Typical of the time

Instructions for maintenance and repair. The booklet deals with how to maintain and repair old sheet metal roofs, without losing the cultural-historical values. The emphasis in the booklet is on the workmanship and also addresses old solutions for gutters, window sills and other important details. Richly illustrated.

Many of us love old houses, the atmosphere they give you, the secrets and questions they hide and pose: What did the house look like originally? Has it always been here? Who has lived here before me?

Sweden has a unique treasure trove of archived material that can tell us so much about our houses and their inhabitants throughout history. This is by no means limited to castles and manor houses. There is also a lot to tell about our country houses, detached houses, city apartments and suburban villas. You just need to know where to look.

In this book, architectural historian Erika Åberg wants to take us by the hand and tell us how we can find the history of our houses, and how we can best utilize different buildings and their annual rings. She does this by telling inspiring stories, guiding us to different archives and showing us how to best interpret a building, exterior and interior.

There are plenty of in-depth examples from the TV program of the same name, but it’s a book that stands on its own, with solid advice on building styles through the ages, building conservation and restoration tips.

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 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.