Tiny Living: The Mill House by Wingårdh Architects

Wingårdhs converted a large old farm in the countryside in southern Sweden into a vacation house for a family from the nearby city of Malmö. He transformed the original farm buildings – cowshed, stables, hay loft and barn – into sleeping quarters, kitchen and a gym, among other rooms, and added a new freestanding wing to the late 19^th -century house. The entire building is crafted with the precision of fine cabinetry and the craftsmanship and materials – oak and limestone – infuse the atmosphere with warmth and authenticity. The heavily detailed architecture of the interior is more than a mere background for its contents. By contrast, the simple exterior gives no indication of the care lavished on the inside, particularly the façade towards the courtyard. Its most prominent feature is a horizontal gable window of adjoining squares, but as a whole the exterior seems to strive for an archetypal simplicity that recalls the watermill that once stood on the site.