Also influenced by his Swedish ancestry and grandparents' home full of antiques, Brian developed an appreciation for tradition and authentic craftsmanship, along with the stories and nostalgia that define the uniqueness and meaning of beautiful things from the past.

Combined with his technical background, the idea of melding the new with the old, building green, and his love of nature all led to the purchase of the land and what is now the Swedish Stuga. It is the transformation of old, salvage materials from demolished vintage homes around Portland, and old-growth logs toppled in the thirties, into a cozy, romantic escape.

Imagine who once peered through the wavy glass windows years ago, or who passed through these doors? If the old-growth fir floors, nearly five-hundred years old could only talk.

Come pick chanterelles in the forest with a bottle of local pinot gris; bring your vegetables from Sauvie Island, and spend the evening cooking over a wood-burning stove. With cross-country skiing and hiking trails out the front door, return home to a glowing, candle-lit retreat and stay warm by the fireplace. Make your own memories here, share them with mine... and those of the past.

Originally from White Bear Lake, Minnesota, Brian Krejcarek grew up in the heart of Scandinavian-America. Spending much of his childhood running about in the woods, saving wildflowers and tadpoles from bulldozers, building tree houses, and helping his dad with house projects, Brian formed a deep appreciation for both nature and building. After living in Portland, Oregon for the past ten years and remodeling an urban contemporary home, he came to better understand both an inner drive to build and transform his surroundings, while also realizing the environmental impacts of doing so. The idea of building responsibly alongside the natural landscape was at the core of his efforts building the Swedish Stuga.

Brian also spent time in Sweden on several vacations with his family, visiting his sister in Stockholm and while studying aboard. There he came to love the simple elegance of these small country homes, or the "stuga," nearly all stained a traditional red color, and naturally set into quaint fields and birch forests.