Roland and Lola, with his giant mug of tea.
– The moment we stepped into this house, we fell in love. Even before it was officially for sale, we were already imagining ourselves living here, and I was planning all the renovations in my head. I knew there was no way I could walk away without making this house our home.
I’m sitting with Roland Carvalho in the kitchen of his family home in Bursiljum, a house his family purchased in 2016. Roland, his now ex-wife Cheryl, and their three daughters had lived on the outskirts of London before deciding to make a major life change and move to Sweden. In London, Roland was a self-employed pipeline engineer, working long hours with increasing physical and mental stress.
Cheryl, my youngest sister, had been keenly following the progress of me and my boyfriend, Paul, ever since we relocated to Västanträsk from London in 2012. The Carvalho family visited us in 2015, and I vividly remember Roland’s reaction as he stepped out of the car outside our home, which overlooks a lake.
Living room.
-The armchair is placed here because it’s a great spot for reading with natural light. The dark, rich colour of the chair makes the room feel cozy and inviting.
Living room. -The lightbulbs give a soft light and are a nice design feature.
Hallway. The console table was brought from the U.K and has been painted many times.
Kitchen. The main colours are neutral however splashes of colour give the room vibrancy.
– F****** hell! This view is incredible.
That was the moment the idea of moving to Sweden began to take root with the Carvalhos. Just a year later, they had rented a house in our village while searching for a place to call their own.
Their eventual home in Bursiljum was spacious but far from move-in ready. It had previously been the village shop, which added both challenges and opportunities to the renovation process. Roland, who had already renovated two houses in the UK, wasn’t discouraged.
– When we first walked into the house, it was like a time capsule. There were still things on the shop shelves, the freezers were still there, and the barn was full of items once sold in the shop, he says.
Roland sits on the original shop counter in the kitchen, the shop’s location in the house.
Artwork in the hobby room. -I have teabags everywhere, in the car, around the house. Just in case I need tea.
Bathroom.
-We kept the judges paneling theme going with the tiling finishing halfway up the wall. The soft edged freestanding bath and floor mounted tap helped the space to feel modern.
Staircase
-I hung the light all the way down to accentuate the height of the ceiling but used a softer colour lamp so as to not be blinded as you look up, says Roland.
Hallway. The wooden paneling is called ‘judge’s paneling’
Bursiljum 65 in the mid 1970s when it was an ICA. The shopkeeper's name is Ann-Grett Åberg and the customer is Hedvig Sundkvist.
The shop had served the community until its closure in 1989. It wasn’t just a place to buy groceries; it was a meeting place where locals bought their groceries, picked up their mail, and occasionally came for a chat.
Understanding the building’s historical importance, Roland aimed to preserve its original features while adding his own personal touch. The shop counter, which once displayed a mix of sewing materials, screws, and lightbulbs, was carefully cleaned and oiled and now takes pride of place in the kitchen.
An old mangle, discovered under a pile of rubbish in the barn, was restored and repainted, blending the old with the new.
Kitchen. -The old mangel was buried under rubbish in the barn from when the house was renonvated in the 1970s. I took it apart, cleaned it, painted it, and now it looks new.
Kitchen,
Left, Freya and right, Ava, prepare lunch. The kitchen is where the old shop was located in the house.
Upstairs hallway.
-The moose antlers were given to me and the moose head was made from paper, I downloaded a kit from Etsy!
Ensuite bathroom to Roland's bedroom. -I wanted the room to feel warm and cosy, calm and relaxing. White felt too clinical.
Kitchen. -The concealed door was included to keep the flow of the kitchen and enable you to walk through to the boot room.
Master bedroom walk-i closet. -The house deserves a master suite. A house of this size needs space for organization.
Ava, 14. -I think the best thing about this house is the size of it, because everybody has their own space to do what they want.
Bursiljum 65 in the mid 1970s when it was an ICA. The shopkeeper's name is Ann-Grett Åberg and the customer is Hedvig Sundkvist.
Roland draws design inspiration from Pinterest, Google searches on traditional Swedish house design, and sometimes when he’s working on other homes.
Working for Skelleftebygg (formerly Åbyns Bygg) for seven years gave him an even deeper appreciation for traditional Swedish architecture and interior design. Today, he runs his own building and tiling business, helping others bring their renovation dreams to life.
– People sometimes tell me my style is old-fashioned. I tell them it’s not about me—it’s about what the house needs. You wouldn’t put a modern interior in an old house; it just wouldn’t fit, says Roland.
Freya, 17 with Lola.
-I had my whole class sleepover once. There was enough space for everyone on the floor!
How the house looked in summer 2017.
The exterior of the house. -The renovation has taken 8 years, and there is still more to do in the outhouses.
-This is a hand made piece that I cherish and was a 40th birthday gift from my ex-wife Cheryl’s parents. I love how you can see all the little imperfections and I appreciate how much time and effort went into making it.
Roland and Lola, a Spanish water dog, stand on the front porch. -When the house was red, the house got lost in the forest. We decided to paint it a light grey so it would stand out.
Master bedroom, walk-in closet and ensuite bathroom.
-I think a house of this size needs a master suite. I choose dark colours just to keep the cozy feeling going. The painting I created myself; I wanted something bright and quite risqué for the bedroom, an adult only space.
Master bedroom.
-I used a simple lamp with soft light for bedtime, the room is dark for a cozy feel, and offers complete darkness when I’m sleeping.
Upstairs hallway. A great space to showcase artwork.
Kitchen. -The old Singer sewing machine was a gift from my girlfriend. It was a family heirloom.
After spending eight years restoring this house and then renovating ex-wife Cheryl’s new home in Burträsk, I ask him: would he do it all again?
– I’d love to work on another house like this, maybe even bigger, but I’ll have to see what my girlfriend Elin thinks about that!