A Little Red Icelandic Cabin Gets a Swedish Cottage-Inspired Expansion

The family vacation home had been built to accommodate previous construction restrictions on the island, so this time, Gylfi Óskarsson decided to go bigger.

Dec 4, 2023 - 15:17

A Little Red Icelandic Cabin Gets a Swedish Cottage-Inspired Expansion

The family vacation home had been built to accommodate previous construction restrictions on the island, so this time, Gylfi Óskarsson decided to go bigger.

The U-shape of the building now creates an enjoyable outdoor space, where one can soak up the sun while still being sheltered from the wind.

Set against a crisp blue Icelandic sky, rolling green hills, and yellow plains, Gylfi Óskarsson’s little red cabin looks like it’s part of a cheery children’s painting—perfectly at home in a symphony of primary colors. But the inspiration for this cozy cottage isn’t a box of crayons, but the cabin culture of Sweden.

One of the biggest challenges of the project was just finding solid ground to build upon.

Gylfi, a pediatrician, spent a decade living there, and long admired the bright red cabins that were a signature of the region. So when it came time to expand his own family vacation home with the help of Hlynur Sævarsson, principal of Glama-Kim Architects, it was only natural that Scandinavian design (and, yes, that iconic scarlet hue) would become part of the game plan.