Discover, preserve, recreate. A garden is in a state of constant change. Caring for an old garden is therefore not about freezing a state. Instead, it is about getting to know the garden in order to best preserve its various elements for the future.

In his role as a garden antiquarian, André Strömqvist has extensive experience of older environments and, as a gardener, the necessary practical knowledge.

He describes how we can find clues, interpret what we see and set a level of ambition that works. He guides us through the different parts of the garden in the form of flower beds, hedges, stone paths and fruit trees. He describes how we can go about caring for, restoring and recreating the various parts, and lets history in the form of pioneers of older times, methods and cultural varieties arouse curiosity and inspiration.

Photo: André Strömqvist

How to get the time, advice and power to restore your home.

Join architectural historian Erika Åberg on her own house journey. Here she shares her experiences and best advice – from planning and strategies to practical projects. An old house or apartment with historical soul and atmosphere is a dream for many. A comfortable family life in a charming home with modern features, sound materials and beautiful details. But everyday life in an older building also means that there is always something to repair, replace or beautify.

Erika Åberg and her husband have been restoring their farm from scratch, inside and out, for just over a decade, and living family life with two young children in the meantime. How do you find the time, advice and energy?

In this book, she describes in ten chapters ten basic ways of thinking about building conservation and restoration. It covers everything from approaches to practical step-by-step moments.

The book shows you how to restore in a way that is sustainable; for the home, for the environment and for you and your family.

The book provides an illustrative picture of the standard and style development of kitchens and bathrooms in Sweden’s apartment buildings and detached houses. The design and equipment of kitchens and bathrooms follow the spirit of the times through the decades, both technically and functionally. At the same time, history bears clear traces of how the view of housework and life in the home has changed over time.

The story begins in the 1880s, when many cities are growing rapidly in the wake of industrialization. There is a housing shortage and economic conditions are tight. Homes are heated by tiled stoves or fireplaces, food is cooked on wood stoves and there are dry toilets in the yard. 120 years later, in 2000, when the story ends, high standards in kitchens and bathrooms are a matter of course. New trends follow one another and many kitchens and bathrooms are torn out and rebuilt, long before it is technically necessary.

Increased knowledge of period interiors is a valuable basis for conservation, renovation and remodeling. Inspiration can be drawn from the floor plans, kitchen layouts and furnishings of different periods.

Cecilia Björk architect SAR/MSA and Laila Reppen architect SAR/MSA are authors and illustrators of books such as Så byggdes husen 1880-2000, Så byggdes staden, Så byggdes villan and Tidstypiskt. Gustav Bergström, “Rävjägaren”, is a civil engineer as well as a writer and opinion leader in architecture and building conservation.

The book is nominated for Book of the Year 2020.

The tiled stove in Sweden – part two in the series Perspectives from the Engelsberg World Heritage Site.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, the tiled stove remained by far the most important source of heat in Swedish homes. Both the technology and the aesthetics were refined, even though the same basic principle is still used today in tiled stove installations. Today, the tiled stove is an important example of the Enlightenment’s work with technology, science and craftsmanship.

In 1767, the architect and superintendent Carl Johan Cronstedt presented a memorial entitled “Beskrifning på Ny Inrättning af Kakelugnar til Weds Besparing för Rikets råd”. It described a revolutionary construction that would change Swedish architecture and housekeeping for the next hundred and fifty years: the modern tiled stove.

The anthology is part of the series Perspectives from the Engelsberg Mill World Heritage Site. Previously published titles in the series are Tapeter genom tiderna. Future titles will also include Gardens during the age of the mills.

The editors-in-chief are Kurt Almqvist and Svante Helmbaek Tirén.