Introducing the Hee House! A charming little cabin that sports a unique hat-shaped aluminum roof, designed to spark curiosity and shield it from the wild surroundings. Crafted by Studio Ellsinger, this gem sits on the west coast of Sweden, not far from the beach at Heestrand. It’s been thoughtfully designed to serve as a holiday retreat for a young family eager to experiment with maximizing their space while keeping it cozy.
Designer: Studio Ellsinger
Covering an area of about seven meters by seven meters, the cabin is designed to “grow upwards.” It features a steep-pitched roof and gables made of untreated aluminum, which help protect against wind and rain. This project draws inspiration from the home of Studio Ellsinger’s founders – Villa Ellsinger, which embraces a similar aluminum cladding and stilts.
According to Mikael Ellsinger, co-founder of the studio, “Our house seeked to leave the ground and its environment as untouched as possible and stir curiosity.” The clients had acquired a very rustic and wild plot on the Swedish coast, desiring a home that reflected that ethos. The result is a compact yet striking home that thrives upwards, accommodating numerous surprises within a snug structure.
The cabin has a roomy living space under the roof, complemented by a loft on one side. This second floor holds a kid’s sleeping area, sofa bed, and a workspace that can be divided off with a large curtain. On the main floor, you’ll find the living and kitchen areas, boasting large windows that frame views of the pines. A massive bookshelf serves as a room divider while also supporting the loft above, and it nicely frames a custom-built wood-burning stove.
The roof’s design is quite distinctive, boasting two sections—one that’s narrow and tall, and another that’s broad and low—culminating in a hat-like silhouette. The cantilevered canopy offers protection from both sun and precipitation. “One of the biggest challenges was figuring out the steep roof structure without the normal beams that usually stabilize outer walls,” Ellsinger noted. “This was cleverly addressed with a giant glulam frame resting atop the outer walls, which remains visible from the exterior.”
The cabin’s interior features untreated pine cladding, making for a warm and simple atmosphere. The wooden aesthetic is softly juxtaposed with vivid red tiles on the kitchen floor. Both the loft windows and the front door are adorned with circular “prisms,” which reference maritime history.
“Old sailing vessels used glass prisms in their decks to distribute light before electricity became common. The prisms in the door serve an identical purpose, casting light into the otherwise dim entrance,” Ellsinger explained.
