Kakelugnar

A kakelugn is a traditional Swedish stove/fireplace, usually tiled, though not always. The one pictured here is much like the one in Margaret and Janne's Stockholm flat.

I found a fantastic website of a company who specializes in reclaimed traditional kakelugn. I've seen a lot of these types of stoves all over Sweden.

The reason I include these is another comment made by my mother. She asked if I had to have a modern fireplace in our little modern house. That got me thinking. Not to sound pretentious, but I like the philosophy of Mies ("less is more") and want to go simple in our home.

But there is another way of thinking; Robert Venturi called it "less is bore". Don't be afraid of a little decoration or prettiness! Maybe a 1850's Swedish fireplace in an otherwise modern home would be interesting?? Something to think about...