Well known for product and interior design, Stockholm-based Note Design Studio has gradually expanded to include architecture as a natural extension of its multidisciplinary approach. Located on a sloping site in a village in southern Sweden, Villa Österlen is their second completed architectural project and marks another step in the studio's growing portfolio.
The house sits naturally within the landscape, surrounded by orchards and rolling hills, while offering a modern family both comfort and privacy. It is a project that reflects Note's commitment to architecture grounded in a strong sense of context. Co-founder and interior architect Johannes Karlström explains: "For nearly a decade, we've been moving steadily toward architecture as a larger part of our practice. The ambition has always been to shape complete environments and experiences. Over the years, our role in collaborative projects has grown organically, leading to fully commissioned architectural works such as Villa Österlen."
Working with architecture hasn't changed Note's approach to other disciplines — if anything, it's the other way around. The studio brings its experience in product and interior design into its architectural work, shaping how it thinks about space, proportion, and atmosphere rather than exterior form. "We tend to think more in terms of spatial qualities than exterior form," says Karlström. "Approaching architecture from a slightly different perspective has allowed us to remain curious, naïve, and exploratory throughout the process. There's a certain openness in working on early architectural projects that encourages experimentation and creative freedom."
%20copy.webp)
Villa Österlen follows last year's mountain home in Ottsjö, though the two projects differ significantly both architecturally and in terms of location. Villa Ottsjö is a stand-alone house in the alpine landscape of the Årefjällen region, while the Österlen project is tightly interwoven with a historic village environment — its material choices and overall form strongly influenced by the area's cultural heritage and proximity to the local church.
"This second house is located a thousand kilometres south of our first, in a completely different climate and cultural setting," Karlström notes. "Our next residential project is already underway on the island of Gotland, in an old quarry and former military site. It's exciting to present a series of houses with such distinct identities."
The architecture bears many similarities to a traditional "skånelänga”, a long, narrow building typical of the region. This served as a natural starting point, used as a springboard rather than a blueprint. The house follows the stepped terrain, sitting lightly in the landscape and acting as a harmonising link between the differing orientations of surrounding buildings. Its plastered stone construction paired with a Rheinzink roof echoes the tones and materials of this historically protected area.
"The architecture is minimalistic, which places greater responsibility on the materials. The nearby church became an important reference. Both plaster and zinc age beautifully, and over time the façade will shift in tone while the metalwork develops a matte blue patina," says Jesper Mellgren, the project's architect.
The view over Hanöbukten is a key element of the house, shaping both its architecture and orientation on the site. The oversized skylight on the upper floor frames the landscape in a striking way, while the pivot doors — large, elegant, and beautifully detailed — form an important part of the overall composition.
As with the studio's first architectural project, establishing a clear design direction early proved essential. Much of the later stages focused on detailing, technical adaptations, and preserving the original architectural intent throughout.
The main materials defining the interior are warm Swedish pine combined with stone in the form of Norwegian slate and Bohuslän granite. Chosen for their durability and low environmental impact, significant time was spent developing a special finish for the wood: a soft, milky tone achieved through a mix of oil-based pigments and lye.
"The development of the special wood finish was one of the most demanding parts of the project, but also one of the most successful. The colour works beautifully with the changing daylight. Each room takes on its own character depending on how the sun moves through the house," says Mellgren.
The brief centred the spatial planning around generous social spaces capable of bringing a geographically scattered family together, while still allowing for privacy when needed. The result is a floor plan that balances open communal zones with more private rooms, organised around framed views and gentle transitions between interior and exterior.
Note custom-designed a number of details and furniture pieces for the house — among them a dining table and lamp created specifically for the space. These were designed to complement the Nordic materials of wood, granite, and slate, while giving the home a distinct personal character.
The ceiling is perhaps the most striking expression of the house's materiality and craftsmanship. It creates a solemn, almost sacred atmosphere, while remaining warm and intimate — a quality that carries through every room.
Photography by Erik Lefvander
