cramped apartment with a small kitchen.

While walking around the area one day, the couple came across a small house for sale just nearby, also about 24 square meters in size. At that moment, the idea came to them: why not buy it and make it an extension of their apartment? Especially since the house came with a spacious 250 square meter plot, complete with a picturesque overgrown garden and a tiny cabin the size of a double bed.

It turned out that along with purchasing the property, Viktor and Elena also acquired a lot of trouble. The house was built in the 1920s and had significantly settled—so they had to literally dig it out from under the ground. The facade was preserved only partially, and they had to reinforce the foundation and rebuild the house almost entirely.

However, the couple finally had the desired large kitchen, a veranda, and a garden room where they could host guests or sleep themselves.

Since Swedes treat ecology and reuse of materials with reverence, many old but still usable elements such as window frames and parts of the facade were actively used in the restoration—something they now take pride in.

Besides, while working on the renovation that lasted about a year and a half, Viktor discovered solid wooden planks inside the house walls. These were later used to make a rustic and masculine dining table in the kitchen.

The floor became a whole epic. Viktor had read somewhere that one can achieve an interesting shade by rubbing wooden planks with coffee grounds.

The couple took a risk: they invited guests and hosted a grand party, generously coating the floor with coffee so that guests would trample it more thoroughly. The planks acquired an uneven and expressive brown tone.

When it came to decorating, Elena took the lead. This is how items from flea markets and IKEA found their way into the home.

Elena painted cushions on the veranda using textile paint, and placed plates made by herself in an open storage niche. Handmade tableware fit perfectly into the aesthetic of this imperfect yet cozy house.