Product Description

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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #441340 in Books
• Published on: 2001-06-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 192 pages

Amazon.com 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

Language Notes
Text: English, German, French

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.

Customer Reviews

Beautiful Book and Wide-ranging
This is a beautifully presented publication. Its padded hard cover and thick paper quality are matched by excellent colour photographs.

The choices of homes is good: from palaces to simple country cottages. The text for each home is limited because of space for translation into French and German, but its gives a personal background to each building and interior.

It has none of the frilly interiors or silly text that often accompanies the English versions of Scandinavian interior books.

It is an excellent companion to The Swedish Room, which gives a more comprehensive historical perspective.