Swedish Houzz: An Expat in Sweden Gives Her New Home the Personal Touch
A lover of individual style and expression of personal taste, this Canadian textile designer brings a touch of home to her adoptive country
When Canadian Lesley Pennington met a charming Swedish man at a work meeting, little did she know that she would end up with an old wooden house in a Stockholm suburb and a lovely daughter – as well as being the founder of a textile company working with designers such as Tricia Guild and Christian Lacroix. But little by little, this future became a reality, much as her family’s home has grown into a warm and personal space for them all to enjoy.
The area of Viggbyholm, 19 kilometres outside central Stockholm, has the feel of the old seaside resort that it used to be. “Before the improvement of roads and building of train lines, this area was out in the countryside,” Pennington says. “Now it takes just 30 minutes or so to go to the centre of Stockholm with [the] Roslagsbanan [rail system]. It’s a charming little railway, even in the winter, when it reminds me slightly of an old ski train.”
The house was built in 1926, and the garden is an old apple orchard that still produces a plentiful harvest. “We have had such a bad conscience about all that fruit for years. There are only so many apple pies you can make and eat,” Pennington says. “So for the past two seasons we have taken the fruit to an open-to-the-public press in nearby Åkersberga and made apple juice from it instead.”
The house was built in 1926, and the garden is an old apple orchard that still produces a plentiful harvest. “We have had such a bad conscience about all that fruit for years. There are only so many apple pies you can make and eat,” Pennington says. “So for the past two seasons we have taken the fruit to an open-to-the-public press in nearby Åkersberga and made apple juice from it instead.”
When the family moved here in 2012, the house had recently been renovated by the previous owners and decorated in neutral hues. “It was like a clean palette waiting to be discovered, with quite a lot of good furniture already here,” Pennington says. “My first thought was that I wanted to take nature into the house in various ways, but I was also inspired by the lovely orange colour of the roof tiles. So greens and a burnt terracotta orange became the leading shades.”
Sofas: Karlstad by Ikea with Bemz covers; pillows: Bemz and H&M; table: Hay; Diamond chair: Harry Bertoia; Bruno Munari floor lamp: Designtorget
Sofas: Karlstad by Ikea with Bemz covers; pillows: Bemz and H&M; table: Hay; Diamond chair: Harry Bertoia; Bruno Munari floor lamp: Designtorget
Pennington is from Toronto and met her Swedish husband, Fredrik, when they both worked at Apple. The idea behind her company, Bemz, which produces and sells personalised textile covers for Ikea sofas, chairs and beds, came about when she was on maternity leave with her daughter, Zoe.
“I was keen to have my own business, but with a degree in fine art and art history, it wasn’t a plan to work with textiles,” she says. “I just bought an Ikea sofa and wanted another cover for it rather than the one it came with. But I couldn’t find anything like that online, so I just thought, ‘Hey, good business idea,’ and sat down and wrote a business plan!”
“I was keen to have my own business, but with a degree in fine art and art history, it wasn’t a plan to work with textiles,” she says. “I just bought an Ikea sofa and wanted another cover for it rather than the one it came with. But I couldn’t find anything like that online, so I just thought, ‘Hey, good business idea,’ and sat down and wrote a business plan!”
Pennington started almost from a blank page with the furniture in the house as well, and didn’t bring a lot of stuff with her from the family’s previous home. “I bought quite a lot of recycled furniture, on Blocket and auction sites, like the Bertoia chair in the living room,” she says. “But I have to watch myself so I don’t get into an obsessive behaviour – it’s easy to get pushed over the limit you’ve set.”
The table – the Super Circle by Piet Hein and Bruno Mathsson – was a big splurge, but when 10 guests are happily squeezed around it for an animated dinner, it’s worth every penny.
Antique Chinese cupboard: Blocket; pendant lamp: Louis Poulsen
The table – the Super Circle by Piet Hein and Bruno Mathsson – was a big splurge, but when 10 guests are happily squeezed around it for an animated dinner, it’s worth every penny.
Antique Chinese cupboard: Blocket; pendant lamp: Louis Poulsen
Letting the home come together gradually takes patience, but Pennington says it’s worthwhile to wait and get it right.
“This house is our sanctuary from a hectic world outside,” she says. “So it’s worth taking time to find out exactly how you want to live in your home, and with what furniture. Otherwise you just end up stuck with furniture that doesn’t work. So if you can use some pieces from previous owners that sit well in the house, all well and good. It’s like an ecosystem.”
Painting: ‘Former 1’ by Kenneth Börjesson
“This house is our sanctuary from a hectic world outside,” she says. “So it’s worth taking time to find out exactly how you want to live in your home, and with what furniture. Otherwise you just end up stuck with furniture that doesn’t work. So if you can use some pieces from previous owners that sit well in the house, all well and good. It’s like an ecosystem.”
Painting: ‘Former 1’ by Kenneth Börjesson
The large Chinese glass cabinet was chosen for its size, though the rust-red colour also fits in perfectly with Pennington’s style. “That was one of the things I had to get used to when I moved to Sweden, how small the rooms were compared to my American and Canadian standards,” she says. “But it is absolutely the most important thing to consider when buying furniture. The wrong size – too small or too big – can destroy a whole room. So space first, style second.”
Inside the cabinet are treasured glass and crystal pieces, some from Orrefors in Småland, Sweden.
Inside the cabinet are treasured glass and crystal pieces, some from Orrefors in Småland, Sweden.
“There is always activity on the sea. In the summer there are people sailing and swimming, but even in winter there is a lot going on – kite-sailing on ice, skating, parasailing,” Pennington says. There is a marina around the corner, and to both the left and right there is access to the beach.
The deck area is what Pennington calls ‘non-Swedish’. “I love the fact that I’ve created a bit of New England outside Stockholm,” she says. “We have created several areas for different functions here. There are chairs for a simple morning coffee and a covered living room area so we can sit outside even when it’s raining.”
Everything is stored below the benchtops, on smart shelves, in drawers and in cabinets. Pennington doesn’t get much time to cook during the week, but likes to take her time and entertain properly on the weekend. “It’s how I relax,” she says. “I don’t cook complicated things, but I love seasonal, locally sourced produce – mushrooms in autumn, asparagus in spring, berries in summer.”
The little red Buddha seen here is from Cambodia and keeps a lookout over the hallway and the wood burner.
The top-floor hangout zone lies between Zoe’s and her parents’ bedrooms and is the family’s preferred place for Friday movie nights and everyday socialising. It’s also the spot where the Christmas tree is displayed every year.
“The Söderhamn sofa from Ikea is huge, and I love the fact that it’s modular, so you can break it up into two pieces and move it around if you want to talk or play games instead of watch TV,” Pennington explains.
“The Söderhamn sofa from Ikea is huge, and I love the fact that it’s modular, so you can break it up into two pieces and move it around if you want to talk or play games instead of watch TV,” Pennington explains.
In the master bedroom, the earthy colours continue. On the bed lies an antique bed cover from Uzbekistan, and the wall that looks like rugged wood behind the bed is actually a trompe l’oeil wallpaper from Mr. Perswall.
Bedhead, valance and curtains: Bemz
Bedhead, valance and curtains: Bemz
This glassed-in room upstairs has uninterrupted views of the waters of the Stora Värtan inlet. The circular pendant that fits so well in the space was another piece left by the previous owners.
Fourteen-year-old Zoe’s room differs in colours and mood from the rest of house – which was intentional. “She had very strong opinions on how she wanted it to look,” Pennington says. “She especially chose the colours coral and light blue as a base, and then we worked from there.”
Valance and bedcover: Bemz; rug: Ikea; bedside table: Hay
Valance and bedcover: Bemz; rug: Ikea; bedside table: Hay
The guest bedroom also has great views for visitors to enjoy. Indeed, the whole house faces the sea – a clear indication it was built as a summer dwelling rather than a home for winter, when storms and ice batter the Baltic coastline.
Pennington discovered the painting ‘Svårt Besked’ (Bad News) by artist Jan Berg at the annual Spring Salon at Liljevalchs art gallery in Stockholm.
Pennington discovered the painting ‘Svårt Besked’ (Bad News) by artist Jan Berg at the annual Spring Salon at Liljevalchs art gallery in Stockholm.
These brightly coloured pillows are from a collection Bemz did with Sacha Walckhoff, creative director at Christian Lacroix, in 2015.
The bathroom shows a careful modernity, with all the modern conveniences but without feeling cold or clinical. The previous owners installed the concrete bathtub, which Pennington also likes. “My style is eclectic, and a mix of modern and classical. I don’t like just one style; I want a more personal home than that.”
TELL US
What do you think of this cool, personalised ex-pat’s home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
TELL US
What do you think of this cool, personalised ex-pat’s home? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
Who lives here: Lesley Pennington, founder of Bemz, with husband Fredrik, daughter Zoe and their Tibetan terrier
Location: Viggbyholm in Täby, outside Stockholm, Sweden
Size: 269.9 square metres