Together with her partner Mattias Bergqvist and their son Bosse, Emmy Nordmark has built an architect-designed split-level house on a rare lakeside plot in Boden, Norrbotten. Emmy, an elite handball player and entrepreneur, has a great passion for interiors and design, and after spending many hours of her youth building houses in The Sims, the dream of the perfect home finally came true.

“We wanted rounded corners and arches to bring a soft feel against our polished concrete floor. I sat for hundreds of hours at home in the evenings after handball training and once Bosse was asleep, drawing and planning down to the smallest detail.”

Everything below the gravel bed was taken care of by Emmy's grandfather, and the house itself was built by the company Norrläge. The build brought a number of challenges, including groundwork that turned out to be far more extensive than first expected. It took more than 40 truckloads of stone to fill the ground. Emmy advises anyone considering building their own home to "plan everything carefully before construction starts and avoid making too many changes during the process."

"When I saw Njord's doors, I knew they would be perfect for our home. They are minimalist and discreet, yet incredibly elegant."

Inside the house, the aim has been to create a minimalist yet cosy atmosphere. Emmy has chosen earthy colours and consistent materials throughout the house to create a unified style. The same stone is used in the kitchen and bathrooms, oak in the kitchen and upstairs, and limestone on the floors in the entrance and both bathrooms. Another important detail is the doors with concealed frames from Njord, which Emmy fell for after seeing them on Instagram. And the doors are something Emmy has really focused on. "I wanted doors that blend in with the rest of the interior," explains Emmy, "and when I saw Njord's doors, I knew they would be perfect for our home. They are minimalist and discreet, yet incredibly elegant." Emmy chose taller-than-standard doors in a beautiful, warm grey – the same NCS colour as the walls – which harmonises perfectly with the earthy colours in the rest of the house. When she looks at the doors now, she can't help smiling. "They are heavy, feel solid, have good sound insulation and are just as beautiful as I hoped. I'm so glad we chose them."

Their dream house has given them not only a place to call home, but a place that truly feels like their own. “Both Mattias and I dreamed of finding the perfect plot and then building our dream house. Lakeside plots don't grow on trees in little Boden, and stumbling across this one was simply fate.”

Products: Plain | Door frame k03
Home: Emmy Nordmark | @emmynordmark
Photographer: Daniel Holmgren | @fotografdanielholmgren