Kakelugnar

A kakelugn is a traditional Swedish stove/fireplace, usually tiled, though not always. The one pictured here is much like the one in Margaret and Janne's Stockholm flat.

I found a fantastic website of a company who specializes in reclaimed traditional kakelugn. I've seen a lot of these types of stoves all over Sweden.

The reason I include these is another comment made by my mother. She asked if I had to have a modern fireplace in our little modern house. That got me thinking. Not to sound pretentious, but I like the philosophy of Mies ("less is more") and want to go simple in our home.

But there is another way of thinking; Robert Venturi called it "less is bore". Don't be afraid of a little decoration or prettiness! Maybe a 1850's Swedish fireplace in an otherwise modern home would be interesting?? Something to think about...

Livemodern.com

I got an email from the webmaster at livemodern.com. They found my blog (I assume through an automated process) and asked if they could link to it on their website. There's a bunch of people like me who are building a home and documenting the process online.

Since it's a pretty cool and useful website, and since I'd love a wider audience, I of course said yes.

Check it out: livemodern.com/buildblogs.

Another Modern Fireplace

This one is European; French, to be exact. The model pictured here is the 'Gyrofocus'. There are a few other suspended models, too. Pretty funky stuff. 

More details can be seen on the company's website. We have found a distributor in Stockholm, so I would be able to avoid the hassles of importation, at least.

We talked to Stefan about installing something like this and there's no problem with doing so. The long flue would look dramatic, reaching up to the high ceiling!

Money

Sooz has advised me to cut back on my comments about money. She thinks it's a bit crass to keep mentioning how much things cost, and my whining about the exchange rate is annoying. As usual, she's right, and I am trying to be careful how I come across in print.

However, I talk about money for a reason, and not just because I'm cheap. Building a house requires making lots of decisions, and unless you're Aaron Spelling, money is finite, so compromises have to be made. I'd love an hi-tech toilet and Goldfinger's fireplace, but can I afford both? Maybe I should get a bigger hot-water tank instead. That's not sexy, but a hot shower is darned nice to have.

An architect acquaintance once told me a big part of her job was to help her clients decide what it is they really wanted, so the budget could be spent on that. Every client, she said, wanted more than they could afford. There's a constant tension between what is technically possible and what is financially possible.

My goal is to write about money in a useful, but not crass way. Sooz will correct me if I stray from that path, I'm sure!!!

Traditional fireplaces

My readership (specifically, my mother) wanted to see a few traditional Swedish fireplaces. Pictured is a classic design from Spis Miljo. They have lots of funky designs, too. 

Another company with a wide range of fireplaces is Keddy (I like the Carisma) and a Danish company, Rais, who had an enormous display at the Hus Expo. Their website is in English, too, which is a bonus. 

However, most of our time at the house will be spent over the summers, so a fireplace isn't an immediate priority. But it is fun to look.

The Fireorb

We are interested in a suspended fireplace for the house. They simply hang from the ceiling and look really James-Bondish, and fit with the design themes we're aiming for. And besides being cool, they are a teeny bit practical, as the orb can be rotated 360° so as to direct the heat, and they don't take up a chunk of floor space.

These are quite a bit different than traditional Swedish fireplaces (of which I saw a multitude at the Hus Expo). The one pictured here is from a company called Fireorb, who make them near Chicago.

Perhaps I'll import one along with my Texas toilet???

Viggsjö

There is a stuga in the archipelago which has a specific place in pop history. It's on the island of Viggsjö, and it once was the summer home of Björn Ulvaeus. He spent his holidays there, often visited by his friend Benny Anderson.

If you haven't guessed already, Benny and Björn are the 'BB' in ABBA. They co-wrote many of ABBA's hits out on Viggsjö. I think it's quite a romantic image- the little cabin with a piano, a couple of friends, and long summer days spent making perfect pop music.

I really like ABBA. I'm not embarrassed to admit it.

I called Värmdö Kommun today

I was getting a little antsy. So I called and spoke to a nice lady whose English was just a little better than my Swedish. Together, we muddled through my request to find the status of our application.

Bottom line is it seems the 6-month 'clock' has started in October as I had posted earlier. Not great relief for my being antsy as this puts us to a March or April start date.

However, I did get the case number and importantly, the name of the man in charge, for when I call next time. They suggested I wait a month or so before checking up again.

I may ask Janne to make that next call on my behalf as, besides speaking Swedish, he also knows what he's talking about, so he has two significant advantages over me!

Sooz is getting into the act

Sooz scored a vintage 1950's dinner service off ebay the other day.

It's a funky floral pattern, and she thinks it's just right for life in a summer house. In fact, our home here is filled with fun artifacts from the '50's, not the least of which is Mrs. Langford herself!

The World Toilet Organisation

Toilet activists in South Korea have built a house in the shape of a toilet to call attention to the fact that billions of people do not have proper sanitation.

More details can be seen here. (Note: I am not making this up.)

Too bad Stefan already has completed his drawings; I rather like the look of this place! Of course, I'm not too sure what Värmdö would make of this on the application.

UPDATE: Here is a link on the WTO. Interesting.

Episode 6: Return of the Incinerating Toilet

I was careful to walk down all the rows at the Hus Expo. Sure enough, my patience was rewarded when I came across this simple little toilet display tucked into a corner. It looked very much like the Cinderella, but the instructions were in English. It was called an "Incinolet".

What was really interesting was the serial plate on the back: it was made in Dallas, about a half-hour from where I used to live! The cost was a few thousand kronor less than the Cinderella, and it was overall a little bit different, but 90% the same.

I called the Incinolet people, and sure enough, they were a bunch of friendly Texans. They make 220-volt models for export, and amazingly, I could stop by and pick one up for a third of the cost of buying the unit in Sweden.

Even if I spent a grand to import it to Stockholm, I'd still be money ahead. That takes away a lot of the cost disadvantage of the Cinderella against the Separett, but it doesn't address the electrical issues. It is something to think about, though.

But then there's the question: do I want to get into the issues of becoming a Texan toilet importer???

Internet access

Although the idea of a summer house is to get away from it all, frankly, I don't see myself spending a couple of consecutive weeks without the internet.

I don't have a blackberry; I'm not email obsessive. But I've grown so used to having contact, I started looking into a way to have decent connectivity when island-bound.

Värmdö Kommun has a typically thorough web page (in Swedish of course) which gives lots of details on broadband connectivity in the archipelago. Bottom line is Aspö isn't wired yet, although many of the bigger islands are.

There's a wireless provider, 3, (or 'tre' in Swedish), and after talking with them in detail, they promise 2mb coverage right on Aspö itself. The current cost is about $30 a month on a 2 year contract.

That's a little steep for a few weeks' use a year, but I've emailed Dave and we think perhaps he could also use the connection when he and Ann are on the island. That would increase its usefulness a lot! Plus it would be fun to update the blog from the building site (and eventually home site) itself. Stay tuned, as they say...

The Separett Strikes Back

The Separett is gaining its defenders. Two blog posts, (one from Marg, and one strangely anonymous), both say the Separett is more civilized than I made it out to be.

It is true that the poop handling is done infrequently (only when the bucket is emptied), the cost to purchase is much less, and they are quite popular in Sweden. Plus, the Cinderella requires electricity to run (which is expensive on the island), and there's no backup in case of power failures.

Hmmm. Decisions, decisions.

Toilets, Episode IV: A New Hope

If composting and remote propane combustion isn't your bag, then an incinerating toilet is another option. This is the Cinderella toilet from an earlier post, and with Cinderella here is Johan, the helpful gentleman I spoke to a few weeks ago.

This really is the way to go; you simply place a paper cone (like a big coffee filter) into the bowl, sit down, do your business, and press flush. The cone slides down into a big combustion chamber, which is over 600°F (I think it's F, maybe it's C??).

Anyways, temperatures that hot will turn the waste to ash quickly, with little smell, and no handling of any poop. Plus there's no need for any tanks or plumbing, only a vent tube and an electric outlet is needed. It's all self-contained.

Here's the money shot, me on Cinderella's throne. The photo was Johan's idea.

Plusses: No waste handling, no tanks, no muss, no fuss. Can handle lots of waste in a short time if you have visitors for, say, a long weekend. No need for maintenance when not being used. Easy to install and use. No direct exposure to poop.

Minuses: Cost is 28,000 kronor, which is a lot no matter what the exchange rate does. You have to remember to use a paper filter every single time, it gets nasty without one. Also, 600°F (or 600°C) is pretty damned hot. And it has a lot of electronics; if there's a power outage or a electrical problem, then you're [insert joke here]!

But still, you can tell which way I'm leaning with this decision.

Toilets, Episode 3

This is the Separett toilet. Ann and Dave have one of these in their house. The idea is that solid and liquid wastes are separated and handled differently.

Liquid waste (also called 'tinkle') is taken away through a French drain into the earth, away from the house. You have to sit down to make the separating part work. No problem for the ladies, and perhaps just a little re-education for the guys.

Solid waste is collected below, essentially into a bucket. Now it's a nice bucket, lined with a biodegradable plastic bag, and it turns a little bit every time someone sits on it so the solid waste (also called "poop") is spread evenly, but it's still a bucket. A bucket filled with poop.

I have poop bags to pick up after Ollie on a walk but I don't necessarily want to do it after myself. Plus the new rules mean the bucket has to be sealed (they provide multiple buckets) for 6 months before composting. So I have to store sealed buckets of poop somewhere. Call me squeamish but I'm not sure about that. Also it has a fan system to ventilate the contents of the bucket. Because it doesn't mix with liquid waste ("tinkle") it is supposed to have less odor, and we didn't really notice any smell at all from Ann and Dave's, but it still seems a bit low-tech for me...

Swedish News

Margaret told me about a great English-language website, The Local. It is an entertaining read and I notice CNN has started to link to it, too.

Radio Sweden has a good daily podcast that you can listen to from their website, or subscribe to through iTunes.

Toilets, Episode 2

This is the CTS-2000. It is a vacuum toilet. Waste is vacuumed away with a little water, much like a flush toilet at home, and sent through a tube for processing. One advantage is that the tube can be 100 feet long, so the processing can be done far away from you, which is an advantage.

In this case, the waste-handling process is incineration. The blue box in this picture is a propane-powered combustion unit.

It's an interesting device, but it's overkill for a little summer house. The cost is high; 55,000 kronor! And then there's the matter of a big 'ol propane-powered poop processor just outside your home.

Toilets, Episode 1

A toilet is a petty simple device. It simply collects waste and sends it along for processing, in a hygienic and efficient way. We all take toilets for granted (those of us in the first world, at least).

But when you're in a situation where you have to provide for your own waste, then you don't take waste handling for granted at all.

On Aspö, most homes have some sort of composting toilet system. Liquid waste is drained away from the home into the earth, and solid waste is kept and composted. A bit of mulch, a few microbes, a bit of stirring, careful ventilation, and solid waste becomes harmless over time. However, new rules regarding composting are about to come into force. This composting regime will take more steps and more time before solid waste can be disposed of.

Spending extra time and work on handling solid waste isn't my cup of tea. So I decided to concentrate on the non-composting toilets at the expo.

Planning permission

Stefan just told me he's sent in the latest drawings to the authorities at Värmdö. I have been told it can take up to six months to get an OK (and this assumes they don't want to make their own measurements or alter the house design). If I assume the 'six month clock' started in late August when Janne sent the application in, then we should have the go-ahead by late February, which is plenty of time for an early June construction.

If the 'clock' starts from now, then it's mid-April, which is a little tight but still OK.

The reason I am anxious for the permission is that everything flows from that- we can't drill the well, or order the electricity, or put up the foundations, or get the final production drawings from Stefan. So there's a lot of waiting for the next couple of months, and then hopefully things will move quickly in the Spring.

An oxymoron

is a phrase that contradicts itself. "Military Intelligence" is an example, as is "Jumbo Shrimp". You can find lots more here.

Another oxymoron is "minor chainsaw accident". I had one of those when on Aspö recently.

Rutger let me use his saw after some instruction, and I was wearing my glasses and ear protection like a good boy. I had cut a branch, and it unexpectedly fell towards me. I pulled away, turning to the left, and I felt the saw make contact with my left thigh.

I looked down and saw a nice jagged gash in my jeans, but felt only a small sensation in my leg. For a hot second there, I figured I had really cut myself and braced myself for the pain to kick in and the blood to casacade out.

Fortunately, neither happened. I dropped my trou and saw that I had luckily only scratched myself a tiny bit. Mind you, there was enough blood for Rutger to become queasy and run to Claes for a first aid kit.

However, I was only a half-inch or a half-second away from doing something really nasty to myself. Besides freaking out Rutger slightly, I'm sure I disappointed Janne, who is very professional and serious in his work. Here I go, nearly slicing my leg off first chance I get!!!

Needless to say, Rutger did the rest of the chainsaw work for the day, and I am sure Janne will restrict me to hand tools for the time being. Perhaps for the best.

And note to self: buy a decent first-aid kit and bring it along on my next trip.

Doors

The Hus Expo had two main halls, essentially one for interior goods, and one for exterior and building services. We'll get to the indoor exhibits (that is, toilets) in another post or three.

Among the exterior displays, I found a surprisingly interesting topic: doors.

To the left are a few photos I took at the expo. All of the doors I saw were from companies in Norrland, which is essentially the whole northern half of the country. Some of the largest forests in Europe still cover Norrland, so it's not surprising this region has a long-standing timber and carpentry tradition.

There were a few companies which really stood out with interesting door designs. Allmoge had a big product line, Diplomat seemed most traditional, Snickarper had lots of big-name designers, and Polardörren was the coolest (and with a good English website too).

We may stick with the standard door, because light already comes into the house from the big windows on the door side. On the other hand, it might be fun to have a colorful door with a funky window!!

A quickie

This site is a good summary of the history and culture of the Swedish summer house. I'll add it to the permanent links, too.

Our man Stefan

My first stop at the hus expo was to see the display set up by our home-builders, X-House. Stefan was there and we had a nice chat. Business is good with his company. Stefan told me the number of houses on order this year was more than double last year's. They are thinking about an English-language website, and I offered my lingustic skills should they be needed.

I also met the company's owner, a grandfatherly type, who was nonplussed by his enthusiastic American visitor.

Lots of action this Sunday!

Got an email from Stefan this afternoon. He sent along the newest drawings based upon the latest map info and my measurements with Rutger last weekend.

The main difference is that we've moved the little house to be alongside the big house so they're both looking downhill towards the water. Our idea is the houses are related to each other as their doors are in the same direction, i.e. someone standing at the front door of one house can look left (or right) to the front door of the other.

A good island map

The Värmdö kommun has a great website; they even have an English page or two. But the most fun (for me, anyways) is through their map function.

I found a great image of Aspö, which shows the placement of all of the houses on the island. I made a small modification to add a circle where our house will go.