Home Styling according to Gidlööf

We interviewed the team at Gidlööf, a Nordic vintage-style decoration shop located in Barcelona's Born district, which also specialises in home styling projects.

The Home Styling is to decorate a property and make it attractive to the prospective buyer. The first impression is essential for the client to be able to imagine living in that space, and all the senses are involved in this perception. Gidlööf's mission is to make the magic happen.

In Spain this process is more commonly known as Home Staging which refers to "staging", but at Gidlööf we prefer to define our work as Home Styling because it adds a plus that makes reference to a certain style, which in our case is the vintage Nordic. Moreover, the idea of offering this service comes from Sofia, which is Swedish, and it is better known there under this name.

How does your service differ from other service providers? Home Staging?

The fundamental factor that sets us apart from other companies involved in the Home StagingAt Gidlööf we start with the existence of our physical shop in the Born neighbourhood. A shop that has its own style and that is precisely what we try to transfer to our decoration projects, adding a plus of personality, with unique elements. In this type of project, there is a tendency to use the same resources redundantly and at Gidlööf we want to avoid this. The fact that we have our own stock of furniture and decorative objects makes things much easier for us and allows us to add a differential touch to each of our projects.

Should there be a Home Styling prior to the sale of all dwellings?

Of course it is, even if it was in its minimum expression. It is incredible that in the times we live in, where visual communication is so important, there are still real estate agencies or owners who try to sell their properties without taking care of their appearance or showing them with poor quality images. In Spain, the belief that by investing a little in my flat I will most likely be able to sell it at a better price and more quickly is not yet ingrained. In the rest of Europe it is a well-established practice that is no longer questioned.

Gidlööf Home Styling is a spin off of a vintage Scandinavian furniture shop.

Who buys Nordic furniture in a Mediterranean city?

You'd be surprised at how heterogeneous our clientele is. Perhaps you might get the impression that we have a young public, but the truth is that we have a bit of everything. In fact, we often comment on how well received we are by older people, who value antique furniture very highly... If we had to single out one type of clientele, we would highlight how well received our furniture is by foreigners who have decided to come and live in Barcelona, or who have bought a second home here. In fact, we believe that the Scandinavian style is a perfect match for the aesthetics of Barcelona's old flats with high ceilings and hydraulic tiles.and this combination is very much appreciated. On the other hand, many of the locals are regular customers as well.

Is there anything that houses here can learn from houses there? 

The houses here should learn from the Nordic ones to take more care of the small details that bring warmth and comfort. One element that is very much taken into account there is lighting. At dinnertime, for example, it is essential to create a special atmosphere, with little general light but reinforced by candlelight from several candelabras distributed throughout the room. Eating by candlelight is very typical in Nordic countries. Fresh flowers are another important element. They are a common gift to bring to the host when he invites you to his home. Finally, and more related to furniture, the concept of "made-to-measure furniture" is very curious for a Nordic, something so common here that hardly anyone knows about there, because Nordic furniture has traditionally been very functional and flexible, and that is why it has stood the test of time so well.

You have recently released Gidlööf on-lineWhat are your best-seller?

We have been open for such a short time that it is difficult to talk about bestsellers... If we also take into account that most of the products on sale are unique, it becomes even more complicated... However, we can say that the best sellers so far are small auxiliary furniture and candlesticks. The children's products illustrated by Ingela P. Arrheniusa world-renowned Swedish designer.

You also sell a line of furniture of your own design, Gidlööf Originalsthat are functional (we don't doubt it), natural (neither do we) and sustainable. What is sustainability associated with furniture?

Sustainability, when we talk about furniture, is associated with the type of materials used to produce it and also with the products used to treat them. That is to say, if toxic dyes or varnishes have been used when finishing the wood or fabrics. In our case, for example, the wood used in our furniture is treated only with beeswax and the fabrics used for upholstery are 100% natural linen.

Who is behind Gidlööf?

Behind Gidlööf is a small company with four partners. The shop in the Born was created by Sofia Gidlööf and Guim Costa. Sofia is Swedish and is the alma mater of the shop, the one who sets the style and directs the shopping. No one knows how to find the most surprising objects at the best price and combine them in an almost magical way. Guim is a renowned architect in love with Scandinavian design who also enjoys finding unique pieces. From his passion for furniture came the idea of designing a line of Scandinavian-inspired furniture under the Gidlööf Originals label. Aurelie Coupé, a Belgian living in Barcelona who one day proposed extending the Gidlööf brand to children, and Ester Delgado, a photographer who captures the Gidlööf style in images, have also joined the project. We all share a passion for interior design and special objects.