Store of the Month February: Brandstationen

On Hornsgatan in Stockholm lies a store that challenges the traditional Scandinavian interior design style. Spread across two distinct locations – the main store and the Studio – Brandstationen, which opened its doors in 2009, has become a destination for design lovers seeking the extraordinary. With a unique mix of hand-picked vintage treasures from European markets and carefully selected new products, the store offers an international and eclectic style that sets itself apart from traditional Scandinavian aesthetics.

In an exclusive interview, they share their exciting journey – from the store’s beginnings in a historic fire station to its current position as one of Stockholm’s most inspiring interior design destinations. They share their passion for personal environments, their hunt for unique objects, and their vision for the future in an ever-changing industry.

Christian Quaglia, founder of the interior design store Brandstationen.

Brandstationen has a unique history as a former fire station – how have you managed to preserve the building’s character while creating a modern interior design store? Tell us about the vision behind the concept.
The name Brandstationen naturally comes from our previous location in an old fire station, but now we’ve moved a few blocks away, though you might think this was also one with our beautiful arched windows facing the street. The vision behind the concept is first and foremost to feel international. Since Christian was young, he has dreamed of traveling around the world to find beautiful objects and create an eclectic and comfortable environment. We consider ourselves a cycle of consumption where customers can not only shop with us but also bring in items for sale, making us circular. If you hire us as interior designers, you shouldn’t expect a Scandinavian style; what we bring is a charming and personal style that you might expect from a home in Paris, London, New York, Milan, or of course Stockholm.

You have an exciting concept mixing vintage with new products. What’s your thinking behind this mix and how do you source your inventory?
There’s nothing better than waking up at 6 AM in a city in Belgium whose name we can’t pronounce and going to the market! Over the years, we’ve built up contacts and friends throughout Europe who we collaborate with to find unique vintage pieces that fit our concept. Our new product range is also hand-picked; we’re not loyal to any single brand’s entire concept, but just like when we go to markets, we choose the items we really love. The new product range is a basic segment that allows us to take on larger interior design projects and ensures we always have stock, creating a much-needed contrast with all the second-hand items we sell. The mix of new and used is exactly how we live in our homes today.

What’s the best part about running an interior design store in Stockholm, and what challenges do you face? How do you view the future of physical stores in an increasingly digital retail climate?
The customers! We would be nothing without our curious and interior design-enthusiastic customers. The challenges lie in consistently offering a price range that customers are willing to pay. That’s why you can find items from 25 kronor to 250,000 kronor at our store. Regardless of budget, you should always be able to find something beautiful with us. Price shouldn’t determine good taste. You can be as digital as you want, but you can never beat the total experience you get in a physical store, with the atmosphere you can create in a physical space through customer service, lighting, music, and scent. The environments you create trigger emotions that make people want to bring that comfortable atmosphere home.

How do you work with marketing and communication to reach your customers? Which channels have proven most effective for you?
We work exclusively through social media, where Instagram has proven to be our best tool. We focus primarily on inspiration rather than offers.

What are your most popular and best-selling items of all time? Have any products surprised you with their success?
There are many products that have surprised us. In the lower price category, we have everything from colorful glass heads, glowing mushrooms, and butter dachshunds, but we’ve also had great success with our vintage Murano lamps. We could post a picture of a Murano lamp on Instagram that would sell ten minutes later. Before the economic downturn, we sold Murano lamps as if there was no end to the demand; we sold so many lamps that we caught the attention of the Veneto region where Murano is located. They invited us down to see the production and meet the glass masters. We have always been the go-to place for Murano, and we remain the go-to place for Murano lamps today.

Looking ahead to upcoming seasons, which products and styles are you planning to focus on? How do you approach purchasing to meet your customers’ future needs?
Our role as a relatively small market player is to maintain our style, which we think is beautiful. It’s part of our mission to filter out and highlight what we find irresistible. It will always be about what we can contribute and inspire with rather than following current trends. There will always be a desire for unique objects. We will emphasize consignment sales even more, where private individuals have the opportunity to sell through us, and then we will focus even more on vintage.