Therese

Höllviken, Sweden

Something old, something new - residential

Höllviken, Sweden

At Home with Therése

On the coast of southern Sweden, Therése Gerdman - Sustainability Manager at Kährs Group, has created a home that reflects not only her familys lifestyle but also her lifelong commitment to thoughtful living.

Her role at Kährs, with responsibility for the planet and people agenda and how Kährs is working to become an even more responsible company, shapes much of her approach.

Honoring the past. Shaping a family home.

We first visited our colleague Therése in April 2024 to see the house and understand what home meant to her family. The house was a charming summer cottage but not equipped for the changing seasons and growing family. Hesitant to change too much and lose the soul and character of the building, Therése shared sketches and visual inspiration, speaking passionately about balancing transformation with preservation to create a home that's grounded in history, yet adapted to the present.

A cottage renewed for modern family life.

We return one year later, and Therése's mood board has become a reality. The construction of an extension, alongside thoughtful adjustments to the existing structures of the cottage, creates a shift in the sense of space, light and possibility flowing through the home. With more room for everyone to breathe and gather, the family has quickly settled into the refreshed home. In the new rooms Therése chose Kährs Oak Loft White for the floors, which provide a soft, fresh feeling that complements the natural light and calm atmosphere.

Designed for family life, rooted in nature.

A busy family with kids playing and dogs running around where they are not supposed to, meant that Therese needed a durable floor that was easy to maintain.

"Oak Loft White was a floor which could easily be matched with the design of the house combining old and new, while also providing us with a floor that could match our needs, both from design and durability perspective."

Therése explains how the house has been carefully expanded - never rushed, always considerd.

"When we've extended the house, it's been done with the highest consideration for the nature around us. We didn't want to detach from nature, but invite it in."

Large windows blur the line between indoors and outdoors, and natural light is part of the everyday experience of the space. The harmony with nature extends beyond architecture. Every piece of furniture in the house is second hand - found in antique shops, markets or passed down - and each has its own story.

"Just like the house, the furniture has evolved out of the needs and stages in life that we passed through. We have upcycled, remade and moved around all our furniture depending on the family needs and the space."

A home built to evolve with life and nature

It's an approach that's both sustainable and deeply personal, adding layers of character and history to the home.

"Sustainability isn't a layer you add on - it's something you build into every step of the process", she explains.

The result is a warm, welcoming space that's as functional as it is beautiful - a home that breathes with the ocean air, adapts to the seasons and evolves with the people (and animals) inside it.

More than a renovation, this is a living example of how intentional design, deep respect for nature and sustainable values can create a life - and a space - built to last a lifetime.