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Sweden Houzz Tour: A Studio's Custom Design & Boatbuilding Tricks

The brief was to pack a kitchen, a bathroom, a dining area, a loft and a even sauna into just 215 square feet

Sara Norrman 15 December 2019

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“When we first saw this small room at the beginning of the project, it was just a shell, a completely unfurnished house that the customer wanted to turn into a mix of office, product showroom and retreat,” says Daniel Wolgast, project manager at interior design firm Studio A3 and sister company A3 Byggprojekt, which provides construction project management and execution services. “The idea was to create a place of creativity and inspiration for the customers, who work in design.”

With only about 215 square feet (20 square metres) to play with, the building was definitely not very large; however, the owners wanted to pack in a full kitchen, a bathroom, a dining area for big parties, a loft (to sleep in), smart storage solutions and … a sauna.

Studio A3

House at a Glance
Size: Just over 215 square feet (20 square metres)
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Experts: Studio A3 for the interior design and A3 Byggprojekt for the construction planning and execution
Year: 2019
Budget: About US$3,750 (36,000 SEK) for the planning and about US$100,000 (1,000,000 SEK) for the renovation work, including the built-in furniture

Studio A3

The owners asked for simple and tasteful decor inspired by Japanese and Scandinavian design.

“We used as few materials as possible, namely concrete, white oak and light tones. We also removed any unnecessary details or hid them inside storage units,” Daniel says.

Since the studio has a nearly 15-foot (4.5-metre) ceiling, the height and light within the space were used to the fullest. The glazed doors and the window in the gable are original.

The speakers in the corners were an important part of the plan. “The music equipment was there from the beginning,” Daniel says. “There’s even an integrated subwoofer in one of the drawers under the couch.”

Studio A3

To make room for all the planned features, nearly every piece of the interior and the furniture was custom-made. “We designed the staircase, the railings, the handrail, the table, the storage bench, the bed frame – with storage boxes in the headboard – and the bathroom mirror. The kitchen is based on components from Ballingslöv [a Swedish kitchen manufacturer], and then our cabinetmaker took over and got the kitchen and stairs to blend together beautifully,” Daniel says.

Studio A3

The walls were already partially covered in wood paneling; Studio A3 expanded this material to the rest of the space and painted it to visually unify the space.

The furniture is made of whitewashed oak and matt lacquered MDF, while the floor is finished in an industrial self-levelling cement floor screed.

Studio A3

The carpenter, who comes from a family of boat builders, came up with the idea to make use of the empty space under the table. “It was important to maximise the storage in all the furniture, so there was a lot of boat-cabin thinking,” says Lina Wolgast, an interior designer at Studio A3.

Studio A3

“The sofa is a pull-out, there are drawers throughout the bench, and the table is on wheels so it can be moved,” she says.

Studio A3

The built-in kitchen features a fridge, a stove, a dishwasher and a wine cooler. The open shelves hang close to the ceiling to create the illusion of space.

Studio A3

The stairs were a bit of a challenge. “The steps are actually attached to a steel structure behind the paneling,” Daniel says. “The oak pieces are attached to steel beams that extend from [the steel structure], so they sit firmly.”

The little window is original, and faces another property. The stools were specially designed for the studio.

Studio A3

The team installed two Velux skylights in the loft to bring in as much light as possible.

Studio A3

The lighting in the studio was also carefully planned out, and although Lina is usually not so fond of recessed spotlights, they work well here. “They make for a unified look throughout the house. However, we had to do a lot of rewiring, take down the paneling and place the stairs a certain way to get the spotlights in,” she says.

Studio A3

Working a bathroom, complete with a shower and sauna, into an about 28-square-foot (2.6-square-metre) space was also no walk in the park. “We had to compromise a little on the standard dimensions of the sauna. It is 1.5 square metres [about 16 square feet],” Daniel says. Recommended dimensions are usually 0.8 square metres per person, with 60 centimetres sitting space per person, plus technical space. “But the customer is fine with it.”

Studio A3

The shower is bordered by a folding glass wall to maximise floor space, and they had an especially wide mirror custom made to reflect the room.

Tell us
What do you love about this mixed use space? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, save the story, and join in the conversation.

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chemistrykaren

For me, it's jaw-droppingly clever and beautiful. I love the wood, the clever stairs (though not sure I'd feel the same if I actually had to live with them!), the bathroom ...

1 Like 26 December 2019 at 3:07am

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Snappyspice

Bit confused as to picture 8, the caption says "The stools were specially designed for the home" yet they aren't any stools in the picture, and I can't see any in any other pictures of the downstairs?

Also, agree with Yvonne about the open treads over a food prep area... assuming the owners won't be doing much prep there...

Like 17 February 2020 at 5:45am

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