A (Concrete) Gold Mine: Betonggruvan in Stockholm

To add to your Stockholm itinerary: designer Josefine Halfwordson’s tiny shop, Betonggruvan, specializing in durable housewares made from simple materials and hand picked from Sweden and beyond.

Halfwordson decided to open a brick-and-mortar location after her first foray as an online supplier was met with enthusiasm around the city. Betonggruvan, which means “concrete mine” in Swedish, is appropriately housed in a small concrete building with windows decorated in the shop’s custom graphics from FLB Europa. On offer are domestic science and storage essentials, tablewared, and office supplies sourced from Halfwordson’s travels to the US, Japan, China, and around Sweden; she also designs furniture in collaboration with various local artists and manufacturers.

Photographs by Elin Stromberg courtesy of Betonggruvan.

Above: Stacks of Industrial Green Lampshades from Lamp Gallerian in Sweden are displayed on high shelves; the lampshades are 500 SEK each. All products available on the Betonggruvan site ship worldwide and payment is via secure service, Tictail.

Above: Amid a display of kitchen wares, two Kokkorg Strainers (120 SEK each), meant for cooking vegetables and noodles, hang on a wall as containers for a pot of ivy and a group of floral Scissors (100 SEK each). The Broom and Dust Pan set is 450 SEK. 

Above: The Swedish Coffeepot can also be used for brewing tea and boiling water, 350 SEK.

Above: The classic Swedish Birch Dish Brush (50 SEK) is displayed in 500ml Chemistry Glass beakers (75 SEK).

Above: A wooden breakfast tray rests on one of the shop’s signature furniture designs, the Betonggruvan Concrete Sideboard. The table’s 2 cm-thick concrete top is treated with oil wax for stain resistance; 6,200 SEK (or about $950 USD). Behind it is the Betonggruvan Concrete Nightstand for 3,900 SEK.

Above: Owner Josefine Halfwordson in a striped mariner’s tee from French company Saint James.

Above: Halfwordson’s desk area also serves as display for office supplies and organizing solutions.

Above: The Concrete Sideboard with Shelves has a wire glass shelf incorporated into the untreated steel frame; 7,300 SEK.

Above: The shop is open on Thursdays and Friday from 12:00-7:00pm; visit Betonggruvan for more information.

Location of Betonggruvan in Stockholm:

Planning a trip to Stockholm? Consult our Stockholm City Guide for more essential stops, including restaurants, shops, and an enchanted castle that’s now a hotel.