5 Things We Can Learn from This Swedish Kitchen

published Feb 2, 2015
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(Image credit: Svenska Maklarhuset)

When it comes to dream kitchens, for me it doesn’t get much better than this Swedish kitchen. Not only is the neutral color palette totally my jam, but it’s the details that place this kitchen a cut above the rest.

Look! Solid-door cabinets and glass-door cabinets (Image credit: Svenska Maklarhuset)

First of all, due to the wide angle lens used to take these photos, I think the kitchen is likely much smaller than it looks in some of the pictures — all the more reason to take note of what makes it so terrific:

1. A mix of storage solutions

For those you who dislike open shelves and moved to dismiss this kitchen outright, hold it one moment: Yes, there are open shelves that reach up to the ceiling and appear to hold mostly dishes, but there are also a lot of cabinets. And interestingly, there are solid-door cabinets and glass-door cabinets, placed right next to each other. (Check out the photo above.)

This kind of mix-and-match storage means you can make each solution work exactly how you want it to. For example, open shelving for pretty, easy-to-access dishes; closed-door cabinets for bulkier, more utilitarian items; and glass-door cabinets for larger, colorful pieces that are too pretty to hide away completely.

2. A span-the-room top shelf & rail (with library ladder!)

The most noticeable feature for me in this kitchen is the long, narrow top shelf and rail that spans the kitchen and holds a variety of liquor and wine bottles. Yes, there’s an argument to be made that given height and heat concerns, that may not be the greatest place for all your imbibing essentials, but the underlying idea is solid: Don’t waste that upper space! The rail doubles as a pot rack and the support system for the library ladder.

Yes, the library ladder — you didn’t think we’d forget that, do you? One needs an easy way to access high shelves. While I love the look, I do wonder if it’d be cumbersome to always have to slide it out of the way, but I think I could deal given how convenient it’d be when I need it. (And of course, the charm factor.)

(Image credit: Svenska Marklarhuset)

3. Adjustable pendant lights

It looks to me like the two pendant lights hanging over the countertop are on some kind of pulley system, so you can adjust them to whatever height you want whenever you want. Flexibility is always a nice feature.

4. Subway tile with black grout

The

subway tile trend

(Image credit: Svenska Maklarhuset)
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(Image credit: Svenska Maklarhuset)

5. A window that peeks into the other room

This kitchen already had great light with the one big window and large door frame, but the slim, vertical window (shown on the left above) is really what pulls it all together. Seemingly “pointless” (in that it doesn’t look outside!), this window is actually a really smart way to let more light and air flow into the space, which keeps it from feeling small and cramped.

Ah, so many cool things. This home is represented by Swedish real estate company Svenska Maklarhuset, and while the full house tour was recently removed from the website (the house must have been sold), you can see more photos on this Pinterest board.

What did you notice about this kitchen?