A Charming, Extended 19th-Century Log House in Sweden

We’re heading to the Swedish countryside to tour a unique log house. Originally, the building was the old baker’s cottage by Lake Brukssjön near Hälleforsnäs. After years of neglect, the heartwood was saved and given new life, and the charming log house was carefully dismantled and lovingly rebuilt in the picturesque setting of Bronäs in the late 1970s.

More recently, the current owner thoughtfully expanded the home while honoring its cultural and architectural heritage. Every new log was hand-hewn by skilled craftsmen using traditional techniques, ensuring that the integrity of log cabin construction was preserved.

Today, this home blends timeless craftsmanship with a modern sense of style, placing open, social spaces at its heart while maintaining an authentic, old-world atmosphere.

The log house is divided into two areas. From the spacious hallway, you turn right to enter the main open-plan living space. The space is open to the ridge, and the exposed wooden beams give the space character.

The walls and the ceiling are clad with white-painted raw-sheet pine paneling, which is paired with wooden floorboards treated with linseed oil. 

The color red has been used to add warm color pops to the living space. All window frames are painted red, as well as the nice wooden bench in the corner.

The sitting area is focused around a log-burning stove, creating a cozy atmosphere in the evening and the winter months. Double doors can be opened in the summer, opening to a wooden terrace.

A large dining area sits between the kitchen and the large windows facing the garden.

Moebe ceramic pendant lights hang above the wooden dining table.

The kitchen island is a natural divider between the living and the cooking area. The kitchen is made of light ash-patterned cabinets that harmonize with the rustic feel of the cabin.

The light ash cabinets are topped with an oak countertop.

The spacious hall features tongue and groove paneling painted in a warm yellow color. A patterned curtain in orange tones hides built-in shelves.

You’ll find a second sitting room on the other side of the hall. This room is more cozy than the grand living space, and the large windows blur the line between indoors and outdoors.

The entire room features tongue-and-groove paneling. The walls are painted white while the ceiling is painted a muted gray-green hue, enhancing the cozy atmosphere of the room.

The large white-painted brick fireplace adds warmth and a cozy ambiance to the space.

The stairs in the living room give access to a loft bedroom with slanted ceilings and a cozy bed niche. Daylight enters through glass doors leading to an outdoor terrace with stairs down to the patio in front of the house.

There are two more bedrooms in the house. The first is painted in a light yellow shade and the windows face toward the forest at the back of the house.

The third bedroom can be accessed via the smaller living room. This cozy space has white tongue-and-groove walls and a gray-green ceiling, just like the sitting room.

The bathroom was extended a couple of years ago. It is designed in a surprisingly classic look compared to the rest of the house. It features a lovely clawfoot bath, classic black and white floor tiles, and storage behind tongue-and-groove doors.

The grounds also feature a guest house with a sauna.

styling by Copparstad and photography by Ono for Historiska Hem.