Before and after

A Final Word

A villa, a Sisyphean task

When I concluded my work with Wenngarn a few years ago, I realized that the project had just as much impact on me as I had on it. Places with stories change people. Björkudden was a place we bought on a gut-feeling, with the primary purpose being to test ourselves. The goal? To see what questions the house could answer, if there were problems we could solve, and to elevate the house to become a place for new memories to be created. We quickly saw the key: authenticity. Because Björkudden is as authentic as it gets. Within this run-down house we bought, there was a clear yet unnamable quality. The feeling of authenticity is something we tried to maintain, while at the same time wanting to make the house welcoming and usable. And this desire also answers the question of why we didn’t want to take even more. We didn’t want to lose the intimacy of the experience. Why is it so much nicer with a hostel-standard than a five-star feeling? What is charming about a drafty kitchen on an island that isn’t always the easiest to get to and from? Because this brings people and the experience closer together. Some stories need to be added to, and also to let themselves be told.

In Björkudden’s case, I as the entrepreneur wanted to offer remarkable things in a unremarkable way. In the summer of 2016, we opened up Björkudden to the rest of the world, but also to ourselves. Here, several of us who worked on the project have already written Björkudden into our own narrative with weddings, dinners, and memorable conversations. It is gatherings such as these that create the story, but also the fantastic works of art we had the opportunity to add to the house through Orrefors and Kosta Boda, who reflect our motto: to preserve, tell and create history.

It is with these experiences that we continue our journey of maintaining this place, so that Björkudden can remain just as important of a place for the next hundred years as it has already been for us. The storytelling and management model that we work with now at Björkudden and in other spaces is something we call Storyhouse. Storyhouse is our way of making this journey possible. And the best part about houses with stories is that they, if done right, can continue to tell those stories. To create a story that never ends is our goal - a real Sisyphean task. Björkudden, with all of its stories, new additions and portals for new experiences, is our platform. A testament of the attempt to be authentic as possible. Our Sisyphus House. And it is open for you. Welcome to your story.

Olle Larsson