Malin Glemme wasn’t in the best mood when a real estate broker recognized her at an open house in the fall of 2023. Glemme had high hopes going into the apartment showing (she was on the hunt for a home with turn-of-the-century details), but she was swiftly disappointed when she saw that the newly renovated apartment had been wiped clean of its charm. “Aren’t you the founder of Layered?” the agent asked as Glemme was getting ready to head out the door. She admitted that she was in fact the creative force behind the classic-meets-cool Swedish rug brand. That introduction proved to be pivotal: two weeks later, that same broker called Glemme up to tell her about another listing that she thought would scratch her itch for a home with character. It was a three-bedroom apartment located on Lidingö, a scenic island just northeast of Stockholm, and it was situated within an old water tower.
The 1912 structure had served its function until the early 1950s and was later converted into apartments in the 1980s. Those renovations were obvious: there was fake vinyl flooring and chrome fixtures throughout the whole apartment. But Glemme could see past all of that. The only crucial thing the place was missing was a fourth bedroom for her seven-year-old son. The only possible spot she could think of adding an extra bed was on the ground level, but that also hinged on being able to change the spiral steps into a traditional staircase. “That was a risk when I bought the apartment, because I hadn’t gotten a reply from the carpenters yet on if we could change it,” says Glemme.
Now, her youngest has his own Harry Potter-esque “room” underneath the stairs, which he has made his own by cladding the surrounding cabinet doors with stickers. Sure, his space is pint-sized, but no one is exactly living large in the apartment given the whole place is just under 1,000 square feet. Ahead, Glemme gives us a tour around, dropping a few clever small-space tips along the way.
I bought the kitchen cabinets from IKEA, but then picked a color that felt more customized to my home. I had the stove built-in and added knobs from Corston that look turn-of-the-century. These small things make it all feel a bit more exclusive. | Cabinets, IKEA; Faucet, Sekeskifte; Sconce, Pooky; Backsplash Tile, Stiltje.No matter where we move, the dining table joins. I bought it for $150 16 years ago. It’s become a security blanket for the kids: when they heard we were going to move, they said, ‘Okay, as long as the table comes.’ It was too big for the entrance so I had carpenters cut it apart and reassembled it. There are a lot of patterns going on in the adjacent living area, so I felt like it was nice to have a solid rug with a beautiful scalloped edge underneath. | Rug, Layered; Chair Fabric, Jane Churchill. The sofa is based on the Somerset sofa from Layered except I had it customized for this space with a curved back. When you have three kids, it’s practical to have a slipcover. I bought a chair and a coffee table for about $50 and had them lacquered. They fit perfectly into this small space and it was a very cost-effective way to make those pieces feel more personal and stylish. | Rug, Layered; Lamp, Pooky.Twice a year, I meet with a professional organizer who has helped me create systems in our storage unit (it’s in a small building just next to the water tower). That’s where I put our Christmas boxes and summer clothes—I try not to keep too many things in the home since we’re so limited on space and it’s a challenge to get the kids to, say, actually put their shoes in the entryway bench. | Bench Fabric, Fermoie; Built-in Paint Color, NSC S 4050-R; Mirror, Etsy.My son is super proud of his Harry Potter nook. He’ll tell his friends, ‘I’m going to show you my room’ and his older sisters will whisper, ‘It’s not a room.’ I’m like, ‘Don’t tell him that because he’s really happy with it!’ He has some secret shelves inside and drawers underneath the mattress where he keeps his clothes. It won’t work 10 years down the line but for now, it’s good. The bedrooms on the top floor are small and close to each other. I felt like it was going to look a bit too cluttered if there were different rugs in each space—sisal pulled it all together (plus it’s really cozy and it goes well with so many different colors).
I’m super traditional when it comes to fabric. I love a lot of the old French and English textile houses. I love toile. I love stripes. I could have flower motifs everywhere! Sanna Hall of Spaces by Sanna helped me choose fabrics for my house when I didn’t have the time to dig into all the possibilities. We searched for my bedroom curtains for a long time and when she proposed this option, I knew immediately it’d be amazing.
Fabric trends don’t change quickly. I like pretty much the same patterns that I did when I started working with textiles 26 years ago. | Curtain Fabric, Marvic Textiles; Wall Color, Calamine by Farrow & Ball; Trim Color, Preference Red.
My middle child is super social, but she has type 1 diabetes type which makes it tricky for her to stay over at her friends’ houses. My challenge was organizing her space to make it easier for her to have sleepovers. A bunk bed was practical and the curtains highlight the ceiling and make the room look a bit bigger. | Paint Color on Beds, Blue Gray by Farrow & Ball; Curtain Fabric, Jane Churchill; Bed Fabric, Fermoie.My eldest is really interested in decorating and she was actually the one that figured out the layout for her room. She made the color scheme and we picked out fabrics together. The walls are a paint mix I created myself based on Farrow & Ball’s Calamine except I added more white and yellow to it so it has less of a blue tint. The bathroom had a lot of ’90s details (chrome, blue light coming from the towel dryers). I wanted to keep the renovation on budget so I changed the toilets, had the cabinets painted green to tie it together with the kitchen, and changed the hardware to brass. | Vanity Paint Color, Lichen by Farrow & Ball.We are on the first two levels and have access to a big garden outside, so it feels like we’re in a house, even though it’s an apartment in a water tower. The feeling is so relaxed that sometimes we’ll be in our PJs having breakfast outside and we remember, ‘Oh my gosh, we have neighbors!’
