If Villa Dagmar is a beacon of buzz, Ett Hem is an altogether more secluded affair. The sign is so discreet, no bigger than a letter box, that it’s easy to walk past it. On a quiet residential side street, in Lärkstaden, Östermalm, you’ll find huge wooden doors that open, on buzzer admittance, to a wonderland of a garden.
The design hotel is frequently heralded as one of the most stylish in the world – although don’t call it a hotel. It is, as one of the staff informs me in reverential tones, a house. To that end, the ethos is ‘make yourself comfortable’. Gorgeous mid century designer furniture fills each room. There’s parquet floors, artful masonry, a roaring fire, a vinyl record player on which guests can play whatever song they choose, and lots of mood lighting. Nowhere is off limits: a cookie jar is left out in the kitchen for those feeling peckish. Dinner is cooked before passing guests – on their way to read a book in the conservatory – with a trio of chefs confidently at work. It’s all understated luxury – but not too understated: there’s a hamman in the basement.Rooms are so in demand that now in its 10th year, Ett Hem is expanding to two further townhouses on the street, including a bells and whistles gym. Expect bookings to open from this Autumn.
