Soft Scandinavian decor for a 66sqm apartment that embraces color
A renovated 66sqm apartment, where khaki green, warm beige, and oak create harmony in this renovation by Maldini Studios
Located in one of Stockholm’s most sought-after neighborhoods, the apartment we’re exploring here wasn’t always a three-room unit. It was completely renovated in 2017 by the design studio Maldini Studios. The professionals have reconfigured this two-room apartment into a three-room apartment with an open-plan layout.
The kitchen now sits at the center of the home, connecting the entryway to the large living room. Its two bedrooms open onto the courtyard, overlooking the greenery. The result is functional and cohesive.
What immediately stands out is the care taken with the color palette. The entire apartment is based on two color families: khaki green and warm beige. These two shades flow seamlessly from one room to the next in perfect harmony. And the choice of oak as the unifying material, found in the furniture, kitchen cabinetry, and herringbone parquet flooring, provides beautiful visual continuity.
You enter an entryway painted entirely in green, including the walls, ceiling, and woodwork. A bold decision that works better than a neutral color because it creates a clear transition between the home’s exterior and interior. This space provides a place to hang the inevitable coats and bags, and the two built-in closets are perfect for storing anything you want to keep out of sight.
This is a trend increasingly seen in contemporary design: painting an entryway in a bold color, often dark or saturated, to give it its own identity rather than treating it as an unimportant transitional space. The design professionals at Lindholm, who handled the decor, have effectively highlighted this entryway with the light from a white globe wall sconce that contrasts with the overall scheme.
Its kitchen opens directly onto the hallway. The cabinet fronts are oak veneer, with no visible handles, featuring a beige terrazzo countertop and backsplash. Terrazzo has made a strong comeback in kitchens and bathrooms in recent years. Here, its sandy hue pairs perfectly with the wood cabinet fronts.
In terms of appliances, an almost "old-fashioned" range and a polished stainless steel range hood provide a pleasant contrast to the understated cabinet fronts. Knives are stored on a burgundy magnetic block, the only truly colorful touch in this space. Two gold direct-beam wall sconces illuminate the countertop.
The dining area is worth a closer look. Against the green wall, you’ll find a built-in corner bench with ecru cushions, two classic Scandinavian-style woven oak chairs, a round light oak table, and a large white pendant light. The wall shelf above holds books, gray ceramics, and a trailing plant to bring a touch of nature into the space.
We transition from green to beige upon entering the living room, which also serves as the dining area. The walls are painted in a warm, sandy shade that softens the room’s atmosphere. The ecru linen sofa, the light oak coffee table, and the herringbone parquet floor form a monochromatic ensemble enlivened by terracotta and pinkish-mauve cushions.
Some artwork on the wall catches our eye. A Klee & Co. poster in a natural wood frame, and above all a large-format framed illustration depicting anthropomorphic animals in a bar. This type of element, funny and a bit absurd, gives the room a unique personality
The master bedroom features a balcony. A double glass doors open to the outside, and the chestnut tree provides a screen of dense green foliage in the summer. The terracotta-pink striped bedding and matching cushions are a great choice in a room with neutral walls, as they add warmth and prevent the space from feeling too monotonous. Its low modular storage units, in a hazelnut shade slightly darker than the walls, provide a display surface for plants, vases, and books.
The small bedroom is now a child’s room. Pinkish-beige walls, a window framed in green, a natural wood bed, and a multicolored polka-dot rug. The green of the window frame echoes that of the entryway and kitchen, showing that the color palette wasn’t chosen room by room but conceived as a whole.
A balcony faces the courtyard and is south-east facing. In summer, the nearby chestnut tree transforms it into a treehouse. It is comfortably furnished with armchairs featuring cream-colored cushions, a small round teak table, and terracotta pots hanging from the railing.
This apartment illustrates something important in contemporary interior design: consistency makes interiors elegant and serene. The colors chosen here are not spectacular. Khaki green and warm beige are safe bets. But their consistent use, from the floor to the woodwork, from one room to the next, creates a refined unity. This is the famous “overall feel” sought after by professionals.
Oak does the same job when it comes to materials. Parquet flooring, kitchen cabinets, table, chairs, everything is in harmony with this timeless material. This isn’t always easy to achieve in an apartment where the furniture comes from different sources.
Södermalm occupies an entire island south of Stockholm’s Old Town. The neighborhood has attracted a creative crowd for years, and its village-in-the-city atmosphere has remained despite gradual gentrification. Hornsgatan is its main thoroughfare, long, lively, and lined with shops and restaurants. The section where this building is located, right at the end, has just been converted into a year-round pedestrian zone. From the balcony, looking south, you can see the water of Liljeholmsviken Bay. What a treat to have access to the water just a few minutes’ walk away!
The building housing this 66sqm apartment dates back to 1930. It was designed by architect Josef Östlihn. It is a typical example of Swedish interwar architecture, featuring a strict functionalist façade that retains some classical elements in its details. The Tången residence, where the apartment is located, has an even longer history: the Jakobsberg estate, built in the 17th century, once stood on this site before being moved in the 1930s to make way for these large apartment buildings.
66sqm
This 66sqm apartment is for sale at Historiska
The kitchen now sits at the center of the home, connecting the entryway to the large living room. Its two bedrooms open onto the courtyard, overlooking the greenery. The result is functional and cohesive.
A subtle color palette
What immediately stands out is the care taken with the color palette. The entire apartment is based on two color families: khaki green and warm beige. These two shades flow seamlessly from one room to the next in perfect harmony. And the choice of oak as the unifying material, found in the furniture, kitchen cabinetry, and herringbone parquet flooring, provides beautiful visual continuity.
An entryway that sets the tone
You enter an entryway painted entirely in green, including the walls, ceiling, and woodwork. A bold decision that works better than a neutral color because it creates a clear transition between the home’s exterior and interior. This space provides a place to hang the inevitable coats and bags, and the two built-in closets are perfect for storing anything you want to keep out of sight.
This is a trend increasingly seen in contemporary design: painting an entryway in a bold color, often dark or saturated, to give it its own identity rather than treating it as an unimportant transitional space. The design professionals at Lindholm, who handled the decor, have effectively highlighted this entryway with the light from a white globe wall sconce that contrasts with the overall scheme.
The wood and terrazzo kitchen
Its kitchen opens directly onto the hallway. The cabinet fronts are oak veneer, with no visible handles, featuring a beige terrazzo countertop and backsplash. Terrazzo has made a strong comeback in kitchens and bathrooms in recent years. Here, its sandy hue pairs perfectly with the wood cabinet fronts.
In terms of appliances, an almost "old-fashioned" range and a polished stainless steel range hood provide a pleasant contrast to the understated cabinet fronts. Knives are stored on a burgundy magnetic block, the only truly colorful touch in this space. Two gold direct-beam wall sconces illuminate the countertop.
The dining area is worth a closer look. Against the green wall, you’ll find a built-in corner bench with ecru cushions, two classic Scandinavian-style woven oak chairs, a round light oak table, and a large white pendant light. The wall shelf above holds books, gray ceramics, and a trailing plant to bring a touch of nature into the space.
The almost minimalist living room in warm beige
We transition from green to beige upon entering the living room, which also serves as the dining area. The walls are painted in a warm, sandy shade that softens the room’s atmosphere. The ecru linen sofa, the light oak coffee table, and the herringbone parquet floor form a monochromatic ensemble enlivened by terracotta and pinkish-mauve cushions.
Some artwork on the wall catches our eye. A Klee & Co. poster in a natural wood frame, and above all a large-format framed illustration depicting anthropomorphic animals in a bar. This type of element, funny and a bit absurd, gives the room a unique personality
The bedrooms
The master bedroom features a balcony. A double glass doors open to the outside, and the chestnut tree provides a screen of dense green foliage in the summer. The terracotta-pink striped bedding and matching cushions are a great choice in a room with neutral walls, as they add warmth and prevent the space from feeling too monotonous. Its low modular storage units, in a hazelnut shade slightly darker than the walls, provide a display surface for plants, vases, and books.
The small bedroom is now a child’s room. Pinkish-beige walls, a window framed in green, a natural wood bed, and a multicolored polka-dot rug. The green of the window frame echoes that of the entryway and kitchen, showing that the color palette wasn’t chosen room by room but conceived as a whole.
The balcony as an outdoor living room under the chestnut trees
A balcony faces the courtyard and is south-east facing. In summer, the nearby chestnut tree transforms it into a treehouse. It is comfortably furnished with armchairs featuring cream-colored cushions, a small round teak table, and terracotta pots hanging from the railing.
Planète déco’s take on the decor of this 66-square-meter apartment
This apartment illustrates something important in contemporary interior design: consistency makes interiors elegant and serene. The colors chosen here are not spectacular. Khaki green and warm beige are safe bets. But their consistent use, from the floor to the woodwork, from one room to the next, creates a refined unity. This is the famous “overall feel” sought after by professionals.
Oak does the same job when it comes to materials. Parquet flooring, kitchen cabinets, table, chairs, everything is in harmony with this timeless material. This isn’t always easy to achieve in an apartment where the furniture comes from different sources.
Södermalm, a neighborhood beloved by Stockholmers
Södermalm occupies an entire island south of Stockholm’s Old Town. The neighborhood has attracted a creative crowd for years, and its village-in-the-city atmosphere has remained despite gradual gentrification. Hornsgatan is its main thoroughfare, long, lively, and lined with shops and restaurants. The section where this building is located, right at the end, has just been converted into a year-round pedestrian zone. From the balcony, looking south, you can see the water of Liljeholmsviken Bay. What a treat to have access to the water just a few minutes’ walk away!
The building housing this 66sqm apartment dates back to 1930. It was designed by architect Josef Östlihn. It is a typical example of Swedish interwar architecture, featuring a strict functionalist façade that retains some classical elements in its details. The Tången residence, where the apartment is located, has an even longer history: the Jakobsberg estate, built in the 17th century, once stood on this site before being moved in the 1930s to make way for these large apartment buildings.
66sqm
This 66sqm apartment is for sale at Historiska
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