What better way to see the world than through the eyes of our favorite tastemakers? In Hidden Trails, we look at the places that feel most like home to our community of design insiders — wherever those might be — to help you uncover what their cities have in store for you.
On my most stressful days, I wish the entire world could look anything like the cotton candy-like, cocooning designs of Studio Anva founder Alyssa Anselmo — soft, magical, and created to simultaneously uplift, surprise, and inspire. Characterized by a careful blending of raw materials, plump, fantastical shapes, and easy-on-the-eye pastels, the spaces she crafts respond to an urge for environments that gently embrace and predict our needs, rather than denaturing them. Considering her combined social media following of nearly one million people, chances are I am not the only one to dream myself away into one of Anselmo's soothing projects.
Originally from Alberta, Canada, the interior architect graduated from The Florence Institute of Design International in 2017, having already completed an internship in set design at Stockholm and NYC-based company Aspekt Production the previous year. It was after an eight-month stint at Architecture Plus Information in the Big Apple, where Anselmo worked as an interior designer, that she landed her first major commission: a 1,000-square-meter, holistic childcare center for the Bambini group, which the Studio Anva mastermind conceptualized and executed all by herself (today, she serves as the company's Interior Architect & Creative Director). Opened in St. Albert, central Canada, in 2022, the project earned her earliest accolades, though it's Anselmo's animatedly contagious approach to breaking down — or anticipating — the biggest interior design trends that, together with her refreshing room styling advice, vintage furniture shopping tips, and decor styles deep dives, has put the rising creative on our radar.
Her ace up the sleeve? Having quickly picked up the sun-filled, essentially striking feel of Stockholm, where she now lives, and reinvented it through the playful patchwork of influences the designer has become known for in her work, be it Space Age interiors, the post-modern wit of the Memphis group, or her love of textural arts and crafts. "I first came here eight years ago, and I was instantly drawn to how effortlessly beautiful everything is — the light, the materials, the way spaces feel lived-in yet intentional, the long summer nights, the water following your every move," Anselmo says of her first impressions of the Swedish capital. "Stockholm has a way of making you fall in love with design without even realizing it. I learned so much here about quality and the 'less is more' approach. It shaped my own aesthetic sensibilities and deepened my appreciation for spaces that tell a story."
So, what are the places that inform the interior architect and her work most? Find them all below.
1. Feel the Art Pulse and Light of Carl Eldhs Ateljémuseum
Lögebodavägen 10, 113 47 Stockholm, Sweden
Visiting the Carl Eldhs Ateljémuseum is like stepping into an artist's mind. It's a cozy little wooden house on a hill that was once Carl Eldh's studio. Sunlight pours through massive windows, illuminating unfinished sculptures in a way that makes them feel alive. There's something incredibly intimate about this place, and I think of it often, especially while I'm designing.
2. See Past and Present Collide at Nordic Knots
Birger Jarlsgatan 58, 114 29 Stockholm, Sweden
This is, hands down, the most stunning design showroom I've ever seen. It used to be an old cinema and has now been converted into a flagship for Nordic Knots' rugs. You can still feel that cinematic grandeur — how they preserved the history of the building while expressing the brand's vision is so inspiring. I took a little tour of the place and, when I asked one of the ladies there about a bench that I liked in the room and where they had purchased it, she replied, "I made it," which captures the effortless feeling of Stockholm's design scene.
3. Find New Treasures at Judits Second Hand and Brandstationen Store & Studio
Judits Second Hand, Hornsgatan 75, 118 49 Stockholm, Sweden. Brandstationen Store & Studio, Hornsgatan 64, 118 21 Stockholm, Sweden
Judits Second Hand is probably my go-to second-hand shop, having bought a lot of unique pieces in the past. It has a good blend of vintage clothing and quirky home decor, which comes in handy for multiple occasions. Brandstationen Store & Studio is another one of my favorites: I used to live right next to it and always visit on a gloomy afternoon, meaning I would be there fairly regularly in the winter months. It's a cute, eclectic shop where you'll find a carefully curated mix of vintage treasures and modern objects.
4. Revel in Nostalgia at Café Nizza
Åsögatan 171, 116 32 Stockholm, Sweden
Café Nizza is incredibly cozy without trying too hard, stylish but relaxed. What brought me here in the first place was walking by their old-school sign outside — for some reason, those tend to be the best places. The food is spectacular, but the atmosphere is what keeps me coming back.
5. Step Into a Fairytale at Bergianska Trädgården
Gustafsborgsvägen 4, 114 18 Stockholm, Sweden
To me, Bergianska Trädgården might well be the most magical place in Stockholm. I accidentally stumbled upon it after visiting the nearby Natural History Museum, and it was like walking into a fairytale. It's a beautiful botanical garden with a unique café called Old Orangery, which is set within a greenhouse and is, in itself, a must-visit if you want to drift away in nature one day. Plus, there are lily pads everywhere — enough said. I will never forget that day.
6. Immerse Yourself in "Warm", Swedish Minimalism at Ett Hem
Sköldungagatan 2, 114 27 Stockholm, Sweden
The Ett Hem nails the balance between classic Swedish tradition and Swedish minimalism. The brick townhouse in which it is set is stunning inside and out, but what makes it special is the way the hotel was crafted. Well-curated, warm, and intimate, it doesn’t feel like a hotel. Instead, it’s like entering someone’s impeccably designed home. Every piece of furniture is carefully chosen, mixing classic design pieces with a contemporary touch. I love boutique hotels like this for the thoughtful details; something that's harder to find within chains.
Alyssa Anselmo's insider guide to Stockholm isn't our only feature to spotlight what Nordic countries do best, from soulful interior design to tantalizing culinary feasts and circular, retro-fueled approaches to all things shopping.
To the contrary, our recent curation of the best hotels in Copenhagen will fill you in on everything there is to know about Denmark's hip creative capital, including the top neighborhoods where to stay for a weekend getaway. Already booked your room? Browse our selection of local-approved restaurants in the city for a full immersion in Scandi aesthetics, atmosphere, and gastronomy.
