Home tour | A Swedish apartment with splashes of spring colour

Adding accent colours to a muted scheme without overpowering it is always tricky, but this three-bedroom corner apartment in Gothenburg is a perfect example of how to do it well. Throughout, it mixes minimal monochrome décor with touches of spring-like blues and greens, creating a space that’s both fresh and calming.

The lounge is my favourite room. The mint-green sofa works brilliantly next to the marble top and brass legs of the coffee table, and it’s piled with cushions in a lovely mix of clashing floral and geometric prints. There are also pops of delicate colour in the artwork on the walls, the glass bottles on the floor and the throw on the armchair, all balanced out by swathes of grey, black and white.

The same colour and pattern combinations are used in the master bedroom, where a distressed blue chair and a couple of bright storage boxes sit next to grey linen and a bank of white wardrobes. The centrepiece is a fabulous antique bed, whose upholstered ends contrast beautifully with the striped bedspread.

Over in the kitchen, sleek black units and white metro tiles are pepped up with colourful crockery and a mint-green toaster; I’d be tempted to add a matching Smeg fridge, but the stainless-steel appliances look great, too.

Other interesting elements in the apartment include the butterfly prints and mid-century modern sideboards in the bedroom and kitchen, and the use of mismatched dining chairs all painted in the same shade. I also love the white-washed floorboards, which bounce light around the rooms. Best of all, there are plants, flowers and candles everywhere – essential accessories for any home in my book! 

Photography via Alvhem