Austrian couple renovates house in Sweden

Angelika and Silvester have been dreaming of their home for quite a while. "We've wanted something of our own for a long time, a place that we can create exactly the way we want it," they recall. Their search took them beyond the borders of Austria, until they found what they were looking for in Scandinavia. “We've loved Sweden as a country for a long time and spent two months travelling through Sweden in a camper van last spring with the aim of staying somewhere we really liked," they continue. Since acquiring the house, the couple has been travelling there regularly, though they still live in Austria. They use most of their time on-site to do some remodelling. "We actually changed every room," Angelika admits. Every day is different for the couple. In summer, renovation projects can go on until 10 pm.

Sometimes they work on their own magazine ‘WE ARE FORELSKET’, where they report on their vegan lifestyle and occasional excursions into nature. They also regularly enjoy an evening soak in the wood-fired hot tub. "On clear nights, we could see the Milky Way with the naked eye from the hot tub," she marvels before recounting another time they used the hot tub at -27 degrees outside, surrounded by snow. "That's definitely a different experience, but all the more unique." Her followers on Instagram are very enthusiastic about the Swedish lifestyle. For Angelika, Sweden stands for tranquillity and proximity to nature, as she showcases on her Instagram account, which has been around for 10 years and was originally named after her dog Pippa. Just like her, it has changed since then. "In the meantime, the big theme that somehow stands above everything else is that I want to offer people a little break from the otherwise fast-paced world. To take a deep breath, capture quiet moments in nature or everyday activities, as free as possible from any pressure or hurry," she explains.

A Skargards hot tub is a perfect march for this theme, and her followers agree. “I’ve only heard positive things, I think everyone is delighted with the beautiful hot tub - and how perfectly it fits with our house,’ she says. She shares their enthusiasm and simply can't get enough of the hot tub. “Lying in the warm water, in the arms of your favourite person, talking about God and the world or simply enjoying the silence - those are nights I'll never forget,"  she reveals. Angelika and Silvester's first experience with a wood-fired hot tub was not in Sweden, but in Chile, where Angelika's sister lives with her husband. Many holiday homes there had a wood-fired hot tub. When the couple bought their house, it went without saying that they wanted one for themselves. The Skargards brand spoke to their aesthetic sensibilities. ‘We love wood and find the design of the hot tub very appealing,’ they concur. So it's no surprise that a major project this year will be dedicated to building a new wooden terrace to showcase the hot tub even more.

The Hot Tub:
Skargards Regal