Many of us love old houses, the atmosphere they give you, the secrets and questions they hide and pose: What did the house look like originally? Has it always been here? Who has lived here before me?

Sweden has a unique treasure trove of archived material that can tell us so much about our houses and their inhabitants throughout history. This is by no means limited to castles and manor houses. There is also a lot to tell about our country houses, detached houses, city apartments and suburban villas. You just need to know where to look.

In this book, architectural historian Erika Åberg wants to take us by the hand and tell us how we can find the history of our houses, and how we can best utilize different buildings and their annual rings. She does this by telling inspiring stories, guiding us to different archives and showing us how to best interpret a building, exterior and interior.

There are plenty of in-depth examples from the TV program of the same name, but it’s a book that stands on its own, with solid advice on building styles through the ages, building conservation and restoration tips.

The Painting Workshop works on renovating old paintings, repainting using old techniques and developing new products inspired by the traditional painting of the Hälsingland farms. The Painting Workshop holds lectures and workshops on painting at the World Heritage Farms in Hälsingland.

Anna-Carin Åsbrink has been working with old painting techniques for over 40 years and shares here the many skills in stencil painting she has accumulated over the years.

The 24-page booklet describes stenciling on walls, borders and blinds. Includes tips on tools, techniques and color mixing of egg oil tempera. It also describes paintings from Hälsingland, which at the same time is universal for all stencil painting.

Historic oil paints in architecture and restoration is a thorough presentation of the composition of the linseed oil paints used in Swedish building painting from the 18th century onwards.

It provides a clear but multifaceted picture of how recipes have varied over different periods and how they have been adapted to different substrates.

Stylistic shifts in everyday architecture
Tidstypiskt gives those who influence and develop residential buildings and interiors a tool to base long-term sustainable management and development of the building stock on knowledge of existing values.

The authors take us on a hundred-year journey through stylistic changes in everyday architecture. Typical building details from Stockholm are presented decade by decade. From the classicist architecture of the 1880s via the stripped-down functionalism of the 1930s to the 1970s return to the grammar of the stone city as an ideal.

The building details vary with the prevailing architectural style, from the composition of the facades to the division of the windows and the design of the door handles. The reader is given the opportunity to learn and interpret the buildings and details of different periods. Knowledge provides richer experiences and constantly new impressions of everyday architecture – our built cultural heritage.

Photographs and drawings clearly show the development of residential buildings in the city and the traces left by different styles.

A drawing section makes it possible to date door linings and floor plinths – or to use the drawings to make new ones.

The book is aimed at architects, real estate developers, property managers, property owners, but also at housing associations and homeowners. The book is also suitable for teaching purposes.