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In pictures: Seven signs you’re on top of Nordic trends

Want to show your guests that you're on top of Swedish design trends? Antonia Wiklund from Houzz.se lists seven secret signs in your home.

Published: 5 August 2016 08:00 CEST
In pictures: Seven signs you're on top of Nordic trends
Scandinavian style. Photo: Bouger Stockholm

Sometimes trends catch on so fast that you almost tire of them before you jump on the bandwagon. We have looked into which items have dominated Scandinavian homes recently. Surprisingly, a lot of the items are very typically Scandinavian and have not been seen as much in the homes in the rest of the world. Could it depend on the specific conditions for people in the north? We’ll take a closer look at the inspiring rugs of Beni Ourain, round mirrors and industrial windows – how many trends are visible in your home?

Frödingsvägen

1. Glass walls

If there is something the Swedes hunger for, it's light, especially during the winter months. Therefore it’s not surprising that industrial glass walls have become very popular in Nordic homes. Many people live in smaller and smaller apartments, especially in the big cities, but still want to create separate rooms. A glass wall with steel frames is both stylish and practical, compared to a plain wall or a curtain that lets in light.

Sibyllegatan 52B
 
Norrtullsgatan 22

2. Round mirrors

Mirrors are a proven trick to create the illusion of more space and light. Forget the classic, rectangular mirrors, the round varieties are hot in Sweden. They have started to appear in bedrooms and halls, and it is getting very popular to hang a circular mirror above the bathroom commode. Several well-known brands offer their own versions, but you can also order special dimensions from a glaziery.

Nedre Johanneberg, Sylvestergatan 7
 
 
3. Dark kitchen cabinets
 
As a contrast to the light trends, dark kitchens have come to break the (often) otherwise all-white Nordic homes. Blue, dark green, grey and graphite black have appeared the most and it’s not uncommon to remove top cabinets completely to make room for lamps or open shelves. Several new companies have in recent years created a niche to make special doors to kitchen frames from Ikea, which means that for a relatively cheap price one can get a kitchen that stands out in color, pattern and texture.
 
Lorensberg - Vasastaden, Chalmersgatan 5
 
karlavägen 18 - Nyproduktion 87kvm 1tr
 
Villa

4. Moroccan rugs

The demand for handicrafts, but with an exotic twist, may be the reason for the big boom of hand-woven Moroccan rugs. The neutral color scheme of lambs wool fits well in the Nordic, minimalist homes. The original, Beni Ourain carpets, have been around for many years but it was not until last year that the brands in the cheaper price categories latched on and made their own variations.

Nedre Johanneberg, Sylvestergatan 7
 
Styling by Dreamhouse
 
Joanna Lavens Home. Stockholm

5. A day bed

The question is whether this piece of furniture is ever used as the name implies – or used at all – but in any case, it’s sleek and stylish. We predict that the day bed received a boost in the same way as we have a love for multi-functional furniture and gadgets. A day bed can be used as a bed during the day but also as a sofa if you roll up the back with pillows, or a sleeping space for overnight guests if placed in the guest room. Classics like PK80 by Fritz Hansen is on the wish list of many Scandinavians, but today there are day beds in all price ranges.

Villa
 
Tendencies 2016 - Living
 
Visningslägenhet för Jm/Spisbrödsfabriken

6. Sofa in wrinkled linen

Scandinavians have always had a weakness for natural materials, so it’s no wonder that the crumpled linen has made a ​​comeback on sofas and armchairs. It’s a material that only gets finer with age, and is therefore in line with the sustainability trend that runs parallel right now.

Grevgatan 14
 
Linnéstaden, Första Långgatan 6A
 
Grevgatan 25

7. Broadleaf plants

With urbanization, our living space has become more narrow, but the longing for nature and the exotic has never been greater. Therefore it is not surprising that more and more Scandinavians decorate their homes with large-leaved plants that add greenery, life and hint at a world beyond the concrete jungle.

Silke Bonde home pics
 
Linnéstaden, Första Långgatan 6A
 
 
 
Come see more Nordic lifestyle, design and architecture over at houzz.dk and houzz.se.
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PROPERTY

INTERVIEW: ‘Most foreigners in Sweden don’t know they can get back excess rent’

In Sweden, people subletting apartments are not allowed to charge more in rent than they themselves pay. But foreign subtenants don't always know this. We asked Roland Sjölin, lawyer at the Swedish Tenants' Association, about how to get back excess rent.

Published: 18 April 2024 15:19 CEST
Updated: 21 April 2024 08:12 CEST
INTERVIEW: 'Most foreigners in Sweden don't know they can get back excess rent'

More and more of the people asking the Swedish Tenants’ Association, Hyresgästföreningen in Swedish, for help with excess rent are foreigners, Sjölin told The Local in an interview.

“The problem is that if you’re coming from another country, and you’re subletting an apartment, you’re probably not familiar with the rules in Sweden, because in other countries, it might be okay to overcharge your tenants.” 

He said that clients from India in particular seeking help from the association were now “very common”. 

“Many people come here to work as engineers in the IT sector and then have to rent somewhere,” he said, adding that as a group Indians appeared to be “very aware of their rights.”

Sweden’s rental sector is heavily regulated, with first hand contracts negotiated between landlords and the Tenants’ Association, and the rent that can be charged for second-hand contracts limited to only a small fraction above what the first-hand renter pays. 

“You’re not allowed to make any profit subletting an apartment in Sweden,” Sjölin explains. “You can only charge the subletting tenant the same rent as you [the first-hand tenant] are paying to your landlord, and then you can add the costs for internet and electricity, and perhaps a parking lot, if that is included.” 

Tenants’ Association lawyer Roland Sjölin. Photo: supplied.

You can also add a påslag or “markup”, if you are renting out the apartment fully furnished, but this cannot exceed more than 15 percent of the rent. 

That doesn’t mean that most landlords follow the law. The competition for rental apartments, especially in Stockholm, is so intense, that unscrupulous sublet landlords often try to get away with charging well over the legal amount, charging what is known in Sweden as ockerhyra, or “excess rent” and hoping that their tenants are too desperate to complain.  

What many foreigners do not realise is that even after the rental period is over, they can still get back any excess rent they have paid by applying to the Rental Board or Hyresnämnden, which functions like a court judging rental disputes. 

“If you have the evidence then it’s fairly easy,” Sjölin said. “I get a new case every second week on repayment of unfair rent, and I think that I win most of them.” 

“Nowadays, you can get paid back excess rent up to 24 months back in time, so people tend to get more money,” he added. “In some cases, they can get 200,000 kronor. In other cases, perhaps it’s only 30,000 kronor or 60,000 kronor. It depends on how long you have rented the apartment, and how excessive the rent you’ve been paying has been.”

The first step is to establish what would have been a fair rent, either by asking your landlord what they themselves pay directly or by checking with the Tenants’ Association.

“Because we negotiate most rents in Sweden, we normally know what the firsthand rent is,” Sjölin explained.

Then you need to collect together your evidence.

“It’s a good thing to have a written contract and also papers from your bank showing that you paid rent every month, and perhaps photographs of the apartment, so the rental board can get an idea of the apartment you were renting and what would be a fair rent, and also the termination for the contract so you can show the court how long you’ve been living in the apartment.” 

But Sjölin underlined that since Sweden has free burden of evidence, none of this is essential. 

“Even if you’ve been paying in cash, if you have witnesses who can testify what you were paying each month, you still have a chance of getting your money back. It’s a bit more tricky, but I’ve won two cases like that this year.” 

People in Sweden, he explained, tend to wait until the rental period is over before seeking to get paid back excess rent rather than challenging their landlord while they are still living in the apartment. 

“You don’t have any legal protection for your home for the first two years, so if you bring the matter up with the person you’re renting the apartment from you risk losing your contract and having to move out, so most people wait until they’re supposed to move anyway,” he said.

If you apply to the rental board for a refund close to the day you move out, you can then make your landlord pay back all excess rent paid in the 24 months leading up to the date you contacted the rental board.

If you are a member of the Tenants’ Association, you can contact them and ask for help with your application, but there are also specialist companies, like Orimlig Hyra AB who will buy your case off you and give you a refund within 48 hours, saving you a long wait in exchange for a cut of the money reclaimed. 

Sjölin said that the rental board normally took about 8 months to come to a judgement, but that if the person with the first hand contract appeals, that could extend the waiting time by between six months and a year.

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