My Stockholm: Andrew Duncanson

Time Out - Stockholm

Andrew Duncanson moved from Scotland to Stockholm in 1998 and opened Modernity (see p155), a store devoted to 20th-century design. For anyone interested in the big names of mid-century modern furnishing – Wegner, Wrikkala, Juhl, Aalto, Jacobsen et al – it’s unmissable.

I live in Östermalm and for me the best way to start the day is with a brisk walk – or even a jog – round Djurgården. Afterwards you can get breakfast at Rosendahls Trädgård, a lovely café and plant nursery. It’s great for fresh food and you can get something healthy, or indulge with one of the cakes that are freshly baked on the premises. While I’m on Djurgården I’d visit the Thielska Galleriet (see p74). It’s a Jugendstil building that was commissioned by a Swedish banker, Ernest Thiel, in 1904. He wanted a place to display his art collection, which contains several works by Edvard Munch. Because the house was built around the collection it feels very integrated.

For lunch, I love Nybroe Smörrebröd in the Östermalms Saluhall market. They do these great Danish open sandwiches, which is maybe a strange thing to eat in Stockholm but you don’t see them anywhere else and they are excellent. After that, I might visit Georg Jensen Damask for another Danish product – high-quality table linens. They stock everything from typically Scandinavian geometric designs to more modern patterns. I often buy wedding presents here. I also like the contemporary Swedish silver at Nutida Svenskt Silver, the paper at Ljunggrens in Gamla Stan, and on Södermalm, the pottery, jewellery and glass at Konsthantverkarna. This is a place that promotes contemporary handicrafts, but not in a macramé-and-knitwear sense. They help young designers continue traditional crafts.

It’s always nice to visit the National Museum. The first floor design department is the closest thing there is in Stockholm to a proper design museum. Afterwards I might continue over the bridge to Skeppsholmen and spend a couple of hours at the Moderna Museet.

To round off the day: dinner at PA & Co. there are posher restaurants in town, and more expensive ones, but PA is small, informal and always bustling. You don’t have to go wild – you can eat traditional Swedish husmanskost for just over a hundred kronor or have something special for 300 kr. They don’t take reservations, but if you pop in after lunchtime they will hold a table for you for that evening. I eat there at least once a week, and it’s consistently good. You’ll see everyone here – models, actors, sportsmen, authors – so it is great for a bit of people watching.

Modernity
Sibyllegatan 6, Östermalm.

Scotsman Andrew Duncanson specializes in Scandinavian 20th-century deisgn, including furniture, ceramics, glass and jewellery. If you’re a fan of Alvar Aalto and Arne Jacobsen, then this place is an absolute must.