SIBYLLEGATAN
This is where they’re all at. Like bees to honey shop proprietors aiming to become household names in interior design all seem to seek a Sibyllegatan adress.

For a long time this Östermalm street has been the first port of call for design-savvy Stockholmers and visiting tourists.  And the image as Stockholm’s premier design destination shows no sign of abating, with new shops opening, all looking for that stamp of approval.

A recent newly-established example is Strömbergs, owned by Nina and Mathias Strömberg. It possibly offers a younger, less conservative outlook on interior decorating than the established classic boutiques such as Asplund, Modernity, Jackson and Rehns Antikhandel.

Possibly attracted by the close connection with high-quality vintage design, Swedish fashion brand Our Legacy also operate out of Sibyllegatan, and do so with aplomb – so it’s not only interiors that matter. And being situated a couple of doors up from century-old saddle-maker and modern leather specialists Palmgrens makes a whole lot of sense,completing the circle somewhat. And being situated a couple of doors up from century old saddle maker and modern times leather specialists Palmgrens makes a whole lot of sense and sort of makes it go full circle.

A final word of caution – Sibyllegatan can make a serious dent in your credit card balance.

HISTORY
In the late 1800’s, the upper class of the newly-industrialised society moved to this area of Stockholm, preferring to make their homes on the exclusive boulevards Karlavägen, Narvavägen and Strandvägen. Sibyllegatan, like an artery of life, shooting straight through them, connects the dots, tying them all together.  Since the turn of the last century, it has offered a selection of specialised shops and services suitable for those new inhabitants.

In 1885, 100 of these locals signed a petition that was put forward to the authorities – they wanted to change the name of this part of Stockholm to Östermalm. This was, according to them, due to the old name of Ladugårdslandet not reflecting “the new and most well-built part of the capital” as stated in the document.

That spirit lives on today. Östermalm is the Stockholm district par préférance among the well-off and noble-blooded. That said, the disparity between the various inner city districts are not at all what they used to be.

GETTING THERE
Sadly tram line number 8 no longer whistles past on this relatively narrow street; instead, you can reach Sibyllegatan through the red line of Stockholm’s tunnelbana (towards Mörby or Ropsten), which take you to Östermalmstorg. Make sure you exit the station in the right direction (towards Östermalmstorg – Sibyllegatan, not Stureplan) to avoid a long trek.

For those who prefer to travel overground, the number 62 bus stops at Östermalmstorg, with the number 56 towards Hakberget having a convenient Sibyllegatan stop.

HERR JUDIT
Sibyllegatan 29
www.herrjudit.se

To most fashion-savvy Stockholmers the name Herr Judit is synonymous with stylish vintage and second-hand clothing. Small and personal, and with a bear in the inner room, their Sibyllegatan branch was established in November 2010 and is focused on classic men’s clothing.

“We store the best of Italian and British men’s clothing. We concentrate on timeless garments that feel as fashionable today as when they were made. It could be a tailor-made dinner jacket from the 1930s or an Italian jacket from last year,” is how shop manager Adam Kruse sums it up.

He claims they attract well-dressed men of all ages – students, businessmen and old age pensioners.

And despite being quite recently established on Sibyllegatan they have already found regular customers who either live or work around the street and  Östermalmstorg. Adam leaves us with his take on the street:

“It’s a very interesting street with that distinct design appearance. You have shops like Asplunds with super-modern design, then the antique shops filled with history, and Palmgrens’ timeless craft. So we feel right at home combining history and innovative design.”

SIBYLLANS KAFFE & TE HANDEL
Sibyllegatan 35

“I love the coffee and tea- shop,” Caroline Holfve, restaurant owner from up the street said when asked about her favourite thing on Sibyllegatan. And she’s not the only one.

Probably Stockholm’s premier source for quality coffees and teas, Sibyllans Kaffe & Te Handel has been a loyal companion to coffee and tea lovers in the area since 1916, and today both the third and fourth generations of Hanssons are working the premises.

“My grandfather started the shop in 1916. Back then it was only coffee, and then eventually during harder times it was whatever his mother could send him from the countryside – butter, milk and so on”, Jörgen Hansson explains while manning the coffee roasting machine they have on the premises.

In the 50s they introduced tea, which became a great success. Since then they haven’t looked back, and if you want to sample a slice of the old Stockholm, this should be one of the first places to go.

JACKSON
Sibyllegatan 53
www.jacksons.se

According to Hans Malmborg, who has the exceptional old lamp shop Gamla Lampor on a sidestreet to Sibyllegatan, Jacksons strikes him as “the best interior design shop on Sibyllegatan. And if it is, it’s also the best in Northern Europe.”

It’s run by Paul Jackson and his wife Carina since 1981 when antique dealer Paul moved to Stockholm because of Carina.

On his arrival, Paul quickly fell for Scandinavian design to the such an extent that antiques were swiftly exchanged in the newly opened shop. And although they sell “the best of Scandinavian and international vintage design”, the focus is on the Scandinavian classics. “We do have some Italian design, but it’s Scandinavian design first and foremost, and the 1950s and 60s dominate,” Carina Jackson says before acknowledging the benefits in being one of several high-profile design shops along the street.

“This type of shop reflects the person who runs it so strongly that we all have our own identity. But when we started out there was just us, and Rehns I suppose. Now the street has changed character, a lot of office space on the ground floor has been converted into more shops,” she explains.

Jacksons also run an operation in Berlin, but Stockholm is their base. “We operate differently in Berlin, we have different exhibitions – for example, we had an amazing Josef Frank exhibition recently”.

The customers in Berlin and Stockholm would be the same type – people who take an interest in modern design. “But the Germans wouldn’t be as knowledgeable as the Swedes”.

REHNS ANTIKHANDEL
Sibyllegatan 26
www.rehnsantikhandel.se

Walking into Rehns administers an immediate shock to your senses. It’s a veritable sweet shop for adults. Upon arrival couples or groups of people instantly disperse in opposite directions without saying a word because an object somewhere in the shop catches their fancy.

Situated in the lobby of an old cinema, Rehns has been looking striking since the 1980s.

“Back then we weren’t this many shops selling interior design,” says Tony Andersson who runs the shop together with Thomas Rehn. But he thinks it’s great that so many design and antiques shops are bundled together on the same street.

“It’s great, especially for the international customers we get. I think all of us have carved our own identity and have found our niche,” Tony states.

When Rehns started out they had more customers from abroad than from Sweden. The foregin fans still come; for two reasons, according to Tony. “The prices here are relatively cheap. I don’t know if it’s because we haven’t had any wars around here, but there’s a large supply of antiques. Rehns’ is also covered in both the Wallpaper and Luis Vuitton’s City Guides, and they’re pretty selective.”

He adds that over the last ten years the number of Swedish customers has increased dramatically. “In Stockholm, people are very aware of how one’s home looks. I think we are used to decorating our homes through IKEA from a young age and that is something we bring with us into adulthood.

“We have many young customers now, and the difference with them is that they’re used to mixing and matching in fashion. They blend strong brands with second hand and they’re the same when it comes to interior decorating. They want to be unique”.

PALMGRENS
Sibyllegatan 7
www.palmgrens.se

The first thing that strikes any visitor to Palmgrens is the white, life-size horse on display in the shop. It’s a remnant from the rich history of the premises – Palmgrens has existed on this street for 117 years, but over the years their focus has shifted from making saddles to other leather goods, mainly bags. Catharina Herré was asked to revitalise the brand in 2004; she now designs most of their goods and has run the shop since then.

“We work almost exclusively with leather and use a design that emanates from functionality, before we add handicraft and finer details,” she explains. “A lot of the models we have are classics that we only make fine adjustments to when needed.”

Being a designer working at Sibyllegatan, what does Catharina think of what is essentially the city’s premier design street?

“It’s a street full of life, as opposed to the soulless shopping malls I personally dislike a lot. Palmgrens was founded on this street in 1896 and I think we have developed a special relationship.”

FEMININT
Sibyllegatan 14
www.feminint.se

After ten years modelling and ten years as account manager Ida Eriksén made her second U-turn of her career. She searched specifically around Östermalmstorg for a suitable location to open underwear shop Feminint, and found the perfect spot at Sibyllegatan. Aiming for an impeccable service and an enjoyable shopping experience and possibly for a slightly younger target group is what makes Feminint stand out from similar boutiques.

“I suppose we target the more conscious and brand aware customers who value real good quality. Obviously we are a touch more expensive than the high street chains, but it’s not like we only have luxury brands,” Ida says and names brands such as Spanx, Elle McPherson and Stella McCartney.

She cites a lack of good personal service when buying underwear as a reason for wanting to start this business. “We want to create a welcoming and warm atmosphere where the customer feels well treated and taken care of.”

Feminint also create happening where “groups of girlfriends can come in try on underwear, drink some wine and have a good time together”. Sounds fun.

STOLEN
Sibyllegatan 47
www.stolen.se

There is genuine and then there’s genuine.

In terms of being an “Italian” restaurant, cosy little neighbourhood eaterie Stolen is not actually genuine at all. But since 1986 they have been fooling customers looking for a healthy portion of good Italian cuisine, attracting an ever-increasing merry band of regulars in the process.

The place is full of character, and just like famous Stockholm restaurant Rolf’s Kök, chairs adorn the walls. Hence the name – stolen means ‘the chair’ in Swedish. But there’s more to the story than that.

”When they opened they didn’t have money to spend on the interior, so on opening night everyone had to bring their own chair. Some of those original chairs are actually still here today, with nametags and all,” Caroline Astudillo Holfve explains.

She started working here in 1990 when her family got involved in running the restaurant. Today she’s the manager and part-owner.

And the reason behind the Italian fare? Well, in 1986 Italian food was all the rage in Stockholm and there has never been a reason to change the winning formula.

That formula includes a relaxed atmosphere and the main staples of Italian cooking. I struggle to find a better way of describing it than, well, genuine.

ANNA PÅ ÖSTERMALM
Sibyllegatan 14
www.annapaostermalm.se

Anna på Östermalm is an intimate lunch restaurant offering a friendly welcome and home baked desserts. Not unlike many other places around Stockholm they serve classic Swedish lunchtime fare – the difference is that there aren’t too many of them around here.

Anna herself will greet you from behind the counter and the chef will most probably pop his head out to say hello, which all creates a very personal and homely vibe. This vibe  goes very well together with both the interiors and the home-cooked Swedish classics they serve.

Anna used to have a small café at Kungsholmen but since moving to Sibyllegatan she has made bigger plans.

“We are hoping to be able to sell wine and beer in the near future. And when we do, we will be open during the evenings too,” she reveals. “There aren’t that many small neighborhood restaurants around here.”

CAFÉ TIDEMANS
Sibyllegatan 3
www.tidemans.se

Tidemans, situated at the bottom of Sibyllegatan, close to Dramaten theatre and Strandvägen, is one of those traditional Swedish cafés that offer fika in the mornings and afternoons and the warm lunch of the day in between. Attracting mainly an older crowd at lunchtime by serving healthy portions of lasagne and good Swedish husmanskost to the people working nearby.

During our time spent at Sibyllegatan the café changed ownership but we hear most things will stay the same. “The concept won’t change,” says Ninos Issa at Café Tideman. “We aim to sell wine and beer and make this into a restaurant for the evenings too”.

PRIME WINEBAR
Östermalmstorg 5B
www.primewinebar.se

With a prime location as the name suggests – Prime Winebar can be found on the corner of Östermalmstorg (Östermalms Square) – a considerable passing trade walks by their windows every day. But what entices people to come in is the extensive selection of 600 wines and their growing reputation – in December they were among the three bars nominated as Stockholm’s best wine bar.

“What’s specific to us is that we have 64 wines by the glass that we change every week,” says Annika Gelhaar. She goes on to explain that whether you’re an expert in wine or know nothing at all makes no difference. “We always have at least one educated sommelier to help out”.

A large contingent of regulars populate the wine bar but what do they drink? Is there anything in particular that flies off the shelves?

“Champagne is always popular here,” Annika says. “And obviously now during the winter red wine of all kinds is what we sell most of”.

The one detail that makes an impression on me is the little tags accompanying your glass of wine – so in case you find something you really like you can remember what to buy the next time you’re at Systembolaget.

Tomas Edlund
Estate Agent, Fastighetsbyrån Sibyllegatan

“Sibyllegatan is a prestigious address, which obviously goes for Östermalm in general.

The area has always been the most expensive in Stockholm, although the disparity between the different inner city districts has decreased.

For the most part, Sibyllegatan has a lot of turn-of-the-century buildings with some newly-built houses sprinkled in between. People usually say it’s such a shame they tore those old houses down but they were really in an awful state.

Sibyllegatan is interesting since it goes all the way from Valhallavägen down to Strandvägen; obviously, it’s more expensive the closer to Strandvägen you get.

The average price per square metre for Östermalm is 57-58.000 Kronor, Sibyllegatan would usually come in slightly higher but that’s depending on the apartment of course.

Roy Andersson
Film Director

“I have worked out of Sibyllegatan for 30 years and been living here for 20. At the start I thought Sibyllegatan was Östermalm’s most inhospitable street, just a messy thoroughfare with heavy traffic.

The traffic is still here. But it has either decreased or I have grown used to it. It doesn’t bother me anymore. Quite the opposite. I now like the fact that I work and live on a street that is such an active and vivid part of life.

Sibyllegatan is no tourist track. Sibyllegatan has an active and important role in a pulsating metropolis. To me, Sibyllegatan radiate activity, labour and vitality. And I really think Sibyllegatan has succeeded in becoming more human and enjoyable than it was in 1980 when I started my filmstudio here.”