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HOMES

30 of Sweden’s favourite inspirational images of homes

Houzz.se's Cajsa Carlson rounds up their 30 most-saved images of Swedish homes from 2016.

30 of Sweden's favourite inspirational images of homes
One of Houzz.se's 30 most-downloaded images of Swedish homes from 2016. Photo: Scandinavian Homes

We all know by now that white is and remains the Swedes' favourite colour at home, despite all the stronger, trendy colours that we have started to see on walls. Houzz Sweden's 30 most-saved images from the past year confirms just that – white definitely dominates, but the are also new things we like.

That Swedes like wooden floors and tiled bathrooms for example is probably no surprise, but who knew that different storage solutions were so popular? We can also see how popular the industrial style has been in the past year, and that light grey and grey-blue tones are among our favourite accent colours. Take a look at the top 30 list of the  most saved images on Houzz Sweden and get inspired. Can you guess what came first?

30. It is to no surprise that this is a very popular room. The white walls and floors are broken up by a dark blue accent wall, which puts the beautiful, heavy wooden furniture in focus. And don't miss the industrial bulbs, another favourite which never seems to go away.

Inspiration

29. Partition walls of glass and steel can give a room a whole new look, and are especially suitable in rooms where you want some extra light.

Frödingsvägen

28. White tiles, chairs in different colours and shapes, naked light bulbs, an exotic rug and countryside inspired vases: this room ticks many boxes.

Villa Birkeland

27. It can’t get any simpler and nicer than this. The all-white tiles form an amazing background to both the sink, the metal colour of the faucet and the simple marble floor.

Rörstrandsgatan #2

26. Photo number 26 dates back to 2013, but this is still what we want our kitchen to look like. A mix of industrial style and French bistro charm offer a warm and inviting impression.

Ballingslöv styling från 2013

25. Accent colours in soft lavender and purple tones create intrigue in this bedroom, which maximize the usage of the ceiling height with smart sleeping solutions.

Cliff Road

24. By keeping both the ceiling beams and floors on the terrace in all wood you create a uniform appearance, and the simple steel furniture gives a nice, modern contrast.

Wallingatan Stockholm

23. The National Romantic style of this kitchen has many fun details that separate it from the crowd – for example, the unusual ceiling lamp decorated with dried flowers, and stuffed birds. Again, white and wood – a winning combination.

Tillbyggnad och inredning av villa i Nationalromantisk stil

22. This outdoor space, with a comfortable hammock, is the kind of place we dream of at this time of the year.

Villa Bergman- Werntoft

21. Here, they have used earthy brown and beige tones to create a peaceful bathroom, with beautiful tone-on-tone shades and natural materials.

Valley Close Renovation

20. Becoming more organized is at the top on many people's lists of things to change. This custom-built kitchen cupboard with specific space for papers and keys can be the answer.

Chilliwack Central

19. Simple, functional, yet imaginative, is what this modern kitchen on Kungsholmen is. Carrara marble is a striking eye-catcher and looks almost like a work of art around the white cabinets.

Pap

18. A very elegant hall, where the white walls and the ceiling are matched with the paintings’ white passé-partout, which brings out the dark grey wall colour without being allowed to take over.

FALSE CREEK CONDO

17. Round kitchens are not something we’re used to seeing, but this kitchen from Villa Magic in Gothenburg shows how to decorate them in a smart way.

Villa Magic

16. As Swedish as it gets, and yet there is a touch of something Mediterranean in this Stockholm home – perhaps it's the white walls and the sea views that enchant us?

Villa for Four
Photo: GUISE

15. The countryside romance in this kitchen on Lidingö, with its light panelling, solid wooden furniture and geranium in the window inspire a true people's home (folkhemmet) feeling.

Inredning privata hem

14. The bathroom in this carefully renovated apartment in Landala is a good example of how to make a white room more interesting with patterns – the North African tiles and marbles under the basin give it a cosier feel.

VARSAM RENOVERING AV LÄGENHET I LANDALA

13. Grey in all its shades continues to be popular, seen here on the kitchen island in this shaker-style kitchen. The lamps above bring practical localized lighting.

Contemporary Shaker Kitchen

12. White and green in a pleasant contrast. The greenery outside the window is highlighted with green plants and a green glass jug in the room, which gives life to all the white things. Details such as the chandelier and the patterned carpet give a luxurious impression.

Vitsippan 13

11. Houzz’s Swedish readers also like this practical kitchen cabinet. For those who do not have a pantry, this freestanding cupboard is a good option, with space for everything from food to table linen and kitchen appliances.

Kitchens
 
10. In tenth place we find this white bathroom that has a smart storage solution with shelves next to the basin. Having a green plant in the bathroom makes it less clinical and more peaceful, and the large mirror gives the illusion of more space.

 

Ernst Ahlgrens Väg

9. This beautiful bathroom in Södermalm is inspired by Hotel Chelsea in New York and has light bulbs mounted on old sockets. A marble basin, bouquet of flowers, and black and white tiles on the floor enhance the luxurious feeling.

Scandinavian Family Home

8. The light grey kitchen cabinets are decorative in this bright kitchen, which with its industrial touches and leather handles give it an authentic and slightly rustic feel.

Ernst Ahlgrens Väg

7. In this purple toned bedroom they have used double rails of curtains to create an exclusive feeling. The dark purple-grey bed emphasizes the slender bedside table in gold, and green cushions provide a nice colour contrast.

Inredningsprojekt
 
6. The architect Pål Ross’ home on Ekerö has a fantastic round atrium. A dream that acts both as a centre of the home which can be viewed from every room, and as a sort of an outdoor bathroom. A Japanese cherry tree adorns the space.
 
Pål Ross Hem

5. At the bottom of our top five is this bedroom in Enköping, which is given warmth and cosiness by using fussy throws.

Tillbyggnad och inredning av villa i Nationalromantisk stil

4. With a classic rag rug, sunflowers and a yellow ceramic pot, this kitchen feels warm and inviting with its welcome splashes of colour against the white subway tiles, and cabinets.

Inredning privata hem

3. The third most-saved image by Houzz’s Swedish readers is the photo of this beautiful orangery, adjacent to a house, perfect for all seasons.

Sustainable Garden

2. We seem to be particularly interested in kitchens. In second place on the list, we find one from Ballingslöv. The soft pistachio green cupboards go very well with the metal railings on the wall – which also matches the beautiful copper sink.

Ballingslöv styling från 2013
Foto av Dysign ABBläddra bland foton av moderna kök

1. The Swedish Houzz users' absolute favourite image during the past year shows that we cannot get enough of clever storage solutions. The box with vertical storage makes it easy to access your kitchenware, and keeps the kitchen surfaces free, which gives you a better organized kitchen and more room for fun interior details!

Creative Utensil Storage
For members

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.

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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