Bright Color Pops and a Red Kitchen in a 1930s Stockholm Apartment

On the second floor of a 1930s apartment building in Stockholm’s Södermalm, this one-bedroom apartment has been renovated in recent years, adding color and fresh updates to create a vibrant home.

The 41-square-meter apartment has a well-planned floor plan, with a spacious central living room flanked by a small but practical kitchen on one side and a bedroom on the other. Large windows overlooking the water and the forest help to create an open feeling.

The living room is the apartment’s social heart. The walls are painted a soft cream tone (1% ochre yellow), paired with colorful furniture, textiles, and joinery.

Double doors open onto the south-facing balcony with sun throughout the day and wonderful views of the surrounding forest. In the winter, when the trees are not in leaf, you can look down to Årstaviken.

The balcony has enough room for a seating bench and a small dining table. The bamboo screen adds privacy.

The green corduroy sofa is paired with a light pink stool, pale blue pillows, and the classic IKEA donut lamp designed by Sabine Marcelis.

Double doors painted English Red separate the small kitchen from the living room. This lets you create one open-plan space or close off the kitchen.

The kitchen was updated with new appliances, counters, and paint during the last renovation.

The red lower cabinets have a light quartz composite worktop, while the upper cabinets are painted a greige tone.

A dining area is fitted on the other side of the living room with a round table with pastel blue legs and a seating bench against the wall. The high shelves add storage to the living room, without making the room feel too cluttered.

The apartment has no closed-off hallways. The entry niche opens directly into the kitchen, and the hall to the bedroom and bathroom also opens toward the living room; this makes the apartment feel bigger than it is.

The bedroom also features a nice color palette. The walls are painted in a soft blue-gray shade paired with joinery in Gotland blue, while the orange and pink bedding adds a vibrant pop of color.

Wardrobe space is fitted along the long wall, hidden from view by a deep-colored curtain.

The bathroom features a classic style with red-and-white Victorian floor tiles and simple square white wall tiles.

A sink with oak drawers adds storage to the small space, as well as the midcentury-style mirror cabinet from Byggfabriken.

The entry hall has two hat shelves for coats and smaller items. The front door and joinery are painted in a lovely pale blue shade that matches nicely with the cream-colored walls.

styling by Gärde and photography by Jahnson for Historiska Hem.