Meet the architect and engineer couple Kasper and Elvira Bergman-Coates and their two daughters Alea and Nova. Together, they have chosen to move from the city to the countryside to build a tiny-house from scratch. This arrives from a feeling of wanting to "downsize" and discover the essence of life.

What inspired you to build and live small?
When Kasper and I lived in Norway, we used to go on romantic getaways to small and very primitive cabins, where we spent the few hours of daylight chopping wood and melting snow for water. I think that's where the romanticization about happiness in the simple began to take shape.

What details and specific features did you decide on for the house to accommodate your family of four?
Lofts with extension in the form of nets instead of definite children's rooms, and generally places and areas inside the rooms instead of rooms with doors that can be closed. In addition, we have chosen relatively low sitting windows, where the children can use the windowsills to play in. And then, of course, our "dance floor", as we call it. A large area in the center and core of the house.

We see a huge tendency of people wanting to downsize. Why do you think?
When the country was shut down and many were at home during the pandemic, considerations about values and quality of life probably began to surface more. A kind of forced reflection time. Which we are now beginning to see the effect of.

Your good advice for "small space living"?
Reinventing one's real needs. We all have experience with living and what we think has worked out well or not throughout our "housing career". It's about examining where in the home you spend most of your time and why, and from there shape the essence of your dream home, because quality can rarely be combined with quantity.

From your perspective, what is unique about Djursland?
It is calm here, while at the same time there is a vibrant cultural life. The demographics are quite diverse, and there is a beautiful view almost wherever you look.