Hi Everyone,

Did you know that in Sweden, most apartments don’t come with light fixtures? I didn’t either, until I moved here!

Here’s a quick tour of my apartment and some quirky things I’ve learned along the way.

It is 45m² (about 484 square feet) student apartment that is about a 10 minute bike ride from campus.

Here is the main entrance/hallway. The white door on the right is the bathroom and the on the left is a three section wardrobe that I use for storage and as a coat closet. This is so common that there is a section just for hallway wardrobes at Ikea!

This is the shower, which took some getting used to. This design is common because it’s easier to clean and saves space. However, I have to squeegee the floor because water gets outside the shower area. On the left is a towel warmer, which is pretty standard. I use it to dry my towel. The circular thing on the ceiling is an automatic air vent that sucks up humidity. It’s controlled by the building. This is pretty standard here.

Here’s the other part of the bathroom. The only difference here is the hooks for the towels. All the towels and hand towels have little loops so they can easily stay on the hooks. In Sweden, it’s common to have two hand towels. One for you to use and a separate one for guests. They are even labeled as guest towels at the store.

Here we have the kitchen and dining area. The light fixture above the table didn’t come with the apartment and it was installed by my family. (Thank you Dad 🙌) This is standard in Sweden, where you typically buy your own light fixtures.

Here we have the living room. The curtains weren’t included, but the track was. The vent in the left corner controls airflow for the building, while the radiator provides heat. Although I haven’t needed it yet, thanks to the unseasonably warm weather!

Last but not least, is the bedroom! Like the dining room light, the ceiling light was not included. Instead of a closet, I have a wardrobe that is identical to the ones in the hall. To open the windows, I unlock them turning the handles horizontally and then pull inward. I can prop them open, but only just a crack. The windows are huge and I could definitely use them as an emergency exit.

I hope you all enjoyed the tour! Let me know what you think!

P.S. I won’t be home for the holidays this year since Sweden’s holiday breaks are shorter than I’m used to. More on that next time!