Patterned walls, exotic furniture and classic touches gave this midcentury Swedish home a fresh life for a family of six. Cat and James Brewis moved from London to Sweden over 10 years ago and immediately started searching for a home outside of Uppsala, Sweden. The couple, who had previously lived in France and Indonesia, wanted a blank slate to meet their eclectic furniture and infuse using their lively style. “We found this scruffy little home with amazing environment,” says Cat. “It had no competition on bidding! I hated the dreadful house, but James saw great potential. Now we love it”
at a Glance
Who lives here: Cat Brewis and 4 sons; husband James now lives and works in Indonesia
Location: Marielund, Sweden
Size: 2,260 square feet
That’s intriguing: A dining room cupboard is constructed of timber from a sunken battleship.
Fotograf Lisbet Spörndly
The Brewis’ home is set from the small, idyllic village of Marielund. This lakeside locale has just about 70 other houses and was originally a summer vacation spot for store owners at Uppsala. The majority of the homes were constructed at the beginning of the 20th century, and Cat needed to ensure her house’s architecture reflected that fashion. “The aim was to make it fit in with the present houses in the beginning of the 20th century, but in a unique manner,” she says.
Background, drapes: Designers Guild
Fotograf Lisbet Spörndly
James left much of the decorating upward to Cat, so that she chose the majority of the fabrics and wall coverings for their property. They already had most of the furniture out of previous homes, and Cat incorporated a mixture of French, Indonesian, Swedish and British bits.
Chair: Mio; rug: Ikea; coffee table, seat: teak in Bali
Fotograf Lisbet Spörndly
The unique fireplace is an old-fashioned tile cooker — kakelugn from Swedish — that Cat and James nabbed from a neighbor’s home and had refinished. Brick stones within the cooker are heated by the flame and retain heat long enough to keep the home warm for the day. The home originally had one (they found the ruins in their garden), but it had been removed years before and replaced with more contemporary heaters.
Background: Designers Guild
Fotograf Lisbet Spörndly
Cat and James’ first real home together was in Jakarta, Indonesia, a lot of the furniture is Indonesian. Among the friends of the couple created this sideboard in Bali.
Sideboard: Papipoto
Fotograf Lisbet Spörndly
The open and bright dining room has a mixture of textures and remedies for a warm effect. The cupboard in the corner is created out of old oak pieces via an 18th-century Swedish battleship. The ship sank just outside of Cat’s hometown, and several of these oak pieces — blackened by salt water — were bought by a local carpenter.
Fotograf Lisbet Spörndly
The dining chairs are old Dutch antiques the few found in Jakarta. Cat had them painted and distressed.
Rug: The Conran Store; seats, table: Indonesia
Fotograf Lisbet Spörndly
The kitchen is Cat’s beloved area in the home — the area’s access to the dining room, living room and garden means she could cook and keep your eye on the kids while they play or do homework.
Bench: Indonesia; background: Designers Guild
Fotograf Lisbet Spörndly
Cat outfitted her kitchen with bits from Ikea. She was able to customize the walnut countertops and easy white cabinetry at the specific style and layout that she wanted.
Fotograf Lisbet Spörndly
With four young boys, storage and durability would be the main priorities, but Cat also wanted a clean and simple layout that would work together with the property’s architecture.
Countertops, cabinetry, shelving, pub stools: Ikea; hood and range: Miele
Fotograf Lisbet Spörndly
After the family moved , the home was outfitted with its original, terribly outdated kitchen. Following a year of living together with broken-down appliances, Cat fully remodeled the base floor of the home. Five years and two more kids later, the family ran out of space and also did another renovation to expand the living space.
Fotograf Lisbet Spörndly
With the interior of the home nearly complete, Cat can not wait to begin renovations to the expansive property out. Future potential jobs include a workshop, a drama cottage, a garage and an apple orchard. She is also hoping to construct a patio outside the kitchen’s double doors and convert an old henhouse to a guest room. And her boys would love a pool. “We are at the point where our strategies are still forming and fantasies are being discussed,” she says.
Photography: Lisbet Spörndly