Stockholm's Ett Hem

Occupying a fine 1910 art nouveau brick mansion in Stockholm’s tranquil Lärkstaden district, Ett Hem, “a home” in Swedish, is a superb 12-room hideaway and the city’s most charming boutique hotel. Owner Jeannette Mix bought the building six years ago and worked with talented architect Anders Landström and London-based interior designer Ilse Crawford to create this flawless urban sanctuary.

The hotel sits behind a brick wall, surrounded by a small garden. We were warmly greeted on a rainy afternoon, shown around the property and invited to make ourselves at home in a glass conservatory off the kitchen. This proved so pleasant, thanks to a cushy sofa, art books, magazines and newspapers, that we decided to forego the museum visits we had planned. The chef served us coffee, homemade cookies and mineral water, and told us we were welcome to rummage around in the open kitchen for snacks and drinks whenever we liked.

Our room came with a herringbone oak parquet floor; a crystal chandelier; a brown leather sofa with a soft, ash-gray sheepskin throw; and fresh flowers in a bronze ceramic pot set on a table painted celadon to match the walls. An old-fashioned sleigh bathtub occupied a sunny alcove by a bow window, and a woodburning ceramic stove warmed a corner of the room. The small bath held a white marble-framed Victorian-style vanity, a roomy white marble stall shower and stacks of fluffy white towels.

We marveled at the attention to detail: hefty handmade oak coat hangers in the wardrobe; bedside reading lamps on easy-to-reach dimmer switches; an in-room iPad in a handmade case; and a ruinously well-stocked minibar housed in a brass-clad étagère.

The hotel’s fitness area includes a sauna and a large, well-equipped gym. In fine weather, guests may read on chaises in the walled garden. The smart young staff is professional and personable without being invasive. Most hoteliers aspire to make their guests feel at home, but Ett Hem truly lives up to its name. -A.H.