Scandi Living SW15 Style

Blåbär is the small but perfectly formed lifestyle store/café hybrid helping South West Londoners take some inspired time out 

The Swedes; besides being blessed with enviable bone structure and creamy blonde tresses, they’re also pretty switched on to the whole work life balance thing. While us Londoners were slogging it out on the tube, clocking up the hours stuck sedentary at our desks and losing the battle to our eternally expanding to-to lists for decades, they were keeping their cool, creativity (and youth) intact. 

How? Simply by listening to their mind and bodies; leaving the office early, taking time out to talk with friends and colleagues and getting outside to enjoy nature. Yes, our Nordic friends were blazing the trail for wellness in their own quietly confident way long before the word starting trending. (and we haven’t even started on their diet).  

So, when a new lifestyle/coffee concept store recently opened up on my doorstep, I was delighted to see that it had its roots planted firmly in Swedish living. 

Founded by life partners Sandra Linnea West and Oliver Goodier, Blåbär is a cute corner of Scandi cool tucked into the heart of Putney. 

It’s a space to work in, a space to feel inspired in and a space to natter and chill over coffee with friends. 

Unpretentious but with a hip edge, it strikes the perfect balance between local hub and hip hangout. 

Part café, part design store with a small, hand-picked selection of unique Scandi lifestyle products ranging from scatter cushions, to sheepskin rugs, lighting, candles, jewellery, ceramics, bath and body washes and lotions. Downstairs is buzzy without being in your face busy. Upstairs is super relaxed with a dinky sofa and coffee table books on Nordic interior design tempting you to pimp your pad in the new style scandi. 

Co-owner Oliver is an Art Director in the film industry, and it shows. Details are well thought out and executed and the wall and cabinet displays look as if they are straight out of a high-end interiors mag shoot or film set. Mellow beats lilt away on the sound system and with the open top sandwiches and coffee cups adorning the tables you could easily be in Stockholm. The vibe is friendly but in in the know; you can rock up in your active wear or equally come in post-meeting to fire off a few emails over breakfast or lunch. And if you like the crockery, glasses, lighting or the vases on the tables, you can buy them. Yes, really.  

Sandra is the daily face of Blåbär; Swedish born she’s friendly, warm and clearly passionate about her thriving little empire. When I ask her about what initially inspired her and Oliver to set up Blåbär, she points to the translucent glass menu board hanging over the coffee counter. Above the flat whites, espressos and Americanos on offer is a brief five line explanation of the Swedish word ‘Fika.’ 

“Fika, is a concept which is key to the Swedish way of life”, she explains smiling. “It means taking a break; traditionally over a coffee and cinnamon bun. In Sweden, it’s scheduled into the working day- twenty minutes in the morning and afternoon. Everyone leaves their desks and they socialize.”

“The concept for Blåbär started around that. I wanted to bring that here. The Scandi way is, it’s 4pm, I’m leaving the office now, it’s a very flexible way of life.”  And while Blåbär’s not claiming to revolutionise every office, it’s making a small slice of South West London take some valuable time out. 

Order yourself one of the signature dishes; an open top sandwich with gravad lax (raw salmon cured in salt, sugar and dill) or the requisite meatballs with beetroot. All are served on rye or sourdough bread and rotate according to the seasons. The coffee is also excellent, as Sandra enthuses, “Coffee is key to Swedish life; the Swedish, Danish and Finnish are among the top five coffee drinking countries in the world.” So Blåbär serves Swedish roasted, fairtrade and organic blends, naturally. 

And because no self-respecting Swede would deny themself a little indulgence, pair your coffee with one of the delectable cinnamon buns or my personal favourite, the ‘Choklad Bollar’- (chocolate balls) made with a shot of espresso, raw cacao and oats. 

‘Fika’, it’s the new mindfulness creating ripples south of the river.  

Live Gorge loves:

A few of our must-have items from the Blåbär design collective:

Skandinavisk Candles and Home Fragrances- inspired by 15 years of travel and experiences in the Nordic region, this is an affordable but beautifully blended range. Many of the scents are based on the Scandi landscape; such as Sea, Forest and Fjord. We adore ‘Lempi, meaning vintage love; it’s a divine fusion of rose, strawberries, garden peony and oakmoss. 

HappySweeds Umbrellas- brighten up a rainy day with this quirky collection of high-quality umbrellas featuring natural landscapes, skies and honeycomb prints on the interior. We adore the vibrant green hues in the Forest version.  

 Blåbär- Nordic Living- 3A Lacy Road, Putney, SW15 INH
blabar.london
Try the new Scandi style brunch featuring Swedish caviar, served on selected Saturdays.