Every now and then we get questions about the colour “Stockholm-White”. Is it called Stockholm white because all homes in Stockholm are painted white or is it actually a colour? Both alternatives are correct :) I wrote about it in this post, about a year ago, when investigating the Stockholm interior style on my hunt for an apartment to buy. Now there is no absolute agreement on the colour code, but many paint sellers hold it is NCS 0502-Y. A standard colour in Sweden or simply a broken white, with a bit of yellow added. A warmer white. Also called Antique White. To be even more specific the suggested colour is 5% black, 2% yellow and 93 % pure white. To summarize the debate on the perfect wall-white, some holds Stockholm-white to be too yellow, and call it “chain smoker-white”. However, most Swedes agree a straight white is too cold, it’s like living in a snow-hut.

The product sample? Well, take any real estate ad from Stockholm City really. There’s lots to choose from. I closed my eyes and picked this kitchen from an attic apt listed for sale at Mäklarhuset.

…and you know Henen, she’s decorating – or rather refurbishing -  her new London house right now and hasn’t sorted the internet connection out yet so I need to tell you this. She took the Stockholm White colour code to a British paint seller last week and made them break it for her. They had never heard of this colour…! Oh dear. Now she happily carried 10 L of Stockholm white home, tried it out and guess what happened?

I have nooooo idea! But she says it’s tooo yellow. So now she’s bought a huge bucket of snow hut white to mix it with. She might end up with the perfect wall-white now. We’ll see when she reports next. And of course, a bunch of fresh trendey home pics are coming your way soon.

Saturdays, the papers are always filled with housing ads. I thought time is right for another glimpse of Stockholm style! And this one, above, feels very typical today. A living room, a kitchen and a kids room – all in contemp Scandi style. Pics via Fastighetsbyrån.

Ever pondered why Swedish homes are featured at every turn? Why Swedish and Scandinavian style has a such a strong foothold in interior design? This new floor show, Light and Fresh, pinpoints the reasons. It’s a show with two of Sweden’s most popular comedians and entertainers, Fredrik Lindström and Henrik Schyffert. Topic is home decor hysteria. The Swedes are probably the world’s most trend anxious people. We Swedes spend ridiculous amounts of time to think about how our homes should look like and have a quest for the perfect place. We devote more time to choose a white hue for our walls than to reflect on the crisis in geriatric care.

- We are two men who dare to stand up and say we are interested in interior design, the performers say. And their theory is that Swedes decorate all the more because it’s easier to knock out a wall at home than to take hold of other things in life; it gives a sense of control. At the same time, due to the anxiety we dare soon not even buy a cushion without consulting a expert. The serious undertone is that our quest for the perfect home really stems from feelings of insecurity. The show premieres Jan 28, 2011, at Berns Salonger.

…at the market, right now.

Some coloured walls and details. Still no doubt what the magic colour is..!

| images via Per Jansson Fastighetsförmedling AB |

White is innocence, cleanliness; the “colour” of perfection. The mother of life. Fresh milk, crispy cold snow, and fluffy cotton clouds on a summerblue sky… White heals, liberates and purifies. However, it can make a room feel naked and bare. White is eyestrain. People who work in bright light in white rooms have become blinded and suffered from fatigue damage. As a background for other colours though, white is striking. It’s easy to change colours in a room that has white as a base. A broken white colour (like the “Stockholm-white”) is sometimes the better option since it allows space but is more pleasing to the eyes. The white walls-or-not-debate is a common theme here at Trendey,( just ask Josef Frank what he thinks .) so for variation I give to you some white details.

| all-white room pic from RUM, white details on mantelpiece pic from House to home, and lighting by Graham & Green: Kitsch Moulded Table Lamp (the skull), Labware Lighting Collection and a Hercules Giant Floor Lamp |

Oh I know I might sound and seem a bit schizophrenic when I in one breath is sick of white (babbling about that love-hated “Stockholm-white”) and the other continues to post lovely white interiors. Thing is, I really like white interiors when there is a twist to it, an edge. The all-white needs sparkles in one way or another. In the pics below, from the portfolio of Trine Thorsen, the colour splashes are modest (mostly pastels) and other elements are mainly nature and wood. Nonetheless, the important details, and the vibe, that truly enlivens the white, is all there…