EMMAS DESIGNBLOGG

Design and style from a Scandinavian perspective

Remember this?

In September 2007 I wrote about this stunning Stockholm apartment, which was then for sale. Well, today I saw it again on the popular tv show Design: Simon & Tomas, and got to see not only what the new owners had done to the place, but also what decorators Simon and Tomas did. And I got sad. It was all horrible. This is probably one of the most amazing apartments Stockholm has to offer, and it was all ruined! Sure, the new owners hadn't really done much to the place, the kitchen was still intact, but all the stuff they had put in there was just aweful.

Look at this picture of what it looked like before the decorating show got there. This isn't bad taste. This is no taste.



And then you can see the finished result from the tv show:




Sure, it is much better than the before picture, but do you remember what it looked like 1,5 years ago?




Now do you understand why I feel a bit sad that this wonderful place is all gone?


Comments

  • Anna says:

    OMG!! På allvar är det sant?? Har de sabbat allt det vita och vackra för att göra skabbigt 80-tals disco av det?

    Tur att saker går att återställa relativt enkelt!

    Jag älskar din blogg föresten!!

    2009-01-26 | 21:55:12
    URL: http://www.minxdesign.se
  • Daniel says:

    Jeeez... There's only one word for this... SACRILEGE!!!

    Then again what do you expect from those two retards.

    The really amazing thing is that the people that bought the apartment must have paid a kazillion bucks for it. If you paid for it and it's already perfect why fuck it up?

    This is investigative journalism at it's best though.

    2009-01-26 | 22:01:34
    URL: http://bouboulemodern.blogspot.com/
  • Anna @ D16 says:

    Ugh. Ugh.



    When I came to this post, I actually saw the top photos before reading what you wrote, and my first thought was, "Hmmm, Emma usually has such good taste, but this is disgusting!"



    And indeed it is. :(



    Hopefully no structural damage was done. (Did they murder those kitchen floors??)

    2009-01-26 | 22:14:37
    URL: http://doorsixteen.com
  • Lindsay says:

    WHAT an apocalypse. The two most recent incarnations of this room can be described as "out of the frying pan and into the fire."

    But PS, I think the early, white incarnation of this apartment would have been radically improved by removing the bandaid-coloured beige leather sofas which seem a little 80s.

    2009-01-26 | 22:16:01
    URL: http://blog.ounodesign.com
  • Fenke says:

    oh, you are soo right! i just saw the gorgeous images in your old post! it was such a fantastic appartment - i almost had to cry ...

    2009-01-26 | 23:24:28
    URL: http://trespluscool.com
  • rightbankgirl says:

    Oh, my. WHAT in the world were they thinking???

    2009-01-26 | 23:25:03
    URL: http://rightbank.wordpress.com/
  • Thistimenow says:



    What in the world were they thinking? Oh! They weren't thinking.

    It was pure perfection before. I agree with you on this one, Emma.



    Felicia, Thistimenow

    2009-01-27 | 00:08:25
    URL: http://www.thistimenow.wordpress.com
  • emma says:

    Thank you so much for all your comments! I was a bit worried when I posted this that you would all think I was just whining, and that Simon and Tomas did a good job... But it seems you all agree with me, so I'm relieved. But still sad.

    Then again, what did I expect from this "design team"? They have the worst taste I've ever seen for someones who are supposed to be professionals.



    And Anna, I'm happy to say that they didn't touch the kitchen floor. Actually, all they really did was paint the fireplace, a wall and the ceiling. Easy enough to transform it all back to "nice" again. Although I have to admit I kind of liked the fireplace black.

    2009-01-27 | 00:33:28
    URL: http://emmas.blogg.se/
  • Wren says:

    gawd... it looks like they let the 80's attack that apartment. what a waste of the beautiful light.

    2009-01-27 | 02:01:28
    URL: http://chicpeastudio.com
  • Liza says:

    Ugh, this makes me sick. I'm so sad. At least we have the beautiful photos of what it was. Some day, perhaps someone with taste will be able to fix it...

    2009-01-27 | 02:04:25
    URL: http://www.postcardsfromcolorado.blogspot.com/
  • moseplassen says:

    Isj, dette var ikke en fin før og etter serie nei.. Jeg begriper ikke vitsen med det forrhenget rundt sofagruppa? Det var utrolig ulekkert med den skinna som gikk over det snirklemønsteret.

    2009-01-27 | 02:19:56
    URL: http://moseplassen.blogspot.com
  • Ma Petite Amy says:

    Oh, that's really sad...such a beautiful, open and light space transformed into that?! VILE!

    2009-01-27 | 03:23:41
    URL: http://mapetiteamy.com/
  • Lena says:

    That was my thought yesterday as well, when I saw the show on TV! And I was wondering, is it ME? Have I no taste? Or is this the most dreadful ever? Do they just joke us around? I still wonder about the last bit...

    2009-01-27 | 08:51:21
    URL: http://losformos.wordpress.com
  • Linda P says:

    OMG, Emma det var hårda ord. Även om jag håller med dig ;)



    Det är ju trendigt med "personliga hem" nu ju... Hehehehe

    2009-01-27 | 10:01:09
    URL: http://livinglikelinda.blogg.se/
  • Mike says:

    Couldn´t agree more!

    2009-01-27 | 10:19:01
  • vosgesparis says:

    YUK I hope that gorgeus kitchen is still intact ;(

    2009-01-27 | 12:15:15
    URL: http://vosgesparis.blogspot.com
  • Magda says:

    That is unbelievable.



    You can't even tell it's the same apartment until you look carefully at the walls/windows.



    BUT there's an upside -- the lesson here is that no matter how BAD something looks, if you look for the potential you could go from something terrible to something beautiful, sometimes without too much effort! Chin up all you house-hunters.



    P.S. What is with the damn hospital curtains on rails!!??!

    2009-01-27 | 12:27:24
    URL: http://www.cherryskin.blogspot.com
  • emma says:

    I know good taste doesn't come with money, but pleeeaase if you can pay 2 million dollars for an apartment, you shoud be able to afford a professional decorator...



    And Lena, I'm right there with you. If I hadn't seen Simon's furniture store I would totally think he was pulling our leg with all the horrible designs on the show, but now, I'm not sure...

    2009-01-27 | 13:55:14
    URL: http://emmas.blogg.se/
  • elissa says:

    It is like Mickey Rourke's face!

    2009-01-27 | 13:57:26
  • A. says:

    WOW. The initial photos of the beautiful, clean white interior depicted a stunning place.



    The "before" picture is horrifying. It makes me want to go home and throw out everything I own, even though my space is far from cluttered.



    The "after" is vile, but in a whole different way. Is this a home or a nightclub???

    2009-01-27 | 15:45:46
  • Ms Unreliable says:

    Sigh. I feel sad with you, it was truly beautiful, and now it's just cringe worthy. It can still be saved though, let's just convince the new (and unworthy!) owners that the place is haunted so they give it to someone who will restore it to its former glory!

    2009-01-27 | 18:29:19
    URL: http://thatunreliablegirl.blogspot.com
  • raina Kattelson says:

    Now it looks like a bad 80's disco! The before so peacfull. WHAT were they thinking.

    2009-01-27 | 19:52:35
  • emma says:

    Ms Unreliable, I'm so with you on that one! Let's all try to convince them to give away their apartment to someone more deserving. Like me for example! :-)

    2009-01-27 | 19:54:29
    URL: http://emmas.blogg.se/
  • tiina says:

    vilka dumma dumma människor. hur kan man förstöra något så fint så totalt? oh hemskt :(

    2009-01-27 | 21:17:55
    URL: http://www.livialoves.blogspot.com
  • Alexandra says:

    Så otroligt deppigt... Kommer så väl ihåg när du visade våningen i din blogg, reagerade helt fysiskt med hjärtklappning. Ett av de vackraste hem jag någonsin sett. All gone...

    2009-01-28 | 11:49:08
    URL: http://livinginandyland.blogspot.com
  • Purple Area says:

    Håller med det är gräsligt. Jag har skrivit om ett annat skräckexempel med Gerth Wingårds typhus. Se här:



    http://purplearea.blogspot.com/2008/02/simon-ger-sig-p-gert-wingrdhs-typhus.html



    http://purplearea.blogspot.com/2008/02/en-bttre-lsning-tycker-jag.html





    2009-01-30 | 16:00:34
    URL: http://purplearea.blogspot.com
  • Andrea says:

    Oh...the nerve! how could they create that monster in such beautiful space? the owners were not stylists so that their house looked horrid, well, many houses look horrid. But that you get paid as a stylist and you create that, totally destroying what the house has to offer? that IS no taste!





    poor apartment...

    2009-01-31 | 09:00:04
    URL: http://www.allprettythings.typepad.com
  • Anni says:

    This is disgusting, terrible. :(

    2009-02-01 | 13:33:22
  • T O D A Y says:

    I totally agree with you Emma...I was watching the program as well and the apartment looked so familiar.. now I know where I saw it. They have ruined it! Sad but true...

    2009-02-01 | 20:35:31
    URL: http://www.nina-today.blogspot.com
  • Lila says:

    Is there jail time for bad home improvement TV show ??

    They should do a some time there [ in prison] :: plenty space to re-think and re-decorate in a more purposeful way...

    I understand why you felt so sad...

    That was reality show [or show and tell alike] will do ... Power of stupidity is unlimited...

    2009-02-03 | 11:25:27
    URL: http://www.ventsdeboheme.typepad.com
  • Designdrömmar/Åsa says:

    Det är inte klokt, gräsligt!

    2009-02-05 | 15:03:42
    URL: http://designdrommar.blogspot.com
  • katie says:

    that is so horrible. they murdered such a beautiful space.

    2009-02-06 | 00:42:36
    URL: http://www.betterlivingthroughdesign.com
  • Åsa says:

    Jag såg inte hela avsnittet, för jag stod inte ut. :-)

    Tyckte det var kul att se Simon & Thomas i början, men nu har de ballat ur.

    Känns lite som om de är med för att göra reklam för sin egen butik.

    2009-02-16 | 10:34:36
    URL: http://ascaca.blogspot.com
  • Daniel Nordstrom says:

    SallyTV lankade hit och sinnessjukt vad nice det ser ut innan. Vitt, stilrent, som en drom.



    Efter-bilderna har det nog sagts nog om sa det behover vi inte ga in pa.

    2009-04-07 | 13:40:17
    URL: http://www.mrnordstrom.com
  • Craftwhack says:

    Such a beautiful place. I can't believe how nasty the "decorated" version is. Hopefully it won't stay like that for too long. The poor loft can probably tell it's been defiled. So sad.

    2012-03-27 | 05:54:46
    URL: http://www.craftwhack.com
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