The other day I desperately needed inspiration for work and left the office to take a stroll in the Stockholm shops. I'm pretty lucky that it's part of my job to window shop. I don't do it nearly often enough though…
I went to loads of stores for work but also passed some more personal favorites. Here's one of my faves, Bruka Design, and at the end of the post are some other stores I like but they wouldn't allow photos to be taken. I love that they just smiled and said "Sure!" at Bruka.
As you can see it's quite "me". I la-la-love that lamp! And the letters. And the boxes. And the desk. I'm also loving the red and white. Again. It used to be my favorite combo but I haven't used it for a while, apart from around the holidays.
I've done the letter thing for quite a few years now and have gone off it a bit but I really like these small white ones and the fact that there are å, ä and ö.
What can I say? I find these rainbow displays so hard to resist even though I always end up buying white, but look at it, isn't it awesome? From a work point of view I love the way they've used the full height of the space.
These mail boxes are so cute. I see them on a lot of blogs where the tiniest size in red and pink are often used as little personal mail boxes outside little kids rooms. Adorable.
And there it is the little tiny one in orange. Displays like these really inspire me. So simple, so nice. It makes me regret leaving the world of interior design in favor of the little do-dads I work with.
So that was a little Bruka tour. Bruka means "Use" by the way and it makes me like it even more. And no, Bruka isn't sponsoring this in anyway. I wish. And they should:)
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Here are some other stores I visited and if you're in Stockholm are worth seeing.
* R.o.o.m at PUB – Recently relocated to a prime spot in the city center. Fun and useful home accessories, design and furnishings in a range from the quite affordable to the expensive.
* 3rd floor furniture department at NK – New and loft like, very expensive and not really to my taste or wallet but worth a visit if you're already at NK and if you're from out of town you're bound to want to visit the largest department store. I used to work there in the visual merchandising department a long time ago.
* Granit – Great for storage and home accessories in white, natural, grey and black.
* Åhléns City – Not happy that they split the home department up on several confusing floors. Love their home basics though so I'll keep shopping.
I didn't get a chance to go to Svensk Tenn this time (it's location is kind of off my regular route) but I'll be popping by there soon enough.
EDIT: These shops should be added to the mix too.
* Designtorget – Fun and unusual designs for kids and adults. Indie designers as well as larger companies' goods. Several locations like Sergels Torg.
* Design House Stockholm – Swedish modern design. There's one a NK in the basement.
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Ps. Need more Swedish inspiration? Check out my new favorite blogs Mitt Vita Hus and Helt Enkelt, both found via another fave En mammas Dag Weronica,. Even if you don't speak Swedish there are dreamy, pretty photos to look at.
Hope you enjoyed!
42 Comments
Thank you so much for these photos! I love how everything is displayed!
What a lovely walk through a wonderful store on a rainy morning… It’s grey and ugly here in Switzerland and this brings back great memories from last summer in Sweden. You are really lucky with your designers up north!
Jag älskar också Bruka och blir alltid så glad när jag hittar Bruka-produkter i Skåne. Eftersom jag är gift med en spanjor och bor utomlands är det extra kul med skålar, kannor m.m med svensk text. Vi har SILL; JORDGUBBAR, MANDEL, RUSSIN och fler är på min önskelista. Synd att brödskrinet är på engelska men jag har istället ett från Åhléns där det står BRÖD på svenska. Perfekta presenter för utlandssvenskar!
Är det inte synd att man inte får fotografera i de flesta affärer – de får ju ofta gratis reklam. Men de tror väl att alla är industrispioner!?
Svårt det där, det handlar nog ofta om säkerthet. I den buikskedjan jag jobbar är det förbjudet att fotografera pga rånrisk. Att rånare ska kunna reka var utgångar, dörrar och kameror sitter etc.
Jag kan dock tycka att man när man kommer med ett visitkort till kassan och ber om lov att de skulle kunna bedöma om man verkar trovärdig men många väljer i stället att hänvisa till huvudkontoret och någon presskontakt där, inte så spontant när man bara är ute och går och råkar ha kameran med sig och får ett infall 🙂
This is really looks like a Royal Furniture…
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Viva-Magazine-Your-Premium-Womens-Natural-Health-Magazine/262734921452?ref=ts
thanks a lot! i never commented on a post before but this time i have to! i’ll be visiting stockholm for the first time in a few days. so your post comes in very very handy. i really love your inspiring blog and read it daily! you made me love swedish designs… and the colour white 🙂
Fin smak du har! 🙂
Bruka – vill ha! vill ha! vill ha! Tror snart jag börjar ha lika många Brukaprodukter som Ikeaprylar ; )
I can definitely see why that store is a favorite. Love all that color against the white.
Love it… I think the Larssons could move right in and be very happy!! 🙂
Do they sell online? This is really something I miss here in Germany: lovely shops, clear desing and not so expensive, but kind of exclusive. If you find a nice and not expensive store here, you can be sure that 50% of the population will have the stuff.
I loved the desk, it’s exactly what I’m looking for my room.
Come on Bruka Design, it’s time to open shops all over Europe 😉
Wow, that’s a store I’d like to visit. Question: Why is everything in their shop in English?
They don’t seem to sell online and there are only retailers in Scandinavia unfortunately. A trip to Denmark perhaps?
Haha, it’s not really though! The only thing that’s just in English is in the photos is Bread. the rest is the same in Swedish as in English, Post, Popcorn, Chips. As Petra commented higher up there’s also SILL; JORDGUBBAR, MANDEL, RUSSIN and more and that my friend is Swedish 🙂
I looove this store! The combination of the clean lines, texture and hits of colour are very inspiring. Thanks for taking us window shopping with you.
Ooooh, thank you so much! LOVE the navy and white stripe…always so classic. Makes me think of one of my white polos with the navy polo horse…very R. Lauren. I also love that so many colors choices are represented for each product. To often you find a product that appeals to you, but unfortunately it is not in a color you like.
Wow, I love how everything is displayed. Very nice! 🙂
What an amazing store Benita. So inspiring. Thanks for sharing it with those of us who do not have these kinds of wonderful eye candy opportunities.
Dana
How wonderful that you shared these today. I’m hoping to visit Stockholm this summer. I know where I’ll be going.
OK, I’m ready to hop on a plane and go shopping there! I see about 20 things I would buy right now. Dreamy!
Wait! I am confused, how do the keep the little thingies floating on top of the å, ä and ö?
I never saw this store on my trips to Denmark, but it’s worth checking if/when we return in the summer.
I think these letters are to be attached to a surface, not free standing, that way I guess you stick the dots and rings on separately 🙂
As far as I can see there aren’t any stores in Denmark, just some retailers that carry the line. In Copenhagen it’s carried by Notre Dame and Skalm P according to the website and in Charlottelund you can get it at Pot & Pande.
Ohh that store looks like fun. Hope they will migrate over to Norway soon. Would love to get my hands on some of thet furniture. We have Ahlens but not Bruka. Those colors are so much fun and the little mail box. Adorable.
Ahhh, see, I read through the comments to see if anyone else had already asked that question because I didn’t want to be a repeater. I couldn’t see those other words on the rainbow wall of wares until I enlarged it. =)
I was thinking perhaps some kind of antennae with the two dots on top of the ö. Because that would be cool.
Hehe, that would be cool 🙂
What a great shop, I could shop there every day!
In two oder shops from the list I was once and enjoyed a lot 🙂
Thank you for this Benita! These pictures are so lovely, and have really brightened my day! I am hoping to visit some friends in Sweden in the next year or two, I will have to make a stop at this lovely store. I am especially loving the colorful Postboxes. In fact, I am now conducting an internet search for a bright red postbox!
That is something I could totally rig. You got me thinking. I've never done the letter thing, but the å thing I could do (Danish does not have the ö thingy, only the å, hubby is Danish).
My brother will be in Sweden later this month, I'll pass him a note, or get it in the summer when I go to DK.
http://www.TheHomeInParadise.com
Oh wow. I loved Bruka. Thanks for sharing it. Wish they would open some stores in the states. I’d be a regular customer.
I just found your blog through your interview at Penelope Loves Lists, and I really like it over here! So clean and pretty and inspiring. 🙂
love. pure eye candy. thanks for sharing this bit of happy. 🙂
I just sent a link to a friend of mine who does metalwork. Love those postboxes! Great eye candy. Thanks!
Hi Benita..
I’ve been reading your blog for some time now to help inspire design ideas! I was just in Sweden researching ideas for my senior design project here in the states and I went to several of the stores you mentioned. I also thought Design House Stockholm at NK was incredibly inspirational, and so many products had such a creative design connection to nature.
Thank you so much for your design insight, it is so appreciated!
I agree! I’ll add them to the list and also Designtorget!
Wow. I guess I should be grateful we don’t have this store in the US as I would have a hard time walking away without buying everything.
It is, however, yet one more reason to visit Stockholm again soon. Thanks!
Hi Benita.
I read your blog regularly, but have not yet commented on anything. But this time I simply have to, since I think this is so funny. Bruka in some languets of former Yugoslavia (Croatian, Serbian, and Bosnian) means shame (disgrace, scandal). I guess that they would have to change their name if they ever opened a store in Balkans, huh? :-)))
But anyway, I think it is a lovely store. Beautiful photos!
Oh that store looks like heaven on earth! I would so love to go!!
Hi there!
I just wanted to let you (and your readers) know that if you take any of these links and put them into a goodle search, there will be a blue hyperlink to the translated version of the site!!
EnjoY!
I looove it!!! Scandinavians have such a great sense of design and color that is enviable… will add this post to my weekend links!
Looks like my kind of store! Love the idea of displaying the dishes by color.
Benita-
Thank you so much for posting about this store! I was in Stockholm last week (for the first time) and just adore the “mjölk” jug and bright red post box I got there!
Could you maybe add a permanent section here where you list your favorite stores? I’m sure a lot of people would love to know… 🙂