Home tour | A simple, soulful apartment in Stockholm

It’s time for another home tour and today we’re heading over to Stockholm for a peek inside a beautiful apartment whose simple, relaxed interiors instantly caught my eye.

Set in an Art Nouveau building designed by Swedish architect Nils Persson in 1908, it now belongs to architects Anders Stenholm and Rakel Östlund, who have deftly combined modern minimalism with original features such as internal glazing, a tiled stove and white-soaped hardwood floors. It’s also full of soul – this isn’t a sterile show apartment but a real, lived-in home, and rather than try to hide its imperfections the couple have chosen to celebrate them and the character they bring.

My favourite part of the apartment is the kitchen. It’s made almost entirely from solid pine – a material which has largely fallen out of fashion in recent years, but which adds wonderful warmth and texture to the pared-back decor. The clean lines of the units offset the swirling grain of the wood perfectly and their configuration is very clever, with a half-depth, full-height upper cupboard and open shelving section at one end providing storage and display space without overwhelming the narrow room. The classic Shaker-style fronts create an air of homeliness, as does the fabric-covered pendant light above the table, but contemporary touches such as sleek metal door knobs, a pair of white wall lamps and a stainless-steel sink and tap ensure the overall look is stylish and elegant rather than twee.

The design of the kitchen is echoed in a pine shelving niche built into the hallway, adding a note of continuity and drawing the eye from one space to the next.

At the other end of the hallway, the living room is a calming space decorated in white and beige. It’s furnished with a mix of understated Japanese-inspired pieces and Scandinavian classics, including webbed armchairs and Louis Poulsen’s iconic ‘PH5’ pendant lamp, designed by Poul Henningsen in 1958. There are subtle pops of colour in the accessories and artwork, and sheepskins bring cosiness and texture. I particularly love the way brick red acts as a recurring theme across oil paintings, glassware, cushions and plant pots, and the way a large floor-standing mirror is used to bounce light from the window towards the darker part of the room.

Sandwiched between the main living space and the kitchen is the bedroom, which again pairs simple furniture with colourful artwork. There are yet more brick-red accents, as well as a salvaged bedside cupboard whose grain echoes the pine in the kitchen. A soft linen bedspread, cork stools and a long curtain that pulls across the entire window wall add further texture.

All in all, it’s a stunning and very inviting apartment. Every piece has been chosen with care, and several continuous threads run throughout – proof that minimalist homes certainly needn’t be lacking in warmth and personality.

Styling by Thomas Lingsell; photography by Per Orchidéen for Historiska Hem