Villa Arkö by Marge Arkitekter

Villa Arkö is set on the shore, surrounded by rocks and a lot of greenery and trees. It's a modern-looking house, made out of natural materials, mostly wood.

Perched on the idyllic banks of a Swedish archipelago near Norrköping, Villa Arkö by local practice Marge Arkitekter may at first resemble its more traditionally designed neighbours, but its archetypal shape has been given a modern twist

(Image credit: press)

Villa Ark&ouml; sits on rocky terrain, surrounded by trees. The fa&ccedil;ade is made out of light wood. — With its steeply pitched roof and stepped volumes, the clean lines of the villa mimics the rocky terrain it sits on

Living space in Villa Ark&ouml;. A light velvet green couch sits on the far wall, and the black leather in combination with wood sits across from it, with a wooden coffee table in between. The living space is surrounded by a veranda and terraces. — Assorted terraces and a long veranda create a relaxed yet dynamic living space, perfect for a vacation home

A detail of the living space in Villa Ark&ouml; shows the brick fireplace that goes all the way to the ceiling. — The materials used mirror the natural tones of the surrounding cliffs, with oak used extensively throughout the interior

A detail of the living space in Villa Ark&ouml; shows the brick fireplace that goes all the way to the ceiling, taken from the kitchen. — The rectangular extension lends itself well to the social functions of the ground floor, which includes an open kitchen, guest room and lounge, all of which are based around a brick fireplace

High ceilings give the space a bright and airy feel. There are ladders that lead to the loft space. — Meanwhile, the high, slanted ceilings enclose the more private spaces on the second floor, where a ladder leads up to a bright, cosy loft above the bathroom

Exterior view of the Villa Ark&ouml;. The facade is covered in light wooden boards with a deck that goes all around the house. We see a terrace to the left that looks out to the sea. — A voluminous interior allows the air to circulate, while thick slatted sliding doors provide additional shade and large skylights can be opened to cool down the interior further during the summer months

Exterior view of the Villa Ark&ouml;. The facade is covered in light wooden boards made of cedar. The house is surrounded by trees. — The cedar wood facade will fade with age, eventually blending in with the pale grey roof

Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).