Discover, preserve, recreate. A garden is in a state of constant change. Caring for an old garden is therefore not about freezing a state. Instead, it is about getting to know the garden in order to best preserve its various elements for the future.

In his role as a garden antiquarian, André Strömqvist has extensive experience of older environments and, as a gardener, the necessary practical knowledge.

He describes how we can find clues, interpret what we see and set a level of ambition that works. He guides us through the different parts of the garden in the form of flower beds, hedges, stone paths and fruit trees. He describes how we can go about caring for, restoring and recreating the various parts, and lets history in the form of pioneers of older times, methods and cultural varieties arouse curiosity and inspiration.

Photo: André Strömqvist

Houses made of slag – many have never seen them, others stand in awe of the slag bricks that shimmer in blue, green, gray and even change color with the light. Intriguing structures, tiny lumps of iron, charcoal striations – what can’t you find when you take a closer look at the building material? What is it, many people ask today. When were the houses built? Why was cinder block made?

Slagstone is our first artificial building stone, used in ore fields as an alternative to building timber. The forest was needed for the production of charcoal, the fuel for smelting ore and the extraction of copper and iron. The metals were exported, bringing income to Sweden and raising people’s standard of living. Slag was a by-product of metal production. The metals have been sold around the world, the workplaces are closed down and gone – but the slag remains and tells us – about ores and technological development, about heavy manual labor and skilled craftsmanship. No two cinder blocks are the same. Never again can one be made.

DESCRIPTION The book aims to raise awareness of the buildings. The oldest ones date from the 18th century, the youngest from the early 20th century. They are churches or cellars and everything in between. The pictures aim to show how amazing the buildings are and the text provides information about their background, construction and care. The hope is that people will be inspired to take pride in the slag houses and care for these unique buildings, made from a material that is irreplaceable today.

TIP Don’t forget to take a look at our beautiful Bagarstuga in Gysinge, which is built of cinder block.

Wallpaper through the ages – Perspectives from the Engelsberg Mill World Heritage Site.

Wallpaper has been one of our most important wall decorations for centuries and in various forms. Attitudes towards wallpaper have changed over time, especially in recent decades, but today there is a strong and growing interest in wallpaper and the historic preservation of buildings.

This book, which is the first stand-alone volume in a series on the Engelsberg Mill World Heritage Site, contributes to a better understanding of the history of wallpaper. Through the rich array of illustrations, both historical and modern, experts in several subjects share their in-depth knowledge of wallpaper, both as a craft and as an expression of different decorative ideals.

130 illustrations. Edition: French binding with gold foil and printed cover, wire-bound. 24 x 31 cm. 200 pages.

Authors: Erika Åberg, Lars Sjöberg, Stina Olinder Haubo, Ursula Sjöberg, Mats Qwarfordt, Martin Olin, Sara Lundström.

Editors-in-chief: Svante Holmbaek Tirén, Kurt Almqvist.

Design: Patric Leo.

Stora boken om byggnadsvård is the bible for anyone who longs for an old house. Göran Gudmundsson, founder of the Gysinge Center for Building Conservation, writes knowledgeably and passionately about renovation inside and out, in the city and in the country. Here you get answers to everything you need to know about old houses, from foundation to chimney. And help you think. Both in terms of maintenance and choice of renovation materials, as well as how to solve requirements for functioning kitchens, bathrooms and heating, without losing the genuine feeling. Knowledge of building historical style ideals, and why our old houses look the way they do, is mixed with recipes for mud paint and linseed oil paint, tips on how to paint stencils, print wallpaper borders, repair tiles, soap scrub floors and renovate windows – a lot of concrete advice for those who want to try it themselves.

A practical book about tradition, comfort, quality and reuse for those who want to create a home with soul! The book can be seen as a continuation of Göran Gudmundsson’s popular book series “Byggnadsvård i praktiken”.