There is little doubt that when it comes to design, my time spent in Sweden has influenced my taste considerably. While
IKEA might be the only internationally accessible Swedish retailer, if you're planning a trip to Scandinavia there are many other wonderful stores that are well worth a visit and nearly unheard of outside the region, which means you can find classic Scandi pieces that aren't instantly recognizable (as much as I like the BILLY bookcase and the MALM dresser, they're not what one would call 'unique').
Here's a preview of my favourite Swedish and Danish home stores (in no particular order):
Stilleben: a Copenhagen-based design shop specializing in ceramics, textiles, glasswares, and graphic prints.
Lagerhaus: an affordable and cheerful interior decor chain offering modern products across Sweden.
Illums Bolighus: my personal favourite, albeit a bit pricy. Described as "Danish design at its best" and I couldn't agree more. A department store without the department store feel (think - minimalist version of
Liberty London).
Clas Ohlson: at first glance Clas Ohlson might come across as a bland department store, but standard items are given a Swedish spin here. Scandi's answer to
Target.
Designtorget: a marketplace for innovative products that are both unique and functional. Stock changes weekly and items are only available for a limited time.
Tiger: a Danish
three dollar store
(where almost everything is three dollars). Great for funky wrapping paper, unusual napkins, patterned mugs, kitchenwares, office supplies, even candy. Also located in the UK (but not as good).
Iris Hantverk: a Swedish version of
MUJI. Known for traditional wooden brushes and storage solutions.
*All photos via the respective Instagram accounts
