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Local Sweden
a day ago
- General
- Local Sweden
Essential vocabulary for talking about DIY in Sweden
Until you've engaged a Swede in a discussion about, say, how best to sand a parquet floor, you haven't really understood them. They really come into their own when doing or talking about practical things. Here are some of the words you need to know to join them. Advertisement It's difficult to overestimate just how central practical projects like building, chopping wood and painting, known collectively as hemmafix (literally "home fix") or gör det själv (DIY), are to Swedish culture. One of the first things a young couple does when they move in together is often calling over their respective parents to paint and renovate. When they get a little older and buy a summer house or kolonistuga, they're likely to spend at least as much time beavering away at some useful project or other, like installing a new wooden deck (utedäck) as they are swimming or socialising. There's a reason why the fringes of each and every Swedish town are crammed with branches of building supply stores and DIY chains like Byggmax, Bauhaus, Hornbach, and Jem & Fix. Swedes can be reserved, but if you engage them in a discussion on a practical subject, such as how best to drain a boggy lawn, you will often find them willing to continue chatting almost indefinitely. The only problem is that as soon as the talk strays into this territory, many foreigners find themselves needing vocabulary they've never previously encountered. So here's a list of some of the words you need to know to join them in the conversation. Advertisement In every building shop you'll find a section for järnvaror, which literally means "iron goods", and covers all sorts of screws (skruvar), nails (spikar), nuts (muttrar), bolts (bultar), hooks (krokar) and much else besides. There are also still ironmongers (järnhandel or järnaffär), particularly in towns too small for an out of town retail park, which mainly sell these goods. Most jobs will require tools, such as a screwdriver (skruvmejsel), saw (såg), or an adjustable spanner (skiftnyckel), which was invented, incidentally, by the inventor Johan Petter Johansson in the Swedish city of Eskilstuna back in 1891. You'll need an electric drill or borrmaskin, which will often be a träborr (wood drill). If you live in an apartment with hard concrete walls then you'll need a heavier slagborr. A hammer (hammare) will come in useful. During a building project, Swedes often have a utility knife stuck permanently in their belt, which is often called a morakniv, after the leading brand. You'll also need a vattenpass (spirit level) to keep your angles straight, and a tum- or meterstock (a folding ruler) or måttband (measuring tape), to measure everything out. You'll need to keep all this in a verktygslåda (toolbox). If you're engaged in a more ambitious DIY project, you will probably need wooden building materials. Wood as a material is trä, but if you're burning it, it become ved, and if you're building with it, it becomes virke. Studs, the long, load-bearing pieces of wood used to build the frames for walls are reglar, planks are brädor, but when used to cover the inside and outside of walls they are called paneller, and can be either innerpanel or ytterpanel. Often it's easiest when covering a wall or roof to use råspont, tongue and groove panels that slot together. When you're putting on the finishing touches to a wall you'll need lister, or skirting boards. Advertisement Once you've made the frame, you're most likely to cover the wall with plasterboard (gipsskiva) or possibly chipboard (OSB or spånskiva). You might stick in some insulation or isolering first, usually mineral wool (stenull). If you're painting a wall you will need färg ("paint", literally "colour"), although to put it on you'll need to måla (paint). You might want to lay on some plaster (noun spackel or verb spackla). And if you want to sand (slipa) the wall to make it smooth, you will need use sandpaper (sandpapper), or perhaps a sanding machine (slipmaskin). Swedes don't tend to go for this in a big way, but you might decide to use wallpaper (tapet) instead. Redoing the bathroom is one of the most common renovation projects, and if you are convinced to do this, you'll need to get tiles (kakel), and grouting (fogmassa). If you are laying down a new bathroom floor, you might also need liquid putty or flytspackel, to make the floor slope down to the drain. Good luck!
Forbes
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Peter Murphy Finds ‘Clarity in Chaos' on New Solo Album Silver Shade
Peter Murphy It took Peter Murphy over a decade to release his new album Silver Shade. But as the legendary British singer explains, his recent return with new music — his first since 2014's Lion — wasn't the result of pressure or a plan. To him, Silver Shade arrived because it was the right time. 'Some of it had been taking shape quietly for a while, fragments, ideas,' says Murphy, who is best known for his work in the pioneering and influential Goth rock band Bauhaus. 'But the full shape of it only came together when it felt right. Also, again — due to the nature of the music business — between the making of the album and the actual release date, some time passes…which is what happened with this album. The songs came in their own time, naturally.' Silver Shade, which came out on May 9, is Murphy's finest and strongest work to date since he began his solo career in 1986 after Bauhaus' initial breakup. In comparing this new record with the preceding one, the singer says: 'Lion had its own tone, raw, dense, a kind of focused burn. That was nine years ago. With Silver Shade, I was in a different place. Older, somehow clearer in my intent. I didn't want to repeat myself. This time, I wanted more space in the music, more air between the parts. It's still intense, but the intensity is quieter, more internal. So yes, the process was different with new collaborators, a different kind of energy driving it.' Like with Lion, Silver Shade was produced by Youth of Killing Joke fame, who Murphy says brought a certain discipline and unpredictability. 'He knows how to capture a moment without polishing it too much. He's not afraid to strip things back or push them forward if needed. He helped shape the record's atmosphere without getting in the way of the songs themselves.' The new record, which features guest appearances by Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor and Tool's Danny Carey and Justin Chancellor, is not a conceptual work, says Murphy. 'Each song stands on its own,' he explains, 'but when you listen to the record as a whole, there's a feeling that ties them together. A sort of emotional continuity, even though each track explores something different, they all come from the same source, naturally. There is definitely a thread, though it's not obvious in a literal sense. The songs came from a certain place, a place of tension, change and reflection. I'd say the themes are about navigating through confusion, finding clarity in chaos.' Silver Shade opens with the electrifying danceable rocker 'Swoon,' which immediately hits the listener. ''Swoon' captures that moment of intensity," Murphy says, "but it's almost detached, it has that driving beat, that hypnotic rhythm that pulls you in, but there's something off-centre about it. The song isn't built on resolution. It's the sound of something being carried away, not necessarily in control, just moving. It came from a place of urgency, a need to get something across without overthinking it. Trent really understood that feeling, so his vocals tie in perfectly.' The title of 'Hot Roy,' another pumeling and driving rocker from the new album, is a reference to a schoolyard game; the lyrics also mention David Bowie and Mick Ronson. 'The rhythm is in your face, but it's got this tension running through it, like a secret under the surface,' Murphy says. 'You can say that 'Ronno' and 'Zigger' are nods to Mick Ronson and David Bowie, though not in a literal sense. It's more about their spirit, that influence they had on all of us who came up in the era of glam rock. The names in the song are a kind of homage, but more than that, they represent an attitude, that combination of glam, rebellion, and mystery.' A trace of Bowie-esque glam rock could be heard on the rocking title song, which also features Reznor. 'One of my oldest (in a sense of time) friends and writing partner, Paul Statham, was important in 'Silver Shade,'" explains Murphy.'It sums up that idea of contrast: light and dark, clarity and confusion. It's a place where things don't fully make sense, but they're still beautiful in their own way. The production gives it a lush feel, but it's haunted by a certain melancholy. It's like standing in a space that's neither here nor there — the in-between." Murphy describes 'The Sailmaker's Charm' as the closest thing to a ballad on the new album, but it's also not a typical one. 'It has this romanticism to it, but also a kind of wariness. It's about being drawn to something or someone, but knowing that the charm could turn. It's a tug-of-war between attraction and skepticism.' Somewhat autobiographical, the hypnotic synthpop track 'The Artroom Wonder' draws from an experience in Murphy's youth when he heard a Bowie song at school. 'I was just coming out of the artroom, and I heard a piece of music which affected me deeply. I remember it to this day. It turned out to be 'Cygnet Committee' by David Bowie. This was very much in my mind when I was creating that track. The chorus is like a memory you sing out loud so it doesn't disappear.' Murphy's songs tend to feel cinematic, and the sweeping "The Meaning of My Life" is no different with its poetic lyrics and the singer's powerful delivery. "I suppose it is more expansive, more contemplative. It's asking questions that don't necessarily have answers, and that's exactly the point. We get caught up in the search, but maybe the search is the point itself. The song moves between hope and doubt." Ahead of Silver Shade's release, Murphy put out the arresting and beautiful single 'Let the Flowers Grow,' a duet with Boy George. Its creation began when Murphy came across musical fragments by George, who was also working with Youth, and decided to expand on them with the Culture Club singer. 'It's always interesting to see how these things evolve when they come into a different context. George has got such a distinct voice; there's nothing else like it. Also, we both come from that same 'outsider' space in a way. There's a natural respect because of that. The collaboration worked because there was no pretense; we just let the music happen. It was about connecting on a creative level and letting the song grow into what it needed to be.' MILAN, ITALY - NOVEMBER 22: Peter Murphy of Bauhaus performs on stage at Fabrique Club on November ... More 22, 2018 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Sergione Infuso/Corbis via Getty Images) In a solo career now going on almost 40 years, with the occasional Bauhaus reunion sprinkled in, how does Murphy view Silver Shade in the context of his discograpby? "I don't tend to rank my own work, honestly. Each record comes from a different place and time, different life, different lens. Silver Shade isn't trying to compete with what came before. It stands on its own. 'That said, I do feel it's one of the most focused and distilled things I've done in a long while," he continues. "There's no excess. Everything's intentional. It carries the weight of experience but doesn't lean on nostalgia. It looks forward. So, if someone said it's among the strongest in the catalog, I'd understand that. But as always, that is for listeners and fans to decide.'
Auto Car
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Car
Audi's Bauhaus coupé is a modern masterpiece – but is it really a classic?
So, when you saw the 1995 Audi TT concept coupe for the very first time, did you think 'wow, that's very Bauhaus'? Or did you think several other things like, 'that looks weird, but amazing.' Or, 'I want one'. Or perhaps, 'from the rear, doesn't the shape of its roof look a little bit like a WW2 Nazi soldier's helmet?' a thought you might not utter out loud in these politically correct times, although it was quite hard not to think it. It was even harder to avoid thinking – very much - that we wanted Audi to make this car, inadvertent visual referencing or not. Never mind Bauhaus – 'sitting outside my house' was how many of us wistfully imagined this car back in 1998, when the finished thing arrived. Brave was certainly a word to describe that 1995 Audi TT concept, for there was simply no other car quite like it. Brave turned out to be appropriate to the TT coupe world in another, less desirable way, this characteristic a requirement if you planned on driving TT at speeds of 110mph or more. If a sudden lane change was needed – quite likely on a German autobahn – the TT could turn alarmingly uncertain, the rear-end breakaway intended to make it entertaining on the limit catching out several drivers, a few fatally. But we're getting ahead of ourselves here. Audi needed three years to convert the frenzied enthusiasm for the concept into the finished article. Impressively, changes between the concept and production model were remarkably few. The most obvious was the addition of a pair of small extra side windows let into the TT's helmet-like roof just aft of the doors, making it easier to see out, obviously, and making the cabin's capping look a little less like an obsolete item of protective military headgear. Buried deep below that striking roofline lay the reason why it was possible for Audi to actually make the TT. That reason was called PQ34, this being the codename for the platform that was the building block of vast numbers of Volkswagen Group vehicles at the turn of the century. This extensive hardware set ran to a lot more than the floorpan and bulkhead that we usually understood a platform to mean, and included suspension systems, powertrains, heating and ventilation systems, seat frames and electrical architecture. VW boss Ferdinand Piech was the main driver behind this huge component sharing strategy, which not only made relatively low volume models viable, but also allowed the cost-savings to be spent on upgrading the quality of vital models like the Volkswagen Golf, the contemporaneous Mk4 rich with soft-feel structures, classy rubberised finishes and – yes! - damped-action grab handles.
Euronews
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
It's not a phase: How to celebrate World Goth Day in Europe
Five, six, grab your crucifix - and Robert Smith, because World Goth Day has arrived. First suggested on a MySpace blog in 2009 by a UK-based Goth DJ known as 'BatBoy Slim', Goth Day has since become a global annual celebration where "the Goth scene gets to celebrate it's own being." via GIPHY While most Goths prefer to stay out of the spotlight (unless carrying a black parasol), World Goth Day keeps things appropriately dark and inviting, with a range of community-hosted events that span the week. The 22 May date was originally chosen to highlight a special set of musical subculture-focused shows on BBC Radio 6, then stuck ever since. And why not? From dark wave DJ sets in Poland, to a gothic clothes swap in Dublin; Black pizza in London, and a trip back to the subculture's 80s, 90s and 00s origins at a club night in Madrid — there are plenty of opportunities knocking at your coffin. Plus, it's a great way to support your local Goth gang. Alternatively, you could just draw the curtains, blare some Bauhaus and be your usual black-hearted self with extra pride. After-all, some Goths have faced genuine persecution and violence just for daring to be different - one devastating example being the 2007 murder of Sophie Lancaster, a 20-year-old Goth from the UK. "There are quite a few Goths who have fought damn hard to retain their identity despite peer pressure, family pressure and indeed, any pressure to conform," the World Goth Day organisers state. "And if you've gone to all that trouble to preserve what you believe is the 'real you', don't you think you owe it to yourself to shine for a day?" Chipped nail polish, dancing skeletons, synth wave, hair spray, black cats, 'Bela Lugosi Is Dead'. Neon leg warmers, glow bands, pastel chokers, septum piercings, coffin-shaped cat trees, posters of Nick Cave and PJ Harvey. Goth is whatever you want it to be. There are no rules, baby! It's about breaking conventions and going against the bland, suffocating monotony of traditional societal expectations to spread your bat wings and express your truest, fang-bearing self. At its core, being Goth is about finding a curiosity and fondness for the things others find disturbing. From music to film to fashion to art, there's a focus on themes like melancholy, death, gore and rebellion, expressed through subversive aesthetics and lifestyle choices. The subculture's origins can be traced back to the UK's late 70s post-punk underground music scene, with record producer Martin Hannett notably describing the band Joy Division's music as 'Gothic' in 1979. It's a term that spread to encompass any bands with a certain melancholic sound. These included The Cure (even though Robert Smith would argue otherwise), Bauhaus, The Psychedelic Furs, Alien Sex Fiend and Siouxsie and the Banshees, to name but a few. Meanwhile, in America, deathrock emerged as a sort of sub-genre of Goth, similarly taking the anarchy ethos of punk music and immersing it in horror-inspired theatrics. While the 80s and 90s are still seen as Gothic hey days, it's a subculture that's managed to stick throughout the decades - albeit morphing into various subcategories such as 'Cybergoth' and 'Pastel Goth', which take inspiration from steam punk, BDSM, Lolita fashion etc to create new forms of contrasting expression within 'Trad Goth'. No longer a marker of only youth culture (although the #Goth has been used 4 million times on video sharing platform TikTok), many older adults that grew up being Goth are still putting on their studded leathers and setting their faces with white powder. Millennial Goths in particular have carved themselves a niche on YouTube, with 'Emily Boo' and 'Of Herbs and Altars' two of the most popular, sharing their looks and experiences within the scene and offering advice to "baby bats". While Mods and Rockers come and go, Goths are here to stay. And contrary to popular belief - they don't only wear black. via GIPHY You can celebrate wherever you want! Although official events are listed on the website for World Goth Day and are as follows: UK & Ireland 22 May: ACAB Celebrates World Goth Day - DJs, Alt Drag & Market (Dublin) 22 May: Cabinet Sinister Bite Me! At Lost Souls Pizza (London) 22 May: World Goth Day gig at O'Reilly's (Hull) 24 May: Goth Meet Up at The Ruin Bar and Kitchen (Birmingham) 25 May: Gothic Clothes Swap WGD at Pawn Shop (Dublin) Europe 23 May: Gothic ball at Klub UNDER (Belgrade, Serbia) 23 May: Bunkerleute Dark Underground Party at Waaiberg Event Hall (Leuven, Belgium) 23 May: World Goth Day celebrations at Emerald CLUB (Bucharest, Romania) 24 May: World Goth Day celebrations at the Undead Dark Club (Barcelona, Spain) 24 May: Spain Goth Day at Sala Pirandello I - II (Madrid, Spain) 24 May: Shadowplay Afterparty oficial IMAMX + WGD, at Paseo Del Pintor Rosales (Madrid, Spain) 24 May: Dark goth wave synth at Wydział Remontowy (Gdańsk, Poland) 24 May: (Un)Pure Session: World Goth Day Special at Vamptasia Club (Valencia, Spain) via GIPHY Well, if you insist. Here are some Gothic movie and music recommendations instead: 🖤📽️ Movies House of Usher (1960) — Dir. Roger Corman Eraserhead (1977) — Dir. David Lynch Hellraiser (1987) — Dir. Clive Barker Return of the Living Dead 3 (1993) — Dir. Brian Yuzna The Crow (1994) — Dir. Alex Proyas Suspiria (2018) — Dir. Luca Guadagnino 🖤🎶 Music Bauhaus: 'In the Flat Field' (1980) Joy Division: 'Closer' (1980) Siouxsie and the Banshees: 'Juju' (1981) The Cure: 'Pornography' (1982) — bonus shout-out to The Cure's 'Songs Of A Lost World', which made our best-of 2024 albums list) Cocteau Twins: 'Head Over Heels' (1983) Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds: 'Let Love In' (1994)
Tatler Asia
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
Mother's Day 2025: Mother's home through the eyes of architects' children
Rose Seidler House by Harry Seidler Above Rose Seidler House by Harry Seidler (photo: Rory Hyde/WikiCommons) The year 1950 marked a defining moment for Harry Seidler, whose bold debut in Australia came in the form of Rose Seidler House—a home built to reflect his mother Rose's wishes. A former student of Bauhaus pioneer Walter Gropius, Seidler introduced an uncompromising modernist vision to Sydney's quiet suburbs. The house sparked instant fascination, with design elements that broke away entirely from conventional Australian dwellings. Skylights bathed the bathroom in natural light, interior murals added vivid flair, and multiple doors lent the space an unexpected openness, all influenced by his time in Brazil. These features bewildered the building inspector, yet won the public's admiration. More than just an architectural milestone, Rose Seidler House gave Seidler a reason to remain in Australia, where he would go on to shape the nation's contemporary aesthetic. Today, the house belongs to the Historic Houses Trust and serves as a museum, a vibrant testament to modern design and a son's love made architectural. Charles Gwathmey's Gwathmey House and Studio Above Gwathmey Residence and Studio by Charles Gwathmey (photo: @haus_oft/Instagram) Raised in a family steeped in the arts, Charles Gwathmey embarked on his first architectural project in 1965 with heartfelt dedication to his parents. Taking cues from Le Corbusier, he crafted a modernist retreat in Amagansett, New York, defined by its geometric clarity, sculptural forms, modestly sized windows and a masterful use of natural light. Far more than just a holiday home, the house became a deeply personal statement—a quiet yet confident declaration of Gwathmey's emerging architectural voice. Completed in 1967, the project quickly gained attention and cemented his presence on New York's design scene. In the years that followed, his clientele would come to include names like Jerry Seinfeld, Steven Spielberg and David Geffen. Though his portfolio expanded considerably, the house he designed for his parents continues to be regarded as his most pivotal creation. Recently restored, the residence is now valued at $9.25 million and remains a powerful expression of his architectural beginnings. See more: The future of architecture: 5 sustainable buildings changing the skyline Vanna Venturi House by Robert Venturi Above Vanna Venturi House by Robert Venturi (photo: Smallbones/ WikiCommons) Finished in 1964, the Vanna Venturi House in Philadelphia stands as a milestone in Robert Venturi's career and a beacon of postmodern design. Created for his mother, the house confidently rejected the architectural norms of the time. Its asymmetrical facade, irregular windows and split gable roof challenged conventional expectations. Inside, Venturi replaced formal corridors and enclosed rooms with fluid spaces and pared-back divisions, an approach made possible by the creative freedom his mother afforded him. As both client and inspiration, Mrs Vanna Venturi enabled her son to explore bold, unconventional ideas. She lived on the ground floor, as she preferred, while Venturi continued his work in the studio above until his marriage to fellow architect Denise Scott Brown in 1967. The house has since become an icon of 20th-century design. 22 Parkside (Wimbledon House) by Richard Rogers Photo 1 of 3 The open-plan living space of 22 Parkside House exemplifies high-tech architecture and Rogers' innovative residential design for his mother (photo: Courtesy of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners LLP) Photo 2 of 3 Night view of 22 Parkside with illuminated interior and transparent façade showcasing the seamless connection between indoor living and the surrounding garden (photo: Courtesy of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners LLP) Photo 3 of 3 Exterior garden view of Richard Rogers' 22 Parkside House in Wimbledon with a modernist glass façade and yellow steel frame blending harmoniously with the lush landscape (photo: Courtesy of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners LLP) Designed by Richard Rogers and his then wife Su Rogers in the late 1960s, the house at 22 Parkside, Wimbledon, London was a tribute to his parents and a milestone in the development of high-tech architecture in Britain. This low-slung, single-storey home is framed in vibrant yellow steel and anchored by expansive floor-to-ceiling glass panels at either end, filling the interior with natural light and softening the boundary between the interior and the garden beyond. Movable partitions allow for a flexible arrangement of rooms, while solid side walls provide a reassuring sense of enclosure. At the heart of the layout is a private courtyard, around which Rogers positioned his mother's flat and her own pottery studio. Photo 1 of 3 The interior of Richard Rogers' 22 Parkside House in Wimbledon, London, features iconic yellow cabinetry, minimalist modern furniture, and floor-to-ceiling glass overlooking the garden (photo: Courtesy of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners LLP) Photo 2 of 3 Flexible open-plan bedroom and dining area inside Richard Rogers' Wimbledon House, designed for his parents (photo: Courtesy of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners LLP) Photo 3 of 3 22 Parkside House in Wimbledon, London, courtesy of Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners LLP Originally conceived as a prototype for affordable prefabricated housing, the house was designed with industrial materials and modular construction in mind. These themes would echo through Rogers' later masterpieces, including the Pompidou Centre in Paris. Today, 22 Parkside is listed at Grade II for its architectural significance. Thoughtfully restored, the house now serves a new purpose housing graduate students from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. See also: 11 breathtaking movie home interiors we wish we could live in Jerome & Carolyn Meier House by Richard Meier Above Exterior view of Richard Meier's Essex Fells House in New Jersey, designed for his parents (photo: Courtesy of Richard Meier) Architect Richard Meier's first private commission marked more than the start of a distinguished career. It was a personal gift to his parents, Jerome and Carolyn Meier. Designed as a single-storey modernist home in Essex Fells, New Jersey, the house carries both emotional weight and early design promise. Meier once described the structure as 'a brick building in the spirit of Mies van der Rohe, beneath a roof reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright.' It reflects his signature use of clean lines and geometric precision, tempered by the warmth of domestic life. Above Inside the Essex Fells home designed by Richard Meier for his parents, with open spaces, lots of natural light and minimalist details (photo: Courtesy of Richard Meier) Completed in 1964, the house is defined by curved brick walls that wrap gently around its core, while large panes of glass look out to a neighbouring golf course. A sheltered courtyard adds tranquillity, and a concealed rooftop garden sits quietly above, almost hidden from view. Every element, from the integrated cabinetry to the polished concrete floors, speaks to Meier's fastidious attention to form and function. Though the family parted with the home in 1980, it remains remarkably unchanged,a lasting imprint of a future Pritzker Prize laureate in his formative years. NOW READ Vietnamese female architects and their outstanding works in the international arena Architect Jimmy Lim Cheok Siang on career, heritage, and staying young at heart Architect Tran Le Quoc Binh and the connection with sustainable natural architecture Credits
