57°50'43.6"N 12°08'02.0"E Jägersro Hideaway, Sweden

Pared-back but inviting design is embedded in the slope of this wild lakefront property. From an external stairway, the house unfolds dramatically into the spacious kitchen, living area and dining room. In these spaces, the floor-length windows of the loggia-inspired frontage frame the forest and the water. Year-round, the unadorned walls are patterned by the play of light through leaves.

Interior finishes also seek to complement rather than compete with the landscape. Black-framed glazing, airy ceilings, concrete floors, pale timber cabinetry and satiny stainless steel are softened by textures of straw and jute.

Three bedrooms straddle the internal atrium; with high ceilings and warm, earth-hued linens and rugs, these are enclosed and calming spaces. Concrete and steel continue in the single bathroom, where a bespoke burnished steel basin, micro-cement tub and sleekly timeless Arne Jacobsen fixtures invite long soaks.

It’s stunning year-round, but in winter, the contrast between the white-blanketed forest and the matte black of the villa’s handcrafted timber exterior — and its minimal, warm interior — is the most arresting.

How far to the nearest…

• Resident/Neighbour 700m
• Lake 10m
• Beach/Sea 49km
• Shop 10km
• Café/Restaurant 10km
• Town 10km
• Domestic airport 45km (Göteborg Landvetter)

Build This award-winning project is sited beside a lake and embedded in the slope to the water. A hand-crafted timber exterior; polished concrete and timber interior; the interior atrium keeps things light and bright.

Energy Electric heating. A charging station for electric vehicles is also available.

Environment Located within the 2,567 hectares Vättlefjäll nature reserve, one of the largest such parks in the Gothenburg region.

Digital detox Wifi if you need it, but no mobile phone reception (you may get a weak signal behind the house; this is the wilderness!).

Creature comforts Open fireplace. Deck. Fully equipped kitchen. Lake-shore access. Laundry facilities. Paddleboard to borrow in spring/summer. E-vehicle charging station.

Gothenburg, Sweden’s second-largest city, may only be 45 minutes away by car, but the hideaway exists in its own world of murmuring forests and pristine lakes. North of the 57th parallel, summer days here are endless, and winter is deep and hushed. The high season stretches from June to September; but if you’re seeking solitude, visit in the winter, when the lake is frozen over, and the forest is veiled in snow.

Engage

Vättlefjäll’s network of trails invite thorough exploration on foot, mountain bike or horse (there are stables 4km from the house), while the canal-connected lakes make for the perfect adventure by stand-up paddleboard, kayak or canoe – and whether you’re on water or land you’re sure to glimpse countless birds and other wildlife. Keen fisherfolk can cast off from the lakeshore right in front of the house (bring your rods). Winter is quieter, but the trails still beckon; strap on your snowshoes and wander through the snow on crisp winter days.

Savour

West Sweden’s local flavors marry land and ocean. Herring, oysters, and langoustines are gifts from the cold, clean water of the North Sea; while inland pastures and woodlands provide a bounty of local meats, artisanal cheeses, and syrupy jams. Less traditionally, nearby Gothenburg is considered a craft beer lover’s paradise, with a microbrewery for every taste.

Go slow

Step from the hideaway into the surrounding forest and forage for mushrooms and blueberries from July to October. Golden chanterelles are a particular autumn treasure, and you will see them glowing in the underbrush beneath the spruce trees. Here you can take advantage of the Swedish law of allemansrätten or “all men’s rights” that gives you full permission to roam, swim, and glean across public lands.