Soaring Beauty

Looking at this stunning apartment from the 1800s, located in Malmo, Sweden, it's hard to believe that its soaring high ceilings and gorgeous architectural details were once hidden away in the 1970s, under a dropped ceiling of acoustic tiles and shabby particleboard. But when Nina Bergsten and her boyfriend lucked into this space after moving from Stockholm, it was all thanks to earning the liking of the old lady who lived there, who thought they were such a nice couple together. And because she trusted they appreciated and would take care of her home, they were able to obtain it for a good price — Nina says frankly that otherwise they probably couldn't have afforded it. With the old lady's approval, they removed the hideous later additions and restored the apartment to its former beauty — and the lovely results make it easy to see why she had such faith in this creative pair. More here on Residence.


(photography by marcus lawett)