Swedish Tile Stoves

Tile stoves (kakelugnar) are quite common in Swedish houses from the turn of the century. Especially white and round ones as in the pic above. Tile stoves has a long history in Sweden. During the 1700s an energy crisis occurred in Sweden, due to the lack of wood. This was primarily due to the iron works massive use of wood fuel for their production of bar iron (at that time our biggest export item). In addition, large quantities of wood were used to heat homes through the inefficient fireplaces who was then the most common source of heating. In 1767, the Reich Advice (Rikets RÃ¥d) decided on a research mission to develop more energy-efficient fireplaces for homes. Same year a proposal was presented in the publication “Description of New Establishment of Tile Stoves for the Saving of Wood”. From that day on – during the 1800s and early 1900s – tile stoves were the main source of heat for homes and similar facilities. This made Swedish houses the hottest in the world…From the beginning only for the upper classes, but from 1830-40-centuries it became more common also in large farms. The working class could enjoy the heat from fairly late in the 1800s. Tile stoves have always been designed as a luxurious interior object in accordance with contemporary fashion. In the 1960s something weird happened, to fashion and opinion -  10.000 or more stoves were emptied in dumps. People didn’t appreciate them anymore. Speaking of old times, there’s a lovely saying about tile stoves: “To sit at or behind the tile stove and roast apples and/or pears”. It’s like sitting idle at home in peace and have good and comfortable times rather than to strive or to struggle against difficulties. Tomorrow we are going to have a look at (and maybe buy…) a flat. It’s a house built in 1911 and the stove looks like this. Now how will this match with the purple velvet DAY sofa?! Or…will we have the coolest interior project ever..=)