Stockholm design shopping guide: the best stores for Swedish design
Where should I shop for Swedish design in Stockholm?
For everyday Swedish design at fair prices: Granit and DesignTorget. For iconic high-end Swedish design: Svenskt Tenn on Strandvägen (Josef Frank textiles and furniture). For handcrafted wood and brush goods: Iris Hantverk. For unique pieces: the NK department store design floor and the Kulturhuset design shop.
Swedish design: what you are actually looking for
Swedish design has a distinct identity that is globally recognised but frequently confused with “Scandinavian design” as a vague aesthetic. At its best, Swedish design is characterised by functionality, honesty of materials, natural references, restraint in ornamentation, and a clarity of purpose. IKEA at one end; Gustavian furniture, Carl Larsson’s textile patterns, and mid-century functionalism at the other.
The relevant question for a visiting shopper is: what is genuinely Swedish versus what is branded and generic? Stockholm’s tourist districts have plenty of the latter — Viking-branded mugs, generic “Nordic” textiles that were manufactured in China. This guide focuses on stores that sell genuinely Swedish design at varying price points.
The honest price warning: Swedish design, when it is genuine, is not cheap. Iris Hantverk brushes, Klara Stockholm ceramics, Granit homeware, and Svenskt Tenn textiles all cost more than equivalent objects from non-premium sources. This is not a rip-off — the goods are well-made and the price reflects Swedish labour costs and quality standards. Budget accordingly, or treat your shopping as an investment in a few carefully chosen pieces.
The stores worth knowing
Iris Hantverk
What it is: A cooperative workshop producing handmade brushes, brooms, and related household goods. Founded in the late 19th century and still operating — the brushes are made by visually impaired craftspeople in workshops in Stockholm and Viken, a tradition the company has maintained continuously for over 130 years.
Products: Vegetable brushes, washing-up brushes, paintbrushes, brooms, floor brushes, shoe brushes — all in wood and natural fibres (horsehair, tampico, bass). The handles are oiled birch; the aesthetics are purely functional, which is exactly what makes them beautiful.
Why it matters: This is Swedish craft without compromise — genuinely made by hand, genuinely traditional, genuinely useful. A vegetable brush from Iris Hantverk will last 10–15 years. It is also a gift that requires no explanation: it is beautiful, it works, it is Swedish.
Location: Lästmakaregatan 22, Norrmalm — a short walk from the main tourist areas. Also available at NK department store and several design shops.
Price range: 150–400 SEK for most brush products; brooms and larger items more.
Svenskt Tenn
What it is: A home furnishings and design store founded in 1924, now one of Sweden’s most iconic design institutions. Located on Strandvägen in Östermalm, the store is best known for its Josef Frank designs — lush, botanical, wildly colourful textile and wallpaper patterns created by the Austrian-Swedish designer from the 1930s onwards.
Products: Josef Frank-pattern fabrics and wallpapers (sold by the metre or made into cushions, bags, accessories), premium Swedish furniture (both Frank originals and updated designs), glassware, ceramics, and homeware.
Why it matters: Svenskt Tenn’s Josef Frank patterns are one of the most distinctive and internationally recognised products of Swedish modern design. They are also genuinely beautiful — the density of botanical colour in a Frank print is unlike anything from the “minimalist Scandinavia” tradition. If you want something that is unmistakably Swedish and excellent quality, a Frank-print cushion or textile piece is the answer.
Location: Strandvägen 5, Östermalm — directly on the main boulevard, ideal to combine with a Strandvägen walk.
Price range: Printed fabrics from approximately 1,000–1,500 SEK/metre; cushions 600–1,400 SEK; bags from 900 SEK. This is premium design; it is worth it.
Hours: Monday–Friday 10am–6pm; Saturday 10am–4pm; Sunday 12–4pm.
Granit
What it is: A Swedish homewares brand with several Stockholm stores, positioned at the mid-market of thoughtful design. Functional objects for kitchen, office, and home in clean forms — kitchen tools, organisational accessories, notebooks, bags, ceramics.
Why it matters: Granit is where Stockholm professionals shop for everyday design objects that are better than generic without being expensive. The quality is consistent, the designs are genuinely considered, and the price point is democratic. If you want to buy multiple pieces without spending Iris Hantverk or Svenskt Tenn money, Granit is the right answer.
Best products: The storage containers, wooden kitchen tools, canvas bags, ceramic mugs, and the consistently good stationery range.
Locations: Multiple Stockholm locations including NK department store, Drottninggatan, and Östermalm. Find the current store list on granit.com.
Price range: 50–600 SEK for most items. Genuinely accessible.
DesignTorget
What it is: A concept store stocking a curated selection of Swedish and Scandinavian design products across homeware, accessories, stationery, children’s products, and gifts. Several Stockholm locations.
Why it matters: DesignTorget is explicitly a gift-buying destination. The buyers are good at selecting items with Swedish design identity at prices that are high enough to be quality-signalling but not prohibitively expensive. If you need a gift for someone and want to buy something that represents Swedish design without a lengthy search, DesignTorget is reliable.
Caution: The curation quality varies by store and buyer — not every item in DesignTorget justifies its price. But the range means you will find something useful.
Locations: Several Stockholm locations including Kulturhuset Stadsteatern (Sergels Torg) — very convenient.
Price range: 100–1,500 SEK.
Klara Stockholm
A design and ceramics brand with a studio-store in central Stockholm. Klara produces handmade ceramics — plates, bowls, cups, vases — in muted Nordic glazes. The work is genuinely handmade in Stockholm, not manufactured with a design studio brand. Prices are in the artisan range (a set of mugs, 800–1,200 SEK) but the quality and uniqueness justify them.
Good for a small piece that is genuinely made-in-Sweden rather than designed-in-Sweden-made-elsewhere.
Location: Check current address at klarastockholm.com — the studio moves occasionally.
NK — Nordiska Kompaniet
Sweden’s finest department store has a design floor that assembles many of the above brands under one roof, alongside premium international names. If time is limited and you want to see multiple Swedish design brands in one visit, the NK design section is efficient. The main store is on Hamngatan in Norrmalm.
The NK food hall (basement) is also worth visiting — it has a good range of Swedish food products (including Iris Hantverk-sourced goods, Swedish preserves, knäckebröd varieties) that make good gifts if you want edible Swedish souvenirs.
Where NOT to shop for Swedish design
Västerlånggatan, Gamla Stan: The tourist souvenir strip has a few design shops mixed among the Viking merchandise sellers. Most of what is labelled “Swedish design” here is neither particularly Swedish nor particularly designed. If a shop sells both a Dala horse fridge magnet and a “premium Swedish design” tray, the tray is probably not from a Swedish designer.
Airport shops: Arlanda’s retail has improved but remains airport retail. Buy your Granit or DesignTorget in the city where selection is better and pricing is lower.
IKEA Stockholm: IKEA Kungens Kurva (the main Stockholm store) is 20 minutes by bus from T-Centralen and does not require a separate entry in a design shopping guide — you know what IKEA is. Worth noting that IKEA’s Stockholm stores stock some Sweden-only ranges not available internationally.
Neighbourhood shopping by style
| Neighbourhood | Best for |
|---|---|
| Östermalm | High-end Swedish design; Svenskt Tenn; Sturegallerian; NK |
| Södermalm (SoFo) | Independent fashion and design boutiques; vintage |
| Norrmalm | Granit, DesignTorget, NK, Iris Hantverk |
| Gamla Stan | Very limited genuine design; mostly tourist goods |
Shipping and customs
For EU visitors: Swedish design goods can be brought back freely within the EU with no customs issues.
For non-EU visitors: Many Swedish design stores offer tax-free shopping (moms återbetalning) for purchases over a threshold (currently 200 SEK at most stores). Ask at the register for a tax-free form; the rebate is processed at the airport on departure. This is approximately 20% back on most purchases — worth claiming for larger buys (Svenskt Tenn, furniture, art).
Frequently asked questions about Stockholm design shopping
What is the most famous Swedish design product to buy?
Several objects compete for this designation. Iris Hantverk brushes are perhaps the most unique (genuinely handmade, Swedish tradition, useful). Svenskt Tenn Josef Frank printed textiles are the most recognisably iconic. For a lower-budget souvenir with genuine design character, a Granit object — a well-designed storage container or kitchen tool — is satisfying.
Is IKEA worth visiting in Stockholm for design shopping?
IKEA is what it is — mass-market functional furniture. It is not the core of Swedish design culture; it is the version accessible at any price point. The Stockholm-area IKEA stores do carry some limited-edition Swedish ranges not available in other countries. But for genuinely distinctive Swedish design, the stores above are more relevant.
What is a Dala horse and is it worth buying?
A Dala horse (Dalahäst) is a carved and painted wooden horse from Dalarna province, one of Sweden’s oldest folk craft traditions. Authentic hand-painted Dala horses from Nusnäs (the main production village in Dalarna) are genuine Swedish craft objects — they cost 200–600 SEK for a 10–15cm piece and are legitimately worth buying as a representation of Swedish folk tradition. The cheap plastic or mass-produced versions sold in tourist shops are not the real thing.
Where to buy authentic Dala horses in Stockholm: NK department store has authentic pieces. Skansen (Djurgården) has a craft shop selling hand-painted horses. Avoid the Gamla Stan tourist shops.
Are there design markets in Stockholm?
Yes — several annual design markets. Stockholm Design Week (February) concentrates exhibitions and pop-up shops. The autumn Stockholm Antique Fair (October/November) has high-quality vintage Scandinavian design. Check the Stockholm Visitors Board calendar for current events. The Hornstull market in Södermalm (weekends, spring–autumn) occasionally has independent designers selling direct.
What Swedish design brands are worth knowing?
Beyond the stores listed above: Sandqvist (bags, sustainably made in Stockholm), Acne Studios (fashion, high-end), Filippa K (fashion, sustainable), Kosta Boda and Orrefors (glass design), Rörstrand (ceramics since 1726), Gustavsberg (ceramics, functionalist tradition). All have stores or stockists in Stockholm.
