The Swedish House

by INGALILL SNITT

Buy new: $60.00 $29.37 Buy used: $14.29

Editorial Reviews

The traditions of residential design in Sweden are inseparable from the history of the country itself and from the history of construction in Scandinavia. This gloriously illustrated volume presents historic wood houses--magnificent castles, simple cottages, stately domiciles, rectories, seaside bathing huts, barns, and sawmills--from the seventeenth century to the present. Also shown in detail are wooden churches and even entire towns built of wood.

Among the buildings featured are a farmhouse on the Sörby country estate dating from the second half of the seventeenth century; the childhood home and the adult estate, Hammarby, of the influential botanist Linnaeus (complete with lecture pulpit and specimen collection cabinet); and Gunnebo, a lavish wooden interpretation of an Italian villa built for wealthy merchant John Hall. A celebration of the beauty of wood in bygone houses and a source of design inspiration, The Swedish House captures the special qualities of a unique building practice.

Customer Reviews

Title not correctly translated to English, 2006-02-13
by Lupo Montegrigio (Stockholm, Sweden)

The Swedish (original) edition is titled "Swedish wooden houses" which is quite an essential piece of information for a buyer. That's what's linking the humblest farmers hut with a grand manor in this book. The emphasis is on interiors and some are more than lightly deteriorating into a romantic peeling paint and wall-paper inferno, but mainly it's a fair selection of different types of rooms. Exteriors are also present and I think there is a good balance. Photograps are excellent as always when Ingalill Snitt provides them.

This book will be a classic!, 2005-02-28
by M. Keane (Massachusetts)

Sjoberg is the quintessential art historian and his book captures the history and soul of Swedish architecture beautifully.

The photos and related text guide you through a brief history of the traditional houses and building styles found in Sweden. By looking thoughtfully at the photos, you'll get a clear view of how these houses are constructed and why they are still standing today after years of abandonment and neglect.

If you ever visit Sweden (and go beyond Skansen in Stockholm), you'll see these "silent houses" throughout the countryside. Sjoberg brings them back to life with his deep understanding of their history and relevance to the 21st Century.

Few "house" pictures, 2004-01-20
by PK (Minneapolis)

"The Swedish House" is somewhat of a misleading title.
The book could be titled "Nice photos by a Swedish photographer." Generally it's old rooms with cracked paint, wood, texture, and other things that make good color photo composition. The book contains few photos of objects that are specifically "Swedish" and few photos of an actual "House." Unfortunately, it's just not very useful to someone who wants to see what a "Swedish House" looks like.