It has allways been one of my dreams to own an apartment in Stockholm with a beautiful view, amazing balcony and with my identity and “Will of freedom” as the strongest form of expression. It sounded like an unreachable goal for many years…
I rebuild two little flats one close to the other making them become one. In an area of Birkastan which is my favorite area in Stockholm.
At the beginning they felt like two little jails. Even the amazing balcony was not enough to help the disturbing sequence of walls and unpleasent feeling of “closed” in.
The project was designed amongst the collaboration of Architect Ulrika Gynnerstedt, artist Bleckan and me, Myself and I. Ulrika proposed six different options for my needs and dreams. I had refused the options I loved the most because of its complications and was scared of it not possible.
My main goal was air, freedom, space, happyness, light. An inspiring home were to work and feel the world around alive. White… Yet full of colors… Playfull… An at same time elegant. This words put toghether seem all in contrast yet they are not. It is the BASIC definition of the way I live, dress, eat, love.
It was not easy and the first designs were quite challenging. I remember Loving imidiately the option of the round walls but was truly scared of it. Bleckan thought instead it was the best option and I followed his suggestion.
Now I am happy I did.
The project had as main goal to abolish the presence of walls and to let the 5 Windows (putting both apartments toghether) give the most light possible to the flat. Making it almoust “float” on the clouds.
Another very important matter for me was the graffiti in the apartment. It was one of my dreams to have one at home. Made for me. Graffiti signifies pure oxygen. In years and years of study, reading and watching graffiti artists I had grown the desire and need of actually having one in my own home. I believe its the only form of art that has still in itself some kind of honesty. It represents the climax of freedom.
Choosing the right artist for it thought wasn’t an easy task. I don’t like all the work of all the graffiti artists. Even if some are very very talented I would have never wanted to have one of their works in my apartment. It is mostly a matter of wanting to see something over and over again or in the contrary distrubed by it. The communication, on an artistic level and aesthetic level was fondamental. To conceive beauty with the same eyes was the main issue.
The choice of Bleckan as an artist for this project was Well thought and incredibly aculate. I had seen some of his work at the artofthestreets festival in stockholm and had seen some of his sketches. His way of conceiving graffiti and mastering it totally drove me crazy. I think his work is genious.
In fact still today I believe it was the right choice and the best one I could make for that wall. The graffiti is clean, pure, lively, strong. It is an explosion of life and colors in complete order of beauty and impeccable sence of aesthetics. Like mathematics perfect in its slight imperfection.
Bleckans graffiti totally Makes the apartment. Not only. It represents me and my brand and my way of seeing things. Its tecnique is mesmerizing. its colors reflect on all the Windows and it is never never disturbing or boring. Its just too beautiful to be true. While walking past it you keep on discovering little details. At Times it seemes as it is moving and the letters one moment or the other may bounce out of the wall and start talking.
I had some friends over some nights ago which were against the graffiti at the beginning… plus I must add… Many in the project itself… Were against the graffiti in the center of the apartment…. Funny enough… Even them were shocked at the end and fell in love with this beauty. I reached the highest level of happyness when one of my friends (the one at first against the graff) said “if this graff were mine I would protect it with glass walls around it. I Wouldn’t let anyone touch it. Its a masterpiece”.
It made me very very happy. Especially because his sentence came out of the voice of someone Who at the beginnig didnt quite agree with this idea. It was awsome to see how he would walk around the graff and keep on saying “it must be protected”. Very very sweet. I agree… Yet I don’t know how to do it since he walls are round.
Most of the persons that come in and out of the apartment want or take a photo of the graff. They smile all the time and they imidiately share it via sms or socialmedia. It is nice to see that the graff “communicates” by itself. I show the kitchen all Made in Corian and the other flat. The balcony. The bathroom…. But believe me… my guests… turn over and over again to look at the graff… :)
The apartment sits in one of the most beautiful areas in Stockholm. It is on a quite road and has stunning view. Yet its Sun is this masterpiece and all my neighbors are enjoying its vision lots. Surely enough untill I get my shades ready for the windows.
It is, at the end and after a lot of suffering for errors and misunderstandings with the builders, an amazing spot of light. The apartment has a positive karma and it feels good, new, home. One of the builders entering one day said “it feels like you walk in and you enter the future that everywere else has not yet happened”.
Its incredible that this could be achieved and that my vision could actually be materialized with the help of Architect & Artist.
The walls were Bleckan painted changed continuosly. They went from round to tear drop to whistle looking. When Bleckan Saw the final walls he was a little nervous about it and told me “this was not were I was supposed to work”. Then I told him, almoust in tears, all the complications and reazons why it couldn’t be done differently and added that if he couldn’t make of it anything it was okay. Fortunate enough he Made it happen. Sketched Ex-Novo his painting right on site that same night and called me saying “its going to work. It Will be good”
I felt so relieved I went to sleep with a smile on my lips.
I was almoust in tears when left him in the apartment because i thought that actually we had compromised the possibility of the graffiti. The air ventilation pipes couldn’t be moved… This little flats had no bathrooms once upon a time…
I thank Ulrika and Bleckan with all my heart for having been close to me with their talents right from the beginning till the end of the project. Both of them have decided lots in this flat. Bleckan had helped us in many other things other than the painting itself and one of them was to “Carry on” the graffiti theme&colors in other parts of the flat without ever “over doing it”. He has decided for the curved walls and for the materials in the bathroom. Plus the divisions and rooms in the second flat.
He would be an awsome Architect.
It surely has been a difficult rebuilding with lots of pause moments which almoust Made it seem impossible to finish. In fact one key person for this project has been Aprill Spendrup. Under her guidance as project leader finally things seemed to be accomplishing their goals and arriving to a final point. Without her this all seems endless…
I Will share some photos of the apartment and how it finally looks with you guys.
Can’t Show all of it because it Will be shown first in some fashion, Decor, Architecture and Interior design Magazines.
Hope you all Will enjoy it! I love it. It feels like the center of the city. The center of earth. A spaceshuttle! :)
