Home tour | A small yet stylish Stockholm apartment with sweeping views |

As promised, it’s back to normal blog service this week. I think we’ll all be in need of a bit of distraction over the coming months and I have plenty of interiors and lifestyle inspiration lined up, starting with a peek inside a stunning Stockholm apartment that’s just come up for sale via Fantastic Frank.

It’s located in Norra Tornen, a new development designed by Dutch architect Reinier de Graaf and conceived as a 21st-century take on the Brutalist tower blocks of the 1950s and 60s. At 36 storeys high it’s the Swedish capital’s tallest residential building and is made up of individual concrete cubes, all pre-fabricated off site and then craned into place. This particular unit sits on the ninth floor and covers a relatively compact 57sqm, but despite its small size it’s packed with clever design ideas.

The first thing that caught my eye was the way textured mineral paint has been used throughout the apartment, echoing the materials on the outside of the building and providing a visual connection with the concrete walls of the terrace. The exterior finish is also mirrored in the kitchen worktop and splashback, and the clean-lined cupboards reflect the grooved lines of the cladding. Houseplants and tactile fabrics are dotted here and there, softening the hard surfaces and preventing the space from looking stark, while brass lamps, fittings and accessories add warmth.

The open-plan living area has a laid-back and gently eclectic feel, with sleek design alongside more relaxed pieces. A marble ‘Plinth’ coffee table from Menu has been paired with a squishy brown sofa that has a slight 1970s air about it, while a textured wooden sideboard hides away any clutter. I love how the windowsill has been put to good use as a display shelf, with just enough books and ceramics to create interest without detracting from the panoramic view. Viggo Boesen’s ‘Little Petra’ armchair, designed in 1938 and today produced by &Tradition, is the perfect finishing touch, as its playful shape and fluffy sheepskin upholstery contrast beautifully with the space’s angular lines.

There’s a similar mix in the bedroom, where minimalist rectangular pieces are offset by the sweeping curves of a sculptural ‘Vertigo’ pendant lamp by Constance Guisset. A dark rattan headboard adds richness, while Frama’s brass wall light makes an ideal nightstand, doubling as a table and bedside lamp without taking up any valuable floor space. I like the way a wall-mounted board and low-hanging lighting have been used to ‘zone’ the desk in the corner, creating some definition between areas used for work and relaxation.

All in all, a brilliantly designed apartment, and a great example of how different materials, textures and shapes can be used to striking effect. Add in that terrace – set up as an extension of the living space, complete with an alfresco sofa and coffee table – and I certainly wouldn’t mind calling it home…