Country Houses of Sweden: Landhauser in Schweden = Les Maisons Romantiques De Suede - Hardcover

Stoeltie, Barbara; Stoeltie, Rene; Taschen, Angelika

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 3822858684 ISBN 13: 9783822858684

Publisher: Taschen America Llc, 2001

Synopsis

Barbara and René Stoeltie set out on their journey through Sweden in search of exceptional houses to photograph and write about. They found a number of extraordinary ones, ranging from a castle filled with family treasures to a little wood-built farm, a forgotten artist's studio built on a cliff by the Baltic, and the house in which Astrid Lindgren, the creator of Pippi Longstocking, was born. Ubiquitous silver-grey floorboards and pastel-coloured furniture are typical of the magnificent castles and manor houses of Sweden. With texts and poetry in praise of the land of the midnight sun, and photographs that capture its romance, this book has all the seductive power of its subject.

About this title

Review:

With captions in English, Swedish, and French, this collection of handsome photographs will appeal to world travelers searching for the perfect resting place. Here a reader can get lost in placid lakes reflecting unthreatening clouds; a white sunlit room of peeling paint and alluring bookshelves; a dusky bedroom in which the walls are papered with botanical illustrations. Some of these Swedish country houses have been turned into museums, and some are private homes. Painter Anders Zorn's studio has been preserved exactly as he left it when he died in 1920--his "Zorngarden" is a marvel of gilt-framed mirrors and stunning, somber portraits.

No particular aesthetic prevails in this coffee-table book. Some homes have been modernized, replete with Martha Stewart-style amenities. And the images aren't only distant shots of interiors; a photograph from the Varpet estate near Stockholm shows jars of freshly made jam on a chipped white countertop. What's constant throughout Country Houses of Sweden is a sense of delicious luxury and relaxation. Like a Merchant-Ivory film, it's the kind of book that makes you want to get dressed up. --Emily White

About the Author:

Barbara and René Stoeltie both began their career as artists and gallery owners. With René as the photographer and Barbara as the writer, they have been collaborating on interior design articles since 1984, contributing to such important magazines as Vogue, The World of Interiors, AD, House Beautiful, House and Garden, Country Living, and Elle.

About this edition

• Publisher: Taschen America Llc
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 3822858684
• ISBN 13: 9783822858684
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 188