Stockholm

2-MIN READ2-MIN

Published: 12:00am, 16 Apr 2006

The house-proud can binge on Ikea when visiting Sweden, but there is the risk of never re-emerging if they enter its flagship store, in Kungens Kurva, outside Stockholm. The chain's largest outlet worldwide, it occupies 55,200 square metres - about the size of 11 football fields.

A more satisfying way to get lost is to traverse the streets of Stockholm. With main thoroughfares within walking distance of each other or short train rides away, visitors need less than a day to check out those homeware emporia likely to offer items special enough to lug back to Hong Kong.

An institution that stands on its own is Svenskt Tenn (Strandvagen 5, tel: 46 8 670 1627; www.svenskttenn.se). A haven for fabric mavens, it sells the 1940s creations of Austrian architect and designer Josef Frank, 40 of whose cheerful, florid patterns are still in production. Overstuffed armchairs sit beside contemporary lampshades and placemats upholstered in his iconic prints, as well as Marta Friman's tray tables, which cost 450 krona ($450) to 580 krona each.

Worlds away in approach and purpose is DesignTorget (www.designtorget.se), a seven-outlet chain store whose slogan is 'new, handpicked items'. If the shop judges a product worth selling, it will give it space for weeks or years, according to customer demand. Desirables include ornate Plexiglas bedheads designed to be attached to the wall (double-bed size, 3,295 krona) and vases (110 krona) that pack flat.

Exclusive in attitude but, surprisingly, not in price is David Design (Gotgatan 36, tel: 46 8 694 7575; www.david.se), which describes its contemporary homeware as reflective of basic Swedish values: 'sufficient ... without extravagance'. Classy, but lacking the zing that comes from designers striving to be much more than adequate, its best features are sleek neutral furniture and accessories such as Verner Panton's polished aluminium Pantop table lamp (3,655 krona).

Cooler in the hip stakes is new store Establish (Humleg?rdsgatan 14, tel: 46 8 545 853 40; www.establishndg.se). In this Alexander Lervik-designed outlet, shoppers must know their brands if they are to be taken seriously. So, practise pronouncing names such as Magis, Offecct and, of course, Lervik, whose Brighthandle illuminated door handles are available for 2,249 krona each.