In this book, architectural antiquarian Erika Åberg shows you how to maintain, renovate and make creative reuse projects with old windows and doors.

“Windows are the soul of the house” has become almost a proverb in the building industry. What does it really mean? What are the significance and qualities of old windows? And what about doors? Here, Erika Åberg talks about design and stylistic approaches through the ages, different types of glass, function – or the lack of it – and the challenges of keeping the heat in and the cold out.

The timber used for windows and doors in the past was the best available, of a quality that is hard to find today. If cared for properly, it can last for hundreds of years. Here you will learn about restoration of varying degrees of difficulty, from first aid to full restoration.

With smart techniques and solutions, you can get windows and doors that are beautiful and fit your house. It goes without saying that preserving is more environmentally friendly than buying new. Here is an example of an orangery built with recycled windows.

Erika Åberg tells you in text and pictures how you can take care of and enjoy your old windows and doors for a long time to come.

Do it again, do it right – Around the country with Renoveringsraseriet by authors Gustav Bergström and Alfred Skogberg.

Over the past decades, we have seen container after container filled with our common building heritage. Beautiful 1950s kitchens are worn out and replaced by mass-produced ones, mouth-blown window glass ends up in landfills, and cheap, unmaintainable materials replace old and solid ones.

Since its inception in 2020, Renovation Fury has criticized careless renovations on their popular Facebook and Instagram accounts of the same name.

In this book, we follow the founders, Gustav Bergström and Alfred Skogberg, on a journey to twelve Swedish cities; from Kiruna in the north to Sölvesborg in the south. They talk to architects, urban planners and experts and point out both good examples and pure disasters.

Do it again, do it right is both a portrait of the times and a cry for help. Caring and preserving is not just about nostalgia, it’s a must if we want to achieve our climate goals. It’s high time we started to see the value of craftsmanship and quality, and realize that new is not always better!

The Colors of the Garden City explains what is special about the centuries-old cultural environments of Bromma and other garden cities in Sweden. What is it that makes the garden city such an attractive form of living even for modern people? What gives character to the urban plan and to buildings and gardens from eras with different stylistic ideals? Learn the differences between the National Romanticism of the 1910s, the Neoclassicism of the 1920s and the Functionalism of the 1930s.

The authors began their mapping of garden cities in Sweden as early as the 1980s, by producing material with color schemes and character descriptions for typical houses of the time. Parts of the material are now in a permanent exhibition in Måleributiken in Alvik and have been shown at the City Museum 2013-2015.

The purpose of the book is to draw attention to the unique cultural values of the garden city for all of us and at the same time inspire you as a homeowner to learn more about architecture and coloring. A cultural environment needs to be protected and your house needs continuous care and attention. When repairing and renovating your house – make sure you do not damage the house due to ignorance.

Building conservation and reuse

How did a dilapidated barn, an abandoned croft, a crumbling manor house, an uninhabitable military barracks and a smelly city apartment get a new lease of life and a new soul? Where did they start? How did they know where to look? And what did they skip?

About the author: Göran Gudmundsson’s new major book is a goldmine for anyone who loves old houses with tradition and flair. Here he tells the story of five comprehensive renovation projects with widely differing conditions. With great expertise, he describes the whole process – before, during and after – and shows in detail how to find the traces of the old, look for renovation materials, color and wallpaper. And not least, how to deal with the various options available. How should you think about original colors and old building materials – if you are also going to live in the house? Is it right or wrong?

“Many people think that building conservation is not for them. I want to change that. I want to show that EVERYONE – not just owners of old houses but also those who have an older apartment, who want to convert an abandoned farmhouse into a holiday home or are just generally interested in the environment and recycling – can find inspiration in the old way of building and decorating. Because if you choose to build new with old methods and used materials, you also get the soul in the bargain.”