From royal salons with exquisite Pompeian ornament to modest spatter-painted Biedermeier halls, Hakan Groth and Fritz von der Schulenberg open the doors on interiors which will come as a revelation to all but a few fortunate travellers.

When Crown Prince Gustaf returned from Versailles in 1771 to ascend the throne of Sweden, he was determined to give his country a leading place in Europe culturally as well as politically. He fostered the international movement of Neoclassicism, and there are echoes in the interiors displayed here of the Louis XVI and Empire modes, French, English and German influences. However, all is suffused by a distinctively Swedish freshness and by the northern light.

Marvellously evocative photographs, all taken specially for this book, present in detail the decoration and furnishings of twenty houses and apartments. The author traces the evolution of the Neoclassical style in Sweden, placing it in its wider European context, and explores the history of each of the buildings. Plans, and original drawings by the architects and designers, complete the picture. These beautiful interiors are of unique value today not only as treasure-houses of superb craftsmanship but also as a stimulus to contemporary decorators.