NORDIC NATURAL
Displaying vintage finds from their time in Australia, the USA and Europe, this family’s clever transformation of a Swedish apartment is a rich mix of old and new
An Australian couple in Malmö, Sweden share their passion for vintage in the converted attic of an 1870s building
From Australia to America’s south and Sweden’s third-largest city, Sam Nixon and Grant Snowden’s life of travel has been long and impressive.“We were living in San Antonio in Texas and decided to live in Europe for a while,” says Grant. “Sam is a computer programmer and was o ered a three-month contract in Malmö in Sweden. Fourteen years later, we’re still here!” Their light-filled apartment in a quiet street in the central neighbourhood of Gamla Väster (Swedish for Old West, it’s part of Malmö’s historical area) is packed with vintage finds. In fact, back in 2012, Sam and Grant, who are originally from Sydney and Bomaderry in NSW respectively, knew they had too many treasures to fit into their apartment. So for five years, they ran a shop called Petite Violette, which sold vintage items, handicrafts and homewares from all over the world.
“We are crazy about vintage, natural colours and natural materials like linen, zinc, wood and brick,” says Sam. “I believe that if we’re both crazy about an item – whether it’s a piece of furniture, a painting or a lamp – then it will work well with the rest of our things. And it really is true in most situations.”
The same can be said for the couple’s home, which they fell in love with 11 years ago. This apartment was originally the attic of a 220-square-metre apartment, which the couple split in two. Behind layers of bland 1980s detail, they noticed old beams, chimneys and inner brick walls. After a prolonged renovation, they created their dream home in the old attic.
“We were lucky to get the opportunity to purchase this apartment,” says Sam. “Most potential buyers probably couldn’t see the possibilities because of the really bad condition of the attic, but we saw it as a challenging and fun project.”
They make all decisions concerning interior design together but Sam is primarily responsible for the ideas. She finds inspiration in books, magazines, Instagram, Pinterest and – not least – from their travels. “Sam rearranges and combines our dearest possessions in a way that creates the feeling we love,” says Grant, who was a corporate banker before running their homewares business.
An old wooden filing cabinet found in London many years ago has its current home in the master bedroom, and is one of Sam’s favourite details in the apartment. As for Grant, he has a slightly more sentimental preference. A framed diploma from when his grandmother won a handwriting contest way back in 1935 is part of a grouping of items that decorates the living-area wall, while a framed teatowel of a budgie in the master bedroom reminds him of how much he loved birds as a child.
But above all, it is this family’s busy and active life that sets the atmosphere. There is always something going on, with their two daughters, Charlie, 12; and Nora, 8; and three cats – and occasionally kittens – under one roof. Sam and Grant encourage the children to bring their friends home, and the family often hosts dinner parties and brunch. “Being at home with a warm, open and welcoming atmosphere is the most important thing of all for us,” says Grant.
Sam and Grant have since sold this apartment and the unrenovated lower-level apartment, and have moved on to a new project in the coastal town of Skanör, about 30 minutes drive from Malmö.