Stråhattfabriken | Stockholm.

I always thought that Scandinavians do it better… Stråhattfabriken (Straw Hat Factory) in Stockholm is a real example of this. Dating back from 1886 to 1887, this beautiful heritage listed building was recently redeveloped into stunning apartments ranging from one to three bedrooms. Gimme, gimme!

Developers, designers and home buyers – if ever you thought that residential developments had to look generic, impersonal and “blaaaah” – well… you better think again y’all! This is a wonderful example of how a cosy, warm, livable, modern interior (with a classic twist) can be achieved by moving away from typical “beige on “greige” color and material selections, and getting a little bit playful with joinery. Sure, it helps when you have a gorgeous heritage canvas and a flawless bone structure to piggy-pack off, but let’s not kid ourselves here – I’m sure you’ve all seen a fair share of examples of super crappy heritage building redevelopments (those living in Sydney, just think of Mark Foy’s resi building on Goulburn Street. DIRT!) That stuff seriously makes me feel angry and sad all at once. What a waste!

Anyway – note to self – we are here to admire and learn from beauty, not criticize and get all worked up… Calm blue ocean, calm blue ocean… By the way, have you noticed how they cleverly used hats when styling these apartments as a little nod to the history of the original detail? That, my friends, is called clever attention to detail, and I have nothing but extreme love and respect for it.

[Discovered via French By Design. Images via Stråhattfabriken.]