Last week was a long week – a good week, with new work and different challenges to think about – but by the time the weekend arrived, I realised how much I needed some space to breathe out. We all feel like this right? Which got me thinking of how this translated into an interior: a space that feels and looks quiet, calm and serene.
I seem to be increasingly drawn to interiors that offer that sense of quiet – so much so that I’ve started a Quiet board on Pinterest for spaces that offer this aesthetic. In search of a property that might meet this mood, I headed to Per Jansson (Per Jansson and Fantastic Frank are my go-to sites at such moments) and spotted this very serene looking apartment in Stockholm.
There’s so much to love about this space: the herringbone parquet flooring; the tall panelled doors and the deep skirtings and tall windows; the delicate plaster cornice detailing; the subtle palette – particularly the fact that the woodwork and trim detailing have been painted a slightly darker hue than the walls. And, of course, there’s the simple and pared back furnishing style.
I also love the flow of this apartment as each space opens into the next in a logical progression. Is it just me, or does this property feel as if it could be in Paris? – albeit it with a few different details as the fireplaces are definitely Scandinavian in origin.
While I wouldn’t choose a minimal white kitchen myself, I’m always drawn to the purity of this look in other peoples’ homes, and here the white cabinetry is nicely counterbalanced by the stainless steel worktop and the metro tiling. I was speaking to a blogger friend recently who commented on a house that contained lots of bare walls with very little art on display. My friend made the good point that she would fill the walls as artworks bring a home alive. And I agree with her as art gives a space identity, and, most importantly, it’s your identity as art is such a personal choice.
But I’m also drawn to plain unadorned walls when the rooms themselves look as good as they do here. It comes back to my first point about space to breathe; space to feel calm, where your mind can quieten. When life throws so many distractions in our way, sometimes it’s nice to have an interior that’s unadorned. Just simple lines and well chosen objects and furniture, with lots of natural light pouring in.
This apartment has three rooms and a kitchen and is located in the quiet Luntmakargatan area of the city. Something else I love about this place: the old cast iron radiators, which are perfectly proportioned for these spaces and add to the sense of character – chunky period radiators definitely fall into the category of worthwhile investments when refurbishing a period property. This apartment offers the most beautiful blank canvas for the next owner to stamp their own personality on. Yes, I’d add just a few large scale photos and prints to those bare walls, but otherwise this interior feels pretty perfect as it is.
This apartment is listed with Per Jansson; photography via Per Jansson.
