From what I had heard and read, Sweden is a country of innovation. Just take Ikea for example. A furniture business that not only sells their wares disassembled for convenience, production value and price point but excites people to master the skill of carpentry with little more than a pack of screws and a pictorial … Read more
(without visiting Ikea!) Unfortunately for a lot of us the instant connection made when we think of Swedish design is world-wide home interiors giant Ikea, but there is so much more to beautiful traditional Swedish interior design than this. Natural materials, light-reflecting mirrors, fireplaces, stylish functional furniture and cosy textiles all combine to create an … Read more
I have fond memories of my time in Sweden, especially my two Halloween parties. Yes, they were big enough to make a splash in the local newspaper, but what was really fun was to see all my Swedish friends dress up and really celebrate this holiday all out. I remember prepping for the holiday with … Read more
Hell on earth, falukorv and little red cottages Ever travelled through the Swedish countryside? Or at least seen it on TV? Did you notice that the majority of all buildings – homes, barns, boathouses, every shed – are red? Red cottages with white corners and other white trimmings are as iconic for Sweden as Dalecarlian … Read more
Saturday saw another Royal Wedding in Stockholm as Swedish Princess Madeleine married American/Englishman (he has dual citizenship. But for coolness sakes, let’s just call him American) Christopher O’Neill. And of course Swedish newspapers and media are all the more happy to report about it. I’m sitting here in the United States, and haven’t heard a … Read more
Ahhhhh! Spring is here! Officially! Because you can’t have spring without a bonfire… Read more about Walpurgis Night, or Valborgsmässoafton, and how it came about in Sweden. Remember to grill some sausages on the bonfire or bake some Swedish pinnbröd on a stick! Whatever you do to celebrate spring this year, celebrate it well! What … Read more
Within the next two or three weeks, thousands and thousands of spectators will attend an age-old event which just recently started to become a public spectacle: the spring release of the cattle. Many of today’s children in the cities have never seen a cow and believe that milk in square cartons is produced in a … Read more
Between the Powers of East and West By the middle of April, spring has usually arrived in the southern half of Sweden, garnishing roadsides with yellow sun-like flowers of tussilago (coltsfoot, Tussilago Farfara), filling meadows and clearings with vitsippor (wood anemones, Anemone Nemorosa), and spotlike occurences of the increasingly rare blåsippor (blue anemones, Anemone Hepatica). … Read more
