1890 Swedish Schoolhouse Turned Home
I came across this Swedish home at Elle Interior Sweden and had to show and tell a little bit about it because if you're not Swedish, you may have missed it. I happen to be one of those people who subscribe to all sorts of newsletters and magazines and blogs that are in another language unknown to me simply because style is style and language isn't going to hold me back from seeing it! Are you the same? Plus with all of the "translate" buttons these days on browsers and websites, we don't have to guess nearly as much as we once did. Oh, internet. I love you.
This home, a former schoolhouse from 1890, was renovated for living and now belongs to Swedish artist and glass designer Gunnel Sahlin who has designed for companies like IKEA and Kosta Boda. She lives in this home with her 13-year-old son, imagine all of this space for only two people? I love the spacious rooms and the general bones of this place - floors, windows, ceilings, walls... It's all very lovely and grown up, isn't it? For me, the appeal isn't so much the decorating but the overall space and the history of it. I delight in learning the history of any home. The home I live in here in Germany was built by my landlord's grandfather and finished in 1900. Before the war, a Jewish family lived here and immigrated to America since discrimination against Jews was huge across all of Europe (not just Germany) and they knew fleeing over the border wouldn't necessary be any better so off to America they went. After the war, my apartment had a different family living in each room. My neighbor told me when she tore down her wallpaper she found turn-of- century newspapers. It's all so amazing, right? And now I'm here - an American in Germany!
But back to this house - it's interesting isn't it? I like the shiny wooden floors in her living room - they were painted by Gunnel using enamel paint. Because the surface is so reflective, the home is always bright even when the weather outside is not cooperating. And don't you LOVE the kitchen? I like the natural wooden floors in her eating nook and kitchen area. I notice that all of the floors in her home are different, in some rooms shown HERE there are even chevron wooden floors shown. What an eclectic mix of surfaces! And did you see the bathroom floor? It's interesting to note that the bathroom was once the schoolhouse entry area. What an interesting place this is!
(Photos: Elle Interior/Martin Löf)