Houzz Tour: Stylish, Creative and Comfortable in Stockholm
The 1955 home of a Swedish modernist architect is a source of well-being for an interiors editor and his family today
For a man whose work involves keeping a finger on the pulse of modern design, veteran magazine editor Svante Öquist spends quite a lot of his time cherishing the heritage of his home — a lovingly maintained modernist house built by architect Eskil Sundahl (1890-1974) in Stockholm as a sanctuary for himself and his family.
The original feeling of Villa Sundahl is still intact. Sundahl had built it in 1955 with comfort and style in mind.
The idea of living well in a truly Scandinavian manner permeates the house through features likes sun-capturing windows, the sunken indoor garden and the giant open fireplace.
Decorating for Contentment: How to Live the ‘Lagom’ Life
The idea of living well in a truly Scandinavian manner permeates the house through features likes sun-capturing windows, the sunken indoor garden and the giant open fireplace.
Decorating for Contentment: How to Live the ‘Lagom’ Life
The building is on sloping land and consists of three parts. The lower part has two floors and faces the street.
Passers-by might note the slightly skewed facade, created by the off-center gable roof and chimneys.
An elevator or a stairway takes visitors up to the front room — part of the architect’s plan for his old age.
Passers-by might note the slightly skewed facade, created by the off-center gable roof and chimneys.
An elevator or a stairway takes visitors up to the front room — part of the architect’s plan for his old age.
Thirty-five poured-in-place concrete steps lead from the entrance up to the dining area of the open-plan space. Sundahl fully intended to produce a wow effect when the light-filled 807-square-foot space opens out from the top of the stairs.
Sundahl installed the latest modern conveniences in his house, such as triple-paned windows and water-based underfloor heating, the latter of which makes radiators unnecessary.
“I really hope the copper piping will last many years to come,” Öquist says. “It would break my heart to have to rip it up for repairs!”
The bar cart is a vintage food cart from a school cafeteria.
Libri bookshelves: Swedese
“I really hope the copper piping will last many years to come,” Öquist says. “It would break my heart to have to rip it up for repairs!”
The bar cart is a vintage food cart from a school cafeteria.
Libri bookshelves: Swedese
Much of the furniture in the space looks as though it was created specifically for Villa Sundahl, but Öquist and his family actually brought it from their previous home.
In an old cupboard once used for school supplies, Öquist has amassed Swedish and Nordic glass and ceramics, ready to be whipped out for big gatherings.
Wooden acorn: Alexander Ortlieb; plate: Nittsjö Keramik
In an old cupboard once used for school supplies, Öquist has amassed Swedish and Nordic glass and ceramics, ready to be whipped out for big gatherings.
Wooden acorn: Alexander Ortlieb; plate: Nittsjö Keramik
The white sofa from B&B Italia goes well with the old wooden one, found at a yard sale. Öquist believes that mixing exclusive and humble things, with a hint of personal taste, is the perfect way to design a home.
“I follow the thinking of Hélène Gordon Lazareff, founder of the Elle magazines. In 1945, she stated that it’s up to everybody to decide how they want to live and look. There is no reason to be elitist, and though trends can be fun, you don’t have to be a slave to them.”
“I follow the thinking of Hélène Gordon Lazareff, founder of the Elle magazines. In 1945, she stated that it’s up to everybody to decide how they want to live and look. There is no reason to be elitist, and though trends can be fun, you don’t have to be a slave to them.”
Öquist’s background as a graphic designer shines through in his home. “I see a room like an empty page, and interior design like a layout. So I encourage everybody to have the courage to move things around and experiment with how the furniture is placed in your space — it’s also a completely free way to renew your home.”
The open fireplace has an asymmetrical angle that confuses the eye. “Eskil Sundahl had placed a divan to the left of the fireplace and had the chimney [surround] built at a slight angle so he could lie down and still have an uninterrupted view over the garden,” Öquist says. “That, to me, is quality of life.”
This focus on finding well-being through small things is something Öquist thinks Swedes can share with the world. “For me, it’s important to have room to breathe, psychologically and physically. Other parts of the Swedish lifestyle that are worth emulating are the right to roam freely in nature and a feeling of togetherness and empathy for those around you.”
Sweden’s Allemansrätt (right of public access) protects citizens’ ability to enjoy nearly all the undeveloped countryside, even if it is privately owned, including using it for hiking, cycling and camping.
This focus on finding well-being through small things is something Öquist thinks Swedes can share with the world. “For me, it’s important to have room to breathe, psychologically and physically. Other parts of the Swedish lifestyle that are worth emulating are the right to roam freely in nature and a feeling of togetherness and empathy for those around you.”
Sweden’s Allemansrätt (right of public access) protects citizens’ ability to enjoy nearly all the undeveloped countryside, even if it is privately owned, including using it for hiking, cycling and camping.
The indoor garden is always filled with happy plants soaking up the sun. “The Monstera loves it here; it seems to think it’s in the jungle,” Öquist says.
High-Impact Houseplants for First-Timers
High-Impact Houseplants for First-Timers
Original details like oak-paneled doors, handles and knobs are intact. In the little hallway by the bedroom is a set of original closets.
Only one feature breaks with the bedroom’s modernist feel — the kakelugn, an 18th-century tile-covered stove, which retains heat really well.
“When it’s cold outside, we light one fire in the morning and one in the evening. When you enter the room, it’s like you are greeted by a big warm hug,” Öquist says.
“When it’s cold outside, we light one fire in the morning and one in the evening. When you enter the room, it’s like you are greeted by a big warm hug,” Öquist says.
After three years in the house, many of the paintings still haven’t been hung, but Öquist likes the way they sit on top of the cabinet.
On the opposite side of the open living space is the kitchen. It is not original and could feel a bit dated, but Öquist doesn’t believe in getting rid of something that’s fully functional.
The breakfast nook is just big enough for morning coffee. Scandinavian design classics fit perfectly in the space, with a table from Bruno Mathsson, chairs from Artek and a Holmegaard light picked up in a rummage sale.
Tucked just behind the kitchen is Öquist’s study.
After 25 years as an interiors editor, Öquist has seen plenty of trends come and go. A current one he’d like to see the end of is the obsession with gray walls. “In Sweden, it can be pretty cold and gray outside in the winter, so why bring the color indoors? Why not bring in a ray of sunshine and go for bright yellow on textiles and things?”
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
After 25 years as an interiors editor, Öquist has seen plenty of trends come and go. A current one he’d like to see the end of is the obsession with gray walls. “In Sweden, it can be pretty cold and gray outside in the winter, so why bring the color indoors? Why not bring in a ray of sunshine and go for bright yellow on textiles and things?”
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Svante Öquist, pictured below, of Swedish Elle Decoration, with his partner and 12-year-old daughter
Location: Sköndal district of southern Stockholm
Size: 1,938 square feet (180 square meters), with a nearly half-acre garden
Architect: Eskil Sundahl, who designed many Stockholm landmarks