A wooden long house in Scotland

Johannes van Graan Johannes van Graan
Long House : A domestic residence extruded on a linear plan South West out over the "Clyde Sea", Retool architecture Retool architecture Scandinavian style houses Aluminium/Zinc
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Today on homify 360°, we discover a striking structure (which happens to be situated in a fantastic location as well) that was so popular, it was even featured on home design programmes on British television. The reason is not only for its beautiful style or eye-catching design, but because it revisited a tradition that prevailed in its specific area during the Viking age: the wooden long house. 

A long house is a type of long, proportionately narrow, single-room structure created by various peoples from different regions of the world, including Europe, Asia and North America. Many were built from wood and often represent the earliest form of permanent structure in many cultures. 

Of course today’s discovery is a slight tweak on the creations that sprang forth many centuries ago.

Let’s take a look!

The exterior façade

Even though it has a beautiful look on the outside, there is nothing from this angle to hint at its unique style – or the fact that the interiors are not at all what you would expect. 

Notice the charming details that ensure this house is welcoming and liveable, like the skylights and glass doors for natural lighting, as well as the little wooden terrace with loungers and external dining area.

A supreme view

The fact that this house is located on a steep, sloping landscape which overlooks the waters of the Clyde Sea only adds to its sublime ambience. 

Add to that the lush and fresh surrounding touches of shrubs, trees and bushes, and we have the perfect house with just about the perfect view.

A modern kitchen

We’d bet good money that the kitchens of the original long houses back then did not look like this. Still, seeing as we’re in the 21st century, some sort of comfort and style is crucial; and the designers of this structure opted for the modern style regarding the kitchen. 

Warm wood adorns the floors, while the walls and ceiling take on a much lighter approach. Sleek designs make up the cabinetry and furniture pieces of the kitchen, including the elegant appliances and pendants which add a bit of sleek style to the space.

Up it goes

This is just about the perfect angle to show us how tall the house stretches, with double-height ceilings (and skylights) far above the ground-floor. 

To add to the spaciousness of the interiors, the majority of the house was designed in an open-plan layout, with select walls and corners (and floor levels) added in for privacy. 

Notice the fantastic use of wood which adorns so many pieces in here: the floor, the ceiling beams, the crook frames, the staircase, the railing…

High above

We close off our quick tour with a look at the very top-floor of the house, where those gigantic crook frames meet up to support the roof. 

The architects behind this incredible structure explored new nautical architecture that elaborated on the traditions of original wooden long houses and local Green Oak cruck framing. The result is what we see here: an eye-catching dwelling which seems to be big on both style and supreme comfort. 

Perhaps you like your houses to be sleeker? If so, check out: A 200 m² family home for under £40k.

Tell us what you thought of this unique house!

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