Home tour | A calming Swedish apartment in white, beige and brown

Everything feels a little overwhelming at the moment, and I’m finding myself drawn more than ever towards simple, soothing interiors. This Gothenburg apartment is a perfect example, so it seemed like an appropriate choice for my first home tour of 2021.

Set in a former governor’s mansion that dates from 1910, it’s been carefully restored and still retains plenty of period features, including herringbone parquet floors, ceiling roses and wooden panelling. But what appeals to me most about it is the serene feel, achieved by offsetting plain white walls with lots of earthy tones and natural textures, and by keeping furniture and accessories to a minimum.

The main living room is beautifully decorated in soft beiges and browns. I love the way a boxy vintage sofa has been paired with iconic Scandinavian designs such as oak ‘Wishbone’ chairs and an opal-glass VL45 ‘Radiohus’ pendant, first created in the 1940s by Danish architect Vilhelm Lauritzen and here used in place of a floor lamp where space is tight. There are also a few contemporary classics, including a webbed Carl Hansen ‘Cuba’ chair – an ideal piece for small homes such as this, as it can be folded away when not in use. A vase of dried grasses, a fluffy sheepskin, a pair of framed sepia-toned prints and semi-sheer beige linen curtains (hung from ceiling-mounted tracks to emphasise the room’s height) make the perfect finishing touches, adding layers of warmth and cosiness to the otherwise airy space. The only thing that’s lacking in my opinion is a rug under the table, which I feel would add a bit of definition to the layout and help ‘zone’ the sitting and dining areas.

There’s a similar palette of colours and materials in the kitchen, where original cupboards sit opposite modern units topped with a brown-stone worktop. Cleverly, the clean lines and pale wood of the kitchen fronts echo the vertical panelling on the walls and cabinetry, tying the contemporary and traditional sides of the room together. Floating shelves provide additional storage and display space, and the ceramics and tableware on show have been carefully chosen to complement the overall scheme.

The bedroom has a crisper monochrome look, with sleek black and chrome accents in the form of a DCW Editions ‘Mantis’ floor lamp, an iconic ‘AJ’ table lamp and a black-framed mirror. Nevertheless, a rattan chair and a bank of built-in wardrobes with muted brown doors provide a continuous thread between this space and the other areas of the apartment.

All in all, it’s a beautifully considered and calming home, and I could certainly unwind happily here. How about you?

Photography via Stadshem