THE LUCIATÅG: IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK

Image via Pinterest

St. Lucia is celebrated on December 13 and is a big deal here in Sweden.  Lucia essentially kick starts the Jul celebrations.  Last year I happened to be at IKEA when I first heard about the Luciatåg - or the Lucia Train.  People seemed pretty excited about it.  Excited is not a term one often finds themselves using to describe Swedes so I thought, "Wow, this is going to be fun!  My first Luciatåg, and at IKEA.  Jätteroligt!"  I had an image in my mind of people in a congaline singing Jul songs in the same spirit as Midsommar's Sma Grodorna or like the Ekdahl's Julafton in Bergman's Fanny and Alexander or even a toy train with godis.

But, I was more than a little deflated to see a group of carolers walk in dressed in white singing, well, carols.  "Oh, is this the Lucy train?"  That was the Lucy "train".  I'll tell you the reason why the Luciatåg is so dry in comparison to Midsommar and Julafton.  It usually happens in the afternoon so there is not any heavy drinking involved. Without the booze this Swedish tradition remains reserved, just like the Swedes themselves.

Click here if you want to get started practicing for the real fun.  Learn to sing Nu Är det Jul Igen, like the Ekdahls.

THE FIRST COLOURS OF A SWEDISH CHRISTMAS

Pine is not the first thing associated with a Swedish Jul.  Around the beginning of December Swedes fill their homes with newly sprouted bulbs of hyacinth in white, pink or "blue".  In about a week after you water them at home they begin to flower and the house is filled with the colours and scent of a spring garden.

Photo: Angeline Eriksson

At first, I thought the whole thing was strange but now I can't imagine Christmas without them.  Here's our kitchen with our hyacinth in full bloom.

5 Essentials for a Perfect Swedish Midsommar

Swedish Midsommar is the celebration of the summer solstice which marks the longest day of the year.  Midsommar is by far the most popular holiday on the Swedish calender, falling on the weekend of the 22nd of June.  Midsommar was once believed to be a very magical time of year.  While many of the traditions are still practiced, Midsommar is a time to be with family, get out of the city if you can and to drink a lot of alcohol.

Krans

Krans is the flower head dress that Swedes wear at Midsommar.  The young maiden must choose 7 varieties of wild flowers and interlace them into a crown made of birch branches.  At the end of the night she is to put the flowers under her pillow and when she sleeps it is said she will dream of her future husband.

Midsommar Stång

The Midsommar stång is a large cross with a ring hanging from either arm.  Like the krans, the Midsommar stång is covered in summer flowers.  It will be the location of and jumping off point for the following essentials... 

Songs

Singing is a big part of Swedish culture, especially when drinking is involved.  There are several to choose from but Små Grodorna is good for the whole family.

Små Grodorna (the song that quacks about frogs)

Små Grodorna, små Grodorna

Är lustiga att se

Små Grodorna, små Grodorna

Är lustiga att se

Ej öron, ej öron, ej svansar hava de

Ej öron, ej öron, ej svansar hava de

Koack, ack, ack. Koack, ack, ack.

Koack ack ack ack kaa.

Little frog, little frog

So funny to see

Little frog, little frog

So funny to see

No ears, no ears, no tail do they have.

No ears, no ears, no tail do they have.

Koack, ack, ack. Koack, ack, ack.

Koack ack ack ack kaa.

Dance

Now that you have the attire, the Midsommar stång and the songs in order, you'll need to know how to dance like a Swede at Midsommar.  Nothing complicated here.  A very popular dance is where the entire group holds hands in a circle around the stång, collectively circling to the left and then the right,  singing either the aforementioned små grodorna song or a simple diddy that recounts the days of the week and all the chores associated with a particular day - a good chunk of the week is devoted to laundry.

 

Snaps

 And here is the magic ingredient that gets it all going,  Swedes are reserved.  It's cultural.  They are programmed that way not only behaviorally but linguistically.  The language itself does not give way to over expression.  Snaps, or Aquavit as it is called here, is an herb flavored hard liquor that is taken in shots.  Snaps is the traditional beverage but really it can be snaps... or vodka or beer or wine or all of the above.  If you ask a Swede directly if they partake, most will deny it...with a sly smile.  Midsommar is when the Swedes let loose ... once the kids are in bed of course ... or thereabouts.

Traditional Midsommar Krans

 (I slipped some peonies in there.  Not exactly wild but you get the picture.)

5 Things You Need to Know About Swedish Easter

1.  Påsk

Swedes call Easter Påsk (posk) and when they speak English to you they call it Eastern.  For some reason Swedes can't grasp dropping the "n" sound.  It's one of their very few hiccups with the English language.

2. Eggs

Anyone from North America has this down pat.  The Swedes decorate eggs in just the same manner.  Easy, except for one difference, they hang them on branches around the house.  Which brings us to our next point.

3.  Feathers

Swedes don't stop at colourful decorated eggs for decoration at Easter, there are colourful feathers too.  Like the eggs, and often with the eggs, feathers are hung from branches in or around the house or from a tree outside. Because I'm fussy and I think it looks silly, this tradition, no matter how logical the connection between eggs and feathers may be, has been hard for me to fully embrace. 

4.  Witches

Sorry kids, there is no Easter Bunny.  Not in Sweden.  Here's where things get a little confusing.  No, there isn't an Easter bunny but there are witches.  Nice witches of course who look like wholesome country folk. They fly to their annual witch conference with a pot of coffee on their brooms.  Swedish kids reenact the flight of the traveling witches by dressing up (kerchief on head, apron, freckles, broom and empty coffee carafe) and then visit the neighbors.  And this brings us to the final necessity for Swedish Påsk...

5.  Godis (Goodies) and Greeting Cards

Swedes eat the most candy (godis) per capita.  If there is any way to get godis on any other day than Saturday -the designated godis day- the Swedes will do it.  Those empty carafes that the kids bring with them around the neighborhood at Påsk are to hold candy.  Like Halloween, there is an exchange, the witches prepare little greeting cards and the receiver gives godis in return.  It must be said that this particular aspect of Påsk is reserved for the more entrepreneurial kids - the go-getters.

Our youngest dressed as a witch at his Dagmama's* house

*Dagmama is the person (woman) who watches the children during the day at a private daycare.

Round Up - Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair 2014

Top 5 Chair Designs

1. Deli by Skandiform

These are certainly not new to Scandinavian chair design but the Deli is just simply a great looking chair.  Deli works in meeting rooms for office spaces or on an ultra-Modern dining room.


2. Frame by Materia

Materia specializes in furniture for office spaces.  Frame is their latest design introduced at the Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair 2014.  Practical? meh... Fun?  Absolutely!

3. Chippensteel 0.5 by Zieta

Chippensteel is made of inflated steel.  The process involves "lots of pressure".  The result is a super sturdy chair that looks like a plastic pool toy.

4. Cowrie Chair by Made In Ratio

Simply a great looking chair that would be a showstopper anywhere you put it.

5. Lavitta by Poiat

Finnish design, this chair has only 2 components.  It is so Scandinavian in appearance with its smooth wood surface and ultra clean lines.  It can also be stacked horizontally, which looks fantastic.

Top 5 Street Furniture Designs

I covered urban street furniture at the Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair 2014 for Sweden's English newspaper The Local.se

Click here for the intro and a direct link to the gallery here

Top 5 Designs for Kids

Design for kids was an article that I also did for The Local.  Click here for the introduction and for the gallery here.

 THOUGHTS?

Out of Office Programming Note - Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair 2014

Design Stockholm is spending this week at the Stockholm Furniture and Light Fair 2014.  I will be back on Monday with a full round-up of the Best of the Best.  For some play-by-play fun you can check out the Design Stockholm Instagram or Twitter by clicking the icon on the right side.

Until then, have a great weekend!

Apartment Hunting - Sodermalm Classic Gustavian Dining Room

Let's move over to the dining room of our Södermalm apartment.  I am posting from my ipad today so please forgive any wonky formatting.

I  found a fantastic dining table at NK last month and I thought it would look great in our Sodermalm dining room.  The colours easily fit into the Gustavian look and as I mentioned last time (click here for that) it breaks up the sameness by being rustic and contemporary.  I love the high sheen lacquer of this table and I want to play that up as much as possible.  We are going to make the dining room very glamourous and exciting in just a couple of steps.

Piet Hein Eek Dining Table at NK Stockholm

For paint, I think we should go with Farrow and Ball's Calluna.  It won't compete with the blue in the table, instead it will compliment that very difficult shade of blue.  Remember that paint colour never translates well on-screen so go check out the paint in person at a local dealer.

Farrow and Ball - Calunna

Now, lets put a classic Gustavian crystal chandelier above the table.  We can go with one big chandelier or 2 smaller ones;  that's a completely personal decision.  This one is an original Swedish chandelier from Lundgrensantik.se but you can find a reproduction, perhaps not as stunning as this one but something close.

                                         

                                                                     Lundgrensantik.se


I like either of these dining chairs.  The classic rounded chair will give the least competition to the show-stopper table but the Swedish Demi is a really, really great chair.  As I said, both work, so again this one is up to you.

Vintage Round and Swedish Demi - Restoration Hardware

The next thing that we can do is to fill that room with mirrors.  The mirrors will act as reflectors for the light that sparkles from the chandelier.  I like this Hemnes in gray brown from IKEA.  The natural wood colour will bring out the rustic elements in the table and will look great against the blue-gray Calluna paint.  

                                           

                                                              Hemnes mirror - IKEA

The final step would be a rug.  That table gives you so much freedom as far as what colours will work well.  Swedes would likely go with a light coloured rug, which will give the room an airy feeling.  I think I would go with medium gray.  The darker colour will ground the room and add a nice contrast to the light colours in the table.

Apartment Hunting - Södermalm Classic Gustavian Living Room

My phone died and with it my internet connection so I am playing a bit of catch-up this week.  I thought it would be a good idea to go back to our Södermalm apartment to get that finished (click here to get caught up).  So lets move on to the living room.

I was going to do the walls a light green but I changed my mind.  Better to save the green for the dining room and go with a nice antique white in the living room.  Farrow and Ball has a great shade for this called Dimity.  I think the best choice for a finish is matte.  Practically, not the best because of washability but the look will be soft and classic.

I found some great antiques at a local antique dealer.  A console with straight Neoclassical lines and some matching stools to flank the console and serve as extra seating.  Above the console we are going to use these fun round mirrors / candle holders.  They break up all the straight lines and keep the room moving, so to speak.  I love the fussy fruit ornamentation too.  

Before we move over to the main seating area, let's talk about the show stopper.  That gem that is going to make this room sing.  I introduce to you the Mora clock.  Swedes know all about these beautiful clocks but in other parts of the world they seem only to have a bit of a cult following.  There is something so intrinsically Swedish about the Mora clock;  Quiet and stately, modest yet commands a room.  The green will make the transition from the kitchen stools and the ochre will tie together the golds and yellows in the living room elements. The round flowing lines of the Mora pick up where the mirrors left off and take us to the main seating area.

Antiques are lovely, but if you fill your room with a bunch of antiques, all from the same era, it comes off as not only impersonal and unimaginative, but boring.  You need to pepper it with other types and eras of furnishings.  With that in mind, I chose the Kensington sofa from Artwood (we'll paint the feet white).  It certainly doesn't hurt that this sofa will be comfortable to sit on and it serves the needs of everyday living.  The tufting picks up the round movement of the mirrors and the clock.  The design is classic enough to not take over but gives just enough resistance to the dainty antiques.  Now we are going to put some straight lines back in with these bold stripped Gustavian armchairs.  Again, we are making the room interesting and engaging.

So now the floor - rugs.  I love big, thick wool or silk rugs.  Like art, rugs should be seen as an investment - buy the best you can afford.  I have two options for you.  If you want to really give this room zip we can go with the bright, bold IKEA rug.  The pattern compliments both the curves and the lines in the room.  The colour says attitude.  The only catch with the IKEA rug is that we may need to fit two together to hold that seating area.  There are slightly differing opinions on this but aim for your rug to be big enough to comfortably fit all the seating area furniture without spilling over to the wood areas.  Option two is this stunning Persian, less of a yellow and more a gold, this is a perfect option if you want to play it safe and is big enough for the space.  It is, however, significantly more expensive than the IKEA version but will certainly last a lifetime

Remember that many of these antiques can be found in reproduction, yes even the Mora clock.  Now you know what you need to look for.

Fresh Design at Formex 2014 - Looking to Spring

I have always been a big lover of winter.  I'm Canadian, Toronto to be exact, and when it gets cold, it gets really cold!  I love snow, the more the better but around the end of January I'm pretty much over it and ready for spring.  Formex showed the Spring / Summer 2014 best of Nordic design this week so let's look forward to Spring.


Scratch what I said last year about my dream BBQ (click here for that), this is the new grill of my dreams!  Stunning design.  This is the type of BBQ a proper Texan could feel fantastic about (isn't that the gold standard? Texas = BBQ), design buffs and fancy Chefs too.

http://www.biggreenegg.eu/se

To get your groceries for the BBQ parties you'll be having you are going to need a couple of these chic plastic grocery bags.  These are an original Swedish design first produced in the 50s.  They went out of production when stores went from paper to plastic bags.  Now that we see the err of our ways and are taking care of the environment, these plastic bags are back and recyclable too.

hinza.se

To set the table, you can try these colourful napkins.  Designed for Duni by Swedish Designer Hanna Werning these will look lovely in your beautiful garden, or create a garden in your city digs.

www.duni.com

A lovely napkin is a waste if someone doesn't spill something.  Spilled Snaps is always an option of course but why not coffee too?  Here we have a perfect carafe for any occassion - Stelton from Denmark.

www.stelton.com

Et le pièce de résistance!  Whether you have a green thumb or not, you won't be hiding this garden hose in the snickarbod.  This is called Garden Glory and no kidding!  I got the stink-eye last year when I said we needed a new yellow hose.  Good thing we waited!

www.gardenglory.se

Radiant Orchid - Pantone Colour of the Year 2014

Before the holidays Pantone announced their colour of the year for 2014: Radiant Orchid.  To the rest of us this is mauve, or simpler still, purple.  This is a difficult colour to decorate with.  Not too may people like purple, much less use it to paint one of the rooms in their home.  It took a few weeks for me to come up with a way to introduce the colour in a way I could feel good about.  There certainly are very few Swedish examples.  When I think of bright colour I think of India.  India has a rich culture of embracing vibrant colour.  Here are some examples of how Indian fashion, décor and architecture have incorporated into their designs shades similar to this year's Radiant Orchid.  It seems to go nicely with almost every other colour, non?

The above images came from Pinterest, They are not my own.  If you know the origin of any of these images please let me know and I will credit it accordingly.  Thanks.

Welcome 2014

So the holidays have come and gone and we are all still recovering, I'm sure.  The first work week starts one day later here in Sweden (something to do with the twelfth day of Christmas on Monday).  We were also blessed with yet another derailment (click here to see the colourful side of the last one), which kept us in the countryside with three crazy adorable kids.  As a result, the schedule is a little out of whack this week.  Sorry. I did, however, find some great furniture for the Södermalm apartment so I would like to finalize that this week (catch-up here).  We'll get back on track next week (pun not intended but I'm keeping it) with a regular schedule.  We also have some exciting design events coming to Stockholm over the next month, so stay tuned for that!

Ultimate Swedish Glögg Tasting 2013

Glögg is Swedish mulled wine that the Swedes enjoy during the Jul season.  It comes in either a stronger version available at the systembolaget and a lighter version (2.2%) available at the grocery store.  We decided to try out a few of the lighter version and report on how they faired.  I have to say that after this taste test I was inspired to make my own (strong) glögg ... a little closer to the weekend.  So you lushes will have to sit tight until later this week to bust out the real booze.  Until then, let's keep it lagom*.

No. 1

Dulvenkrooks Chili Choklad

Dulvenkrooks Chili Choklad

 

The top place goes to a flavoured glögg and with that Design Stockholm's findings fail to meet the requirements of a controlled study but this isn't exactly dissertation material either.  So Dulvenkrooks Chili Choklad is my favorite.  It has lots of punch and character.  You don't drink a lot of this stuff so you might as well make it count.

No. 2

Blossa

Blossa

Last Christmas some Swedish friends of mine broke out into song with "B-L-O-S-S-A, glöggen heter Blossa".  So there it is. Blossa is the go-to glögg over here.  They have that catchy tune and they make different labels for each Jul season.  I guess we need to give them some credit for their marketing clout but how does it taste?  Good.  I like it.  In fact it has a piney flavor that reminds me a bit of Greek retsina (I think I may have revealed something very telling about myself with that).

No. 3

Dulvenkrooks Original

Dulvenkrooks Original

Dulvenkrooks Original is a tasty glögg with a bit of a kick so you know it will warm you up on a cold December night.  Nice.

No. 4

Per Morberg

Per Morberg

Upon further research on this glögg I discovered that it is made by a very famous (and temperamental ) actor and chef here in Sweden and I think the picture on the label is supposed to be an elf version of Per.  So here I am giving it the No. 4 spot.  If he were here right now I'd be in deep sh*t but I'm sticking to my decision.  It is just simply too mild.  Ok fine, we'll call it "smooth" but its elegance is lost on me.  I guess I'm just not refined enough to appreciate it.

No. 5

COOP 

COOP Glogg

 

 

Didn't think it had much kick at all.  Maybe a little closer to retirement.

 

* Lagom is a Swedish term meaning "just the right amount", a constant reminder to "keep yourself in check".

 

Apartment Hunting - Södermalm Classic - Gustavian Kitchen

And back to our little castle in the sky.  In the space planning post (click here to get caught up) we decided that the client would be looking for a traditional Gustavian interior. Today we'll start with the best room in the house, the kitchen.  For a bit of context, let's first break down the Gustavian look.  Gustav III took the French Neoclassical look back to Sweden then simplified the look and muted the colours. A typical Gustavian colour scheme features muted grays, blues and greens.  For this project, we will source the paints entirely from Farrow and Ball.

I would like to make the cabinets a nice soft gray like Dimpse by Farrow and Ball

Dimpse - Farrow and Ball

Although Gustavian is characterized by a scaled-down Neoclassical look, we still need some detailing otherwise we risk having a kitchen that nods toward Modern.  The Ramsjö profile from Ikea is simple yet has the detailing that mirrors the columnal look of the Neoclassical period.

Ramsjö Profile via Ikea

 

I'd love to really highlight the island by painting it a darker gray like Pavilion Gray.
 

Pavilion Gray - Farrow and Ball

A nice light marble countertop on both kitchen and the island will compliment the grays and give that element of luxury.  When shopping for marble, shop around and buy the best you can afford.  This is a major purchase so have fun with it and don't rush.  Make sure your grays jive with each other.  Bring a sample of your paints and fabrics.

Marble Countertop

 

 

And here's an idea of what the furnishings will look like.  We'll put these around the island to give the kitchen that ever important feeling of community.  You will need reproduction chairs for this purpose as they did not make stools to the heights we need these days, like this reproduction from Restoration Hardware.

 

 

French Round Chair via Restoration Hardware

And for the upholstery.  I love this heavy linen in "Spruce".  This will also carry us to the living room ... which we'll cover next time.

Spruce Swatch via Restoration Hardware

 

Advent

Advent is a countdown to Christmas Eve or Julafton as they call it here.  On the four Sundays preceding Christmas Eve the Swedes light a candle and apparently eat rice pudding (risgrynsgröt).  The Swedes are famously non-religious so the fact that they celebrate Advent is a little perplexing to me.  My Bible toting, Jesus lovin', year-long hymn singin' Grandmother doesn't even celebrate Advent.  Swedes do love their candles though, and their gröt*, so I guess that's it then.  There are a couple ways you can do this.  You can use an advent candle holder or simply use four candles upon which you stick the numbers, 1, 2, 3 and 4.  I think the latter is super ugly, I don't care how glittery or fancy those numbers are.

Speaking of the Ekdahls, this advent candle holder reminds me of the opening scene of Fanny and Alexander.  The angels spin making a slight "ting" sound.

 

 

Advent Candles at P.U.B.



 For the lover of clean, Scandinavian and Modern.

 

 

Allas by Andeas Engesvik for Iittala at P.U.B.

If you absolutely must go the number route, then here's an option from Indiska.
 

 

Advent Candle Numbers at Indiska

 

 

 

 

 I like these the best.  Simple yet versatile. They come in different colours too.  These candle holders work together as a unit without actually being the exact same.  This creates visual interest and asymmetrical symmetry (you'll earn points with the design snobs for that one!)

 

 

Candleholders from MIO

We'll continue to look at the ways that the Swedes worship their sources of light at Jul as we approach December 13th which is the celebration of St. Lucia, the patron saint of light. 


*Gröt:  Basically this is porridge.  It comes in oat, rice and some other grain "manna" that I have yet to identify.

New Feature Introduction - Apartment Hunting

Our new feature here at Design Stockholm will be called Apartment Hunting.  A little background - something I love to do is go through the real estate websites and check out what's for sale.  I can't speak for all designers but finding a really neglected space with loads of potential is super exciting.  The more work needed, the better.  Apartment hunting is a bit of a cultural phenomenon here in Stockholm.  Whether you're buying or renting, finding the right place has quite a significance here.  Property values are high and the queues to rent are years long.  It affects most of Stockholm's population in some way.  But we'll take a look at the lighter side.

 

We will feature a property which is located in the local real estate listings and play around with it a bit.  We'll have a "client" in mind so as to better decide how to space plan and decorate the space.  Property value will be assessed.  Or maybe sometimes we'll be wreckless and spend, spend, spend!  I think we'll start off with the latter.

 

So as promised, I've brought you back to Södermalm.  This property is a classic Stockholm floor plan with the original plan in place from when the building was built.  Times have changed and so have ideas on what a great home should look and feel like.  Take a look - tomorrow we change the space to reflect contemporary ideas on the ideal home. Hejdå!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nu Är Det Jul Igen - It's Christmas in Sweden

We start off the Jul season with an old Jul song appropriately called "Nu Är Det Jul Igen" or Now it's Christmas Again.  So how do I know this old song?  Bergman.  Until just a few years ago, there was only one Bergman movie I knew anything about, Fanny and Alexander.  I grew up watching Fanny and Alexander every Christmas.  It is easily Bergman's most upbeat movie...with all the strange and creepy stuff you expect from Bergman.  And to be part of the Ekdahl life was the greatest way to spend four hours (or six, if you had the made for television version).  So if you haven't already, dust off your copy of Fanny and Alexander, or go buy it if you don't have a copy and start the Jul season with the Ekdahls, dancing around their massive apartment singing Nu Är Det Jul Igen.

Nu är det Jul igen och nu är det Jul igen

Och Julen varar väl till Påska.

 Nu ar det Jul igen och nu ar det Jul igen

Och Julen varar väl till Påska.

Det var inte sant och det var inte sant,

För där emellan kommar fasta.

Det var inte sant och det var inte sant,

För där emellan kommar fasta. 

(Now it's Christmas again and now it's Christmas again

And it's Christmas all the way to Easter

Now it's Christmas again and now it's Christmas again

And it's Christmas all the way to Easter

That isn't true and that isn't true,

For in the middle it is Lent

That isn't true and that isn't true,

For in the middle it is Lent) 

To sing this song successfully you must squish the words together in such a way that it sounds more like...

Nuyjuliyen, o Nuyjuliyen

Click here for a small taste of Fanny and Alexander and Jul with the Ekdahl family.

{via Criterion}

Apartment Hunting - Södermalm Classic - Space Planning

For our inaugural Apartment Hunting space I decided to go with a classic Swedish floor plan.  This plan is found in the older buildings and comes in all sizes.  This particular plan in Södermalm is a cool 181m2 and 12 000 000 SEK.  Pretty unattainable for most of us.

But as I mentioned in the last post, we are going to spend, spend, spend.  So in the spirit of money's no object, let's have a bit of fun with this one shall we.  Our client will be a professional couple with two kids.  They want a space that will reflect contemporary values on living/kitchen areas while maintaining the traditional Swedish vibe by going with a Gustavian inspired colour scheme and decor.

Södermalm Apartment - Before

1.  The Kitchen

Back when these apartments were built the kitchen was not a priority.  It was kept out of sight and out of mind, and allotted as little space as was possible.  Times have changed and the kitchen is THE place to be.  Having the available time to spend hours in the kitchen is something of a posh thing now. The kitchen for our little castle in the sky will be moved to the main area, just on the other end of the washroom (keeping in mind the location of the existing plumbing)  The area is bigger there, allowing for a nice spacious kitchen with an island, but most importantly it will be directly beside the living room. 


2. The Partition Wall

The wall dividing the new kitchen and the living room is indicated as being a partition wall and not having any structural value.  With that in mind, I would like to open up the space by moving the doorway to the centre of the wall and widening it.  I am not a big fan of complete open concept but rather the freedom to have either.  I think open concept makes sightlines overwhelming and if you have kids, all that junk they haven't picked up stares back at you from every angle!   If we make a large doorway with pocket doors the kitchen can be open or closed off from the living room whenever one chooses.

Södermalm Apartment - After

3.  The Dining Room

The room to the right of the living room will be a formal dining room.  It can double as an office or homework room when the family are not entertaining.  This keeps all the "living" areas together and the bedrooms will be in the back, which are usually the rooms overlooking the courtyard.  I also want to close the doorway into the dining room from the front entry.  This allows for a nice space for a vignette or an impressive piece of art, which would be immediately visible upon entering the front door.


4. The Front Entry

To me, there is something funky about having a pathway that leads from the living room into a bedroom and out to the other bedrooms.  Perhaps at one point it was a library.  We are going to change that and by doing so there will be a passage from the front to the bedrooms and one to the living areas.  I love the French balcony which lights up the entry and gives a view.  Quite a luxury for Stockholm.

5.  Old Kitchen

Becomes the master bedroom as it has a walkout to the balcony.  Again, it makes better sense to have all the bedrooms together on the quieter side of the apartment.  The other two bedrooms will be for the kids.



6.  Bathroom and Powder Room

Stay where they are.  In buildings you don't usually have much freedom here.


Next time we will look at Gustavian colours and perhaps some quintessential Gustavian inspired furnishings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Programming Note for the "Most Wonderful Time of the Year"

You must be wondering why I haven't mentioned the "most wonderful time of the year" yet.  Look I love Christmas just as much as the next gal, in fact it's my favorite holiday but I feel Christmas is one of those things that can build up in the system, like Mercury for example, and ruin the whole thing forever. So with that in mind - we don't want Christmas to become toxic for you - Design Stockholm will be Jul and Christmas heavy with shopping tips, cultural info, pics, recipes and perhaps even some Swedish Jul carols (I know, I know) but not until December!

So take a deep breath.  Enjoy the dark, rainy weather knowing that here at Design Stockholm Jul is just around the corner, but it's not here yet.

During the last week of November we'll go back to where it all began at Design Stockholm, Södermalm (click here for a refresher) where we'll launch a new feature which will take a look at space planning, colour schemes and style specific decorating ideas.

Until then, enjoy the view from Åhlens City. 

 

 

Stockholm Directory - Två Sekler Present and Inredning

Along Odengatan between Torsgatan and Norrtullsgatan, there is a collection of  antique and curiosity shops. I always find these shops a little more intimidating to browse as they are often very small, cramped and the proprietor is usually a bit of a wild card, so to speak.  I felt  particularly sociable the other day and decided to check out a few of them.  Design Stockholm's latest addition is one of these shops.  Två Sekler Present and Inredning is an eclectic mix of antiques, new and reproduction furniture, lighting and decorative objects.  The proprietor is lovely.  The basement, which houses some of the antique stock, is a small and appropriately charming space dug directly into the stone.  Två Sekler doesn't have a website so this is a place you'll have to check out in person.  You'll likely find a few things you love.

 

 

 

Två Sekler Present and Inredning
Odengatan 94
113 22 Stockholm
tel. 08 31 51 51
mobile. 0709 90 13 12

Trends - Dark Paint for Walls

I was saying to a friend the other day that trends will naturally start to move to darker colours after so many years of everything being clean and white. People need to see something different.  I have always loved dark rich red - as I've mentioned several times (here and here), red is one of my go-to colours.  Apparently everyone is talking about the trends toward darker colours for walls, even here in Scandinavia.  What's my take on this Scandinavian move to such unfamiliar territory?  I don't see it lasting very long.  The winters are simply too long and too dark for Scandinavians to be able to live surrounded by dark walls without going crazy.  No one, however, can argue with the dynamic look that can be achieved with a deep rich colour in the walls.  So let's take a look at some great dark coloured spaces.

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This kitchen has dark floors, cabinets and ceiling yet because of the heavy lacquer, it reflects light beautifully.

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The white furniture and accents in this space help offset the darker colours on the wall.

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The Asian influences here are many and I absolutely love this space.  Everything works seamlessly together, from the grid accents of the wall panel to the curved legs of the table

 and the playful plants.

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The blue walls here work very nicely with the natural wood elements and the brown chair. 

 

 

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Now let's look at dark bathrooms.  Even in the smallest bathroom, with or without windows, dark walls seem to work.  Here are a few of my favorites.

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If you are going to go with purple, go all the way!



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Simple.  Although I think I would have gone with a white toilet seat.  I generally don't like decorating with words or sayings but the quality and size of these letters save it from looking cheesy.

 

 

 

 

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The best for last!  The walls are rich, with art from floor to ceiling.  A nice quality rug over deep wood floors (not enough people realize that wood floors in a bathroom is often better than tile, especially if you live in a cold climate - like Sweden.  But that's a blog for another day.)  This look is super easy, relatively inexpensive and anyone can do it.