Östermalm

Owned and operated by Scotsman Andrew Duncanson since 1998, this showroom-slash-gallery collects and sells rare, impossible-to-find 20th-century Scandinavian furniture by the likes of Finn Juhl, Arne Jacobsen, and Alvar Aalto. Aside from their Stockholm space, Modernity often sources and supplies pieces to MoMA and LACMA, as well as being a constant feature on the international art circuit. One of the few places in the world where iconic pieces by the aforementioned Scandinavian design heavyweights are actually available for sale, you'll also find antique textiles, ceramics, and light fixtures.

The Swedes are particularly skilled at giving just about everything, from their buildings to their food, a sustainability edge. GoBoat is the city's environmentally focused picnic boat company, developed to enable tourists and locals to take full advantage of the water that surrounds and divides Stockholm (really, fourteen separate islands connected by bridges). The family-sized navy motor boats themselves are made of recycled plastic, run on solar-powered batteries, and have sturdy wooden tables and benches built right in. Pack up a picnic (shop for the best sandwiches and fixings at Ostermalms Saluhall), choose your route, and enjoy lunch with a side of some of the best views this part of the world has to offer—the perfect activity whether you're traveling with the kiddos or not.

In a city filled with achingly hip boutique hotels, Berns, in upscale Östermalm, is the alternatively kooky option. Favored by visiting bands, celebrities, and political figures, the hotel bar and restaurant are permanently packed with a fairly riotous crowd. The accommodations are small but unique, with large-scale, modern photographs decorating the walls, bright rugs, and cushions to add color; and many of the rooms have the added bonus of French balconies and window seats. The weekend brunch is the major draw even if you're not staying over: Sit in the wood-paneled, chandelier-lit dining room, take a break from Nordic cuisine, and tuck into a full Asian spread, from sushi to salads.

This converted former apartment building still has a homey feel to it, despite all the fancy upgrades (like kitchenettes and workout spaces), and center-of-it-all location. The bedrooms are a blend of old and new, with clever, textural details—like using the old apartment doors as headboards and leaving some of the walls in their raw stone form. The hotel has a '30s-style Asian restaurant with the requisite velvet sofas and dark wood tables, and the hotel bar is packed to the rafters every weekend. Not the place for a relaxing stay, but if you want to feel in the middle of it all, this is where you want to be—right next to Stureplan, Stockholm's nightlife hotspot and in the vicinity of the city's best shopping.

Stockholm's most famous food hall occupies a grand old brick building that was built at the founding of the market in 1888 and includes original wooden stalls for all twenty or so vendors. In 2016, the city embarked on a major renovation and refurbishment project that ended, to spectacular results, in early 2018. In addition to full-service restaurants and bars, there are stands with smørrebrod and fresh juices, plus vegetables, seafood, and a butcher featuring duck and elk in addition to the requisite chicken and beef.

A slew of interesting, young Swedish designers have opened up shop in the past few years, but Anna Holtblad is actually part of an older (and much smaller) generation of designers–her brand has been around for more than twenty-five years, and she's thought of locally as a pioneer in her field. Inside her shop (designed and decorated by her husband, architect and designer Thomas Sandell), you'll find cozy knits, drapey tops, and perfect-fitting wide-legged pants.

Founded by Paul and Carina Jackson back in 1981, Jacksons specializes in vintage Scandinavian design, sourcing everything from lighting to furniture to rugs. Paul and Carina often curate exhibitions to showcase their pieces, so a visit to the showroom inevitably results in a lesson in the history of design (and with a list of new designers to learn about). There's a satellite location in Berlin, too.

If you go to one furniture store in Stockholm, make it Nordiska Gelleriet, where the tags read like a who's-who of contemporary Scandinavian design–with a healthy dose of modernist influences from abroad, like Charles and Ray Eames and Le Corbusier. Carl-Magnus Heigard, who laid the foundation for the company's aesthetic (and its rise to prominence in the '50s and '60s), pioneered the concept of curating furniture galleries like art exhibitions, which the company still practices in its carefully considered merchandising.

With two full floors of new and vintage furniture, textiles, and lighting—plus, a rich, color-heavy aesthetic—Oscar and Clothilde is a trusted go-to for local interior designers. But unlike many of the other furniture galleries in the area, they also have a smattering of accessories, pillows, and gift-able items, meaning it's entirely possible to pick up something you could take home in your suitcase.

Swedish furniture design in the 18th and 19th centuries was dominated by a painted-wood style, and pieces with original paint are increasingly difficult to find. Svenska Rum has one of the best selections we've encountered (plus plenty of antique accessories, like chandeliers and small wooden figures)–the dealer, Leif Jansson, has been in the business for more than 30 years.