Born and raised in the center of Barcelona, Spain, I have always regarded myself as a city girl. I find that there’s something hypnotizing about the loudness of the cars, the diversity in the huge crowds, and the endless offerings of activities; the silhouette of the busy skyline, the organized rhythm of crosswalks, and the lively socializing in the terraces. I have always doubted if I could ever get unaccustomed to all of it. Yet, lately, I have been feeling a cathartic peace in nature, a calm that allows me to slow down and notice the details. So, now I wonder, am I really a city girl?
The Swedish architect Christine Nibér really resonates with this duality. After residing in Hong Kong for years, she decided to return to her homeland — this time, deep in the country. “When I was living in the cities, I never thought of myself living in the countryside,” she reminisces, “but I’m very surprised by how much a person can change from being a city person to appreciating the seasons as much as I do”.
The choice to move back to Sweden was driven by Christine’s wish to be closer to her parents. However, she turned that decision into a personal and professional challenge: “In the past I had been renovating apartments and doing smaller renovations, and I figured this time I needed to do a full-scale house on my own.” For that, she found herself a farmhouse: “I preferred the idea of moving to the countryside because, there, you have much more flexibility to learn, and you can really expand your vision,” she explains.
Not only that, but her goal was to find a challenging project, and so she did: “I saw the house online from Hong Kong,” she says, “my purpose was to find a horrible house that had good potential.” In only two years, Christine transformed the place into her home, a space that combines simplicity and eclecticism, where the architecture interacts in a playful exchange of interior and exterior. “Eighty percent of the house was demolished, but the scales and proportions were kept, so it maintains the region’s exterior and is more particular in the interior,” she affirms.
The farmhouse is located in Österlen, at the very southeast of Sweden. The region, once a popular spot among artists, is characterized by its old and simple houses. The fairytale landscapes, the rolling hills, and the scenic coastlines integrate the traditional architecture: “Many of the houses are half-timbered with clay infills. Comes in few different color combinations, usually white, brown or red, but very simple.” That is, precisely, the charm of the place: its simplicity.
Working hand in hand with three carpenters, Christine led and executed the renovation by herself, making the project incredibly special: “My vision for this house was not only to create something beautiful but to learn about the arts of construction and carpentry.” Intimidating at first, the architect not only overcame the challenge but completely succeeded at it. “I enjoy having a nice house, but for me, the process itself was more fulfilling,” she remarks. And it can be felt.
The home is a true reflection of Christine’s style and personality. With its unique layout, every angle offers a view across the space, creating multiple access points from which to experience it as a whole. The decorative pieces create a museum of the owner’s experiences, almost like a map of her journeys: “I grew up in the Middle East and lived and worked in different places,” she describes, “and I collected pieces from those places.” The combination is effortlessly cohesive: “It’s a mismatch of things I love throughout my life, and I think that makes my style different.”
The windows also constitute a key presence in the space: “I try to bring the exterior into the interior, to have a very open house,” she details. By bringing in the surrounding forest and lake, the outdoors becomes part of the home, framed by its walls like natural artworks. These living landscapes turn the shifting weather into a presence and the seasons into ever-changing companions. “Everything is very seasonal, and I like to see it through the windows,” she says, “If I can see the seasons, I live more with nature.”
From a city girl navigating the urban jungle of Hong Kong to enjoying rural everyday life in Sweden’s lush countryside —with chickens— Christine Nibér embodies the art of living in the moment, wherever that moment may be, and embraces the challenges that come with it: “I bought this house, and I became a country girl — for at least some time. Then we’ll see where I end up,” she laughs.
