✚ Photo by Weekday Carnival
I’ve been a fan of twinkly strings of lights for as long as I can remember. As a teenager, strings of Christmas lights stayed up in my bedroom all year long, and these days Patrick Townsend’s String Light sits waiting for me to find the right spot for it (I will, I will). I love the ambiance they add to a room — maybe it’s a bit of nostalgia for the feeling of holidays when I was a child, I don’t know.
Lately I’ve been really coveted a strand of Glödlampsslinga lights from the Swedish company Granit. They don’t ship to the US and as far as I know there’s no distributor for them here, so I’m relegated to admiring them from afar for now. If I ever get my act together and make a trip to Sweden (a.k.a. “the motherland” — I haven’t been there since I was 8 years old!), that’s at the very top of my shopping list. I have a couple of cheap-o sets of outdoor globe string lights in my garden, but they just don’t have the nice heft and presence of these black rubber-corded ones. Someday!
In the mean time, here are a bunch of the photos I’ve been saving of Granit’s Glödlampsslinga in other people’s homes. I hope you like them, too.
✚ Photos by (1) Regines kreativiteter, (2) Hannah’s Room for Plaza Interiör, (3) Elv’s blog, (4) Dusty Deco
✚ Photo by Frida Ramstedt for Trendenser
✚ Photos by (1) & (2) Mokkasin, (3) Fredrik Karlsson with styling by Sarah Widman, (4) A Merry Mishap
✚ Photo by Deborah from Ollie & Seb’s Haus for A Merry Mishap
✚ Photo of designer/stylist Susanna Vento’s home by Petra Bindel for Dwell (see more of Susanna’s home at Varpunen!)
You want a strand now too, am I right? Well, if you’re in Sweden (or have a nice friend there who likes to send you things!), you’re in luck! For those of us in the US, though, here are some other options…
1. Glodlampsslinga, Granit / 449 kr
2. String Lights, onefortythree / $125 (coming soon)
3. Vintage Metro String Lights, Brookstone / $94.99
4. Vintage Light String, Restoration Hardware / $152 (on sale)
41 Comments
Gah. And there’s my obsession. That Andy Warhol exhibition poster that was apparently issued to every single Swede, and is impossible to buy online.
I do love a good string light though. I might have to get that brass one from onefortythree, because brass.
I know, the Andy Warhol poster, hahaha. I think the reason it shows up on a lot of blogs is that it’s a commonly-used staging prop for at least one very prominent Swedish real estate firm. You can buy it at Moderna Museet if you find yourself in Sweden! The Japanese shop Elephant used to sell the whole series (as well as that Olle Eksell poster that pops up everywhere), but they haven’t been in stock in ages. Alas!
Moderna Museet will ship to the US – I didn’t want to carry posters on the plane and ordered once I got home!
Hmmm, they don’t seem to be in the Moderna Musset online store and I can’t believe I missed when Elephant had them!
I have, however, remembered that my boyfriend knows a bunch of Swedish people so this may happen.
Oh they are nice. All the loveliness of fairy lights but much cooler and the price isn’t too shabby. Such a pity Granit won’t deliver.
Yep, those brass ones are beautiful.
Logan’s work is incredible! I have one of his swing-arm sconces in my kitchen, and I can vouch for the quality.
Check out Italian brand Seletti, they have a string of led lights: http://www.seletti.it/lighting/bellavista.php
And they make some very nice neon letters as well, with which you can compose your own words!
There should be a Seletti reseller with international shipping I suppose…
Thanks, Dee! Very cool stuff, and they actually have a retailer less than a block away from my Brooklyn apartment. Crazy!
Here’s the US retail location list for anyone else who might be interested…
http://www.selettinorthamerica.com/retailer-en.html
Really?! You’re welcome, glad I could help! I’m still trying to find a spot in my home where those neon letters will make sense 😉
I thought I’d come here and find swedish readers tripping over each other, offering to send you the lights. But, yeah, that can be arranged. 😉
Hah! No tripping Swedes yet — thank you so much for offering! I’m going to look into another option, but I may just have to take you up on that. I’ll be in touch. 🙂
Hi!
I can help you and buy one of these Granit light and send to you, if you would like that. I live in Malmo in Sweden and Granit is just around the corner. 🙂 Send me an e-mail, if you’re interested!
That’s very nice of you, Linnea! Hanna has already offered, but I will definitely let you know if I’m in need of some Swedish goods going forward. 😉
We just got very similar ones to these for our food trailer. 😀
I am in love with these! I am just such a sucker for black and white.
Here in Australia I had the same problem and outdoor lights werent cutting it for us either – till at the hardware store I spotted these colored party lights – looks more hefty than the outdoor ones you have in your garden post and the clear outdoor options I was seeing around at the time. Switched the colored bulbs for regular clear bulbs and they’re VERY similar to what I was lusting after on those Danish blogs.
http://www.bunnings.com.au/products_product_10-pack-party-light-kit_P4350504.aspx
Thats the link to the Aussie option, but if you can find something similar you’d be in business!
Ah, a post after my own heart! I’ve always loved string lights and know it’s a direct consequence of delighting in them every year around Christmastime. It took me until last week to finally take last year’s lights down. Oh, and those brassy numbers in #2 are hot!
I really want some for the garden, to hang along the length of the back of our house, I think they’d really add the magic that it’s lacking right now. But those brass ones are so pretty for indoors.
Oh, the Granit lights are so good and versatile. We’ve had them hanging in a tangled up bunch in our living room for ages now, though I’m quite keen to let a strand out over the table. I think that could be nice.
I was also going to offer to send you a box, though I’de be terrified for the bulbs. Maybe it would be easier to ship just the string? The bulbs are quite common. Me and my husband have a record company and you think 7″ singles should make it, but we have a non stop problem with crumpled up sleeve corners. So what about bulbs – eek.
Maybe some kind of structured, architectural string light could work in the lower part of your kitchen? Or maybe structured, architectural string lights only exist in my mind… That so often happens. / Ella
Ella, did you see the light string from Rawz Design I posted about recently? It’s sort of a “structured, architectural string light,” right?
http://www.doorsixteen.com/2013/03/22/pretty-things-on-my-etsy-wishlist-2/
I’ve thought about putting that in the apartment kitchen, but I’m worried about the bulbs with such a low ceiling. It’s definitely a consideration, though!
Thank you for offering to send a box. I think I’m covered, but you make a good point about the fragility of the bulbs…hmmm…
Yes, that string definitely fulfills my requirements ;).
Gorgeous as it is, as you say, those bulbs take up too much space. I was imagining smaller lights, without becoming Christmas:y, just a structured strand. (But would that provide enough light? Hm.)
Have a lovely weekend!
It’s my birthday and I’m making my first smörgåstårta since years back. A stranger I met at a party predicted this is the year of the smörgåstårta, so let’s see if I start of the trend!
Not sure if Granit ships to other places in EU, but you could always get a Bongo account; they have an EU address available so that you can ship yourself some goodies!
I’ve never heard of that, but I’ll look into it. I wonder how that affects VAT — that’s the biggest impediment for me when ordering from some EU countries. Sometimes it doubles the cost of goods from Sweden.
I love the way string lights make the room feel instantly cozy. I’d be happy to buy some for you when I go to Sweden this summer, but remember that the voltage and the plugs are different there. I don’t think you can simply plug in Swedish lamps here in the USA unless they are wired specifically for sale here.
I didn’t know you’re going to Sweden this summer! Take meeeeeeee!
I have a universal voltage transformer, don’t worry. 🙂
For over 2 years I’ve been trying to justify these for our outside patio. The target ones were too fragile so they live in the fireplace, inside, wrapped around a birch log. Try googling “commercial string lights” here’s an example of some available, custom lengths too!
http://www.partylights.com/Strings-Bulbs/Commercial-Medium-Strings-Bulbs
And thanks very much for the tip for “concrete light fixture”!
I love those string lights I want them for my backyard skating rink in Quebec City
crap, now I need those 🙂
String lights can be very romantic especially when you put it in the garden, ooh, perfect scenery. I just love how it glows and the colors of it like (red, yellow, green, etc.). Great photos you got there, I like how you showed ways on how to hang those string lights.
Hi,
Love your blog – I’ve got a LOT of inspiration from it. You really have fantastic taste.
I see quite a few people from Sweden have offered to send you the lights, I also live in Sweden (Helsingborg) so if you need anything else sometime I’d also be happy to help with shipping. 🙂
//Jo
That’s very nice of you, Jo, thank you! I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog. 🙂
Ohhh, that brass and black strand from onefortythree is just delicious. He does such lovely work.
Hi Anna, very nice blog. I love this string lights and actually had an electrician friend make some for our living room a while back. I like them so much I sometimes just leave the lights on during the day to admire them. I got some new Ideas with these brass ones you have images on, thanks for that and I hope you can get yours soon.
Just give me an email if you want a Swede to send you some :):) I’d love to!
Just came across your blog – obsessed!! I can’t get enough of the black/white combo and those vintage lights add such a touch of whim to any space.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Kimberly
Third Floor Design Studio
I love onefortythree! One of his wall sconces is on my wish list for a while. I just need to convince the husband- he wants something totally different from it… 🙁
Hi Anna, i love this post, I am a fanatic when it comes to Swedish house design, although i must say i like the light, i would want them bigger, much BIGGER, good post
Karis
I love your blog..I just recently stumbled onto this lovely corner of the internet. I have these guys (I am an American living in Sweden). You can tell from the pictures the cord is quite thick which I think attributes to the quality quite a bit. Definitely a piece that survives many moves and various settings! As someone else said, they are so versatile. I hope I am not trolling you with too much detail, but I noticed not much has been said about how these lights feel. By the way they wrap all the light bulbs up nicely (individually) in a sturdy package if you are still considering them.
Hi there! I’m considering lighting options for my kitchen so I revisited your post.
Anyhow, those string lights are very common in Germany. They are mainly used in beer gardens. The string is most commonly green, though, but black seems to be available occasionally. The german amazon to my knowledge ships to the US, but the fees are probably hefty.
I have no clue wether european fixtures would work with the low voltage in America.
Hi everyone…..
Like so many I am on the hunt of a lifetime trying to source the Moderna Museet Andy Warhol Posters…. sellers on eBay are asking for $180AUD for one poster plus shipping!!! Is there anyone on here that lives close by and wouldnt mind posting them to australia? All costs covered of course?
Fingers are crossed for a response!!!
Monique