Elegant, Eclectic Stockholm Apartment Beautifully Mixes Periods and Styles

This seven-room condo, in the ritzy Östermalm neighborhood of Stockholm, Sweden, is on the second floor of a 1905 art nouveau building. It combines traditional Swedish Gustavian design with contemporary touches and bohemian Turkish/Moroccan influences. Period details abound and include old plaster, paneled walls, huge sash windows and herringbone wooden floors.

Former Swedish finance minister Anders Borg and his wife, pop-star-turned-PR-consultant Dominika Peczynski, currently own the apartment. The 2,390-square-foot flat is available for an undisclosed price via listing agent Per Jansson.

First thing to notice is the elaborate Arts and Crafts stone carving around the building’s front door lintel, of oaks, acorns, and rabbits. Imagine coming home every day to that charming portal! The most striking feature of the flat itself, however, might be the six antique Swedish tiled stoves (kakelugn). Around since the 18th century and a very smart design for heating in a cold climate, they are built of masonry and designed to warm a room through radiant heat; this way, heat loss up the chimney’s flue is minimized. Today, they’re still useful as well as highly prized decorative objects. The stove in the eat-in kitchen is tiled with yellow flowers, while the one in the living room is sheathed in bright baby-blue tiles

The influence of Gustavian design is also evident in the apartment. King Gustav III of Sweden visited Versailles in the 1780s, and decided to emulate some of its style in his own kingdom. Therefore, one sees a lot of French influence in Gustavian style, but pared back a bit. Tall windows, enormous gilded mirrors, and many chandeliers and sconces all help keep a house lighter during dark Scandinavian winters. The simple wooden armchairs sprinkled around the residence are also examples of Gustavian style.

Over time, the owners have infused classic modern design in the kitchen, in the form of Fritz Hansen pendants, as well as an eye-catching Turkish mosaic chandelier. On the floor are classic Middle Eastern rugs, as well as several zebra rugs, that add to the eclectic but homey vibe.

The living room has French doors to a small balcony that looks over the streetscape, while a second balcony is located off the entrance hall. There are six more rooms, which can be used variously as bedrooms, offices, or sitting rooms, and three recently renovated bathrooms.

All a new owner would have to do is move in their stuff and fire up one of those stoves.