Rag rugs have gone from being a standard element in (at least Swedish) homes, to almost oblivion, to newly awakened wide popularity. Just have a peek though our rag rug tag, there’s quite a lot of fresh decor scenes with this feature. Like well, our hallway! ;) Of course, rag rugs are right on target in today’s passion for reusing and recycling. Personally, I have always loved – and lived with – these handicrafts, which are often a hodgepodge of old t-shirts, bed sheets and other scraps of fabric. And I’m happy I managed to save the ones woven by Grandma from being thrown away. And also, that we got some – beautiful blueish ones – form Mike’s Grandma. Fine as stuff, as we say in Sweden.

A neat manufacturer in this rag rug wave is the Swedish company RugCycle, with the (from the name obvious) concept of recycling rugs.  Their new 2nd collection is actually a homage to rag rugs, designed in collaboration with the TV-profile and Northern Swedener Linda Lindorff. The staring point has been simple, countryish rag rugs, crafted by local women, often with local designs and techniques. These traditional rugs are hand-picked in Northern Sweden and sewn together in various combinations. The fascination of the craftsmanship and female force behind the rag rugs was crucial throughout the design process. So, the most Scandinavian of flooring traditions is here adapted to modern homes and needs by reusing the old and beautiful crafts. Available for purchase this Autumn. Hurray for this!

Update: And I just need mention this other new rag rug – product. From Danish super-brand Nordal‘s summer 2011 collection: rag rug placemats !

From my urban-Swedish position I continue to examine the trendification of the countryside. Here’s another fresh and inspiring example. An urban career couple with a nice Stockholm apartment stumbled upon a very rickety, even dilapidated, timber cottage from the year 1792. It was in the beautiful countryside region of Hälsingland, and so their four-year adventure began to make the decrepit place a homey home.

The entire interior of the old cottage was dismantled and fixed by using traditional methods and materials. The couple also endeavored to add traditional patterns and forms from the district, e.g. the rugs below, woven by grandma. The chairs in the dining room are newly manufactured after old model and has been painted with linseed oil according to the district’s tradition: grey frame and black seat.

The city pair became a family running their own business in a rural area. They have now the house of their hearts, a fixed point in life with great comfort. And may I add, with great style. I fully understand projects of this kind! And it’s great to see trendy interior styles be applied to, and created in, beautiful countryside houses.

| story – and all images, by Anna Kern for, – SvD |

This shoe-summer has been a lot about clogs in different shapes, colours and with or without decorations. The interest in handmade wodden clogs has again brought the age-old craftsmanship back to life and out on the streets!

My personal clog-favourites and the one pair of shoes I’ve worn the most the last couple of months are the ones on the pic up right, the Peep toe Super High from the Swedish Hasbeens.

Rumours say the Swedish Hasbeens will release a range of boots (Jodhpur, Lace up, tall boots…) very shortly. That’s great news on a coldish late August night!

Update: The collection of new autumn boots are now viewable online and will be in stock by next Friday, September 4th. I’m going to keep an extra eye on and maybe try stick my foot in these pairs (below) at stockist.

You might have seen the Dalecarlian Horse or Dala Horse, a famous symbol of Sweden and Swedish handicraft. It’s a traditional wooden statuette of a horse, originating in the Swedish province of Dalarna. They say the long winter evenings, wood scraps from the local furniture-making trade and paint-pigment from nearby copper mines bred the development of the Dala Horse. It is today one of few living folk traditions: skills for creating the horse have been, and still is, passed from generation to generation.

Now, did you know that there are several different designs available of the wooden horse? Here’s the finest piece, called “Ludvikahästen”. It has Little Western Flowers painted on it. Or Heartsease (Viola tricolor).