Uppsala has a long and important history in Swedish design. One of the most renowned companies to come out of the city is Upsala-Ekeby, which made ceramics and stoneware. Their mid-century pieces are still very popular with collectors all over the country. This legacy of craftsmanship lives on in today’s retail scene, which has a mix of curated concept stores and sustainable, ethically focused boutiques. Uppsala is more laid-back and focused on discovery than Stockholm’s busy shopping areas. Stores there often focus on local production, small-batch goods and direct relationships with designers.
The city’s small, walkable center, which is centered on the pedestrianized Svartbäcksgatan, makes it particularly convenient to visit a lot of design places. Uppsala’s design stores stand out because they carefully choose what they sell and only sell things that are fair trade and made with care. They sell everything from modern home goods chosen by a jury to vintage treasures. The five stores below are the best examples of this philosophy and each one has something unique to offer to the discerning shopper.
Top 5 Swedish Design Stores in Uppsala
- Designtorget
- Svart Inredning & Design
- Globalen
- Kvarteret
- Fullerö Handel
A Closer Look at the Top 5 Swedish Design Stores in Uppsala
1. Designtorget
Designtorget is a marketplace and launchpad for both well-known and up-and-coming Swedish designers. It has eight locations in Sweden’s biggest cities, with a strong presence in Uppsala. The store’s main goal is to make innovative design available to everyone, acting as a link between designers and customers. A jury chooses products based on certain criteria, such as originality, quality, susceptibility to compulsion and a good story behind each item. The Uppsala store has a constantly changing stock, so you can often find new things when you go back.
Key Points
- A dedicated jury regularly looks at new products and chooses the best ones, giving priority to those that Designtorget can be the first to sell.
- Types of products: Mostly home goods, like kitchenware, storage solutions, lighting, tech accessories, jewelry and small decorative items.
- Designer support model: Helps both well-known and unknown talents develop ideas and make things, as well as buy things in the usual way.
Achievements
- In the Swedish retail scene, it has become known as the “go-to destination for discovering unique designs and talented designers.”
- Operates a multi-channel model with physical stores and a web shop, increasing accessibility for designers and customers alike.
- Dedicated to sustainability, with clear demands on partners to have as little impact on the environment as possible and provide fair working conditions.
Feedback
Most people think that the store is a must-visit for anyone searching for home goods that are better than what you can find in most stores. Customers like the variety and the chance to help independent creators. People always say that the rotating inventory is a good thing, but people who are looking for a specific item they saw before may be let down.
Contact
Website: https://www.designtorget.se
2. Svart Inredning & Design
Svart Inredning & Design is located in a unique basement space at the entrance to the Claes Olsson department store on Svartbäcksgatan, Uppsala’s main pedestrian shopping street since 1643. The store, which is 200 square meters, aims to be a place for people seeking interior design items that are not typically available at other stores, with a strong focus on eco-friendly, locally made and long-lasting goods. Regular customers have praised the store’s changing seasonal collections, especially the winter collection of Christmas ornaments and traditional window stars.
Key Points
- Customers say that curated uniqueness means “lots of unique products, many made in Sweden.”
- Seasonal change: The selection changes a lot with the seasons. The winter collection is especially exceptional for holiday decorations, better than what you can find in stores.
- Items available: small furniture, gifts, skincare products, candles and decorative items.
Achievements
- Operates a 200-square-meter store that balances size with intentional, non-overwhelming curation.
- According to several reviews, the staff is friendly, knowledgeable and provides exceptional customer service.
- Sets itself apart from IKEA and other big chains by selling unique, higher-quality decorative items.
Feedback
Most of the reviews are very positive, with one person saying they bought eight candles when they moved abroad. The seasonal changes make people want to come back. However, a few negative reviews mention problems with the return policy and staff who seem rude, which suggests that the service isn’t always the same. People who want to buy something should make sure they understand the return policy before they buy it.
Contact
Website: https://www.svartinredning.se/
3. Globalen
Globalen is the largest Fairtrade shop in Sweden and has a unique place in the country’s retail scene. More than 80% of its goods meet Fairtrade standards or the World Fair Trade Organization’s principles for ethical commerce. The store sells groceries from Africa, Asia and Latin America, as well as beautiful handmade items and unique home decor. Each item is labeled with the country it came from. Globalen’s clear goal is to help the world grow in a way that is beneficial for people and the environment through fair trade.
Key Points
- Fairtrade leadership: The highest concentration of Fairtrade-certified goods of any store in Sweden.
- Global sourcing means that products come from Africa, Asia and Latin America. These products tell cultural stories and makers create them in ways that are good for the environment.
- Clear labeling: Every product shows where it came from, so customers can make smart choices about what to buy.
Achievements
- Recognized as Sweden’s premier Fairtrade retail destination.
- Successfully bridges the gap between “ethical shopping” and desirable design, proving that sustainability and aesthetics can coexist.
- Featured in Destination Uppsala’s official guides for conscious consumption.
Feedback
Globalen is a brand that appeals to shoppers who value design quality as well as ethical production and global artisan traditions. People say that the store is a wonderful place to find unique gifts that mean more than just how they look. People say the interior design services are “unique” and can give Swedish homes a global feel.
Contact
Website: https://globalen.nu/
4. Kvarteret
Kvarteret is in Uppsala’s hip Rosendal neighborhood, which is known for its modern architecture and forward-thinking community planning. The store stands out because it uses a mix of retail and workshop space, where sustainability is just as important as looks. Kvarteret sells furniture, home decor, gifts, lamps and toys. It also has a workshop on site where people make new things from old ones. Customers can order one-of-a-kind lampshades made just for them and designer fabrics and new paint can help old furniture look fresh again.
Key Points
- Workshop integration: The store makes upcycled items on-site and offers customization and repair services that regular design stores don’t have.
- Working together on social enterprises: Partners with Creation Hive is a group of women in Kenya who have HIV or AIDS. They make crafts that combine Kvarteret’s fabrics to create a line of products sold only at this store.
- Focus on the circular economy: Furniture restoration and upcycling are not just extras; they are the main parts of the business model.
Achievements
- It takes up 200 square meters of curated space in one of Uppsala’s newest and most desirable neighborhoods.
- Collaborated with Kenyan artisans from around the world to create a unique product line.
- Official Uppsala guides say that this company is a leader in combining design with sustainability.
Feedback
Kvarteret appeals to shoppers who value circular consumption and want to see the upcycling process firsthand. The exclusive Creation Hive collaboration offers products unavailable anywhere else in Sweden. The store is described as “trendy” but with substantive ethical backing rather than superficial aesthetics.
Contact
Website: https://www.kvarterfurniture.com/
5. Fullerö Handel
Fullerö Handel is a unique place to shop that is located between Uppsala and Storvreta, close to the E4 highway. This place opened in 1994 and has a home and garden decor store and a cozy café in a beautiful garden setting. Fullerö Handel is different from the urban concept stores in central Uppsala because it has a relaxed, almost rural feel. Customers can look at furniture inside and outside before sitting down for coffee and fika in a cozy indoor space or a garden seating area.
Key Points
- Specialization in home and garden: A wide range of home and garden items, such as smides (wrought iron), furniture, lighting and decorative items.
- Café that is part of the building: Visitors can shop and have a meal or coffee break at the on-site Café Villan, which is a lovely place to do both.
- Beautiful setting: Located between Uppsala and Storvreta with easy access to highways, making it a destination rather than a quick trip to the city.
Achievements
- Has operated continuously since 1994, demonstrating longevity and local loyalty.
- Visitors have called it an “affär full med allt möjligt” (a store full of all kinds of things) with a friendly, welcoming vibe.
- Customers give the shopping experience and the café’s quality very high marks.
Feedback
Reviewers always say that Fullerö Handel is a “nice shop for decorating and furnishing the inside and outside” and has a “friendly cafe where you can have lunch or tea.” People I really like the garden setting during the warmer months. Customers say that the store has a wider selection than most city boutiques, with items like outdoor furniture and wrought iron pieces. Shopping and fika together make it a full half-day trip.
Contact
Website: https://www.fullero.nu/
FAQ
Which Uppsala design store is best for discovering new, emerging Swedish designers?
Designtorget is set up in a way that helps new designers by using a jury selection process that puts a lot of weight on getting new talent and products to market. The store is like a market where both well-known designers and less well-known ones can show off their work. This makes it the best place to find new Swedish designs.
Where can I find ethically sourced, fair-trade design items in Uppsala?
With more than 80% of its products meeting Fairtrade standards, Globalen is Sweden’s biggest Fairtrade shop. The store gets handmade home goods from Africa, Asia and Latin America and each item has a tag that says where it came from. Kvarteret’s work with Kenyan artisans is another ethical option for social enterprise-driven design.
Are there design stores in Uppsala that focus on Swedish-made products?
Yes. Svart Inredning & Design focuses on goods that are made in Sweden and that benefit the environment. Customers have said that “many products come from Sweden.” Designtorget also puts Swedish designers first, acting as a “hävstång för unga formgivare” (lever for young designers) in the Swedish design ecosystem.
Which store offers the most unique seasonal decorations, particularly for Christmas?
Customers always praise Svart Inredning & Design’s winter collection, saying that their Christmas ornaments and traditional window stars are “much, much nicer than the ones from IKEA that everyone has. ” The store is a fantastic place to do holiday shopping because it changes its stock every season.
Can I combine furniture shopping with a café visit in Uppsala?
Fullerö Handel is a home and garden store that also has Café Villan, where you can get coffee, lunch and fika in a beautiful garden or a cozy indoor space. It is located between Uppsala and Storvreta and is meant to be a place to go for a relaxing half-day trip, not a quick trip to the city.
Where can I find vintage and retro design items in Uppsala?
Uppsala has a strong vintage scene, even though it isn’t in the top five list above. Odhner (vintage and retro design home decor), Retrolyckan (home decor from the 1940s to 1970s) and Ruth & Raoul (beautiful vintage clothing and accessories) are some of the best vintage and second-hand stores. Uppsala also has an annual vintage festival that celebrates retro culture with fashion shows, clothing and other fascinating things.
Which Uppsala design store focuses most on upcycling and circular economy principles?
Kvarteret has a workshop on site where they make upcycled items, fix up old furniture with designer fabrics and make custom lampshades to fit each customer’s needs. The store makes it clear that sustainability is just as important as looks, which makes it the best choice for circular design.
What is the best area of Uppsala for concentrated design store browsing?
Svartbäcksgatan, Uppsala’s main shopping street since 1643, is now a pedestrian-only street. It has the most design and home goods stores. This street has Svart Inredning & Design right on it, in the basement of Claes Olsson. In the center of the city, you can also walk to Designtorget and Globalen.
