Traditional Christmas
IN THE OLD SCHOOL
Henrik and Madeleine live here in the former school, Tycke Skole, in Sweden along with their four children. When it comes to Christmas, the optimal Christmas is definitely when all the children return home and the family comes to visit. Then the table is laid in the school assembly hall and the entire Tycke Skole oozes of traditional, Swedish Christmas in every corner of this big, beautiful house.
The former school was built in the late 1880s and was home to the local public school until 1953. After that, the house was empty until Henrik’s grandmother, Ruth, bought it. During the time when she lived here, this was always a place where the entire family would gather – especially during the festive seasons. Henrik was 11 years old in 1985 and at that time, there was no potential buyer for the house but that was about to change as history will show. As none of the family members wanted to buy the former school, it was sold to someone outside the family. In 2016, it was put up for sale again on the Swedish internet site Hemnet and Henrik bought back the school "for the family" and started a renovation and restauration project that would take many unexpected turns and lasted for several years.
Today, the house isn’t just a house but much more than that, Madeleine tells us. "It’s got an incredibly beautiful soul, and both we and our guests clearly feel it." This place is a never-ending project but that’s the charm of old houses. The couple always does the interior design together. Madeleine might come up with an idea and then Henrik will develop it and come up with the details. "We’re usually inspired by what the house tells us. Once we’ve decided on a red thread, it’s very easy to follow. If you visit an auction or a flea market, you know what will fit to the house and what doesn’t belong in this kind of environment", Henrik explains.
When it comes to the furniture, the couple has lots of favorite items but the item with the biggest sentimental value is the big dining table. Measuring 12.1 ft (3.7 m), it takes up plenty of space in the assembly hall without being too bulky. This is where the family gathers, both in daily life and for parties. As the house dates back to the end of the 1800s, the couple mainly looks for furniture and other items from that era at auctions, at flea markets and in antiques stores. They rarely buy new items and most of their things are recycling items. On one hand, such things are usually of a very fine quality, on the other hand, the patina and the story behind the furniture are just fantastic.
The couple also decorates the home for Christmas together, using traditional items and many items from the time when the house was constructed. In former days, Christmas was a very beautiful time of the year and although many families were struggling, this era has many fine details to offer. The Christmas decoration items belonging to Henrik and Madeleine are often inspired by the classical style of the 1800s and the couple dresses several rooms for Christmas. In the big assembly hall, where they eat their Christmas meal, the Christmas tree stands tall and exquisite with lots of candles and decoration items. They’ve also got a spruce in the library room.
We asked Madeleine and Henrik to share their interior design tips with us. "It’s a good idea to try and sense what the house needs in terms of a general interior design style, depending on the age, color and shape. After that, don’t forget to try and sense what each individual room needs. We like the idea of allowing the rooms to be more than what is expected of them. As an example, we’ve got a sitting area for tired legs in the bathroom and a table for late-night dinners in the bedroom. Creating rooms in the room adds coziness and personality to your home."
