CURIOCITY | Stockholm with The Scandi Sisters
Stockholm, Sweden
Curiocity Guides celebrates cities, travel, friendships and the joy of the journey. We’ve been around the globe, so you can travel like a local.
“The best part of any journey are the friends you make along the way”
Meet the Scandi Sisters
Emma Sekhon and Lisa Harradine are the sister duo behind the Scandi Sisters
Hi Emma and Lisa, Tell us a little bit about yourselves.
We are Emma and Lisa, A Swedish sister duo. Emma is a photographer and Lisa is an Interior Stylist.
We’ve been working together for years and decided it’s about time to make it official and in 2019 we created our lifestyle photography and styling business, Scandi Sisters.
Curiocity Guides likes to celebrate friendships made while out in the real world. We know you are no strangers to travel!
I am lucky to have collectively been to Madrid, Crete, Croatia, Mallorca, France from Paris to Bezier to Agel, France Scotland, and of course Sweden-from Stockholm to Mora with you!!
Can you share with us your memory of how we first met?
Bridesmaid for Lisa in Stockholm - Photo by Caught the Light
Lisa: I first met Susan at SHH Architects where we both worked. I just thought she was the coolest, funniest most happy go lucky girl I've ever met. Think it was the work trip to Madrid that sealed the deal. A very entertaining trip with many funny stories to tell.
Emma: It was during the great recession of 2008. You had organised a dinner and movie night out and Lisa brought me along. We remained a friendship trio ever since.
The first thing I love to do when travelling to new lands is to learn a little bit of the local language. Can you help us out here? How do we say the following in Swedish?
Hello: Hej
Thank you: Tack
Cheers!: Skål!
Where can I find it?: Vart någonstans kan jag hitta?
Can you help me? Kan du hjälpa mig?
Love: Kärlek or Älska
Any other helpful words or phrases? Lagom, the perfect amount of something. Not too much not too little.
Why is everyone in Sweden so good looking?:
Dunno, but the funny thing is they would never admit it. We all follow Jantelagen "I'm not better than you rule". It's almost considered vulgar to point out anything good about you.
Stockholm is a great city!
Can you break it down for us - Are there districts or neighbourhoods?
Stockholm consists of 12 islands and is called the Venice of the North for this reason and you always have close proximity to the sea.
Tell us your favorites.
Söder
(south island) is my favourite area as most of my friends live there. Very relaxed area with lots of great cafes, restaurants and shops.
Stockholm as a whole is a great city as everything is in such close proximity and it has such a lovely connection to nature.
Since we are talking to a true creatives we would especially love your thoughts here!
What are your top 4 favourite design spots – either local art and galleries or bigger museums?
1. Our very talented friend and artist Emilia Ilke is always a good one to look out for. She exhibited at the prestigious Liljevalchs this summer. Check out her next show here.
2. Fotografiska is a great photography museum with a lovely cafe/ restaurant with stunning view over Stockholm.
3. Artipelag lovely art museum beautifully situated in the archipelago.
4. Moderna Museet lovely modern art museum with a great shop.
You can’t go to Sweden and not enjoy FIKA!
Can you tell us what it is and the 5 best spots to savour the moment?
The word fika is pronounced “fee-kuh”, and it's used as both a verb and a noun. In English, fika means "to have coffee" or “a coffee break”, but it's about so much more than that. Fika in Sweden is when you sit with your family, friends or colleagues, and take a coffee or tea, often with something sweet on the side.
1. Rosendals trädgård is one of my absolute favourites. I wanted to get married here but my parents had other ideas.
3. Cafe Saturnus I used to live around the corner from this cafe.
4. Snickarbacken 7, Lovely cafe, gallery and shop. Might not be there anymore as I haven't been in ages?
5. Kaffe Bar Great coffee & buns.
There is something so special about the culture surrounded around FIKA, thank you for sharing with us!
One of my favourite things to do when I arrive in a new city is take a long walk and just absorb all the new sounds, sights, and smells. Do you have any favorite strolls to people watch and take it all in?
When we lived in Stockholm we always used to walk to Djurgården.
We would start at our flat at Hummlegården, walk down towards Karlaplan and then take a right down to the sea, cross the bridge and stop of at Flickorna Helins for a coffee and follow the coast out to Rosendals trädgård and have lunch.
On the way back I would always walk past Svensk Tenn for some window shopping.
Where do you like to go to get Inspired?
I love the area around Nytorget. lovely restaurants, cafes and shops and great people watching.
After all that walking and inspiration, I’m hungry. What are your Top 10 places to eat?
1. Brabro, lovely chilled atmosphere. Asian - Scandi food. Gallery and events venue too (Emilia Ilke has exhibited here)
2. FJÄDERHOLMARNAS One of Robs and my favourites. Just a short ferry journey out in the archipelago. Simple food, great seafood.
Fjäderholmarnas
Bar Agrikultur
5. Baragrikultur, sustainable honest food in one of my favourite areas of Stockholm, Nytorget. Loads of restaurants, bars and people watching here.
6. Häktet, an old jail. Nice atmospheric bar and restaurant on south island.
7. Great pizza place http://www.omnipolloshatt.com/
8. Flipping burgers, best burgers
9. Günters, Stockholms best hot dog stall.
10. Greasy spoon, great brunch place.
Tell us a hidden gem that only a real Stockholmare knows?
I don't actually know of such a place in Stockholm.
I feel if something gets trendy in Stockholm every one knows about it.
I can’t think of Sweden and not dream of Summer Solstice and 24 hours of daylight!
Thank you for making this a reality for me! Can you tell us a little about the meaning behind it?
Midsummer celebrations in Sweden were held to welcome summertime and the season of fertility. In some areas people dressed up as 'green men', clad in ferns. They also decorated their houses and farm tools with foliage, and raised tall, leafy maypoles to dance around, probably as early as the 1500s.
Getting Ready for the traditional raising of the maypole - Lisa styling Susan with a traditional human hair pin.
Where and how to best celebrate?
You know where!
In Mora, Dalarna preferably in a sauna and taking dips in the cold mirror lake.
Midsummer gives people hope that brighter times are coming.
Midsummer is a perfect time to enjoy the natural beauty of Sweden. It is also amazing to visit in winter time when you experience the stillness and opposing experience. It is perfect time to hibernate and rejuvinate. And of course, saunas and snow!
Winter Sauna Sessions
Well you have certainly got us excited for a visit to Stockholm! Can you recommend some favorite places to stay (hotel, air bnb, bed and breakfast, etc…)?
1. Scandic Grand Central will always be a favourite in my heart as I stayed there for my wedding with most of my friends and family as you know.
2. Yasuragi Stockholm, Beautiful hotel with an amazing Japanese spa outside Stockholm.
3. Hotel Rival, Great to stay with kids and brilliant location on south island.
4. Lydmar I have never stayed here but it has a great restaurant and bar for people watching. Quirky art feel to it.
For those travelling to Sweden and may want to explore a bit outside of Stockholm, where do you suggest?
Mora, Dalarna of course. As you know I have a soft stop for Mora as I spent most of my holidays there when I was young. Skiing and ice skating in the winter and midsummer paradise in the summer.
We are a big fan of your work! Can you tell us a little bit about how you got into design and photography and what inspires you most?
We were brought up in a creative household with a mother as an artist and a father as a photographer. We were bound to follow their creative footsteps!
Check out The Scandi Sister’s work!
