Last week I picked up this lovely little book at Armour and Co., a beautiful home furnishings shop up the street here in Atlanta. How is it that for centuries Scandanavians have had such a mastery of style? Sweden Style (edited by Angelika Taschen) is a wonderful little book from Taschen that helps the rest of us learn how to incorporate it into our own lives. This little gem is only $9.99 and is well worth the price!

It gets dark early and is often cold in this land, and Swedes have learned to cope with a mastery of color that has the same effect of those funny anti-depressive headlamps the characters of Northern Exposure used to use. The style understands where to be spare, the beauty of natural materials, and the importance of being cozy. It’s a coziness that avoids clutter through balance and appreciation of each object. I can’t stop picking up this book and flipping through the inspiring photos, swearing that I’m going to try and do some editing and rotating of objects around my own house.

photos from TASHEN Books

Armour and Co. is located in the old DWTC Studio space on North Highland in Morningside, right by Sala, the Post Office and San Francisco Coffee House. They don’t appear to have a website yet, but the store is definitely worth a trip. It’s a gorgeous space decorated in the perfect blend of regency and natural styles. You can literally buy an entire living room or dining room complete with amazing accessories there and take it straight home, fooling your friends into thinking you’d been hard at work picking up unique pieces all over the country.