Saša’s been working as a freelance interior stylist for 10 years—and he lives both in Stockholm and New York City. For this living room, he envisioned his Big Apple loft because he’ll be spending his first holiday season there. That doesn’t mean he’ll go check out the big tree in Rockefeller Center. “I don’t like traditions,” he says, “but doing this project made me think about what the holiday really means to me.”

So what do the holidays mean to Saša? Spending time with family, friends and loved ones. He would invite them over for a celebration with finger food, cocktails and good music. To make the room feel a little more festive without being over-the-top traditional, he would bring in holiday hints like evergreen branches and lots of candles. A big star in the window creates a cosy contrast to the dark skies and falling snow. “And from the street, my friends can see where the party is like a sign.”

To make the industrial loft—and the party—really welcoming, Saša aims for supreme softness. He would use silky cow hides and woolly sheepskin together with a mix of throws and pillows in neutral colours. He would even create a lounge-worthy chaise sofa by stacking up a bunch of covered mattresses and tieing them up with belts. “When the hours start getting late and turning into morning, everyone can grab a mattress and sleep over.”

To serve food, Saša would ditch formality and go for convenience. The table is set buffet-style, so people can serve themselves whenever and eat wherever. Plates are stacked and plenty of different glasses are waiting. Above the table is a classic way to hang Swedish knäckebröd or crispbread. “I would want my American friends to get a sense of something really Swedish, and what is more Swedish than knäckebröd?!” Except those are old jazz records! The crispbread is on a paper towel holder instead.

Made by

Interior designer: Saša Antić
Photographer: Andrea Papini