Ambassador Johanna Brismar Skoog has an official residence in Jakarta that evokes her home country through an extensive and well-curated collection of furniture, furnishings, textiles and curios that embody Sweden. Here we take a closer look at some of the pieces in the residence, which sits in Keboyaran Baru, South Jakarta, and ask Brismar Skoog a few questions about design.
What would a home in Sweden have that might be absent in Indonesia?
“A complete home would have a fireplace,” says Brismar Skoog before leaping into a discussion of the virtues of the kakelugn, which she describes as beautiful old-fashioned ceramic tile heaters that came to prominence in the 18th century under an architect named Carl Hårleman. However, the rise of conventional heating technology means that kakelugn, which were typically painted with gorgeous designs, have become obsolete.
How to explore Swedish design?
Brismar Skoog suggests easing into the topic at the ARTIPELAG museum. The name is a portmanteau of art, activities and archipelago-Stockholm is an archipelago of around 30,000 islands, skerries and rocks that runs about 80 kilometres into the Baltic Sea. The 1,800-square-meter gallery, one of Stockholm’s largest, is one of several on the 22 hectare plot. ARTIPELAG mixes nature and architecture in surprising ways.
Inspired by the textiles devised of Josef Frank?
Inspired by the images of all the textiles devised by Josef Frank in the residence? You’re in luck: London’s renowned Fashion and Textile Museum is staging “Josef Frank: Patterns, Furniture, Painting” until May 2017. don’t miss some of Frank’s never-before-exhibited watercolours.