The Designer’s Guide to Stockholm

Image by Liz Sunshine

Stockholm is a vital compass point if you’re heading to the Stockholm Furniture Fair in February or planning a Scandinavian odyssey, and we’ve curated a comprehensive guide of the city’s best places to stay, eat, see, shop and imbibe.

Stockholm is a city that has managed to bottle the sombre drama of a Bergman film while also fully embracing the vitality of a future anchored to the richness of its past. Gliding into Stockholm Central Station is the best way to arrive, and the ultimate introduction to a city that rests at the threshold of many narratives. 

First impressions are of a place set aside from time and trend. One clasped within the perfect glass orb of a snow globe with its buildings of delicate ornamentation and heavy gravitas. Yet, beneath the stone and iron curlicues beats a steady pulse, a deep thrum that triggers every sense and wordlessly promises wondrous experiences.

Sitting almost equal distance from Oslo and Copenhagen, Stockholm is an unfaltering touchstone for Scandinavian design. Its creative landscape is shaped by a legacy intertwined with innovation and strong connections to nature, which has yielded a wonderfully lilting geography defined by storied craft. It’s the birthplace of brands like Ett Hem, Svenskt Tenn, Acne Studios, Filippa K, Ganni and Volvo, and the inspiration for such design vanguards as Lars Nilsson, Lina Nordqvist and, more recently, Matilda Djerf. It also has one of the highest concentrations of Michelin-starred restaurants, cementing it as a richly nourishing destination. 

How to Get Around

While Stockholm is an effortlessly walkable city, European railways are there to be leveraged as much for the sheer breadth of their networks as for the feeling of being truly immersed in your surroundings. Seeing the urban terrain slip past train windows accompanied by a soundscape of hushed voices and the steady bass of the tracks gives a distinct feeling that, while everything has changed, nothing has changed, and there is something deeply comforting in that thought. Past and present converge, and commuters and travellers alike share space. 

A Eurail Pass will get you in and out smoothly while promising the ease of travel beyond the city’s limits should the whim take you. It upholds the romance of train travel, distilling it into an accessible, independent and sustainable method entirely in line with the much-loved notion of slow travel. 

Image by Liz Sunshine

Image by Liz Sunshine

Where to Stay

Resting on Stockholm’s sweeping waterfront amid the city centre, Bank Hotel is a Small Luxury Hotel that fulfils all the wanderlust of Scandinavian travel. Originally a bank dating back to the early 20th century, this is a grand yet intimate place where the opulence of an extravagant soirée dovetails with the most discerning expectations of modern travel. While the rooms adhere to modern design gestures, Bank Hotel’s Bonnie’s Restaurant is swathed in the gilded glamour of brass, walnut, checkerboard tiles, majestic chandeliers, intricate plasterwork, sumptuous blue velvet settees, crisp white tablecloths and verdant palm fronds. Bars continue the heritage narrative with gestures of the building’s former context subtly impressed into each element, from interior design to branding.

Bank Hotel

Bank Hotel

For those who like to feel less like they’re in a hotel and more like they're in a home away from home, Ett Hem is a sanctuary of unpretentious design beauty and bone-deep comfort. The hotel is set behind a high brick wall in suburban Stockholm, within a private arts and crafts residence built in 1910. Its name, literally translating to ‘a home’, establishes expectations wholly fulfilled by British designer Ilse Crawford, whose interior design approach is a homage to Scandinavian design icons (think The House of Finn Juhl and Hans Wegner) and the understanding that comfort is the very definition of luxury.

Ett Hem

Ett Hem

Where to Eat

Dining at Brutalisten means questioning your fundamental approach to food. It reaffirms the simplicity of preparing the most transformative culinary experiences through adherence to a strict set of principles or rules, the main one being that ingredients here are used alone for a particular dish, and only water and salt may be added. It’s fascinating, beyond delicious, unlike anything else. Stockholm is the only place you can fall into this particularly heady culinary experience, bound by a manifesto that is as austere in its simplicity as it is sensorially captivating.

For a full Swedish gastronomic journey, Lilla Ego offers an authentic dining experience in the vibrant Vasastan neighbourhood, where its minimalist decor provides a lively atmosphere. Renowned for its commitment to fresh, locally sourced ingredients, the restaurant's menu showcases innovative takes on traditional Swedish cuisine, making it a local favourite. To enhance your visit, choosing a counter seat by the kitchen lets you observe the chefs in action, adding a delightful layer to your gastronomic journey, especially if reservations are unavailable.

If you’re out and about, looking for sustenance on the run, do like the locals and grab a korv (street hotdog) or kanelbullar (cinnamon bun).

Where to Shop

An easy walk from Bank Hotel is iconic design house Svenskt Tenn. Founded in 1924 by Estrid Ericson, it remains celebrated for its innovative craft and the influential contributions of Josef Frank, who produced more than 3,000 designs. The establishment includes a charming store, an interior design studio and a cafe, all reflecting its commitment to quality and sustainability, with more than 80 per cent of its products being original designs made in Sweden. Owned by the Kjell and Märta Beijer Foundation, Svenskt Tenn also dedicates its profits to science and cultural initiatives, ensuring that it not only preserves its legacy but also enriches society.

Aside from the mecca of beautifully edited Scandinavian brands that hold a strong presence in Stockholm — Acne Studios, Arket, Axel Arigato, Filippa K, Fjällräven, Ganni, J.Lindeberg, Nudie Jeans, Stutterheim, Hay, Muuto, Gubi, et al. — the city boasts a fantastic vintage scene. A few of the best would have to be Humana and Lotta Vintage for fashion and Beyo Vintage for furniture and homewares, where designer brands and independent labels rub shoulders, and every piece carries the resonance of its past story.

Svenskt Tenn

Svenskt Tenn

Where to Imbibe

Stockholm is where you’ll find one of the best cocktail bars in the world: Röda Huset. When done right, cocktails can take you on a sensory journey, and Röda Huset is where you’ll walk away with a fully formed understanding of your cocktail palate. The clever blend of Japanese spirits, ingredients and flavours with traditional and seasonal Swedish delicacies cultivates a unique and pleasing union. Then you throw in the exquisite theatrics of presentation, and you’ll happily find yourself perched here for the long run.

If you’re staying at Bank Hotel or find yourself nearby, head to its rooftop to find Le Hibou, an elegant cocktail terrace dripping in contemporary Parisian stylings. 

If a wine bar is more your pace, one that can carry you through from a light sparkling wine as the day ends to accompaniments with incredible food and the gorgeous syrupy mouthful of dessert wine to finish, Grus Grus Vinbaren is a perfect place to while away an evening.

What to See

Carl Eldhs Atelier Museum is a hidden gem — a too-often-overlooked artists' studio on the city’s edge. During the early 20th century, Carl Eldh (1873–1954) was one of Sweden’s most prominent sculptors. Today, his former studio is a museum and a place for new artistic research. In this space containing nearly 500 of Eldh’s casts and works, you can see newly produced exhibitions and take guided tours.

A visit to Djurgården, Stockholm’s forest in the city, will linger in the memory bank for many years to come. Once a private retreat for King Erik XIV during the 16th century, it has transformed into a lush public attraction nestled within the landscape of the Royal National City Park. Lunch at Rosendals Garden Cafe while you’re there is a must.

And finally, seen from the water, the staggering breadth of Stockholm’s beauty is really put into perspective. In perfect contrast to the heady urban dynamism, the Archipelago, a stunning collection of more than 30,000 islands just 20 minutes from the city, offers a striking landscape of unspoilt nature. Spanning more than 1,600 square kilometres, it features a diverse ecosystem with tranquil environments, charming villages, rich culinary and cultural experiences, and the Artipelag, a beautiful gallery that will appease art and architecture lovers.

Text by Tiffany Jade