1. The Swedish homes are famous for their minimalist style, but I’ve noticed on this trip that against a minimal background of white walls, white tables, white chairs, white curtains is a lavish array of decorations, which includes but by all means not limited to lamps, gnomes, potted flowers, family photos, glasswares, candle holders, textiles, tapestry, paintings, plates, and all sorts of collections that fittingly take up every corner and crack in the whole space. They are usually artistically designed and are pleasant for the eyes, but can be mind-boggling for a true minimalist.
2. The Swedish obsession for light is amply and audaciously demonstrated in the lamps and candles that are literally everywhere in the space. On the windowsills, on the floors, from the ceilings, on the walls, on the tables. But they are never bright, just multiple clusters of light floating in the darkness, accentuating discreetly certain show pieces of the decoration array. The Swedes absolutely hate the blatant light from a dozen downlights controlled by a single switch. 3. And the light from the ceiling in the living room or above the dining table must absolutely be hung very low so that you can be sure to bump your head at least once a day even if you have lived in the space for 45 years. In a popular cafe right next to a city library, the light above each table is encased in a metal frame. I always wonder how its customers dodge that in a limited space filled up with tables, chairs, sofas and armchairs. 4. Chairs, ah, the Swedish or Scandinavian love for chairs is adorable and should be followed by every other country. Having suffered from the lack of good chairs for almost my whole time in the US, my bottom feels so much at ease while in Sweden. I finally understood why there are so many museums in Scandinavian countries dedicated to chairs. One sits a lot during that half year of darkness after all. 5. If you spot someone wearing anything besides black white and grey in winter, you can bet your life they are not Swedes. So what? The Swedes look fabulous in those dull colors with their tall and slim figures, pale and fine complexions and fifty shades of gold hair.
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