In Stockholm, an elegant apartment with Parisian chic

If we think of interior decoration and Swedish design in Stockholm, we quickly imagine simple rooms, punctuated by a few refined handmade pieces of furniture. Contrary to this imagination, the architect Andreas Martin-Löf and his client, the fashion journalist Sofi Fahrman, designed this 450 m2 apartment.² right in Stockholm; the latter will reside there with her husband, businessman Filip Engelbert. “Our mood board was very Parisian,” explains Sofi Fahrman. For his part, Andreas Martin-Löf’s main mission was to capture the history of the building. However, he tells us: “In Sweden, people quickly fear that it will look old-fashioned, but my architecture precisely wants to make the link between the past and the future of a building. »

It was in 1917 that this property was built, which has survived the century not without turmoil. Indeed, the match magnate, Ivar Kreuger, best known in Sweden for his dubious financial maneuvers and as such nicknamed the “Da Vinci of extortion”, resided there. The home of Sofi Fahrman and Filip Engelbert, located directly below Ivar Kreuger’s former residence, was unfortunately completely renovated in the 2000s, resulting in the disappearance of most of the original details. It was thanks to a visit to Ivar Kreuger’s former apartment, through its current owner, that they were able to get a better idea of ​​the missing details. Andreas Martin-Löf, who went there equipped with his meter, remembers a trip back in time to a residence from another age in « style Rothschild », due to its brown wood paneled walls, its ornate doorframes and its large staircase reminiscent of those of the large Manhattan apartments of the early 20th century^e century.

This theatricality seems far from the work of Andreas Martin-Löf, because he is best known for his minimalist houses designed with noble materials, or his luxurious creations for private yachts. But above all, the Swedish architect has the art of gracefully superimposing styles and periods. For example, in the living room, there are diaphanous curtains that flood the room with vaporous light, radiating off two organically shaped brass coffee tables topped with a spiral Murano glass chandelier. The curved sofa, upholstered in Pierre Frey velvet, echoes the rounded shape of the bay windows, while two Croisillon armchairs by Jean Royère balance everything, accompanied by an antique Italian sideboard. In the master suite, the dark woodwork recalls the original wooden panels, while on the walls and ceiling, the niches and ornate doorframes add relief. “The patterns take up those that I was able to observe upstairs, explains Andreas Martin-Löf. The project is closely linked to the history of the building. »