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    Bofink Design Studio creates “beefy” interior for members’ club in Stockholm

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    Stockholm-based Bofink Design Studio has turned the Börshuset cattle-auction building into a members’ club, updating its Jugend interior with plywood panels that evoke animal skins.

    Located in Stockholm’s historic meatpacking district Slakthusområdet, the 1912 building had its interior extensively renovated in the 1980s but Bofink Design Studio’s refurbishment has revealed its original details.
    Parts of the walls are deliberately left raw”Hidden behind all the layers of paint, plastic, linoleum, woven wallpaper, floor screed and plasterboard walls were beautiful surfaces such as the terrazzo floors, tiled flooring, wall murals and wood panelling,” interior architect Jenny Askenfors told Dezeen.
    The building’s main Börssalen hall – which measures 140 square metres – was designed for trading cattle, but was barely used for its original purpose and instead quickly converted into a workers’ canteen.
    The main 140-square-metre hall was revamped”Over the years, the building has housed a police station with jail cells, and, among other things, a bank, post office, hotel, and restaurant,” Askenfors said.

    The studio made several interventions to restore the 3,600-square-metre building to its architect Gustav Wickman’s original design in the Jugend style – the German branch of the art nouveau movement.
    “We removed a floor level in the old Börssalen to recreate the double-ceiling height and to reveal the beautiful bullseye-shaped windows, hidden in the smaller rooms on the top floor,” Askenfors said.
    “We also discovered some old murals around the windows, which were carefully restored.”
    Bofink Design Studio recreated a mezzanine floor and added a spiral staircaseBofink Design Studio’s design retains part of Börshuset’s upper floor, recreating an original mezzanine level. It is designed to accommodate the members’ club and community workspace A House.
    A spiral staircase formed of patinated metal connects the main hall and the upper floor, where the studio has added a balcony balustrade in laser-cut metal.
    “We left [the staircase] outdoors for a while, which gave it a nicely patinated surface,” Askenfors said. “The old hotel rooms on the upper floor kept their layout and now serve as office spaces. The bank vaults have been turned into smaller meeting rooms.”
    Moulded plywood panels decorate the main hallBofink Design Studio drew on the industrial history of the surrounding area when choosing the materials for the interior.
    “The walls in the corridor have hand-painted panels that allude to the tile-covered walls that are common in the Slakthusområdet district, and the Börssalen space has moulded plywood panels that look like stretched animal skins,” Askenfors said.
    Vintage furniture was sourced for the projectOther materials used for the interior include stainless steel, concrete, tiles, terrazzo, mirror, wood, cork and leather. The studio also deliberately left much of the interior in a raw state.
    “Part of the old wood panelling was discovered behind plaster boards – it’s been preserved in the condition we found it in to highlight its history,” Askenfors said.

    “World’s largest wooden city” set to be built in Stockholm

    “The woven wallpapers were torn down, but haven’t been plastered over, telling us something about the passing of time,” she added.
    “The raw walls become an architectural map while also creating contrast and giving the space character.”
    Börshuset’s colour palette has warm brown and tan coloursNature and animals inspired the colour palette for the interior, which features plenty of warm brown, tan and red hues.
    “Meadow green, oxblood red, cowhide brown, butter yellow, milk white, flower meadows, clover orange and earthy colours that evoke the cattle and nature,” Askenfors said.
    The restoration unveiled decorative wall paintingsBy filling the space with vintage furniture, sourced together with vintage studio Temporärt, Bofink Design Studio underlined the importance of the building’s past as an inspiration.
    “With ‘beefy Jugend’ as our watchword, we searched far and wide for designs that highlight the building’s history,” Askenfors said.
    “A great find was the wall fixtures in the Börssalen space, which we discovered on a sourcing trip in the Netherlands.”
    Wooden furniture was sourced with vintage studio TemporärtThe animal theme continues with the furniture, which is intended to evoke the livestock once housed in the neighbouring area.
    “‘Beefy’, chubby sofas in leather, with animalistic and powerful characteristics; substantial wooden armchairs upholstered with animal skins, organic shapes, bentwood; chairs and tables in the Jugend style and gigantic plants to bring the outside in and honour the livestock,” Askenfors said.
    A House is part-owned by real estate developer Atrium Ljungberg, which is redeveloping the wider meatpacking district surrounding Börshuset and is also behind Stockholm Wood City, the “world’s largest wooden city”.
    Also in Stockholm, 3XN recently designed a stepped building with a spiralling “innovation hub”.
    The photography is by Viktor Tägt.

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      NoDe exhibition presents 28 emerging designers from the Nordics

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      Swirling metal lamps, stools made from old kitchen cabinets and a fur-covered desk were among objects on show at House of Nordic Design’s exhibition during 3 Days of Design in Copenhagen.

      Titled NoDe, short for Nordic Design, the exhibition featured furniture, homeware and sculpture created by 28 up-and-coming designers and makers from Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland.
      Sissel Warringa’s Peel Lamp rests atop Anton Mikkonen’s Silhouette tableThese works were dotted around the rooms of a century-old artist’s atelier, located in a loft apartment on Store Strandstræde that could only be accessed via a small old-fashioned lift.
      The show was curated by Natalia Sánchez, who founded House of Nordic Design in 2023 to provide both a sales platform and a business support network for designers at the start of their careers.
      At the entrance, a textile by Plain Weavers hangs over Lisa Darland’s Mylla rug”When you’re on your own in a studio, it’s very hard to do everything that’s needed to get out there, be part of the market and get attention in the magazines,” she explained.

      Some objects were positioned as you might expect to find them in a home, while others had more surprising settings.
      Upon entry, visitors were greeted by a ceiling-hung textile by Plain Weavers, which created an unusual juxtaposition with Lisa Darland’s textural rugs underneath.
      Works by Moa Markgren, Atelier Marée and Netta Kandelin on display in the kitchenIn the adjacent kitchen, bulging wooden vases by Moa Markgren and ceramics by Atelier Marée are among objects that can be found on the work surfaces.
      A bright green stool by Better Weather provided a focal point here. It was playfully displayed atop a fridge freezer in a nod to its materiality – the product is made from recycled cabinet doors.
      Better Weather’s Transformer stool stands atop the fridge freezerThe living room featured Studio Kasa Kasa’s fur-covered desk, plus another by Anton Mikkonen with sculpted metal trestles and a glass top.
      Other works in this room included Sissel Warringa’s swirling Peel Lamp, Carlberg Design’s bent wire chairs, marbled panelling by Snedker Studio and a granite table by Reeta Laine.
      Studio Kasa Kasa’s furry desk stands with Carlberg’s Design’s Skir chairThe final room was a bedroom where a wall of shelves provided display space for many more curiosities. The room also featured a daybed embellished with a patterned textile by A Seat in Siena, as well as Tobias Berg’s bent aluminium chair.
      The list of contributors was completed by Anne Nowak, Bellamoli Studio, Dain Kang, Gabi Humnicki, Kajsa Willner, Linda Weimann, Live Berg, MMH Objects, Netta Kandelin, Shunsuke Koya, Stine Mikkelsen, Studio My Comét, Studio Wes, Tale Berger Hølmebakk and Tessa Lulu Kaner.

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      Sánchez made the selection after receiving 140 responses to her open call. Many of the designers will continue to work with House of Nordic Design, as it is set to launch an online shop later this year.
      “NoDe is an exploration of what’s to come,” said Sánchez.
      Artworks by Linda Weimann hang above Reeta Laine’s Torner Side Table”It’s about giving a platform to young designers who are not only pushing the boundaries of design but are also deeply committed to exploring and experimenting with their chosen material,” she continued.
      “These designers are the voices of the future, and their work reflects the innovative spirit that is at the heart of Nordic design.”
      Bellamoli Studio’s Ratio tables sit beside A Seat in Siena’s Verona daybedNoDe is the second exhibition that House of Nordic Design has staged, after launching with a smaller show at last year’s 3 Days of Design.
      The project forms a continuation of Sánchez’s long-running support of emerging designers. She was previously the curator of DAWN, a regular 3 Days of Design show dedicated to young Danish designers.
      Visitors to this year’s 3 Days of Design could also explore reiusses of a number of classic chairs and a colourful collaboration between designer Faye Toogood and Danish brand Frama.
      NoDe was part of 3 Days of Design, which took place at venues across Copenhagen from 12 to 14 June. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.

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      Erik Bratsberg fills Persona restaurant with tactile materials and own artworks

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      Interior designer Erik Bratsberg has created unique artwork for the interior of the Persona restaurant in Stockholm, which also features asymmetrical terrazzo and patinated brass details.

      Bratsberg, who worked in finance before moving into interior design, wanted the fine dining restaurant in Stockholm’s upmarket Östermalm neighbourhood to have a warm and welcoming feel.
      Persona is located in Stockholm’s Östermalm area”The inspiration is drawn from a mix of personal experiences, subconscious imprints from admired styles, particularly mid-century Italian design, and a desire to integrate a homely warmth into a hospitality environment,” he told Dezeen.
      “The design philosophy centres around creating a timeless, inviting space that enhances the dining experience while maintaining a sense of personal touch and intimacy.”
      Green tones feature throughout the interiorGreen hues are used throughout Persona’s 120-square-metre interior, complementing its cream-coloured walls and numerous wooden furniture pieces and panelling.

      “Green is my go-to when I want to arouse a sense of calmness and comfort,” Bratsberg explained.
      Designer Erik Bratsberg used furniture pieces with rounded and organic shapes”It’s a tertiary colour, a mix of a cold and a warm colour, which allows it to go well with both warmer and colder hues and materials – a yin and yang of colours somehow,” he added.
      “Green also brings the mind to nature and I guess my love for green relates to the joy of seeing the leaves back on the trees after a long Swedish winter.”
      “Honey-tinted” oak shelving is filled with crockery and artThe restaurant, which feels more like a living room than an eatery in parts, also features plenty of natural materials such as stone and wood, which are interspersed with terrazzo and brass to create tactile interest.
      This material mix was chosen to evoke a sense of “casual elegance”, Bratsberg said.
      “For the floor I played around with the possibilities of terrazzo, using shades of green and warm greys and whites forming an asymmetrical pattern,” the designer explained.

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      Bratsberg clad the walls of the Persona restaurant in an off-white plaster with a mottled surface, designed to contrast the “silky honey-tinted oak” used for the wall shelving and tables.
      “Patinated brass together with details in yellow ochre acts as an accent,” Bratsberg added. “Sheer curtains, patinated leather and textured textiles round it all off.”
      Bratsberg created his own artworks for the restaurantCustom-made abstract artworks also decorate the interior. Bratsberg made these himself from watercolour paintings that he had made, which were then screen-printed onto acoustic panels.
      “In my multidisciplinary practice I strive to interrelate my art, design and interior work – why not make a lamp into sculpture, or a bar front as a painting, or a plain wall a relief?” Bratsberg said.
      Cut-out geometric details add extra interest to the barAlso notable in the interior is the variation of shapes, with the angular tables and counters contrasting against round and jagged lamps, cut-out geometric details and smaller tables made from organically shaped burl wood and stone.
      “Perfectly straight lines and symmetry bring order and calmness for the eye, but never have I been particularly intrigued by squares and straight lines,” Bratsberg said.
      “On the other hand, too much asymmetrical geometries and organic shapes can bring the feeling of disorder. But balancing the two – as with many opposites or contrasts – can create an interesting harmony,” he added.
      The bathroom features undulating mirrors and a mix of different shapesIn the bathroom, undulating mirrors match a wavy sink and are juxtaposed against square wall niches and angled, jagged cut-out wall decorations.
      “Forms, lines, colours and materiality speak to us in mysterious ways, but an interior without any sculptural form and asymmetries is like a language without exclamation marks, gestures or emotional expression to me,” Bratsberg concluded.
      Other Stockholm restaurants with interesting interiors featured on Dezeen include an “unexpected” restaurant in a historic food hall and a decadent Italian restaurant located in a former cinema.
      The photography is by Erik Lefvander.

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      ICA Stop supermarket designed as a “culinary dream come true”

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      Swedish studio Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor and design agency Snask have revamped a supermarket in Täby, adding pastel hues and materials such as terrazzo and wood to “turn shopping into an experience”.

      The design was intended as a facelift for the store, which is part of Sweden’s ICA supermarket chain and had been given many smaller additions over the years without an overall design direction.
      Together, Snask and Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor redesigned the 2,200-square-metre store outside of Stockholm, refreshing its interior by creating multiple themed stations.
      A pink juice bar welcomes visitors inside Täby’s ICA StopThese include a pink juice and smoothie bar, a “vegan butchery” station, a seafood and champagne bar and a bar for delicacies, designed to give ICA Stop the feel of a market hall.
      “Our main goal was to create a more personal shopping experience,” Snask creative director Freddie Öst told Dezeen.

      “We did this by modernising the brand and giving it a concept as the culinary dream come true.”
      Snask and Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor used colours that would enhance the produceTo create clean sightlines inside the shop, which also has a restaurant space at the front, Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor and Snask used rounded shapes throughout the interior.
      “This wasn’t just about keeping the store from turning into a sardine can,” Öst said. “It was about giving everything and everyone room to breathe – and look fabulous doing it – even products that would otherwise be blocking one another.”
      Fruit counters have ribbed sides and perforated metal shelvingFor both practical and aesthetic reasons, the bars and counters were given a ribbed effect that adds textural interest to the store interior.
      “It’s like putting pinstripes on a curve – it adds just the right amount of flair without messing with the flow,” Öst said.
      “[It’s] a classy shout out to those fluted columns from the architectural playbook,” he added. “We made store design not just functional but fashionably sleek, with a wink and a nod to the ancients.”
      Terrazzo was used for the tabletops in the restaurantThe studios used materials not usually associated with supermarkets for the interior, including lacquered wood, stainless steel and terrazzo, which was used for the tabletops in the restaurant section.
      Counters were wrapped in thick medium-density fibreboard (MDF) and fortified with steel rods to protect them against “rogue shopping carts”, while the fruit and vegetable shelves were constructed from perforated lacquered metal.

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      “We made sure to blur the lines between a regular supermarket and the nirvana of a chef, turning shopping into an experience,” Öst said.
      As the store remained open while it was being refurbished, the studios had to plan the change of the interior in different stages.
      Stainless-steel counters “pop like a comic strip”They chose to use pastel colours throughout the stores for the shelving and bars to keep the focus on the food itself.
      “We fine-tuned the entire space against a new backdrop of soothing soft blue allowing for the fresh produce to become the leading actor with its rainbow hues,” Öst said.
      “The stainless steel counters add a pop like a comic strip,” he added. “The market hall slithers like a friendly serpent, presenting an array of cheese, meats and cold cuts, guiding you through the culinary wonderland without disturbing the colours of food and packaging.”
      Snask redesigned the logo and branding for the storeAs well as the refreshed interior, Snask also worked on the branding for ICA Stop.
      “The logo was redrawn and we also added the S symbol, making it a recognizable brand marker,” Öst explained.
      “Per usual, we threw away the old ways of doing things and dialled up both colours, typography, design, architecture and fun.”
      The colourful store is located in Täby outside of StockholmThe unusual interior of the store, which is now open to customers, has divided opinions.
      “Most customers adored the change, while others… not so much. But hey, that’s the result of flipping the supermarket game on its head,” Öst concluded, adding a quote by graphic designer Tibor Kalman: “When you create something no one hates, no one loves it either”.
      Other creative grocery store designs include Wine and Egg in Los Angeles, which was designed to have a “European feel”, and the stripped-back and simple interior of supermarket Consum’s Benicàssim store.
      The photography is by Mikael Lundblad och Jesper Westblom.

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      Bentley curates Scandinavian architecture and design travel experience

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      Promotion: in 2023 Bentley Motors launched an architecture and design-centred travel experience around Scandinavia, with highlights that included a stay at Wingårdhs’ forest hotel in Sweden and a tour of BIG’s studio in Copenhagen.

      The Extraordinary Journey Scandinavia tour was one of a series of curated travel experiences presented by Bentley in 2023, offering the opportunity to explore attractive destinations from behind the wheel of its luxury cars.
      The five-day, four-night tour started in Stockholm, where guests were collected from the airport in a chauffeured Bentley and taken to their first night’s stay in the world-renowned Ett Hem hotel.
      The first night’s stay was at Stockholm’s Ett Hem hotelWith interiors created by designer Ilse Crawford, the hotel is known for merging luxury with a feeling of home, with spaces that encourage guests to relax and mingle as if at a manor house.
      The hotel hosted a welcome reception, dinner in the library and a nightcap for the small party of guests on day one to get to know each other.

      On day two, attendees took the wheel of one of several Bentley models on offer and began the journey south through Sweden’s forests, with Scandinavia’s finest architecture and design destinations guiding the way forward.
      For lunch on day two, attendees stopped at NaturehouseFor lunch, the tour stopped at Naturehouse, a sustainability-focused lakeside spa by Tailor Made Arkitekter that merges the forms of a barn and a greenhouse, before continuing to reach the Trakt Forest Hotel in Småland in the afternoon.
      Designed by Wingårdh architecture studio, the hotel features just five suites that are raised high into the treetops on stilts, giving guests the chance to feel immersed in nature.
      The suites are “a true representation of Bentley’s design values of sustainability, materiality, and innovation” said the brand, and guests had the opportunity to relax in the sauna or hot tub before joining the hotel owners Sandra and Mattias Sälleteg at a drinks reception.
      The evening also included dinner in a forest near the hotel, which was made by Michelin star chef Niklas Ekstedt and celebrated natural ingredients coming together “to create something greater than the sum of its parts”.
      Lunch on day three took place at Wanås Hotel and Sculpture ParkDay three saw the group continue the drive south through Sweden’s forests and stop for lunch at Wanås Hotel and Sculpture Park, built around two converted stone barns with interiors by Kristina Wachtmeister.
      They then drove on through Malmö and across the Öresund Bridge, the longest bridge in Europe, connecting Sweden and Denmark, before switching to chauffeured transport once again for the final stretch of the journey to Copenhagen.
      With accommodation at the Nimb Hotel in Tivoli Gardens, guests had ample opportunity to explore Copenhagen, including dinner at a world-renowned Nordic restaurant and then a city tour hosted by the Danish Architecture Centre.
      Day four included a tour and lunch at Bjarke Ingels Group’s studioThere was also a tour of Bjarke Ingels Group’s studio, hosted by a member of the team who gave insights into their creative practice. Lunch was also held within “the beating heart” of the office.
      Bentley’s Extraordinary Journey continues in the UK in 2024 with a programme where attendees will experience a scenic route starting at Crewe, the home of Bentley Motors, to The Macallan Estate in Speyside, Scotland. The UK programme runs from 19 to 22 August and 2 to 5 September.
      For more information and to register interest, visit the Bentley website.
      Partnership content
      This article was written by Dezeen for Bentley as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.

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      Lab La Bla uses “hyper-ordinary materials” for energy operator HQ interior

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      Local studio Lab La Bla sourced diabase rock from a nearby mine and created seating from MDF and recycled cork for the interior of energy company E.ON’s headquarters in Malmö, Sweden.

      Lab La Bla designed the headquarters’ reception area, coat room and lounge area, while also creating furniture, sculptures and other accessories across nine floors of the 22,000-square-metre building.
      The studio aimed to create a sequence of space that had variety, while taking inspiration from sources including airport terminals.
      The studio used recycled materials for the interiors”Creating work for an office that houses 1,500 employees is both challenging and inspiring,” co-founders Axel Landström and Victor Isaksson Pirtti told Dezeen.
      “It’s about creating spaces and functions that cater to the many while offering a mix of focus, creative and social environments, so it’s really about designing for the masses without making it boring or generic,” they added.

      “There’s a current fascination about airport interiors in the studio, so for the reception area we drew from that source of inspiration.”
      Seating was made from MDFIn the reception area, the studio created a set of sunny yellow furniture made from medium-density fibreboard (MDF) covered in nylon fiber.
      “The overall project for us is sort of a reaction to dysfunctional and non-sustainable processes inherent within our industry,” the studio explained.
      “For the reception area MDF and screws have been coated with repurposed nylon fiber using a technology commonly seen in the automotive industry, resulting in furniture that celebrates leftover material but without compromising on durability.”
      A bench features a “melting” diabase stone detailFor the building’s central atrium, Lab La Bla designed an unusual bench that features a gloopy stone decoration resembling an oil spill.
      This was created using diabase stone, which is famous for its blackness and was mined nearby in southern Sweden. The process of creating it was informed by its setting at an energy company headquarters.
      Lab La Bla sourced local materials for the project”Since electricity and magnetism are essentially two aspects of the same thing – and E.ON being an electric utility company – we thought it suitable to introduce magnetism as a modelling tool,” Landström and Isaksson Pirtti explained.
      “The shape of the piece comes from dropping a lump of magnetic slime on top of a conductive material,” they added. “The slime seemingly randomly slump and drapes over a metal bar before settling in its final shape.”

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      Lab La Bla then scaled this shape up and hand-sculpted the shape from a single block of diabase, which was finally sandblasted and polished.
      “We see this process as an adventurous exploration in making a physical representation of the invisible force that shapes our world,” Landström and Isaksson Pirtti added.
      Mouth-blown glass panels form a three-metre-high sculptureThe studio also turned brick beams, left over from the construction of a school in Malmö in the early 1900s, into umbrella stands, and sourced mouth-blown glass panels from one of the few remaining producers of the material.
      This was used, together with dichroic glass, to create a three-metre-high glass sculpture with a graphic pattern that depicts a CT-scan of a wood-fibre material.
      Glass sculptures were formed inside hollowed-out tree trunksLab La Bla also created decorative vases and glass sculptures using molten glass blown into tree trunks that had been hallowed by fungal decay. The trunks were sourced from E.ON’s own local heating centre.
      These trunks “serve no industrial purpose, but are burnt for energy by E.ON and used for teleheating for Malmö,” the studio said.
      “We borrow these tree trunks to blow glass in them, before returning them to their final purpose.”
      Lounge sofas were made from ground-down wine corksIn the headquarters’ lounge areas, the designers created modular sofas made from ground-down wine corks sourced from restaurants.
      “The modular cork sofa uses a unique process where 100 per cent recycled cork is sprayed onto a foam structure, proudly incorporating signs of imperfection into the design while bringing superior durability and sustainability to your furniture,” Landström and Isaksson Pirtti said.
      A table has an office-style glass relief with a keyboardTo the designers, the aim of the interior design was to use disused or forgotten materials, as well as ones that were recycled and recyclable.
      “We took a conscious decision of picking hyper-ordinary materials such as MDF and aluminium to pinpoint and educate people about cyclic and sustainable qualities inherent in the processes of creating these materials,” the studio said.
      “We often try to celebrate the beauty and intrinsic qualities of everyday, industrial materials otherwise consigned to temporary or low-cost construction solutions,” it added.
      “We wanted to design objects which require significant time and skills from craftspeople, usually reserved for expensive, rare and high-quality materials – to some of the very inexpensive and found materials that we used throughout the project.”
      Lab La Bla’s designs have previously been shown at the Moving Forward exhibition at Stockholm Design Week and as part of the Metabolic Processes for Leftovers exhibition in Malmö.
      The photography is by Lars Brønseth.

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      Note Design Studio enriches Stockholm apartment with “cloudy” ceiling stucco

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      Note Design Studio has updated this formerly characterless apartment in Stockholm to feature bespoke Douglas fir joinery and curvy stucco ceilings designed to suggest cloud formations.

      Although the Cloudy Outlines apartment sits within a building dating back to 1842, Note Design Studio says the interior had been stripped of any historic charm and “traces of craftsmanship” during previous renovations.
      Douglas fir joinery appears throughout the Cloudy Outlines apartmentIt also had a poor layout, with a living area that could only be accessed via a dark, lengthy corridor snaking around the back of the apartment while the remaining rooms were awkwardly shaped and difficult to furnish.
      The studio decided to redesign the home from scratch, knocking down all of its internal walls to form a more cohesive floor plan.
      The apartment’s corridor was repositioned to allow for more natural lightThe corridor was repositioned to run parallel to the building’s window-lined facade and, as a result, is now flooded with natural light.

      Rooms were classically finished with white-painted walls and Douglas fir flooring.
      Curved stucco gives the ceilings a soft, cloud-like qualityBillowy stucco moulding was added throughout to give a soft “cloudy” quality to the ceilings and provide a contrast with the “rationality and material robustness” of the apartment, the studio explained.
      “With the previous interior and finishes removed, a new holistic design was developed with a limited amount of design principles, all with a timeless ambition,” Note Design Studio said.

      Note Design Studio draws on Swedish Grace style for Habitat 100 apartment

      In the kitchen, Douglas fir was used again to create simple cupboards and a striking circular cover for the extractor fan.
      The countertop, on the other hand, is overlaid with a sleek metallic finish.
      Furnishings in pastel hues disrupt the otherwise neutral colour schemeAll of the apartment’s doors, as well as its window sills, are also made from Douglas fir.
      The material palette only deviates slightly in the bathroom, which features grey-tile surfaces and flecked terrazzo-like flooring.
      The stucco effect can also be seen in the bedroomThe Cloudy Outlines apartment is one of several residential renovations that Note Design Studio has completed in the Swedish capital, where the firm is based.
      Among them is Habitat 100 – an apartment littered with references to the Swedish Grace movement – and the Mantelpiece Loft, which is distinguished by its colour-block bedrooms.
      The photography is courtesy of the studio.

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      Studio Giancarlo Valle transforms historic Stockholm cinema into tactile rug showroom

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      Interior design firm Studio Giancarlo Valle has turned an early 20th-century cinema in Stockholm into a showroom for rug company Nordic Knots, restoring its original stone details and adding warm wood and brushed steel.

      Mottled green marble covers the walls of the 150-square-metre showroom, which is located in the central Östermalm area of Stockholm.
      As part of the revamp Studio Giancarlo Valle restored the existing marble – a traditional Swedish type of stone called Kolmårdsmarmor – as well as the building’s grand central staircase.
      The showroom is located in a former cinema in ÖstermalmThe studio also added more contemporary touches, such as brushed stainless-steel details and walnut and oak furniture.
      “The interior is historic and we wanted to preserve the architectural details, so we restored the terrazzo and plaster,” studio founder Giancarlo Valle told Dezeen.

      “The building is a 20th-century former movie theatre and it was critical to maintain a sense of grandness when entering the space,” he added.
      Green marble from Sweden clads the wallsNordic Knots’ co-founder Liza Laserow wanted the interior to feature as many of the original details in the 1918 building as possible.
      “During the demolition of some old closets, we discovered the original floor to the building from the early 1900s – a muted green terrazzo with a red and white checkerboard,” Laserow told Dezeen.
      “Discovering the original flooring made us realise that we wanted to use terrazzo throughout, as the green colour in the original terrazzo matched the green marble on the walls perfectly.”
      The brand managed to find a Swedish company that could replicate the original terrazzo to cover the entire floor area.
      Rugs designed by Giancarlo Valle decorate the spaceThe stone floors and walls are complemented by a variety of natural materials.
      “To balance out the existing stone and terrazzo, we brought in warmer, more tactile materials like pine, oak, and walnut,” Valle said.
      Oak and walnut shelves decorate the walls of the Sample Bar, a room where customers can see samples of different Nordic Knots rugs, and where Studio Giancarlo Valle introduced custom-made oak lounge chairs.
      The Sample Bar features wooden shelving and steel furnitureValle also added brushed-steel touches to the Nordic Knots showroom, including on its custom-made steel and walnut coffee bar in the main gallery area and a table in the Sample Bar.
      The furniture throughout is designed in reference to the building, such as the curved front of the coffee bar that reflects the shape of its doorposts.

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      Laserow and co-founder Fabian Berglund had previously worked with Valle on a series of rugs for the company, which resulted in four designs, including an all-beige rug with a pattern of open hands and a red rug with flower buds on it.
      These are used to decorate the walls and floors of the showroom.
      Meeting rooms are located in the back of the buildingAt the back of the building sit the company’s meeting rooms and office spaces, which feature wooden furniture and a colour palette of saturated blues and mustard yellows.
      “The new interiors very much honour the building’s history,” Valle said.
      “We were careful to preserve the historic architectural details, along with the feeling of entering a grand theatre, when designing the space.”
      The original terrazzo floor is replicated throughout the spaceThe showroom opened during this year’s edition of Stockholm Design Week, which also featured an exhibition of “functional art” by Danish studio Tableau and a virtual apartment.
      Studio Giancarlo Valle’s designs have previously been used for projects including a showroom in a Brooklyn warehouse and a co-working company founded by Yves Béhar.
      The photography is courtesy of Nordic Knots.

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      Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor adds colour to 1980s Stockholm apartment

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      An all-lilac kitchen and bright geometric storage solutions feature in this colourful Stockholm apartment renovation by local studio Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor.

      The two-bedroom apartment, which is housed within a 1980s prefabricated concrete building in southern Stockholm, was transformed by the architecture studio for a family with four-year-old twins.
      Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor renovated the apartment for a family with twinsAs part of the renovation, Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor created a number of space-saving storage solutions. For example, the original floor plan featured an enclosed storage space in the middle of the apartment.
      The studio converted this into a trio of smaller storage units for the living room, the kitchen and the pantry. This was achieved by decreasing the size of the hallway but maintaining a corridor to the open-plan living room and home office.
      A see-through bookshelf and the studio’s bespoke Elephant sideboard feature in the living space”The original floor plan was robust and quite deep, with a load-bearing wall separating the living room and bedrooms into two halves,” studio co-founder Jesper Westblom told Dezeen.

      “We didn’t want to close off the spaces by making tiny enclosed rooms, but rather make light additions. The aim was to use small adjustments to make the rooms more defined spatially.”
      Red, yellow and blue tones feature throughout the apartmentA palette of hues created from a mix of the three primary colours – red, blue and yellow – features throughout the home, with the colours offset by white-painted flooring.
      Westblom Krasse Arkitektkontor also chose a combination of pine wood and red medium-density fibreboard to create bespoke joinery and furniture.
      An all-lilac kitchen creates a statement accentThe kitchen was finished in a floor-to-ceiling shade of bluey lilac that also characterises a built-in geometric bench next to the dining table and a tall cupboard concealed behind a “secret door”.
      A large bookshelf divider decorated with organically shaped vases creates a partition between the open-plan living room and office area, with a burnt-orange shelving system providing extra storage.
      The office area can also be cordoned off with a curtain to create extra peace and quiet.
      Matching doors provide separate entrances to the twins’ shared bedroomThe architecture studio’s Elephant sideboard – a chunky blue table that owes its name to its sturdiness and colour – was also included in the living space.
      The family’s twins share one bedroom, which can be entered through two tall and narrow doors, adding a playful touch to the apartment.
      Small windows were also added above these doors to increase the natural light in the apartment.

      Seven vibrant homes that use colour to make a statement

      Inside the twins’ bedroom is a sleeping zone and a play area, which are separated by a low wall to create a clear delineation between the two spaces.
      “One of the biggest – and most fun – challenges was to make every single space useful and effective and make room for both play and recovery,” reflected Westblom.
      Subtle storage solutions define the apartmentWestblom and Robin Krasse founded their eponymous Stockholm-based studio in January 2021.
      The firm previously completed the interiors for a local hair salon, which takes cues from architect Carlo Scarpa’s geometric designs and the muted colours of 1920s swimming baths.
      The photography is by Jesper Westblom.

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