When textile designer Mary Wahlstrom and culture journalist Dan Backman moved into their home in the late 1990s, they knew they had a challenge on their hands. Originally built in 1927, over successive decades their house had accumulated a lot of ugly and dated additions — Mary and Dan spent a month tearing out the old linoleum and painting the walls before they even moved in. The kitchen had also been badly renovated, with 60's cabinetry awkwardly cobbled onto the carved parts of the old decor. So Mary did a bit of research and found photographs of the original 1920s kitchen — and then hired a carpenter to build new cabinetry just like them. Inspiration was found elsewhere, too — the dark woodwork and doors in the hall that opens out into the large bright living area was inspired by the Stockholm Public Library. Both Maria and Dan work from home, and several years ago they decided to expand the space they had by creating a loft studio in the attic. They kept the original timbers and plastered the walls but otherwise left it untouched, wanting to preserve the original feel of it as much as possible. With the addition of a little wood stove and a small sitting area, the loft is now a cosy place to sit on chilly winter evenings. After all this work, Mary and Dan still don't consider their home "finished," but rather a work in progress — ever changing and ever renewed. More here. Via Hus & Hem.
(photography by Pernilla Hed)