The house didn’t look like much at first sight. From the outside, it wasn’t particularly attractive. It only had three rooms, a kitchen and a bathroom, while the top floor was an unused attic. But Jenny and Jens Brandt Grönberg immediately saw the potential; the little house radiated a cozy atmosphere and, importantly, it was affordable. “It suited us that it wasn’t all that big,” says Jenny. “We didn’t have the budget to buy a bigger house, and we had a clear priority to live as cheaply as possible, so that we could be at home with our children as much as possible, and also to give us time to work on our shared passion for art and photography.”
Jenny, a photographer, and Jens, a graphic designer and illustrator, together with son Frank (13) and daughter Viola (18) have lived in their house just outside Ystad in southern Sweden for 17 years now, but inside everything is in a state of constant motion and process. An eternal play with art and colours, furniture and design is the couple’s shared enthusiasm. For them, an experimental and imperfect approach to furnishing provides more value than a home fixed and finished – painting the door in a nice new colour will always be more important than getting that loose handle fixed.
The couple rarely buy new items for the house, preferring instead to rely on trips to flea markets, secondhand shops and various local auction houses. They both love hunting for special things, and the endless possibilities that offers.
One thing that they always keep a close eye out for is old TVs. “We watched a lot of television when we were children,” Jenny says, adding that it was the beginning of the couple’s shared love of photography, film and images. “We have a weakness for old TV appliances. We think they are so beautiful. In the past, there was much more difference in design among the various models. They remind us of all the hours we spent basking in the blue light of TVs – and we get a little sentimental. Nowadays, we’re always looking for sets that are as small as possible, so they can decorate the bookshelf.”
The bookshelf she is talking about is of their own design and sits between the two living rooms. The floors and the shelf are the same shade of yellow, which weaves together the different tones and colours of the rooms. They also collect books of all kinds. Mostly it’s photography and art books, but sometimes they’ll pick up a tome and keep it purely because they like the cover.
The sofas are vintage Ikea from 1990, which they have reupholstered in brown furniture velvet from Selfmade. The fabric was bought before the bookcase was painted yellow, so it was a gamble whether they would end up going well together. The colourful rug is from Tropical Scandinavia, and the artworks above the sofa were all found at various flea markets around the world – the Kennedy poster was bought in Nebraska, where Jenny’s siblings live.
The kitchen is characterised by more toned-down colours and the practical Kvik units have been upgraded with a microcement surface. There’s an in-built bench and you can sit and chat while someone is cooking – and keep an eye on the garden, too. A Jeff Koons-inspired balloon dog bought on Etsy sits in the window, a carpet is a gift from Jenny’s aunt. A small wooden shelf holds some of the couple’s flea-market finds, and the small chairs, mini TV and yellow bowls are more secondhand rewards, while a dotted cup is from Danish homewares brand Søstrene Grene.
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After living in the house for 10 years, Jenny and Jens decided to add an extension. This became their studio and gives them room for their creative work. “We spend most of our waking hours there,” says Jenny. “We play music, work, watch movies and read. It’s one big space that reflects all the creativity and interests we have. We paint and refurnish every few months. We rebuild and style it for different photo jobs and we test new colours, shapes and styles. It’s our absolute favourite place in the house.”