In Stockholm’s Lärkstaden neighborhood, Ett Hem occupies three connected Arts and Crafts townhouses where the ethos is residential: Founder Jeanette Mix built the concept on guests coming in and out as they would a friend's house, with no formal structure. Designer Ilse Crawford layered the interiors with herringbone floors, velvet armchairs, brass cocktail cabinets, and freestanding tubs. Some guest rooms feature record players and libraries; communal areas include a living room, conservatory, and garden. The property offers honesty bars for self-serve drinking, a yoga studio, a massage room converted from a wine cellar, a sauna with an ice bucket, and a 24/7 gym. Diners can choose between the flexible, chef-prepared dishes available all day or an elaborate seven-course tasting that also draws locals. At Ett Hem, every detail feels like it’s designed to make you feel at ease as the hotel’s Swedish name (“a home”) implies.

When

May and early June are the sweet spot, with temperatures hovering between 55 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Terrace cafés spill back onto the sidewalks, daylight stretches to nearly 18 hours, and the peak-season crowds haven’t yet arrived or decamped to their summer cottages. By September and October, the city feels quieter, with candlelit bars, empty streets, and the last golden light before the long Nordic winter sets in.

Where

Ett Hem is on Sköldungagatan in Lärkstaden, a residential pocket of Östermalm where embassies and Arts and Crafts townhouses line elm-shaded streets. It’s in the calmer, more residential side of the neighborhood, two blocks from Stockholm Östra station and about a 20-minute walk from the city center. Most international flights arrive at Arlanda Airport (around 45 minutes by car), while Bromma Airport, 15–20 minutes away, serves domestic routes and a handful of European destinations.

The Proprietors

In 2006, Jeanette Mix acquired the sturdy 1910 Arts and Crafts corner townhouse on Sköldungagatan, originally built for a Swedish government official and his wife, avid collectors of furniture and textiles. She spent six years refining the concept before opening Ett Hem in 2012, preserving the building's residential character rather than turning it into a conventional luxury hotel. Architect Anders Landström and British interior designer Ilse Crawford helped realize that vision, while Mix extended it to the guest experience with no reception desk, no set menus, and a style of service designed to feel like staying in a private home. Since opening, Ett Hem has expanded from one building to three, now encompassing 25 rooms along the leafy street.

Design

Designed in 1910 by architect Fredrik Dahlberg as a private residence, the building has kept the hallmarks of the Swedish Arts and Crafts movement: balanced proportions, high ceilings, generous windows, and details like original herringbone floors. Landström’s renovation preserved those bones while sensitively adapting the house for contemporary hospitality. Rather than embracing Scandinavian minimalism, Ilse Crawford filled the interiors with Swedish antiques, mid-century classics, bespoke Studioilse furniture, and tactile accents of leather, brass, sheepskin, cashmere, and hand-thrown ceramics.

The Crowd

Design-minded travelers who prefer the comfort of a private home to the choreography of a traditional hotel will feel right at home. It suits couples, families, and longer-stay guests who value privacy, thoughtful design, and understated service.

Rooms

Ett Hem began as a single 12-room Arts and Crafts townhouse and has since grown to 25 rooms and suites across three neighboring 1910 buildings. Rooms range from compact doubles to expansive suites with original tiled stoves, fireplaces, marble bathrooms, and freestanding tubs. Junior Suites hit the sweet spot for space and character (think marble bathrooms, freestanding tubs, and generous living areas). Connecting rooms, private floors, and exclusive buyouts also make the hotel well suited to families and groups.

Service

Service is one of Ett Hem’s strengths. Restaurant reservations, local recommendations, and last-minute requests are handled with ease and efficiency. Interactions feel personal without becoming overbearing or overfamiliar. Breakfast and daily housekeeping are included; laundry, minibar, additional in-room dining, private transfers, and other bespoke arrangements are charged separately.

Dining

Guests are welcomed with a drink of their choosing—a freshly brewed coffee or a glass of chilled riesling—plus whatever sweet morsel has just been pulled from the oven. (On our visit, it was a flaky strawberry tart filled with pastry cream.)

Dining is split between two abutting houses. In the original building, there are seasonal dishes offered throughout the day in the salon, library, or garden. The restaurant in the newer house features two- to four-course lunches and seven-course dinners that draw locals as well as guests. House-baked bread, cured and smoked fish, root vegetables, and simply composed dishes let the Scandinavian ingredients do the talking. Breakfast follows suit, with regional cheeses, freshly baked pastries and sourdough, in-season fruit, and daily egg dishes such as a chanterelle omelet.

Wellness

Tucked away in one of the townhouses is an intimate spa (to be reserved in advance) where guests move privately between a traditional Swedish sauna, a hammam, a cooling ice shower and a heated stone relaxation bed—a Nordic sequence designed around the restorative ritual of alternating heat and cold. Treatments are arranged individually rather than selected from an extensive spa menu, allowing the concierge to arrange everything from Swedish and deep-tissue massage to facials, hammam rituals, and private yoga or Pilates. The gym is compact but properly equipped: Technogym machines, free weights, reformers, and a yoga shala that runs daily classes.

Impact

Sustainability at Ett Hem is woven naturally into the way the hotel is conceived and operated, with a philosophy rooted in longevity, craftsmanship, and localism. The restoration and adaptive reuse of a 1910 Arts and Crafts townhouse, alongside its sensitively designed neighboring buildings, reflects a commitment to preserving architectural heritage, while interiors favor enduring natural materials, vintage pieces, and bespoke Scandinavian craftsmanship designed to last. In the kitchen, seasonal Swedish produce and close relationships with local farmers and artisans underpin a thoughtful, low-waste approach. Collaborations with homegrown brands, including Northern Swedish skincare label Mantle, further reinforce Ett Hem's support for local makers.