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Did you base the design of the house on minimalism?
Theresa Höghammar: We defined three words in particular for the
concept with our interior designer Lotta Agaton. The house is natural,
which is mostly reflected in the materials. It is resistant and gets a
beautiful patina with time. And it’s Scandinavian – which we wouldn’t
necessarily describe as minimalist, but rather as bright, inviting and
earthy. We were inspired by what is outside. We don’t want to be apart
from nature, we want to be inside and part of it at the same time.
When did you start planning the lighting for the house?
Dennis Lundell: Planning for the lighting actually started before the
planning for the house. We had already lived here for two years before
starting to build the new house and spent a lot of time getting to know
the sun, the wind and the different temperatures. The location, the
windows and the lighting system were planned very precisely.
Theresa Höghammar: The Occhio lighting designers supported us
in this. We are very good at Aloud at putting together the technology
behind the light and creating pre-programmed settings for different
lighting scenes.
What do the different light scenes look like?
Dennis Lundell: The house has an astronomical clock, so it knows
its location and where the sun is at any given time. This allows us to
create many different scenes for different seasons. The light outside
on a given morning is very different depending on whether it is spring,
summer, autumn or winter. So the light inside must also be different.
Theresa Höghammar: Our winter here is very dark. Some days you
only have one or two hours of daylight. So artificial light is particularly
important to make the house feel like a home.
Interview with Theresa
Höghammar and Dennis
Lundell, Aloud
Your dream of a home in the Stockholm archipelago has come true.
How did the project start in the first place?
Theresa Höghammar: We had been looking for a long time then we
found and bought an old house from the 1970s. Pretty much every
expert we spoke to told us to tear it down and build a new house. So
it became a whole new project. It didn’t end up just being a summer
house, but one where we live all year round.
At Aloud, you help customers create smart homes without com-
promising on interior design. What standards did you set for your
own house?
Theresa Höghammar: We wanted a house that was connected to
nature. The wind, the sea, the island – everything is wild and natural.
Dennis Lundell: But of course we built in everything that we enjoy
too. Audio systems, hidden TVs, a security system and a sophisti-
cated lighting system. Everything is connected. It can be turned off
at the push of a button and the house can blend in with nature. It’s all
there, but beneath the surface.
Why is it so important that the technology is invisible?
Dennis Lundell: The goal is always to create a fantastic space where
you want to be. The architects and interior designers do their job –
then we come in and put an extra gloss on it all. The lighting design,
for example, highlights the colors and textures, to which we add
more, like harmonious acoustics.
Theresa Höghammar: It’s a very special feeling to come into a room
where the light and acoustics are perfect. You need artificial light in
Sweden because it is very dark for many months of the year. So you
need the technology. But you don’t need to see all the cables. We
hide these so that the senses can rest.
Theresa Höghammar and Dennis Lundell bring smart home
technology in line with interior design with Aloud. In 2021, they
opened the first Occhio store in Stockholm.
Interview
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