Helmed by Swedish designer Louise Liljencrantz, Veermakers’ sturdy wood furniture makes a strong statement

There’s something undeniably pleasing about Louise Liljencrantz’s interiors. Centred around elegant natural materials – carefully curated woods, especially – and decadent fabrics, hers are the sort of spaces that immediately offer a sense of calm. "The materials and craftsmanship truly make all the difference," says Liljencrantz. "You might not always recognise it with an untrained eye, but you can always feel it."

In fact, there was such demand for the Liljencrantz touch that in 2017 she teamed up with local carpenters KFK Cabinet Makers (who were already making the bespoke pieces and cabinets for her clients) to launch Veermakers, a luxury furniture collection offering decadent made-to-order pieces. Now design obsessives can own a piece of the Liljencrantz aesthetic by way of a wooden coffee table (Veermakers’ best-sellers), lamp or stool. The pieces are often found on the pages of architectural magazines, sitting in homes belonging to the likes of John Legend and Amber Valletta.

“My first job was doing a friend-of-a-friend’s apartment,” says Liljencrantz, who spent her adolescence trying to find the creative field that best suited her (she was studying graphic design when she landed that first interior design job). “It was so much fun, and I thought, ‘OK, this is the thing’.” At the time, the only spaces Liljencrantz had to show prospective clients were her own – an apartment in Stockholm and a country house outside the city. She had designed them in contrasting styles to illustrate her range. She nailed that first assignment; an apartment that just so happened to be a few blocks from the Liljencrantz showroom in Östermalm where I meet the designer and her business partner, Kristin Rudenstam, for coffee.

In the years that followed, Liljencrantz has gotten the chance to work with more thrilling canvases. “I love when you step into a space, and the environment itself immediately inspires you. It’s as if the place guides you, shaping the direction of what to create or how to feel,” she says. Take, for instance, one extraordinary home in Dalarö – a modern masterpiece of wood and steel with massive water-facing windows. The designer’s singular mix of sturdy woods – including the chunky wooden barstools and round travertine stone lamps from Veermakers – gives way to a space that feels as serene as a long exhale.

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For Liljencrantz, inspiration can come from anywhere, though it often strikes whilst travelling. “You never really know where inspiration will come from,” she says. “I can just be walking down the street and see a facade or a certain kind of stone and suddenly you go, ‘Oh, that!’” She catalogues these discoveries – which also extend to artworks and architecture – via iPhone photos, which she tries to organise by location and subject (though, she admits, her organisation skills could use some work).

Though there is a certain minimalism to what she does, Liljencrantz doesn’t consider her interiors or her furniture to be especially Scandinavian. “I do admire Swedish designers and architects,” she says, name-checking Gunnar Asplund, Jonas Bohlin, and Mats Theselius. “And when it comes to Danish design it’s often more minimalist and functional, with lighter, practical pieces. We mostly use solid materials which makes them pretty heavy, so I wouldn’t say I think it’s super Scandinavian.” Though the pieces are certainly modern, with their sleek lines and no-fuss simplicity, they eschew trends, leaning instead into a sort of timelessness. By way of example, she points to a home she designed in Lidingö – it boasts her signature flourish of heavy wood, plush neutral furniture and stainless steel appliances. “That was from 10 years ago,” she says. “But if you look at the pictures, you would think it was done today. It’s important to work in a timeless way and not use too many products that are super popular.”

Next, Liljencrantz is entering an unexpected space: jewellery. She was one of three designers tapped by Italian jewellery house Repossi to create a limited jewellery box for the brand's Invisible collection, which doubles as a sort of free-standing art object. Hers is made specifically to hold Repossi’s minimal Barbere collection and is meticulously crafted from sturdy sycamore maple, with a vegetable-tanned leather lining. The brass handle is painted Repossi red.

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Given that Rudenstam has been Liljencrantz’s right-hand-woman for a decade (she previously worked at Acne Studios), I ask what it’s like to work with her. “Her interiors exude calm and serenity, while her personality is vibrant and full of energy,” Kristen says. “Wining and dining with Louise is something totally different.”