Arvid Nilsson
Designing a life of his own
Living between Stockholm and Västervik, building a life around design, nature, and the freedom to work from anywhere.
Published
Wed, 17 June 2026
This is Arvid. An artist and designer building a life between Stockholm and a small cabin he designed and built himself, just outside Västervik. We spent the day with him at the cabin, talking about design, creativity, and the freedom to work from anywhere.
Watch the conversation
For Arvid, working for himself meant work and life no longer had to be separate. The cabin lets him step from his desk straight into the forest.
"I don't really separate work and life anymore now when I'm working for myself. … Open the door and be in nature, go for a run, go for a swim. This is more like freedom, to work from anywhere."
Arvid takes in references all day, from the city, from materials, from what surrounds him. But the ideas don't arrive at the desk. They come later, when his brain finally relaxes, often as glimpses just before sleep.
“I get my ideas when I'm about to fall asleep. I get a glimpse of an idea, a sculpture, like an
image in front of my eyes.”
"If I dream big, I want to build an even bigger house by the ocean. If I dream even bigger, I would like to do something in Italy."
