The Swedish Summer House

Words & Photography
by Melia Malmquist







People in Sweden love their summer houses. Many enjoy them all year round as a weekend escape from the city.

There’s nothing better than retreating to the summer house on a raw, rainy autumn day, going for a long walk, winter bathing in the almost freezing water, and then enjoying a game dinner with some red wine in front of the fireplace.

Every year for more than twenty years, on Midsummer's Day, they move out for a couple of months to fully embrace the long summer days in the north.

My parents-in-law live in the city but also have a summer house on an island just thirty minutes away, which means that they can use the house whenever they like. Every year for more than twenty years, on Midsummer's Day, they move out for a couple of months to fully embrace the long summer days in the north. To me, this is the perfect seasonal mix and quality of life.