Before and After: Baby Girl's Nursery
Emma Wertsén is 31 years old and lives in Gothenburg with her family. She works as a Campaign Leader at Gimmersta Wallpaper, and in her spare time, she is the Head coach of the Swedish women’s epee team in fencing. Emmas big hobbies are sports and interior design. It’s a luxury to be able to work with my interests every day!
The Interview with Emma Wertsén
Hi Emma, how are you and your family?
We feel great, my husband is on parental leave, and my daughter, who is 13 months, is getting more fun every day. The only one in a bad mood is our cat, Ludacris. He has been grumpy since we sold his ugly cat tree that was in what is now Celine’s nursery.
Tell us a little about your home.
We bought our apartment in Gothenburg for just over two years ago. The apartment price had been lowered to the lowest square meter price ever, and it was clear why the price was low. The apartment had a massive renovation need.
Less charming details like mouldy joints, pits in the concrete walls, hanging ceilings, and cigarette marks on the floors were a bit everywhere. But we saw great potential in the apartment, and everyone in my husband’s Danish family is handy. Together, they have completely renovated the entire apartment.
The kitchen and the bathroom have been torn out and replaced with new and linoleum floors have been removed, and underneath there were fantastic wooden floors. Now we are putting built-in wardrobes in the hallway then everything is perfect in our opinion.
How has it been to renovate an apartment completely?
Sure, it has been tiring; for example, we did not have a bathroom during much of my pregnancy. I had to go to the basement about seven times every night, which was pretty scary. But it has been worth it. My task has been to decide how “we” want it, which has been a luxury.
What is your best tip when renovating a nursery?
The room’s foundation was already lovely because we had pulled out the linoleum floor and sanded and stained the wooden floors. So we were able to get started with the most fun directly: wallpapering and decor. I made a mood board with both the wallpapers and the decor that I decided on, which was very helpful.
The room’s foundation was already lovely and we saw great potential!
How did you go about choosing wallpaper?
My best tip is to think outside the box to get a unique and beautiful result. I am delighted that we chose to combine two wallpapers. Della and Igor complement each other perfectly. I used several different wallpaper samples to find the perfect combination. Separating the two wallpapers with a wooden batten resulted in a robust expression which I love.
My husband went to a colour shop with the wallpaper samples and asked them to mix to a suitable colour in which he then painted the batten. Breaking the wallpaper with a wooden batten is an interior design tip that I stole from Janniche who styled and photographed the collection.
What does Celine like about her room?
She seems as happy as I am, before laying down, she usually points to all the fish and sea creatures.
What inspires you?
I love to be inspired by beautiful pictures on Pinterest and love to find bargains on auction sites. On weekends, flea markets are my favourite activity, to my husband’s horror. The very best deals I had made when I went out to the flea markets in the countryside.
How would you describe Sandberg Wallpaper?
Quality is the first word that comes to mind. I have previously worked with “fast fashion”, and the design process at Sandberg Wallpaper differs from the fashion industry. Each design and pattern has a history behind it and is sketched by hand by our designers. It’s great to work with products that you are proud of.
What is your favourite wallpaper?
Sandberg’s office had the wallpaper Raphaël when I started working there. My first reaction was that the pattern was a bit much, but now I love it! When we move into a house, I will wallpaper our bedroom with Raphaël Blue as soon as possible.
Lastly, do you have any general wallpaper tips to share?
If you have decided to wallpaper, my recommendation is to “go all-in” and wallpaper the whole room. Before the renovation of the children’s room, we had only one wall with wallpaper because I was a bit cowardly. I am so pleased that we chose to wallpaper all four walls. The result was much more cosy and calmer than before.
Interior Design Tips from Emma
As it can quickly become very messy in children’s rooms, I invested in delightful wooden baskets with fruit form from Ferm Living.
I have tried to create a stripped-down decor and only let half of Celine’s toys stand in front. She gets overwhelmed by too many toys, so we change the toys now and then. It is a tip that works for cats and babies.