Classic Meets Eccentric: Gumshornsgatan Apartment in Stockholm by Halleroed.

Classic Meets Eccentric: Gumshornsgatan Apartment in Stockholm by Halleroed.

Halleroed Gumshornsgatan Modernist Apartment Photo Erik Lefvander Yellowtrace 02

Halleroed Gumshornsgatan Modernist Apartment Photo Erik Lefvander Yellowtrace 05

Halleroed has reimagined this two-storey apartment on Gumshornsgatan, a street in Stockholm’s trendy Östermalm. The home, which dates back to the 1930s, was in almost its original state when it landed in the hands of designers Ruxandra and Christian Halleroed.

The light-filled interior with Modernist bones had everything the duo needed sitting within the building’s DNA. “Despite the partitions, separations, and some less-than-ideal additions, we found the space beautiful with its high ceiling and glass roof,” Ruxandra and Christian explain. “We wanted to give it back its original atmosphere.”

In the living area, double-height ceilings open into a wall of light courtesy of the room’s large bay windows. The couple began with some simple changes to the layout, moving the staircase from this main space to the entry hall. A small rounded balcony was also added, blending in seamlessly with the existing interiors. The designers had fun with the modernist aesthetic, reinterpreting the period while adding their own contemporary flourishes.

Halleroed Gumshornsgatan Modernist Apartment Photo Erik Lefvander Yellowtrace 13

Halleroed Gumshornsgatan Modernist Apartment Photo Erik Lefvander Yellowtrace 17

Halleroed Gumshornsgatan Modernist Apartment Photo Erik Lefvander Yellowtrace 22

Curves were added to the vestibule to accommodate the spiral staircase and the balcony played up its angles in line with the home’s original style. “This works wonderfully with this apartment, where the rear part of it has many unexpected angles and edges due to the structure of the building which is itself constrained by the surrounding buildings,” shares the duo.

Teetering comfortably between classic and eccentric, the designers took some big swings. A blue ceiling in the upstairs hallway, a tiled black and white striped powder room and a zebra print built-in sofa in a cosy alcoved space off the living space all speak to the designer’s daring sensibility. This renegade approach is born from a background carved out in the retail industry, working with brands such as Acne Studios, Toteme and Byredo. Yet, considering the many surprises at every turn the apartment manages to retain a cohesion that speaks to the overarching design concept.

With the addition of elements that reflect the 1930s, think black baseboards and a myriad of beige and off-white shades on the first floor with more pinkish tones following onto the upper landing this approach starts to take shape. “We took our inspiration from the Villa Cavrois [the modernist mansion in Croix, France, by architect Robert Mallet-Stevens], where a wide variety of beiges are used,” says the duo. “We wanted to create a 1930s atmosphere without being limited to that aesthetic by adding other more modern and contemporary notes.”

With help from the large double-height bay window, these shades of beige play off each other, highlighted by the natural light. The material palette is a melange of neutrals, from the original wooden floor that’s been preserved and varnished to travertine floors in the bathroom—matched with pink marble fixtures and a hallway covered in birch panels.

Custom pieces by Ruxandra and Christian, like the bookcase in the alcove, the benches, and the walnut wood dining room table mingle with original furniture from the 1930s including pieces by Charlotte Perriand and Josef Frank and a more recent Anton Alvarez stool. With these additions, texture and personality were created.

“The works of art, furniture, and objects are a mix between our choices and those of the owners,” explain Ruxandra and Christian. “Many objects such as the ceramics, the screen, and the stool were our contributions. We work instinctively to find the balance between what is true to the apartment’s original period and more contemporary additions. Achieving the right balance has been exciting for us.” This has manifested in an interior that for the clients, I’m sure, fits like a glove.