Mia and Mikael celebrate the richness of life with their story-filled
apartment. ”I think knowing your heritage is so important,” Mia
says.
Meet Mia and Mikael
”When Mikael and I decided to buy an
apartment together in Stockholm, we both
knew we wanted somewhere old, with charm
and a story of its own. I think everything
becomes more interesting as it ages. Even
people.”
Our style
”This apartment is perfect. It’s a good size, we
have a spare room and the location is ideal.
We’re surrounded by nature, but we’re also in
the city so we can go to concerts and eat out.”
”I like to decorate my house with surprises.
I think interiors should be fun, and that you
should surround yourself with things that
make you smile.”
Our home room by room
Be inspired by your past
”Mikael fell in love with the sofa at a secondhand
market. When his mother visited, she
said, “Your grandmother had the exact same
sofa.” He must have remembered it from his
childhood. The circus print reminds me of
mine, when I used to ride to school on
a unicycle.”
Move furniture around to suit your needs
”I have been very good friends with this
HEMNES cupboard since before I met Mikael.
I love it because it blends seamlessly wherever
I put it, and it’s great for storage. Now it fits
perfectly in our dining room.”
Create a sociable place to prepare food together
”Where we lived before, the kitchen was so
small only one person could cook at a time.
Now one of our greatest pleasures is cooking
side by side. It’s great having guests here
because the place feels big and open and we
can talk while we cook.”
Get crafty!
”My maternal grandmother did traditional birch
bark crafts, and was the inspiration for the
lights that hang down the side of the cupboard
in my bedroom.”
Surround yourself with happy memories
”The rug in the study is from my grandmother
(on my father’s side). I remember sleeping on
it on her sofa. When I woke up one morning,
I told her that I loved it. And she must have
remembered it, because when she died we
found she had written my name on it.”
Our tips and ideas
Make the most of your view
”I created a place where I can enjoy a coffee
and the view by putting a slim occasional table
in front of the window. I like to dress my
windowsill with a mixture of artificial and real
flowers so there’s always something nice to
look at, even on grey days.”
Create a memory wall
”I made a wall of our relatives in the kitchen.
They’re all mixed up – his grandfather next to
my grandmother, and so on. I like the stories
that come with them. This man was spoiled by
his daughter, that one was the gardener...”
Display the things that you love and inspire you
”I get lots of ideas from blogs and books, and
like to display my favourite things on shelves
to get our guests talking. The car number
plate is from our old car, which we bought in
Germany.”
Add humour
”I painted our HEMNES wardrobe with
blackboard paint, which makes it fun – we can
write notes to each other! And we added small
leather handles to the bedside cabinets –
they’re just pieces cut from a leather belt.”
Find new ways to display textiles
”These rugs were made by Mikael’s
grandmother. They’re like pieces of art, so
we’ve hung them on the wall behind a
double-framed picture of my father. His
portrait was hidden behind the door before,
which he objected to!”
