Who lives here?

– Jenny Nordlander, a journalist and writer, and Adam Taal, mostly known as the artist Adam Tensta. He leads the education Framåt and festival Tmrw/Tday. And of course, our children Vallma, 7, and Ivan,

And where are we?

– In one of the big, curved ”banana houses” in Tantolunden in Stockholm, a 60’s concrete building that we love. It’s the contrasts between the very raw concrete and the water outside with all the lush green. We just moved here. Adam grew up in a 60’s house in Tensta, he is drawn to this architecture. I come from a small town, but have realized that living in the middle of a big city is good for me – although it’s very quiet even though we’re in the middle of Södermalm. During the summer I go swimming every day at ”our” jetty.

Tell us about your first Portal shelf!

– We bought a shelf with a desk for our previous apartment. I found it on the Internet and just thought it was so pretty. It was very easy to move and would have fitted perfectly in any room. Now we have it in the bedroom, as an extra secluded place for us adults. One of the shelves is filled with books written by people I know, and Adam has a technology shelf. Here we retreat to work, with a view over the water and the bridge. I love bridges, one goal of living here was to be able to see the bridge.

– When we moved here, I felt that we finally had to have an organized hallway! No more shoes on the floor, like ever. So we put in several Portal shelves, with a lot of space for shoes. The carpets on the shelves were my idea, they can be bought from Tônn. Everyone in the family has a personal drawer with accessories and the children have their S-hooks for jackets further down. It turned out just as I dreamed, it actually works. I’m so happy!

What made you fall for the Portal shelf?

– It’s simplicity. It’s inspiring that I’m not stressed out by a thousand choices, yet I can use it in so many ways and adapt it after our needs. It really sparked my creativity when I realized that. If they’re not shoe shelves, they can be bookshelves. You could put them everywhere, really. It would be great to have them in the children’s room, in the bathroom… And they fit very well in a 60’s apartment but are nice in a turn-of-the-century house as well. It lets the room breath.

How would you describe our interior design style?

– I think it’s a mix of modern and classic. We haven’t lived here for long, so it isn’t as cozy as I want it to be yet, but we like these very clean lines. 60’s-inspired but with a modern touch, and classic – it should last. We also want a home designed for activity. We have a room that we call the studio where paint and glue can get on the floor and the furniture, it’s made to be creative for the whole family. We live here, but still want it neat. The hallway shelves are a good example of the division in our house, I lay the foundation and organize, then Adam does most of the cleaning. He’s the only one I’ve dated who wants it even tidier than I do!

How much music do you listen to?

– A lot, but at the moment it’s mostly controlled by our daughter. She listens to Eurovision a lot, and really feels the joy in the music, which we think is what matters.

Your best ideas for keeping organized?

– Make a place for everything, that’s my philosophy. Keep things organized, with a clear place for each item, so that it’s easy to keep in order. Now when we come home, everyone (almost) puts their things where they should be right away (almost), instead of having to put them away later.