City shopping
Central Sweden’s regional cities Uppsala, Karlstad and Örebro all offer a big-city shopping experience. Visit world-famous affordable fashion retail chain, H&M in its homeland. Step into a Swedish icon when you enter IKEA. Kit yourself out in uniquely modern Swedish design when you shop at fashion-forward Acne, Filippa K, Whyred, J. Lindberg, Hope, and Weekday.
Design lovers can pick up legendary Swedish glass art, crystal and tableware, such as Kosta Boda and Orrefors at design stores and at the everything-under-one-roof Åhléns department store. Karlstad has the giant Bergvik mall complex, and Uppsala has unique antique stores as does nearby Sigtuna.
Historic Swedish folk art
You can’t say you’ve ‘done’ Swedish design until you buy (or even better, make your own) Dalecarlian horse, Sweden’s number one souvenir and handicraft icon. Pick up one in its native land of Dalarna or go the distance and make your own at a Dala horse workshop in Nusnäs or Mora.
Finish the job with the handpainted colourful floral ornamentation in the typical curvy kurbitz technique. Find similar patterns on the region’s folk art including woodwork, ironwork, textiles, pottery and jewellery.
Linen
If you have a penchant for traditional stiff linen, plus progressive design, stretching from curtains and cushions to tablecloths and napkins, mark your map for a visit to Klässbols in Värmland. It’s the bee’s knees of the linen world. Klässbols is a family business with heirloom weaving traditions. Pattern designs include those from the Modern Swedish ’10-gruppen’ design cooperative.
At the Klässbol linen weaving mill, you can get bargains on its trademark, prime quality linen. Be safe in the knowledge you will be dining with the best. Klässbols tablecloths and napkin ranges are used at Nobel banquets, The Swedish Royal Court and Swedish Embassies.