By Megan Murray
Across the remote, snowy landscape of Bräkne-Hoby in southern Sweden, a 19th-century dusky-pink manor house stands out among the surrounding farmlands and nearby villages. Catch it at twilight — easily done in winter, when darkness rolls in from 2.30pm — and each window starts to glow, lit by candelabra. Framed only by woodland, it feels surreal and slightly out of place, as if you’ve stumbled upon Hansel and Gretel’s gingerbread house.
This is Hoby Kulle Herrgård, a guesthouse owned by Tove Hammerin and Benjamin Forsman. The couple, both from Stockholm, met at a party in 2018 and hit it off. Within a year they were engaged and plotting a way to merge her background in hotel marketing with his years as a chef. When they heard Hoby Kulle was coming on to the market, they moved quickly and bought it in 2019.
“It was actually our first time living together — in this huge mansion,” laughs Hammerin. “Our friends thought we were crazy, and maybe we were, a little, but we were strong-minded and had a vision.” Forsman agrees: “We were both over city living and wanted to create something special for our soon-to-be family.” They now have two children, Lova and Fred.
With its rosy facade and pistachio window frames, there’s a touch of Wes Anderson whimsy to the place, boosted by arched windows and a crescent-shaped roof. Its storybook aesthetic makes it popular for Swedish weddings, but they also open the house a handful of weeks a year for guests.
“Our Christmas weekends have really become a tradition for us,” says Hammerin, a festive enthusiast. From the last weekend of November, the manor becomes an advent retreat, with folklore-inspired decorations and serving a traditional Swedish feast, cooked by Forsman using ingredients from local producers.
During the festive period the house is transformed. Winter fir branches frame the entrance and a twirling staircase leads to the first floor, where 60 guests pad between drawing rooms and salons, plates in hand, looking entirely at home. A thick silk curtain reveals a Dickensian banquet table, mismatched china stacked high, candles placed between platters and steaming bowls of meatballs (köttbullar) and red cabbage (rødkål) alongside silver trays of devilled eggs.
In the sugarmouse-pink drawing room, a huge tree is lit up with fairy lights while candles in chandeliers, wall sconces and candlesticks provide almost all the illumination. It’s like stepping into a vintage Christmas card. “Our decorations nod to Swedish tradition; we pin red amaryllis flowers to the tree branches and focus on natural materials, with paper chains and handmade baubles. I wrap presents in vintage-style brown paper and ribbons for a nostalgic feel,” says Hammerin.
The jewel in the crown is the dessert room — opened only at the evening’s end to reveal a typically Scandinavian pantry; walls covered in mounted plates, crockery and china. Here, red ribbons stream from the ceiling and clove-studded oranges decorate a lace-covered sweetie table, heavy with ginger snaps, knäck toffees and fruit cake. “I wanted to create something from an Astrid Lindgren novel, which we all grow up reading,” she says, referencing the Swedish author known for the Pippi Longstocking books.
The manor had been empty for eight years before Hammerin and Forsman arrived, and their renovations have been sympathetic, guided by Hammerin who wanted to hold on to the house’s 19th-century origins. She visited nearby auction houses and those in Stockholm to find Gustavian-style chairs and sofas, but has also introduced contemporary Swedish design to celebrate national creativity old and new. “One of my favourite spaces is the mirrored dining room featuring bespoke wallpaper I designed with Amanda Nordblad of Perswall to imitate a vintage chinoiserie pattern,” she says.
The guesthouse has 10 double rooms, which are gradually being decorated. It’s here that Hammerin has “the most fun” introducing modern touches. The newest addition is a limewashed blue bedroom with a four-poster bed draped in Gotain fabrics, created in collaboration with the brand. Crème Atelier — the award-winning Swedish lighting studio known for 3D-printed shades — is the source of pendants and lamps throughout, while works by artists such as Sofia Lind decorate the walls.
Known for their advent experiences, Hammerin says her hope is that “every time a guest visits there’s always something new to look at”. She aims to keep adding to the scheme each year, seeking out more Swedish creatives for further festive collaborations.
Photography: Megan Murray; Katrin Baath; (C) Hoby Kulle Herrgård
