Home tour | An elegant family apartment in Stockholm

For my first home-tour post of 2019 I’m taking you to Stockholm, to a beautiful apartment designed for a family returning to Sweden after a stint living abroad.

Created by Refine Design Studio, the scheme balances the owners’ contemporary tastes with the apartment’s stunning period features. The result is a wonderful juxtaposition of old and new, with striking modern pieces alongside ornate 19th-century cornicing and wall panelling.

The heart of the apartment is an open-plan living room decorated in grey, white and black. It’s the kind of palette that could seem cold and uninviting, but not here; instead, warm oak pieces, beige curtains and lots of snuggly textures ensure the space looks cosy and welcoming. I love the contrast between the relaxed, blanket-strewn sofa and the smart midnight-blue ‘Crown’ easy chairs by Massproductions; just as eye-catching are the statement chandelier dangling low over the coffee table and the recessed shelves, artfully styled with a curated selection of accessories (among them Muuto’s ‘Elevated’ vase and By Lassen’s ‘Frame’ boxes).

The living room flows seamlessly into the kitchen, where sleek dark grey units are offset beautifully by oak and leather dining furniture. The table is the ‘Palais Royal’, designed for Apslund by Anya Sebton and Eva Lilja Löwenhielm, and I love its sculptural grooved base.

The master bedroom is decorated in soft greys and greens that are perfect for rest and relaxation. It’s a fairly compact space, so Refine was faced with the challenge of integrating as much storage as possible into the room without leaving it feeling cramped and cluttered. The solution was a bank of custom-built oak wardrobes that reach all the way to the ceiling, with an open section for displaying a few carefully chosen objects. Gervasoni’s ‘Ghost’ linen headboard, DCW Éditions’ ‘No 214’ wall lamps and a pair of &tradition’s ‘Formakami’ pendant lights add the perfect finishing touches.

The guest bedroom is even smaller but no less inviting thanks to sumptuous linens, &tradition’s ‘Loafer’ easy chair and an Ay Illuminate light, which give it the feel of a smart boutique hotel. There’s also a hanging rail – a stylish and compact alternative to a full wardrobe when space is very limited.

Last but not least is the beautiful bedroom created for the family’s two young daughters, which is decorated in the colour of their choice, pink. It was designed to encourage play and features an ingenious bunkbed with steps that double up as storage drawers. Mural-style wallpaper adds a whimsical, fairytale touch.

All in all, I reckon this apartment is the perfect balance of practicality and aesthetics, and I’d certainly be happy to live there! How about you…?

All photography by Christian Olsson of Clear Cut Factory