Welcome to the Lundmark family home in Kåge, circa 1900

The family isn’t home at the moment – but come in and take a look around!

Here in Kågegården live Petrus and Margareta Lundmark, together with their grown-up children: Olof, Karin and Lovisa. It’s summer, and the family is out working in the hayfields. While they’re away, you’re welcome to explore the house and see how they live.

During the summer, the family sleeps in simple outbuildings and unheated rooms. In winter, they all move into the kitchen, where it’s warmest. This is where they eat, work, mend and make clothes, tools and other household items. The large parlour, known as the salen, is used only for special occasions – celebrations, holidays, or when distinguished guests come to visit.

There’s much to discover here about everyday life in Västerbotten over a hundred years ago. Objects like a lice board and folding bed frame reflect how daily life looked – and how much has changed since then.

Do you know what a cream separator looks like – and can you spot it in the room?

A home based on real objects and stories

The interiors of the house have been recreated by Skellefteå Museum. The work was based on an inventory written when the mother of the family, Greta, passed away in 1904. Some of the furniture has been donated by the family, but most comes from the museum’s own collections.

The house you’re standing in was most likely built in 1721 in a place called Granden in Kåge. At that time, it was part of a larger farmstead with several buildings. In 1930, the house was moved here to Nordanå.

The house type, known as a Västerbotten farmhouse, is a log-built parstuga made of pine. It was common in the Skellefteå area as early as the 18th century and reflects a building tradition adapted to the northern climate and way of life.