The Stone House: Swedish Kakelugn

24 Jul 2018

Did I mention we are dreamers?

A standout feature of Scandinavian interiors is the beautiful ceramic tile Kakelugn stove. The all white cylindrical version is possibly the most iconic, however, one can find them in all shapes, sizes and colours--even painted tile. As admirers of Nordic design, we are naturally drawn to the ceramic ornamentation found on these stoves paired with pale wood floors, crown molding and modernist furniture.

That being said, these stoves are more than mere decoration. The way the chimney system works, it retains the heat from the first firing in the morning throughout the day, radiating soft warmth for a long period of time without having to use a lot of wood.

So...I can hear you asking. Where on earth did you find this, and how on earth did you get it to small town Ontario from Sweden? Cue John and his internet wanderings again. Purchased from Lindholm Kakelugnar, the interaction was pretty seamless and Mats was very helpful in organizing everything. We used our usual freight forwarder to get it to Toronto, and then our amazing local movers to get it to the country.

By the way, ignore the grey paint job behind, it got destroyed and we ended up moving in a new direction anyway...a surprise for later.

It took awhile to secure a certified stove mason in Ontario willing to put it together for us but eventually we found Alex Chernov. First step was to build a masonry stove, then they had to put all the numbered tiles in the correct location.

There is a very special way to construct a masonry stove like this. It cannot be made with cement of any kind, and the fillings have to be made with a chalk pudding instead of mortar. Alex and his assistant worked patiently and efficiently, producing a beautiful and authentic end product.

For us finding a stove that would fit in a rural environment, in such an old home, was really important. This motif is only found on stoves from Gotland, a Swedish island famous for its stone cottages and craft culture. The stove was built originally around 200 years ago, and you can find stoves by the same stove master in Hotel Stelor in Gotland.