Svenska Lada

Swedish woodworker Mathias Mörlin truly flourishes when his creativity and curiosity get into full flow.

It's the start of May in Färingsö, on one of the many islands in Lake Mälaren, west of Stockholm. The golden sun drifts across the cloudless blue sky. These hues, which match the Swedish national colours, combine perfectly with the red-painted wooden barn where Mathias Mörlin is standing, creating a stunning effect. He is beaming. Just a few months ago, the picture here was very different. Mathias has managed to awaken the old, crooked "lada", as barns are known in Sweden, from hibernation. It's a project that sparked his curiosity from the start, but has also brought him a few sleepless nights. Despite this, or perhaps because of it – he loves this kind of project. They are anything but ordinary and there might be a surprise waiting in literally every knothole.

Listening to Mathias, you might think he had already lived a craftsman's life three times over. And yet he’s still only in his 30s. "Right from being a small boy, I have always built things: a bike trailer for my toys, a tree house, a wooden car," he explains. It was clear he would do an apprenticeship in joinery. Even though he envisaged a clear path in life, it didn't turn out that way. "After my apprenticeship, I lost my enthusiasm a bit. I learnt a huge amount from the older generation of craftspeople and took a lot on board. But I wanted to do a lot of things differently, too. On my own, in the way that felt right for me." He developed his planning, design and craft skills in a civil engineering degree. But he was drawn back to woodwork again: where he came from – and where he would carve out his own path from that moment on.

"The barn is a unique project for me that is exactly what I imagined it would be. As there are no easy solutions for it, I need good ideas and am doing things I have never done before."

Mathias Mörlin

Pure joy in craftsmanship

There's no doubt whatsoever that it was the right path for Mathias. His pure passion for his craft radiates out of him. He speaks enthusiastically about the wooden barn, which he has already been working on for some months. It is almost 300 years old and part of a larger private estate. His job is to restore the barn so that it can be used for celebrations and gatherings in the summer months. The task: That involves delicately maintaining its historical substance and renewing it sustainably with limited funds. For Mathias Mörlin, it is "a unique project that is exactly what I imagined it would be." Why? "As there are no easy solutions for it, I need good ideas and am doing things I have never done before."

That particularly appeals to him. Fully renovating the roof lathing was one of the more ordinary jobs. The wooden façade has been restored carefully and painted with the traditional "falu rödfärg" red paint. The solid sliding doors on the front have been completely rebuilt. With the original side doors, he had to re-make the sturdy hinges himself so that the doors opened outwards rather than inwards. Using designs from an interior architect, Mathias made shelves and fittings out of wood, in line with the character of the original barn. He put his heart and soul into planning and implementing a gateway with double-leaf doors at the entrance to the property. To complete the complex woodworking for the solid oak archway, he even bought an OF 1010 router and powerful HK 85 circular saw especially.

Woodwork at the highest level

It's hard to believe that a "lone wolf" could tackle such a project. Mathias Mörlin sees it more pragmatically: "I may not have any employees, but I have a huge range of tools that help me enormously in my work." No matter whether it's a big project or a small, fine piece of furniture – he always works with a CAD product range. The many Festool products in his tool collection help him to make his ideas a reality, with the highest standards of craftsmanship. As Mathias explains: "I enjoy my work most when the result is right. And my Festool tools play a large part in that."

"My favourite Festool machine? The HK85 circular saw, which I bought specially for this project. It truly is a "beast", but unbelievably smooth and precise as well."

Mathias Mörlin

The fact that Mathias Mörlin, as an experienced woodworker and all-rounder, is now in high demand says a lot about his work. If he ever needs a team, he can rely on the best craftspeople here in the region. However, what's more important to him is staying true to himself and always being curious about unique projects that challenge him: whether they involve constructive or solid design, are rustic, or delicate at the top end of craftsmanship. He has been working closely with interior architect Jannice Wistrand for a number of years. Together, they founded Monlux Intl AB in 2018, which manufactures and markets the finest wooden furniture with stunning lighting designs. The pair even make a podcast together as the duo "Mörlin Wistrand", in which they celebrate the links between craftsmanship and modern design.

Mathias Mörlin does not have time to celebrate on this day in May: he needs to have completed his huge barn project by the end of the month. A large wedding is to be held here in the middle of June. The oak archway, through which the groom may carry the bride in his arms, is already finished at least.