Unlike childhood visits spent surfing my grandma’s sofa, this time I arrive as a tired Londoner, in search of clarity and creative inspiration – the kind only Scandinavian design and a bracing dip in the Baltic can offer. For that, I need a haven. Accommodation that captures the essence of Swedish style: quietly intelligent, pared back but warm. Simple without being basic. Functional, beautiful, and rooted in nature. And in The Charred House, I find just that.

Tucked away on the island of Stora Essingen, a 30-minute tram ride from the city centre, this treetop hideaway is the work of renowned Swedish architect and furniture designer, Mattias Stenberg.

My favourite Airbnb a barefoot hideaway in the treetops of Stockholm

Åke E:son Lindman

My favourite Airbnb a barefoot hideaway in the treetops of Stockholm

Åke E:son Lindman

We find the house down a steep flight of stone steps, its charcoal façade blending into the cliffside. Spread across two offset levels and hugged by trees, it feels less built on the landscape than carved into it – barnacled to the rock face, as if it’s always been there.

Inside, we exhale. Bleached pine beams line the ceiling and frame enormous windows, which flood the space with light and send shadows of leaves dancing across the concrete floor. At Stenberg’s suggestion, we remove our shoes and feel the cool of the original concrete foundation beneath our feet, shaved down to create a natural terrazzo.

My favourite Airbnb a barefoot hideaway in the treetops of Stockholm

Åke E:son Lindman

My favourite Airbnb a barefoot hideaway in the treetops of Stockholm

Åke E:son Lindman