On your feet…

I’m finishing off Swedish week with another thing that the Swedes do well: Style! I expected well-dressed tall blonde goddesses so I tried my best to blend in with the uber-stylish without feeling like I was wearing a bin bag (I reckon I was at least 70% successful)! I made a few observations, first of which is that the Swedes are not afraid of a bit of experimentation, particularly with glasses, also they love to wear black (thankfully that was mostly what I packed, hence the 70% success rate) but the observation I found most surprising is that Swedish women tend to favour grunge – think an abundance of fitted black leather, studs and my personal favourite, good old faithful Doc Martens.

I know they aren’t for everyone but surely you can’t deny that they get serious points for being so badass…

Shopping like the Swedes…

We only had 4 very short days in Stockholm so I had to curb my shopping tendencies in favour of seeing as much of the city as possible. I did, however, manage to spend a good few minutes scrolling through the latest copy of Skona Hem in the 7eleven line and on our 2^nd last day we spent the afternoon wandering around the trendy un-touristy neighbourhood of Södermalm. We passed one shop packed to the rafters with stylish Swedes and I just knew I needed a closer look. I am so glad I did because I found a little life-changer called Granit…

1. Lamp String; 2. Zinc Stool; 3. Cast Iron Teapot; 4. Cookie Jar; 5, Napkins; 6. Small Chest of Drawers; 7, Wire Basket; 8. Apple Crate; 9. Rusted Pots; 10. Star Light; 11. Hanging Rail; 12. Zinc Baskets; 13. Candlestick Pipes;  14. Metal Ladder;

Shall we take this outside?

Our very first London flat had no garden/balcony/large window ledges. I remember spending hot summer days with my face pressed against the glass of the back window watching on in envy as our neighbours gleefully enjoyed their too large gardens. So when we moved into our new house, complete with outside deck area, we vowed to use it every day come rain or shine. And for a while, we did just that (we have been known to bbq in the snow), but as with all good things, we have started to take it for granted and spend more time sitting in front of the laptop than enjoying our outdoors. I would chalk it up to the atrocious English weather but after seeing how they live in Stockholm, I fear I can no longer use that excuse. Even though the temperatures were a not-so-toasty 7 degrees, it did not deter the hardy Stockholmers (is that even the right term), who hit the parks, balconies and outside cafes in their droves.

To illustrate my point I am using images of stunning balconies from Swedish based brokerage-come-interior design firm Alvhem.

It’s all in the Swedish details…

The touristy shots are next on my list [I promise]. But today I am all about the charming details of Stockholm. If it’s possible, almost every restaurant, hotel and shop we encountered looked so warm and inviting – most had candles burning at their entrances, or benches and stools complete with fluffy blankets to keep away the winter chill. We weren’t sure whether this was a Stockholmer thing or if this is just how they role in Sweden. Apart from the scented candles (oh yes, did I mention that they were scented??) and inviting seating, there was also an abundance of cheerful potted plants, naturally colour co-ordinated in deep autumnal hues.  

All images via Wishful Thinking

Swedish Housing Heaven!

As I mentioned last week, I came back from my trip to Stockholm brimming with so much love for all things Swedish that I wanted dedicate a full week to my enthusiasm! Although I am yet to travel to a city I didn’t fall in love with, Stockholm totally surpassed my expectations and got under my skin like no other city before. I expected sophistication and style but the charm and beautiful details in almost everything I saw took me by complete surprise. I know it would be naive of me to think that every Swedish house is as beautiful as the houses we saw in and around Stockholm, but there is no doubt that the Swedes are a very house-proud nation. Creepy or not, I spent a great deal of time peering into their houses, taking notes and sighing over their clever design solutions. In fact, we couldn’t take more than 2 steps without me wanting a picture of some picture-perfect Swedish house! We moved at a very slow pace, but neither of us were complaining!

All images via Wishful Thinking