“Functionality and usability are the most important”

It wasn’t love at first sight when Anna and her family saw the apartment in Stockholm five years ago. It was small (60m²), old and gray. But thanks to the beautiful light, they dared: a major renovation to create a cozy nest.

Indoor viewer in…

as: Anna Malmberg (photographer), Junsha Schwartzman (professional theater and musician) and their son Sonny Lu
what: Apartment from 1940
correct: Stockholm
Size: 60 m²

Creativity was taught to Anna at an early age. For her parents – both artists – creative expression was the norm. In her teenage years, Anna discovered her own artistic match: the camera. In 2011, she decided to make photography her profession, and soon after that she moved from northern Sweden to Paris. Here she met her great love Junsha Schwartzman.

Although the couple enjoyed long Parisian summers and the city’s vibrant atmosphere, Anna and Gonsha decided to return to Sweden after five years and one richer son. Anna: “I like the social life here better. We eat together at home rather than in restaurants and bars, which is usual in the French capital. People in Sweden generally have a close relationship with the space in which they live, because the long, dark winters keep everyone confined to the house. Advantage Others: Nature is always so close here.”

upper stabilizer

Since moving to Sweden, the family has been living in a small apartment of 60 square meters in southern Stockholm. “It wasn’t love at first sight, in fact it was dull and outdated, but the light pouring in here was amazing.” The building dates back to the early 1940s and little has changed in the apartment since then. So renovation was not an unnecessary luxury.

Read also:
Indoor viewer: “We caught a lot of light streaming in here”

Anna and Goncha asked their friend and architect Jean-Baptiste Faucher for help. “We decided to divide the kitchen in two to make extra space for Sonny Lou’s small bedroom. Through an antique window we inserted into the partition wall, daylight from his room could enter the kitchen as well.” Not only was the kitchen treated, but the original wood floors were hand sanded, the walls repainted and the bathroom renovated.

collection and storage

The small space is filled with a few standout pieces, like the Danish design Karup sofa in the living room and the mid-century sideboard, which has been given a bold yellow hue. Anna was not deterred by the limited number of square meters and arranged large furniture. “Functionality and usability were key considerations in our choices. We are constantly taking storage options into account here.

I do my best not to stock up on too many home décor items, but I love handmade items from natural materials and often take them home from flea markets or travel.” So Anna has a large selection of vases, mugs, and ceramic bowls. Every item has a place on a shelf or A dresser or window sill, but the space doesn’t feel cluttered. “I have a definite preference for certain materials, colors, and shapes, so most things combine easily with each other.”

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Photography by Anna Malmberg

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