“Functionality and usability are 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 (60 m²), dilapidated and grey. But thanks to the beautiful light, they dared: a major renovation to create a cozy nest.

Indoor Viewer to…

Like: Anna Malmberg (photographer), Joncha Schwartzman (theater and professional musician) and their son Sonny Lou
What: 1940 apartment
True: stockholm
Cut: 60 m²

Creativity was taught to Anna from an early age. For her parents, artists themselves, creative expression was the norm. As a teenager, Anna discovered her own artistic match: the camera. In 2011, she decided to make photography her profession and shortly after, she left northern Sweden for Paris. Here she met her great love Joncha Schwartzman.

Although the couple enjoyed the long Parisian summers and bustling city atmosphere, Anna and Joncha decided to return to Sweden five years later and a wealthier son. Anna: “I like the social life here better. We eat together at home rather than in restaurants and bars, which is the norm in the French capital. Swedes generally have a close relationship with the space they live in, as the long, dark winter keeps everyone locked in the house. Another advantage: nature is always very close here.

fixer

Since arriving in Sweden, the family has lived in a small 60 square meter apartment south of Stockholm. “It wasn’t love at first sight, in fact it was drab and dated, but the light streaming in here was amazing.” The building dates from the early 1940s and little had changed in the apartment since then. A renovation was therefore not an unnecessary luxury.

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Inside the Viewer: “We fell in love with the many lights that flow here”

Anna and Joncha enlist the help of their friend and architect Jean-Baptiste Fauchère. “We decided to divide the kitchen in two to create extra space for a small bedroom for Sonny Lou. Through an antique window that we incorporated into the partition, daylight from his bedroom can also enter the kitchen. No only the kitchen has been tackled, the original wooden floors have been hand sanded, the walls have been repainted and the bathroom has been renovated.

Collect and store

The small space is filled with a few standout pieces, such as the Danish designer Karup sofa in the living room and the mid-century sideboard, which was given a deep ocher hue. Anna was not discouraged by the limited number of square meters and large furniture arranged. “Functionality and ease of use were key considerations in our choices. We constantly consider storage options here.

I do my best not to stock too many home decor items, but I like things that are handmade with natural materials and I often bring items home from flea markets or travel. Anna therefore has a considerable collection of ceramic vases, mugs and bowls. Every item has its place on a shelf, dresser, or windowsill, but the space doesn’t feel cluttered. “I have a specific preference for certain materials, colors and shapes, so most things combine effortlessly with each other.”

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photography Anna Malmberg