When leaving my Mom’s home located in the neighborhood Östermalm in Stockholm, I took a slight detour on my way to the shopping heart of the Stockholm. Boy am I glad that I did! Trotting down “Sturegatan” I stopped in front of the window of the store Olby.  It has been there for 3 years without my knowledge! How on earth could I have missed this! The furniture is so beautiful and well made that they gave me goosebumps. I am now a HUGE fan of the entire furniture line. (Olby just got representation in NY).

The designer and owner Kerstin Olby certainly knows what she is doing. A former student at the prestigious Carl Malmsten school of design (now the Carl Malmsten Centre for Wood Technology & Design at Linköping University), all her furniture is well thought out and masterfully designed. Kerstin started the actual company in the 80′s and has won many prestigious industry awards. All pieces are hand made in Sweden with local, natural materials (there are many customer choices). Kerstin’s timeless quality pieces are represented at Swedish embassies and consulates worldwide as well as the residence of the Swedish prime minister.

This tall cabinet on wheels is now on my wish list. This one in a light gray shade – and I would start weeping for joy every time I passed it in my house!

To see the entire collection, click here.

I mentioned in one of my posts that I was going to hit the Gift Shop at the Royal Palace Stockholm basically as soon as I landed in Sweden. And I only had one purchase in mind. I should have known my readers better! I immediately got a couple of comments and a few e-mails with you guessing – and you guessing right about my mission.

Yes, it was the little crown charm I was after! It is modeled after the Royal Crown for Sweden made for the coronation of Erik XIV in 1561. The one I picked is made of 18K gold. They also offer one in silver as well as one in gold over silver.

I find these well made charms to be so adorable and I can’t wait to give them to my young daughters for their upcoming birthdays, with the hope that they will always think of Sweden and its wonderful history with great love and appreciation.

I realize that many of my readers are on vacation, but let’s have some fun amongst us who are yet to hit the beach!

I have been collecting Åsa Lindström’s handmade cups for years. (See previous article here). I think they are absolutely stunning with their unexpected enamel motifs (inspired by old books and magazines) and real gold rims. Åsa Lindström’s imagery has been described as “a nostalgic back-heel with a focus on the future and it achieves a balance between laughter and purity of style”. In Sweden many use them to drink tea or coffee from. I prefer to line them up and just enjoy the artistic side of them, or to put pencils or flowers in them for my office or next to my bed.

YOU now have a chance to win this lovely cup by Åsa Lindström, which I bought last weekat Blås & Knåda in Stockholm!  (With the delighful motif of a bunch of stylish rowers from the 40s!) All you need to do is to add a public comment (note: not under my contact tab) to any of my individual posts on Splendid Willow this week. Your comment and name will be put in the “comment hat” and a winner will be picked. The contest ends on Friday July 3rd @ midnight west cost time. The winner will be notified immediately. Good Luck/Lycka till!

I just got back from a few days in Sweden and got my much needed Stockholm fix! I find myself very fortunate to have, what I consider to be, the best of two worlds, the US and Sweden.

Stockholm is absolutely breathtaking (especially summer time) and I have to pinch myself every time I go back. Just how lucky am I! This is where I grew up. I know the streets & the neighborhoods. I know the people, the culture and the scenery. I know the stores and the must sees. I consider myself incredibly blessed to know the very authentic Stockholm.

I can’t think of any other capital city in the world that is so progressive and cutting edge (not to mention the cool design elements everywhere) and yet so loyal and respectful to its heritage and long history. Over the next few weeks I will share “my Stockholm” with all of you. Meanwhile, here are a few of my own photos of Stockholm from the classic side.

The happening neighborhood Södermalm on a summer evening.

Stockholm seen from the old street, Fjällgatan. The street is lined with well-preserved wooden buildings from the 1700s on one side and a magnificent view of Stockholm on the other side.

Fjällgatan.

The beautiful Old Town (Gamla Stan) dates back to the 13th century and consists of medieval alleyways, cobbled streets and archaic architecture.

Stortorget is the name of the scenic large square in the center of Gamla Stan (Old Town), which is surrounded by old merchants’ houses including the former Stockholm Stock Exchange building now turned into the Nobel Museum. The square was the site of the Stockholm Bloodbath, where Swedish noblemen were massacred by the Danish King Christian II in November, 1520. On the outer walls of the red old building are 82 white limestone plates – one for each severed head. Legend has it that between November 8th and November 9th you can see shadowy figures haunting around that area…

Tourists might miss this treat, but the legend says that the canon ball stuck on the side of this old building by Stortorget was fired by a brave Swede who tried to kill the Danish King Kristian II in 1520. 

The roof top of the Nobel Museum.

You can drink the water from this 18th-century German fountain.

Here is the beautiful sculpture Saint Goran and the Dragon (Sankt Göran och Draken). This sculpture is a bronze copy of the original which is made of wood and is placed in the Storkyrkan (The Big Church) in the Old Town. The original wood sculpture was made by the German Bernt Notkes who lived and worked in Stockholm between 1484 and 1496. The legend tells of a horrible dragon looking for human sacrifice in a small Swedish town. When the King’s daughter is to be thrown to the dragon, a brave knight saves the princess and the town. The ruler of Sweden at the time, saw himself as the knight who slayed the Danish dragon and saved Sweden.

St. Jacob’s church, arguably the most central church in Stockholm. This is were I got married in 2000!

The church took a long time to complete and  include a wide range of architectonic styles, going back to as far as the 16th century.

The inside of the church brings back wonderful and joyous memories. I remember our cool friend Calle playing a very jazzy Duke Ellington tune “In a sentimental mood” on the old pipe organ and our happy priest joining in with great creative dance moves!

The Swedish National Museum is the national art gallery of Sweden.  This is were we held our lovely and fun wedding reception!

A famous equestrian statue of King Karl den XIV Johan (1763-1844) at Slussen. Slussen is a great place to try a local version of fast food – fried Herring with mashed potatoes!

Typical apartments in the Old Town. You would be surprised to see how wonderfully modernized and hip many of them are on the inside.

Stockholm is 1/3 water, 1/3 parks and 1/3 wonderful architecture. This photo is overlooking the Swedish Royal Opera House which officially opened in 1782. The yellow house to the very left (Sagerska Palatset) is the official residence of the Swedish prime minister, Fredrik Reinfeldt and his family.

This is Stockholm to me. Old next to new. And new next to old. It is clear – even to me! -  where my personal design style stems from.

Dear readers. You will not hear from me for a week because I am on my way to my wonderful home city Stockholm to bring back my mother for a visit with my family for the summer. I can’t wait! I will get to spend quality time with my family and many wonderful friends back home and to check out all the latest within the design scene.  I will bring back lots of material and a few surprises – only for you! Enjoy your week!

P.S Do you see the Royal castle in the background? On my first day in Stockholm I will run into its nice gift shop with a specific purchase in mind for my two beautiful girls. I will share with you later!

In the latest issue of the Swedish interior design magazine, Skona Hem, I found some images from a lovely home that caught my attention. Especially the first photo. I so like the combination of white walls with a strong color (in this case dark gray) acting like wainscoting. The room is airy but still gets a little bit of drama.

A dining room with personality. Here you want to sit for a while. You feel welcome and at ease. Nothing contrived, nothing too serious.

The owner painted the Italian cabinet herself and replaced the doors with chicken net. A good little summer project perhaps?

Father’s Day is coming up in US on June 21st.  Here are a few gift ideas for that special and terrific Dad!

1) A bottle of good handpicked wine. Pick it with thought and meaning. E.g the wine you drank on your first date, the wine from a special area, a wine connected with a special year in your life. Summarize your thoughts in a nice card. (Photo credit: Rombauer Vineyards).

2) It is Summer time. Why not a good outdoor game? A bocce or badminton set brings loads of entertainment in the backyard or at the social picnic. These games and others can be found at Restoration Hardware.

3) A hobby related tool kit. (If he is in to bikes get him a bike tool kit, if he is in to golf give him a golf tool kit etc.).

4) A nice leather dresser valet. A  perfect spot to store all that change, the cell phone and the watch etc. Something he did not even know he needed! If you have time get it monogrammed. This case is from GiftsForProfessionals.com.

5) Organic tomatoes. Give him the whole kit (pots, plants, watering can etc) and let him be in charge of some tasty homegrown heirloom tomatoes. (Pay a visit to your local organic nursery).

6) And for the more seasoned gentleman – this T-shirt from Old Guys Rule Appareal is a fun classic.

7) For relaxing times. How about a hammock! Maybe you can beat him to it! This one from Pottery Barn.

People, I almost stopped breathing when I glanced through the magazine Living Etc and saw this photo. Madre Mia! What is wrong with me? Why has it not occurred to me that there are some really amazing illustrators and photographer behind so many classic vinyl album covers? Those LPs that are sitting in storage with layers of dust on top of them. How could I have ignored them so?!

I will IMMEDIATELY start my scavenger hunt for (to us) really meaningful album covers with amazing artwork. I will take my time to find the perfect ones. I will frame them, love them and save them for the grand kids! (Will they even understand what an LP is?)

Yeah! I can’t wait to start my little collection!

The first time I saw this image from the portfolio of the British designer extraordinaire Suzy Hoodless, I gasped. How incredibly pleasing to the eye. This just makes me want more of less. (See more of Suzy’s portfolio here).

Today I went through some files for a fun project I am working on and saw this lovely image again but this time I also noticed Ingeborg Lundin’s famous apple vase, from the fifties. Now I love Suzy Hoodless even more!

Ingeborg Lundin’s (1921-1992) art glass, produced at Orrefors, catches Scandinavian designs’ central attributes; modest beauty and functional simplicity, also described as the Swedish Grace.

In 1947, Ingeborg Lundin became the first woman designer at Orrefors. She gave a new dynamic aspect to engraved glass. Lundin’s “Apple” illustrates the graceful, daring glass of the 1950′s  and it created a worldwide stir.

The Apple was created for the influential Helsingborg 55 exhibition, and remains as a symbol, not only for that exhibition, but for the golden age of Swedish art glass. This design earned her the title “The Balenciaga of glass”.

This Apple vase used to be high up on my wish list for many, many years, but then I kind of gave up… I am immeditely putting it back on my list – today! In a couple of weeks I am leaving for Stockholm, and I might need to give the fabulous store Jacksons (specializes in the best of Scandinavian vintage design 1900 – 2000) a call. The hand blown apple vase is sitting on top of the lovely cabinet in the back. It screams – bring me home!

I have an on-going love affair with white orchids. For a very long time I have been looking for the perfect table to display a cluster of these planted orchids. I had almost given up and was ready to design my own. Now I am thinking that Ikea’s Trollsta Tray Table might just do the trick! What an unexpected contrast with the elegant, simple classic plants on top of this lacquered both modern and gothic looking table.

If I can fit at least 4 planted orchids on the removable steel tray, I will be pretty happy! Now, of course I would have loved to see this table in a gray color but for the price of $99.99, I might just get 2 and try to paint one in that perfect gray myself!

I think the table is perfect for plants with its extra wide edge and high sides. The removable steel tray can handle water spills and the table is easy to fold up and easy to move. Diameter: 22 1/2 “, Height: 17 3/4 “.

I will let you know if this works or not!