It’s that time of year when many of us start thinking about cosying up our homes for the colder months ahead, and this beautiful apartment is a fantastic example of how to do it. Set in a 19th-century building in the Swedish city of Gothenburg, it mixes stunning period features with pale wooden floorboards and crisp white walls, and it makes a perfect blank canvas for decorating with seasonal accessories. The earthy tones shown here add just the right amount of autumn snugness without detracting from the airy feel, and it’s the kind of place where I can happily imagine hunkering down for a while!
Nowhere is this more evident than in the living room, where a white sofa and clean-lined white coffee table have been warmed with cushions, blankets and artwork in beiges, browns and terracottas. There are also lots of wonderful textures in the form of tactile ceramics, an iconic leather ‘Butterfly’ chair, rattan baskets, a bouclé pouf and a shaggy black rug. I particularly love the way the latter has been used to give definition to the sitting area – something that can have a major impact in spaces such as this, where the furniture and walls are largely the same colour.
The kitchen is striking yet timeless thanks to the black Shaker-style units, wooden worktops and white metro tiles – a combination that’s unlikely to date any time soon. A polished concrete floor and grey grout add a contemporary twist, as does the sleek open-fronted cabinet – the ideal spot for displaying a few treasured items and a great partner for the traditional stove next to it. The walls have been kept simple to avoid overwhelming the space, but there’s one minimalist painting behind the table to add a bit of texture and colour.
The main bedroom is a calm, uncluttered space in soothing whites and beiges. The linen headboard, crinkled throw and billowing semi-sheer curtains add softness, while a bank of wardrobes provides plenty of storage. The narrow width of the room means the bed has to sit in front of the window – something which can be tricky to pull off, but setting it forward a little and adding a low-hanging pendant light above has created an effective focal point. In fact, the layout and furniture choices as a whole look purposeful, practical and considered. The floor lamp, by the way, is IKEA’s ‘YPPERLIG’ model – a versatile, good-value design which works brilliantly in bedrooms (there’s a matching table version, too).
In contrast to the rest of the apartment, the second bedroom is painted in a beautiful muted green, which offsets the pale wooden furniture, rattan elements and russet textiles perfectly. The view through the double doors to the living area is perhaps my favourite aspect in the whole place, as I love the change in atmosphere between this darker, more cocooning space and the brighter one beyond. And even though it’s currently occupied by children, I can see the colour palette working just as brilliantly in an adult’s bedroom or even a home office.
If you want more inspiration for easy autumn updates, then check out another Gothenburg home which is brimming with styling ideas. You might like the look of this place, too…
All photography via Alvhem
Leave a Reply