The interior designer's choice – Beata Heuman selects her favorites from Modern Art + Design

The childhood home in Skåne is the place that inspired Beata's creative and playful interior style. Nestled amidst deep forests, this idyllic 18th century home feels like a scene from a dream. When a wing of the family estate became available, Beata seized the opportunity to return to the place that shaped her childhood. In 2021, Beata renovated the house, a detached wing to the main building where her parents live, fashioning a home adorned with personal and distinctive details. Here, one encounters a seamless fusion of Beata's design, antique pieces, and English influences, resulting in a captivating interior style that mirrors Beata's artistic expression.

For Beata, it was important to furnish the estate in a historical way to match its origins. She combined the traditional folk style, highlighting natural materials, with a modern eclectic design approach. Stepping into the hallway, visitors are welcomed by untreated, weathered double doors. The living room is painted in a light yellow shade, creating a compelling contrast with the wine-red woodwork. The sofa, "New Wave Country," is Beata's design, where she united a beautiful paisley-patterned fabric from Turnell & Gigon with legs adorned in decorative paint. Taking center stage in the room are two pieces by Swedish artist and family friend Marianne Stalin, while the renovated lamps on the console behind the sofa are from the 1940s.

In her book 'Every Room Should Sing', Beata writes: ‘Your home should be a representation of your past, present and future.’ The country house is exactly that: a mix of Beata's childhood fantasies, an expression of her creativity, and a place where her children will grow up and create their worlds.

The designer who has had the most significant influence on Beata is Josef Frank. In her home, one can discover traces of his free-spirited interior design philosophy, often expressed through the use of natural colors and botanical forms.

” THE FACT THAT JOSEF FRANK'S PATTERNS AND FURNITURE CONTINUE TO EXUDE A MODERN FEEL, RESONATING WITH BOTH THE POWER OF DESIGN AND IMAGINATION, EVEN NEARLY 100 YEARS LATER, IS INTRIGUING. IT DEMONSTRATES THE MERITS OF CREATING FREELY BEYOND CURRENT TRENDS AND STYLES. ”

The bathroom adjacent to the bedroom is spacious with high ceilings. The walls are adorned with the wallpaper "Giglio of Florence," which is Beata's design. The stucco medallion, a creation of Johan Tobias Sergel, pictures the 19th-century author Martina von Schwerin, who once lived on the estate. The magnificent copper towel rack was crafted by Beata's father.

” I ENJOY DESIGNING KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS. IT'S A GREATER CHALLENGE BUT ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A PERSONAL EXPRESSION IN SPACES THAT USUALLY FOLLOW PREDETERMINED TEMPLATES, ESPECIALLY COMPARED TO AREAS LIKE LIVING ROOMS. THINKING MORE CREATIVELY ABOUT THESE ROOMS CAN TRULY TRANSFORM THE OVERALL IMPRESSION OF A HOME. ”

Beata Heuman's favorite objects from Modern Art + Design

Reading by the river, Tove Jansson

This early painting by Tove Jansson is a dreamlike composition where we meet a woman sitting by the river with a letter in her hand in the company of a deer. The fantastical foliage, trees, and flowers are also recognisable from Paratiisi and the present painting must have been executed around the same time.

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