An all-access tour inside Vogue Scandinavia's beloved head office and creative hub

If home really is where the heart is, then Vogue Scandinavia’s beats right across the Nordics: amongst nature, in our storytelling, and with our extended family of readers and collaborators. But it all must take root somewhere, and that somewhere is a historic building tucked away in Stockholm’s coveted Lärkstaden neighbourhood.

After years of searching, we have finally found our permanent home. “It has always been my vision that we would have a true home that welcomed every person that stepped inside, and one that would facilitate our creativity and collaboration,” says editor-in-chief Martina Bonnier, who looked at countless spaces before settling on this one.

Step in from the street and you find yourself within an atmospheric, high-ceilinged building that was constructed around 1910. The door, adorned with a Vogue Scandinavia plaque, swings open, inviting you into our office space. Its handsome architectural features had Bonnier enamoured at first sight. Once the keys were handed over, more happy discoveries were made. Old doors were uncovered in the basement and reinstalled to their original positions, 100-year-old plinths were discovered balancing atop wooden beams in the attic, carpets were ripped back to reveal original flooring – now refitted with wooden parquetry flooring and natural stone from Gotland. The past life of the building was respectfully revived – and these walls can tell some interesting tales.

Between 1947 and 1989, our address housed Tysta Skolan (Quiet School), an educational institution for the hearing impaired. “It’s incredible to think of how different the space was back then,” Bonnier says. “The environment which was once the students’ classroom is now where our editorial team sit together, producing and developing ideas and stories.” Now, thoughtful decor throughout the office nods to this academic past tenant – note the classroom-style leather-topped writing desk (as envisioned by Gothenburg-based architect and designer Per Náden), and a small bell that is rung joyously from time to time to mark achievements and good news. Elsewhere, a scholastic map of the Nordics is pinned to the wall.

The considered approach to interiors doesn’t end there. Each and every detail – “from the cups, to the curtains, to the art on the wall”, in Bonnier’s words – reflects the revered design language of our region, and our own core values: nature, sustainability, inclusivity and technology. “We are so proud of our design heritage in Scandinavia, so I was determined to have an eclectic mix of the best of design from the region in the office – allowing us to live and breathe it in our day-to-day work,” she says.

Consider one of the plush rugs spread across the floors by Swedish design house Layered woven with a familiar pattern by Stig Lindberg, or the mixed-and-matched Gärsnäs chairs gathered around the kitchen table, many of which are carved from Åke Axelsson’s esteemed catalogue. Even a simple morning coffee is a plunge into discerning Finnish design, with illustrated mugs by Klaus Haapaniemi for Iittala and teaspoons from Kaj Franck’s 1952 Scandia cutlery set. For Bonnier, beauty and good design go hand-in-hand with the crucial flow of creativity. “My experience is that, in an anonymous-looking office space, without beautiful things, your mind – it goes dead,” she says. “I want us to be surrounded by beauty, and encourage appreciation of this beauty every day.”

The building itself and its surrounding streets are equally intriguing with structures predominantly planned and designed by influential city architect Per Olof Hallman that are brimming with original details from the ‘Jugend’ era around the turn of the century. A neighbouring door still retains the presentation of its street number in colourful stained-glass a feature which caught Bonnier’s eye and became the starting point for the office’s interior colour palette. At the back of our permanent home lies a spacious courtyard – as many do in Lärkstaden, incorporated by Hallman who were inspired by English rose gardens at the time. Another close neighbour is Ett Hem with its sought-out boutique hospitality concept, that offered a blueprint for Vogue Scandinavia in creating its own welcoming and homely ambiance.

To celebrate the Nordics’ inextricable bond with the natural world, everything about the office experience is designed to bridge the gap between indoors and outdoors. “When it comes to Nordic interiors, everything is somewhat inspired by our love for nature,” says Bonnier. “You can see it in all the details.” Just as raw woods and organic shapes bring nature inside our walls, our team often ventures outside our office walls too. “We have our Monday meetings outdoors in any weather, the only exception being when it drops below -10 degrees Celsius. It’s to help us to take in our surroundings and feel grounded. It’s the Scandinavian way.”

And like nature itself, Bonnier describes Vogue Scandinavia’s hub as “a living, organic space.” With the launch of each issue, new prints adorn the walls. With each new designer or local Scandinavian talent we interact with, a new furnishing, book or creation begs to be showcased. “It’s never going to be complete, it will continue to evolve and evolve,” she says.

As Bonnier puts it: this is our “forever home”. “Our office environment holds up a mirror to the magic of our region, reminding us every day of the wonderful and inspiring aspects of Nordic life and design,” she says. It’s where we pour our heart and soul into Vogue Scandinavia, this very magazine. Created with love, from our home to yours.

Scroll on for 21 snapshots of Vogue Scandinavia's workspace interior, each captioned with anecdotes and details from Bonnier:

“A warm welcome to Vogue Scandinavia's headquarters in the heart of Stockholm’s unique Lärkstaden area. Our building’s façade reflects the history of the area, with structures dating back to the early 1900s that were constructed from brick and stone as inspired by English townhouses. Our position on Sköldungagatan finds us in good company as part of a vibrant creative hub, surrounded by film and music producers, and situated adjacent to buzzy boutique hotel hotspot Ett Hem. We know our neighbours well, it’s a wonderful community.”

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“This room was originally the classroom of the building. Now, we gather here to creatively collaborate, sharing ideas amongst top-tier Danish design: the ergonomic table is by Andersen Furniture (via Danish Form), a visionary and sustainably-minded design house founded over 20 years ago by Neils Kastrup and Lars Andersen, while the elegant CH20 ‘Elbow’ oak chairs are designed by Hans J. Wegner for Carl Hansen & Søn –a third-generation, family-run furniture design institution. It is so special to me to adorn the walls of our office with works of the family and friends of Vogue Scandinavia, especially when they have appeared on our pages – as these illustrations by Liselotte Watkins (inspired by real women) have.

Suspended above us is the award-winning ‘Miira 6’ lighting fixture by Danish brand Nuura that feels oh-so Nordic. But perhaps the most unique detail here is the polished brass bell – exactly the same kind which a school teacher may have rung here years ago. It’s by Skultuna, a brand that has been a Swedish royal court supplier since 1607. The hand-woven ‘Korean Chives’ rug is designed by artist Evelina Kroon for Layered, while the vase is the beloved, rippling ‘Savoy’ design from Iittala’s Alvar Aalto Collection.”

“This cabinet piece is by a young Swedish designer called Sara Larsson who I discovered at a furniture fair. As soon as I saw this design by her brand A2, I knew we needed it for our office. The bow handles make it the perfect mix of furniture design and fashion. Above, our sacred fashion references and objet d’art – including a hand-blown vessel by Swedish glass artist Morgan Persson – are nestled and stacked on custom-made shelves by Norrgavel. Meanwhile, sheer woven linen curtains, made-to-measure by Swedish brand Gotain, catch the light and tie the whole room together so beautifully.”

“When the office was still an empty shell, I met with Per Náden, an architect and furniture designer who contributes designs for Verk, a brand that works exclusively with local Swedish raw material: from wood, to leather, wool and surface treatments. I told Per about the history of the building as the ‘Quiet School’ and he spontaneously said to me: ‘We need to create a classroom-style school desk, a modern, sustainable version’. He produced them entirely from wood in his Gothenburg carpentry studio, cleverly using wooden inserts in place of the usual nuts and bolts. In addition, all of Verk’s creations are sustainably made with a low carbon footprint and completely traceable materials – down to the exact forest where the trees are sourced. For the desk’s tops, Verk tapped local tannery Tärnsjö to source natural leather that develops a beautiful patina with age.

Now the bespoke desks sit side-by-side in our adapted classroom, grounded by the ‘Korean Chives’ hand-woven jute rug by artist Evelina Kroon for Layered, a Swedish interior design brand that is leading the charge with its conscious and entirely traceable designs. Atop of the desks are beautiful boxes by Bookbinders Design, rendered in colours that tie into the palette originally inspired by the neighbouring stained glass. Meanwhile, the desks’ pale blonde wood ties in perfectly with the upholstered Gärsnas ‘Day’ armchairs by renowned Swedish designer Pierre Sindre.”

“Serving as a focal point of our office entryway are a series of sculptural pieces by Ekbacken Studios. The company was founded in 2022 by a group of innovators including Kristina Tjäder, one of the three sisters who founded (and still sits on the board of) the Swedish brand House of Dagmar. It’s hard to believe, but the Ekbacken Studios team 3D-print these artful designs from ocean waste, in cooperation with Ocean Tech Hub’s Portuguese-based initiative Peniche Ocean Watch. They’re truly sustainable masterpieces. This particular olive lounge chair and its matching side table are named ‘Eel’ in a nod to the underwater source of its recycled materials and the organic, fish like form.”

“Despite being called Vogue Scandinavia, we are very proud to operate across all of the five Nordic countries – so much so that we want to quite literally wave the flags. Taking pride of place on this streamlined shelving design are flags by Danish design company Rosendahl that are commonplace for celebrations of all kinds – be it a national day or a simple birthday gathering. The shelves themselves are a custom creation by Norrgavel, a heritage, family-run Swedish brand led by founder Nirvan Richter that has been sustainably producing pieces from local materials since 1993. Also sitting on the beautiful wooden shelving are our day-to-day fashion reference books, fabric-covered boxes by BookBinders Design, an almost 100-year-old Swedish pioneer in craft traditions that has its roots in bookbinding art and a love of writing.”

“Our kitchen table is where we naturally unite for coffee and lunch, but it’s also a favoured creative space that draws us together and gives us so much energy. The 'Tak' solid ash table is designed by David Regestam for Gärsnäs, a family-owned factory in Sweden’s Österlen that has produced furniture since 1893. The surrounding chairs are also by Gärsnäs – I liked the idea of having a mix, like a Gärsnäs menu to choose from. Some of these chairs in our mix are iconic designs by the legendary Åke Axlesson, one of Sweden’s most well-known furniture designers. Our selection includes the 92-year-old’s favourite of his ow n designs: the ‘Light & Easy’ chair which is so durable and light enough to lift with a finger, with custom leather upholstery from Tärnsjö Garvari that is left raw and untreated to build a beautiful patina over time as we use them. The accompanying Gärnsnas chairs pictured here are Axlesson's ‘Petit’ and 'Wood' designs, and the 'Ronja' chair by David Ericsson – all made from locally harvested solid beech wood.

Lining the kitchen bench are ornate printed silk-linen cushions by Finnish artist Klaus Haapeniemi that are crawling with natural forms: bees, f lowers, birds and jellyfish, just to name a few. Happeniemi has always been inspired by local folklore and the mysteries of nature and these cushions, which are dotted throughout other rooms of our office too, present his unique take on them. I love the fantasy of it all. On top of the table we always have fresh flowers and foliage in ‘Acorn’ vases by Svenskt Tenn, while underneath lies Vandra Rug’s geometric ‘Catena’ rug designed by Ami Katz, which is handwoven by women at the brand’s atelier in the Carpathian mountains in Ukraine.”

“I’m not exaggerating when I say that a Bröderna Anderssons sofa lasts a lifetime. This is a brand that has been around for over 100 years and is so special to so many, especially in Sweden. Gottfrid Andersson established the company in 1914, working with his wife Jenny to create pieces with a saw, a planer and two mills in Småland. The company is still run by family members and the quality of its pieces is unsurpassed. Perched on the company’s ‘Elektra’ leather sofa, the team has placed a little doll version of me dressed in Prada as created and gifted by master Swedish knitter Erica Laurell Hedberg – a playful touch that means that, even when I’m out and about, I can be watching over the office.

In this space we also have Ekbacken Studios’ ‘Eel’ and ‘Anemone’ side tables, both 3D printed from recycled ocean waste, as well as a handwoven wool and jute ‘Wahl’ rug by Tinted Objects, an exciting Stockholm-based carpeting and interior brand founded by designers Karin Norlaner and Monika Mellin. And of course, our first cover star Greta Thunberg features on our walls as photographed by Iris Alexandrov and Mattias Klum – taking us back to where it all began.”

“We had to retrieve some of the beautiful original doors from the building’s attic, and I’m so glad we did. Decorated with a beautiful Finnish sheep skin – a gift from Pöytyä-based knitwear brand Myssyfarmi that we featured in our third print issue – is Norrgavel’s ‘Multi-O’ birch bench with natural cow-hide upholstery that is so beautiful in its simplicity. It’s all super Scandinavian. Framed above is one of Vogue Scandinavia’s most incredible editorial portraits of Norwegian death diver Kim André Knutsen by Ole Martin Halvorsen, while Tinted Objects’ handwoven ‘Wahl’ rug lies nearby.”

Related: The story behind Alvar Aalto’s three most iconic interior pieces

“I always want to bring the outdoors in. Not just with literal flowers and greenery, but also with organic, nature-inspired interior pieces like this. This vase is the iconic ‘Dagg’ design by Swedish glass and ceramic designer Carina Seth Andersson for Svenskt Tenn, holding a striking arrangement by YourFlowerBouquet Stockholm – our visionary local florist responsible for all the blossoms pictured throughout this story. Meanwhile, the hammered brass candle holders are designed by Swedish artist and friend of Vogue Scandinavia, Martin Bergström, in an exclusive collection for Skultuna called ‘Opaque Objects’. They are like sculptures in themselves.”

“You’ll find that even the smallest and finest of details around our office have been carefully considered. When we pause and gather for lunch or a bite between meetings and productions, we reach for beautiful ‘Swedish Grace’ tableware designed by Louise Adelborg for Rörstrand – a mainstay in so many Scandinavian crockery cupboards. ‘Swedish Grace’, designed by Adelborg to evoke swaying wheat in the summer wind, is as popular today as it was when it premiered in a Stockholm exhibition in 1930. The beautifully shaped and ridged cutlery is Kaj Franck for IIttala, and the ultra-thin ‘Schooner’ crystal glasses we drink from are by Stockholm-based brand Bobo, which supplies its glassware to some of the city’s greatest restaurants and bars such as Frantzén and Röda Huset. Meanwhile, our daily places at the table are set by legendary artist and architect Josef Frank, whose instantly recognisable ‘Celotocaulis’ pattern plays out across our linen Svenskt Tenn placemats.”

“Above our heads in the kitchen are a trio of ‘Verna’ lamps by Pilke Lights that are shaped in a way that reminds me of full plisse skirts. Talented Finnish designer Simo Serpola is responsible for the ‘Verna’, which requires assembly by hand from thick birch ply wood. These lights really showcase the elegance and functionality of design coming out of Finland, and they create an inviting atmosphere for our meals and meetings every day.”

“Our fashion room is a sacred space for us. The custom shelving by Norrgavel, Gärsnäs’ ergonomic ‘Day’ armchairs, and Vandra Rug’s ‘Vera’ floor covering designed by Maja Johansson Starander really enhance this environment for our fashion team to work creatively every day. Illuminating the desk space of the cleverly-designed Grip table by Andersen Furniture are a pair of vintage Tiffany light shades from MässingMäster – a truly one-of-a-kind store in Stockholm that is just a treasure chest of unique lamps. These lamps tie in with the ‘Jugend’ style of the area and are another nod to nature – also reminding me of the history of rose gardens in our Lärkstaden neighbourhood.”

Related: When furniture and family come together: The story of Bröderna Anderssons

“After knocking down some walls and replacing some materials, we managed to turn what was an impossible space at the front of our off ice into a well-designed entryway. Minimalistic hooks devised by Norrgavel were a clever addition – providing a solution for storage while maintaining a clean and purposeful Scandinavian aesthetic. You’ll find our day-to-day coats, bags and accessories hanging here, as these designs by Suzan Szatmáry and Valextra do.”

“Our love for sustainability, upcycling and vintage is ever-present in our office. Here, next to the latest collection pieces in our fashion room, our unused designer dust bags have been repurposed by Stockholm-based seamstress Karl Grahn as a fashion-forward fabric screen. Hung above the clothing racks are beautiful watercolour Chanel Haute Couture illustrations, courtesy of the fashion house itself.”

“These lamps from Swedish brand Malmsten are entirely handmade, with each flower individually pressed into the delicate material. I feel a genuine joy to have pieces like this, which have so much thought behind them, and which we had to eagerly await to be handcrafted for us. Draped over the oak ‘Bodo’ chair by Villa Collection Denmark is a beautiful throw blanket by Bernadotte & Kylberg, the brand started by Sweden's Prince Carl Philip and his creative partner Oscar Kylberg.”

“I tapped into my knowledge of Scandinavian design heritage when planning the interior decor and knew that we had to stick with classic blonde woods. Everything had to be clean, purposeful and never over-decorated. Our wooden rack and coat-hangers, cleverly devised by Norrgavel, are the perfect example of this.”

“Waldemarsuddekrukan, one of Sweden’s most prized ranges of flower pots and vases, was originally designed in 1915 by Prince Eugen, the royal painter and collector who has left a lasting stamp on Swedish culture. We hand-picked these hand-blown glass versions, which are sold exclusively at the Waldermarsudde property in Stockholm’s Djurgarden that Eugen bought at the turn of the century to house his vast art collection. The pieces grace our windowsills, planted with orchids and roses, to overlook our cobblestoned courtyard and the beautiful surrounding brick façades of our Lärkstaden neighbourhood inspired by English townhouses.”

“The beautiful pink tones of Gotain’s made-to-measure velvet curtains, Gärsnäs’ upholstered oak ‘Day’ armchairs and the ergonomic, adjustable desks by Danish brand Holmris B8 Design (via Danish Form) give the workspace of our art department such a cosy ambience. At our feet lies one of the most recognisable Scandinavian patterns, Stig Lindberg’s leafy mid-century Berså design, produced by Swedish rugmaker Layered. And take note of the lamp by master designer Gunnar Asplund, designed in 1922 with organic-shaped metalwork and glass for Stock holm’s Skandia Cinema. Now, these designs are produced by Altejé Lyktan, maint aining the same level of handmade craftsmanship as the original. The artwork hanging on the wall is a one-of-a-kind, unfinished piece by Meta Isæus-Berlin, painted directly onto a glass canvas (and filmed live) for the Swedish artist’s Vogue Scandinavia feature.

“Like its sofas, Bröderna Anderssons’ chairs will stand the test of time. This particular ‘Torparen’ shearling-lined oak design is by influential functionalist designer Gustaf Axel (G.A) Berg who launched the Swedish Modern movement in New York in the 1930s. In line with our raw Scandinavian feeling, the oak ‘Ebern’ table by Villa Collection Denmark is left unfinished and unlacquered. The map of the Nordics is a nod to the space’s academic history, while the Mira lamp by Markslöjd – a Swedish brand that has been lighting up our homes since 1963 – is the epitome of Nordic lighting expertise. Here we also see our office’s go-to mug, the ‘Taiki’ designed by Klaus Haapeniemi for Iittala, Martin Bergström’s hammered brass ‘Opaque Objects’ candle holders for Skaltuna, and beautiful neutral-toned velvet curtains by Gotain which line our walls for texture and depth.”

“I instantly fell in love with this contemporary ‘Petalli’ light design by Danish brand Nuura. It fits in so well with the ‘Jugend’ style of our area and building. When I see it’s shape, like the petals of a flower opening up, it reminds me of a Gustav Klimt painting from that time.”