In the details 

“Everyone asks for functionality and, therefore, much of our work is about transforming smart solutions into something elegant and beautiful,” says Elin Martin. Together with Michaela Hemlin, Martin runs the interiors practice Studio Escapist, specialising in elegant spaces for private homes, hotels, and workplaces. The duo met while working together at Swedish property developer Oscar Properties, where Martin was working in the marketing department and Hemlin as head of design. With a strong interest in vintage pieces and an eye for intricate details, their interiors often feel intimate and warm. Their most recent completed project is a complete redesign of a 1930s apartment located in Östermalm in Stockholm, the materials of which include oak floors, sandstone from Puglia, and custom-made furniture in stained maple. Currently, they are also completing interiors for the Stockholm Stadshotell and are soon to embark on a project in Paris, marking their debut outside of Scandinavia. 

What is the common denominator in the projects you have completed? What do you avoid?  

We try to keep a fairly stripped-down material palette with a few main materials for floors, walls and carpentry, to which we’re then able to add different types of materials and colours in furniture, fabrics, vases, and carpets. Our latest projects probably have quite a lot of warm tones and feel a little bit more feminine. We often go by gut feeling and what feels good. We are very much in sync and almost always have a common image of something that feels nice/ugly. Brutal honesty often works quite well. And we stick to making as few compromises as possible.  

What was the main challenge in this project? 

The goal in this apartment was to achieve a sleek layout, which included, among other things, making a very long, tight corridor feel wonderful to walk through. In all our projects, we want to achieve nice sequences in the layout. You always want a layout to surprise you and create an unexpected experience that you don't anticipate before you enter it. It is always nice to break up rooms, through furniture or walls, and create different experiences.  

What type of furniture and materials fascinates you right now?  

Right now we are into high-gloss mirrors and pewter. But we generally love to work with contrasts, which always gives you a more interesting end result. We enjoy eras ranging from the late 1800s to modern times. Good fabrics are always wonderful when you find them. 

Where do you mainly find inspiration? 

We are often inspired by classic projects because of the care and time spent on details in the past that you hardly see today. You can revisit the classics 50 times and still always find something new and inspiring.