Rachel Bodros Wolgers

Nestled between apartment buildings in central Stockholm, you can find small 18th-century wooden houses with gardens; we call them Kulturhus (culture houses). Living in one is something you dream about in the same way you fantasize about living in a mansion or on your own island. Luckily for us, we have a friend who does lives in one. Rachel Bodros Wolgers just moved back to her childhood home with her own family, and we got to visit. Traditionally, culture workers have rented these houses, so film producer Rachel and her architect husband Axel fit right in. 

Tuesday evening ends: 11 or 12 pm if I’m into a good series. I usually start preparing for bed at around 10 pm.

Before turning off the lights: I usually scroll my phone, bad habit.

I sleep in: I love all kinds of sleepwear, during summer I wear a nightgown and winter a two-set pajama. I often reuse clothes I think is too worn out to wear during the day as a pajama. So I guess my everyday style is very pajamas compatible.

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I share the bed with: My husband, Axel. Some nights, one or two kids also join us. 

On my nightstand: All the books I’m supposed to read instead of scrolling my phone. Also, a lip balm, hand cream, and my friend’s homemade cuticle cream.

On your husband’s nightstand: Books that he actually reads…

My best tip for a good night’s sleep: I’m probably the wrong person to ask for advice since I fall asleep the minute my head hits the pillow. But my daughter has a lot of trouble sleeping, and she’s always asking for advice. So I usually tell her to do that yoga practice where you scan your body, going through every body part one by one. 

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Keeps me awake: My job or stupid consumption. Like scrolling through the whole internet trying to find the best rain boots for my kids or which mascara has won best in test. I feel bad for how much time I spend on things like that.

My version of counting sheep: I guess that body scan thing I mentioned before.

My best midnight snack: I never eat at night. 

I last dreamt about: It was a bad dream about someone forcing oat milk into my coffee because it was much better for me. I got so angry and sad because I just wanted to decide for myself and just have my usual cow milk. It wasn’t hard to see the link to other issues in life where I just want to not think about what’s healthy. I just want milk!

My evening beauty routine: I use the Paula’s Choice series and follow their regimen strictly. I love that brand. The night mask is one of my favorite products.

Favorite bedroom feature:  I like everything about our bedroom, it’s one of my favorite rooms. But if I have to choose something special, I really like the small mirror my husband has placed on the wall by the window. It reflects the sea view perfectly when you lie in bed. It’s a beautiful detail.

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It gets dark inside, so lighting becomes very important, as well as things that sparkle and reflect light. Luckily, Axel is a master of lighting.

– Rachel Bodros Wolgers

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Wednesday morning starts: 6.30, like most mornings, but on Wednesdays, I get to sneak out before my family gets out of bed and go to pilates. I then come back and have breakfast by myself when they have left for school. So nice!

My alarm sounds like: It’s iphone’s alarm Blinkning.

The first thing I see: One of my family members.

My morning mood: Good, I’m more of a morning person than a night person.

Everyday breakfast: Usually yogurt with fruits and granola. And coffee – with whole fat cow milk!

Birthday breakfast: We take birthday breakfast very seriously, maybe too seriously. Preparations start days ahead with hiding different things in the fridge. Both me and Axel go to lengths to pick up bread and condiments from our favorite shops in the city. There should be great bread (my favorite local bakery is Pascal), cheese, several kinds of marmalade, cooked Italian ham, small French yogurts in glass jars, and some kind of chocolate in pretty wrapping.

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A dreamy weekend morning: It’s warm enough to sit outside, and I have the time and zen mode to relax and read the morning newspaper. The whole family is calm and sits around the table for a long time. This is of course seldom the case…

Morning beauty routine: Same as at night, just exchanges some products. I put my makeup on in the window niche in our bedroom, I’ve always like to do it in natural light, and this is the perfect spot.

My do’s and don’ts when making the bed: I hate it when the duvet doesn’t match the duvet cover. Since we have a double duvet that’s 240×220 cm, it’s easy to put it in on the wrong length, and it’s very irritating.

So we just have to ask, you live in a house from the 18th century, what are your thoughts on how to decorate it? The most important thing for me is that it is cozy. My husband, who is an architect (axelwolgers.se), is a pro when it comes to making it homely and finding the right balance between the centuries. Since the ceiling height is very low, you can not stand upright everywhere. It gets dark inside, so lighting becomes very important, as well as things that sparkle and reflect light. Luckily, Axel is a master of lighting. He has a goal for the house to be able to be lit only with candles. My favorite light source is our lamp Napoleon on the Nile from Gärsnäs.

And last but not least, what movies should we watch this fall? I’m longing to go to the cinema more! There are many premieres this autumn, but also a lot of great movies already out there. If you have not seen Another round (En runda till), it is a must. So many emotions in one movie. Very good, very Danish, and very human. Another movie that touched me a lot is The Father with Anthony Hopkins. Both movies were awarded at the Oscars. I look forward to the premiere Dune by Dennis Villeneuve. It feels like it will be a real cinema experience! He’s a favorite director. Now I feel like I’m just talking about international movies. So typical. A Swedish movie I’m curious about is the new Vinterviken.

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Text by Louisa Hammarbäck

Photo by Mikael Lundblad

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