At home with the Details authors

Posted by Tiffany on September 1st, 2010    1 Comment »

It was just a few weeks ago that I was meandering through some of my favorite streets in Stockholm and popping into shops. That’s when I first spotted the book Detaljer Hemma (Details at Home). I bought it on the spot.

Little did I know that it had probably found its way to that shelf for the first time that morning. It’s only just been released in Sweden. That’s why I’m extra excited to be able to bring it to you now!

And also why I’m so pleased to bring you an exclusive interview with one of the authors, Ulf Huett Nilsson.

Ulf Huett Nilsson and Annika Huett. All photos courtesy of Ulf Huett Nilsson and Max Ström Book Publishers unless otherwise noted.

FS: Details is all about homes. So where is your home?

UHN: We live in Stockholm. But in summertime we go to Öland, an island off the east cost of Sweden.

FS: And your co-author Annika Huett…?

UHN: Annika is my wife and we have three daughters together. We also run a company together.

How did you get the idea for Details?

UHN: Annika and I wanted to show things that we liked and that fit with what our idea of home is.

FS: What were each of your different roles in this project?

UHN: We both regularly work together and separately in many different ways.

In this project, Annika was the one with all the ideas and I was the photographer. For other projects, for instance when we’ve done exhibitions and books in the past, Annika will do paintings and I’ll photograph. Usually the ideas come from both of us.

FS: What feeling were you trying to capture in Details at Home?

UHN: We were trying to capture the feeling of the homes based on the details we found inside them. The mood was enhanced even more by the great design of the book.

FS: What kinds of homes did you look for to photograph?

UHN: It’s hard to say, to see the affinity between the homes. But they all had a special feeling, a special style. The style could be modern or old-fashioned, or both. It was just something we could see the moment we crossed the doorstep.

FS: How many homes did you photograph altogether for the book?

UHN: We started photographing homes in 2007 and shot 32 homes by the time we were finished.

How would you describe your own home?

UHN: It’s an old house built in 1909, sloping and charming, made up of four floors and lots of stairs. It’s both minimalistic and full of details.

FS: What kinds of details?

UHN: Special wallpapers for example, and funny little things that mean something special for someone in the family. Also some very special inherited things.

FS: What is your favorite detail in your own home?

UHN: A reindeer antler on the garage wall.

FS: What was your favorite thing about this project?

UHN: I liked the collecting part of it, one more spice-shelf, one more bed table…

FS: Finally, what would you like to do next?

UHN: We’d like to do another book together, but that’s a secret so far. And Annika will continue with her concrete and mosaic work.

FS: Well we’ll certainly look forward to that. And in the meantime there are enough details packed into this book to keep us inspired for years!

(Thanks Ulf and Annika!)

Buy Details at Home in the shop this month only!

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