The Swedish acting couple Ola and Noomi Rapace, now in divorce, are selling their Stockholm apartment. Bidding is underway on this perfect white home. A superstar role model for Stockholm interior style.

| images: Erik Olsson Fastighetsförmedling |

Update: Here’s another pic of the interesting kitchen tiles. Tiles are decorated by artist Camilla Pyk.

I just love Ola Rapace as Hoffa in the TV-series Tusenbröder, and as for Noomi Rapace’s portrayal of Lisbeth Salander in the Millennium Trilogy, words are superfluous. Not surprised their (former) home is deadly Stockholm stylish.

We’ve seen him around lately, Man’s Best Friend, dog motifs entering the home decor scene, not least in Abigail Ahern’s gorgeous new lighting collection. Sooo hot! And this is just the beginning. There’s sweet companions around for Christmas aswell. Just look at these baubles, to the left a Dalmation Bauble, to the right a Dog Portrait. Woooof!

I don’t know about the situation in other parts of the world, but here in Sweden the demand for tassels is huge. The good ‘ol curtain tiebacks. To be used and placed just anywhere in the home. The reason is a Swedish Hollywood-wife called Maria Montazami (from the TV show) – she is crazy for tassels (she’s got I think 86 of them, all blending into her interiors). And so it spread…. Slowly but surely. Blame her, or blame the Swedish soul for being so easily led ;) but the popularity is a fact. And mind you, this is an underground movement, a grassroot thing, hitherto unacknowledged by the established interior design circles.

| pic: tine k home |

Global folklore, handicrafts, knitted decor – they are all part of one major interior trend this season. I think these images, from Country Home & Interiors (Nov 2010), have a fresh folksy feel. An inspiring merger. Stylewise it’s like a hybrid of country and folklore with a touch of light bohemian. Added a slight granny-wibe.

| pics: living etc & vtwonen |

The boom in knitted home decor must be this Autumn’s coziest trend.

| pics: vtwonen |

Call it industrial with warmth, country sleek or retro, nature and vintage combined – the trendiest kitchens right now all embrace contrasts. The kitchen is a place for social interaction – just like in the old days they are true multifunctional rooms. The most popular kitchen is bright and cozy. Homey and social. Simple but hi-tech. The stove - a Big and lavish one – is the most central item, the signature piece. Beyond the stove it’s all about warmth, happiness and functionality. And humour. Humour as in a puffy retro-fridge in a country style kitchen, a raw concrete floor in a romantic rustic decor or decorative knobs and fresh flowers in a stripped-down environment, i.e. together with those public toilet style tiles Henen was talking about. And preferably there should be a kitchen island in the hottest of hot kitchens.

| images via Livingetc, Hus&Hem, Bonytt and Bolaget |

In Sweden, it is the Swedish country style that inspire rather than the French or elsewhere country. The wideplank floor, frames around the locker doors and vintage items are prefered to odd tiles and open shelves. Open plan kitchen/dining room is more rule than exception. I read about some practical advice worth highlighting here. For the one who have thoughts to renovate or redo a kitchen. One good advice is to stick to the old tradition to have between 80 and 140 centimeters between the stove and the water. In practice, this surface will be the most important work space. Therefore it’s also a space worthy of good lighting and access to electrical outlets. Stove and sink should be in the same unit – so that one does not need to walk through the room with hot water. A kitchen island needs a sink. And, of course the allround-advice to always take into account the building’s foundations and construction. A kitchen that somehow relate to the material or the time that characterizes the house feels more harmonious.