The styles may vary but you can be sure to find the following design elements in a Stockholm apartment:

• White. Swedes embrace gallons and gallons of white paint.
• Hardwood floors with individual rugs (we stopped using wall to wall carpeting decades ago).
• State of the art kitchens (yep, nearly all of family & friends back home have fab kitchens!).
• State of the art bathrooms.
• Books! (See my earlier post).
• A great mix of old and new. Just look at that old Swedish wood burning stove and the old beams. A true Swede will rather have no furniture at all than to get rid of historical elements.
  

Images: Lagerlings

In a time of computer-generated communication, paper takes us back to the basic. It can be typed on, written on and read and, best of all, treasured for years to come.

Image: Inside Out

As a continuation of my last post about postcards…I am so charmed by this image with the large paper cut-outs on the wall. I have written about the Etsy store PaperCutDieCut before but I never realized that some of their paper cuts are quite large. Look at them again – all cut by hand!

Everybody who knows me well knows that I am not a big fan of anything plastic and mass produced. I have always been drawn to unique, different and handmade objects in earthy materials. To me this is lovely!

Here are a few other art pieces from their store.

I came across this photo yesterday and I just had to share it with you. (Sorry for the poor image).

I don’t know about you but I remember when postcards were a standard (and lovely!) way of sending greetings to each other. I have accumulated a lot over the years and have saved them all. But I get none, zip, nada, nowadays (and I don’t send any either!). The internet has taken the personality away from corresponding and I am the first to admit – I miss the old way! (And from now on I will be a better postcard writer).

So, for those who still have saved postcards, or maybe for you who travel and can pick up postcards from fun places around the world. Here is an awesome way of displaying them. In my opinion, this could be more important than any 6 figured art piece! (I am thinking all Swedish related for my wall).

The lamp is lovely too.

Image from Inside Out.

Here is some eye candy for you. This incredible attic apartment in Stockholm is owned by the interior architect and artist Carouschka Streijffert. I am going to keep quiet for a change and let you go through all the details yourself. Take your time.

Okay, just one comment! Let’s talk about books for a second. I do not know of one home in Sweden (unless they are somehow staged) where books are not prominent. Back home we surround ourselves with books and display them with pride. I get totally nervous when I don’t see books in a home. I am so pleased to be reading more and more about how formal living rooms in the US are fading away. People instead are opting for libraries. Yeah! I hope that trend stays!

Images via Skona Hem