Much of the best Swedish design on show costs nothing to see. This guide covers where to see it in four cities and one glass region, what changed in 2026, and three rules that decide what a design purchase really costs you.
When you need this
You’re planning a design day in Stockholm, Gothenburg or Malmö, or driving through Småland and want to see glass being made. Maybe you’re coming in February and wondering whether Stockholm Design Week is open to the public. Or you’ve found a 1950s lamp at a flea market and wonder about tax-free, shipping and export papers. Every fact below comes from the institution’s or authority’s own page, checked in September 2026.
A short history: from Swedish Grace to Swedish Modern
You’ll see a few names and dates on every museum label, so here they are.
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1845 | Svenska Slöjdföreningen, today Svensk Form, is founded. It is often called the world’s oldest design organisation |
| 1914–1917 | The society’s “artists into industry” campaign, then a home exhibition of well-designed everyday goods at Liljevalchs in 1917 |
| 1925 | The Paris Exhibition brings an international breakthrough: engraved glass by Edward Hald and Simon Gate, cast iron by Anna Petrus, pewter by Nils Fougstedt, furniture by Carl Malmsten |
| 1930 | The Stockholm Exhibition shows functionalist art, architecture and design to the wider Swedish public |
| 1939 | Sweden’s pavilion at the New York World’s Fair carries the motto “Swedish Modern: A Movement Towards Sanity in Design” |
Swedish Grace is the name for that elegant 1920s style. According to Nationalmuseum, the British critic Philip Morton Shand coined it after the 1930 exhibition, when he saw Swedish designers leaving it behind for functionalism.
Where to see it
Stockholm: Nationalmuseum and ArkDes
Nationalmuseum on Blasieholmen calls itself Sweden’s museum of art and design. Its collections run from paintings to applied arts and design from the early Middle Ages to today. The quickest way in is the Design Depot on the free ground floor, halfway between the shop and the restaurant. It holds more than 1,200 objects, mostly ceramics from the 1700s onward, and right now a small exhibition on Karin Björquist, who designed the Nobel banquet tableware. Ceramic animals sit on the lower shelves, at a child’s eye level.
The main galleries cost 160 SEK for adults. They are free for under-20s, and free for everyone on Thursdays from 17:00 to 20:00. You still need a ticket even when entry is free. The Depot can be booked for private events, so the museum asks visitors to e-mail its events team if they want to be sure it’s open.
ArkDes, the museum of architecture and design, is a ten-minute walk away over the bridge to Skeppsholmen. Entry is free. Two things changed in 2026. In January it stopped being a government agency of its own and became part of the Moderna Museet agency. And its big collection exhibition in Hall 2 closed on 20 September 2026. Older write-ups may describe a show that is no longer on, so check what’s running before you go.
Gothenburg: Röhsska
Röhsska museet on Vasagatan, by the Valand tram stop, is Gothenburg’s museum of design and craft. It’s free under 20 and for students with ID, and it doesn’t take cash. Adults can use the city Museum Card, a personal card valid for a calendar year at four city museums. Our Gothenburg museums guide explains when the card pays off.
Malmö: Form/Design Center
Form/Design Center sits in an old granary at Hedmanska gården on Lilla Torg. It’s a meeting place for architecture, design and konsthantverk (studio craft), run by a non-profit association since 1964, and entry is free. It opens Tuesday to Saturday, 11:00–17:00, and stays open until 23:00 on the Friday of Malmö’s gallery weekend.
Småland: the glass museum and Glasriket
Sveriges glasmuseum in Växjö shares a building with Smålands museum and covers Swedish glass from the oldest times to studio glass. Its lower floor is closed while a new exhibition is built. The upper floor shows temporary exhibitions.
From there, Glasriket (the Kingdom of Crystal) spreads across four municipalities: Emmaboda, Nybro, Uppvidinge and Lessebo, in two counties. Glassmaking has been central there for more than 200 years, but many glasbruk (glassworks) have closed. Check which ones offer glasblåsning (glassblowing) before you drive. An old brochure can send you to a closed works.
Nationalmuseum also has Design for Life, about 200 products from 1960 onward, at Jamtli in Östersund until 15 November 2026. The IKEA Museum in Älmhult has its own guide. Möbeldesignmuseum, a furniture-design collection that closed in Stockholm in 2022, is moving to Älmhult too, but it isn’t open yet: it was announced for 2026, its director said in February 2026 that 2027 was more likely, and no date is confirmed.
Stockholm Design Week
Stockholm Design Week runs 8–14 February 2027. Showrooms, studios and galleries open their doors, mostly in central Stockholm. You don’t need a ticket, though some events need a reservation. The program is only in the official app, which goes live a few weeks before the week. For the first time, 2027 events are grouped in clusters by area, and the organisers say museums, restaurants and shops will join the showrooms.
Two things older pages get wrong. There was no design week in 2026. And the Stockholm Furniture Fair, at Stockholmsmässan in Älvsjö on 9–12 February 2027, becomes a biennial event from 2027. It’s a trade fair, open to the public on the Friday only.
Where to buy it
We don’t name shops or brands. Here are the types of places where Swedish design is worth buying.
| Type | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Museum and centre shops | New design and books. Nationalmuseum’s shop is on the free ground floor. Form/Design Center’s shop sells locally made design and craft |
| Charity shops and loppis | Furniture and homeware, new and old. See our loppis and second-hand guide |
| Auctions | Some markets are backed by auction houses; the loppis guide explains how buying at auction works |
| Glassworks in Glasriket | Buy where it’s made; check which works are still operating |
For small gifts, our souvenir guide covers glass and craft that travel well.
Tax-free, used goods and export permits
Three rules decide what a design purchase really costs.
Tax-free (non-EU residents only). You can reclaim VAT if you live outside the EU, the shop takes part in the scheme, you spend at least 200 kr, and the goods leave the EU by the end of the third month after the month you bought them. Get the form stamped before you leave the EU, with the unused goods on you. Without the stamp, there’s no refund. The money comes from the approved refund companies, not from Skatteverket or Tullverket. Residents of Norway and Åland follow a separate rule: 1,000 kr excluding VAT, imported at home soon after purchase. The full procedure is in our VAT refund guide.
Used goods. If you buy from a business, the consumer sales act covers second-hand goods too, but normal wear for the item’s age isn’t a fault. If you buy from a private person, such as a garden loppis, that act doesn’t apply and you have no statutory right to return the item.
Export permits. Swedish-made furniture, mirrors and lighting that are over 75 years old and worth more than 50,000 kr need an utförseltillstånd (export permit) to leave Sweden. That includes trips to another EU country. Taking a protected object out without one counts as smuggling, with fines or up to two years in prison. Most flea-market finds are far below the threshold, but an old, valuable Swedish sideboard may not be.
Mistakes to avoid
- Paying at Nationalmuseum on a Thursday afternoon, when the galleries are free from 17:00.
- Planning ArkDes, Röhsska or Nationalmuseum for a Monday: all three are closed.
- Going to Form/Design Center on a Sunday. It’s closed Sunday and Monday.
- Looking for a Design Week program online. It’s only in the app.
- Planning a visit to Möbeldesignmuseum. It closed in Stockholm in 2022 and has no confirmed opening date in Älmhult.
- Asking for tax-free as an EU resident. The scheme is only for people living outside the EU.
- Shipping an old Swedish sideboard worth over 50,000 kr without checking the export-permit rules.
Practical information
| Place | Hours (checked 2026-09-25) | Entry |
|---|---|---|
| Nationalmuseum, Stockholm | Tue–Sun 11:00–17:00, Thu to 20:00; closed Mon; closed 24–25 Dec and 31 Dec–1 Jan, open 26 Dec | Adult 160 SEK; under 20 free; free for all Thu 17–20; Design Depot and ground floor free |
| ArkDes, Stockholm | Tue and Fri 10:00–20:00; Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun 10:00–18:00; closed Mon; closed 24–25 Dec and 31 Dec–1 Jan, open 26 Dec | Free |
| Röhsska museet, Gothenburg | Tue–Wed 11:00–18:00, Thu to 20:00, Fri–Sun 11:00–17:00; closed Mon | Under 20 and students free; adults day ticket or Museum Card |
| Form/Design Center, Malmö | Tue–Sat 11:00–17:00; closed Sun–Mon | Free |
| Smålands museum and Sveriges glasmuseum, Växjö | 1 Sep–31 May: Tue–Fri 10:00–17:00, Sat–Sun 11:00–16:00; 1 Jun–31 Aug: Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00; closed Mon | Adult 150 SEK, student 75 SEK, 0–18 free; annual card 350 SEK |
| Stockholm Design Week | 8–14 February 2027 | No ticket; some events need a reservation |
| Stockholm Furniture Fair, Älvsjö | 9–12 February 2027; public on the Friday | Tickets released closer to the event |
| Tax-free | Non-EU residents; from 200 kr; out of the EU by end of 3rd month after purchase | VAT is 25% of the price before tax |
Getting to ArkDes: bus 65 stops outside, and the Djurgården ferry from Slussen stops at Skeppsholmen.
FAQ
Where can I see Swedish design in Stockholm?
Start at Nationalmuseum, Sweden’s museum of art and design, whose free Design Depot on the ground floor shows more than 1,200 objects, mainly ceramics from the 1700s onward. The main galleries cost 160 SEK but are free under 20 and for everyone on Thursdays 17:00–20:00. ArkDes, the architecture and design museum on Skeppsholmen, is free. Both close on Mondays.
Is Stockholm Design Week open to the public?
Yes. Stockholm Design Week runs 8–14 February 2027, with showrooms, studios and galleries opening across central Stockholm. You need no ticket, though some events require a reservation. The program is published only in the official app, a few weeks before the week. The Stockholm Furniture Fair alongside it, 9–12 February, is for trade visitors except on the Friday.
Is there a design museum in Gothenburg or Malmö?
Yes. Röhsska museet in Gothenburg is the city’s museum of design and craft, at Vasagatan near the Valand stop, free under 20 and for students and closed on Mondays. In Malmö, Form/Design Center at Lilla Torg shows architecture, design and craft with free entry, Tuesday to Saturday 11:00–17:00, and has a design shop and bookshop.
What is Swedish Grace?
Swedish Grace is the name for the elegant, classically inspired Swedish design of the 1920s. It won international fame at the 1925 Paris Exhibition with engraved glass, pewter, cast iron and fine furniture. The British critic Philip Morton Shand coined the term after the 1930 Stockholm Exhibition, when Swedish designers were turning to functionalism. Nationalmuseum holds key pieces.
Can I see glassblowing in Sweden?
Yes, in Glasriket, the Kingdom of Crystal, across four municipalities in Småland: Emmaboda, Nybro, Uppvidinge and Lessebo. Glassmaking has been central there for over 200 years, but many works have closed, so check which ones offer glassblowing before driving. For the history, Sveriges glasmuseum in Växjö covers Swedish glass from the oldest times to studio glass.
Can I get the VAT back on Swedish design I buy?
If you live outside the EU, yes: from shops in the tax-free scheme, on purchases of at least 200 kr, if the goods leave the EU by the end of the third month after the purchase month. Get the form stamped before leaving the EU. Residents of Norway and Åland follow a separate rule. EU residents cannot shop tax-free.
Do I need a permit to take vintage Swedish furniture home?
Only for older, valuable pieces. Swedish-made furniture, mirrors and lighting over 75 years old and worth more than 50,000 kr need an export permit, even to another EU country. Most flea-market finds are far below that. Taking a protected object out without a permit counts as smuggling. Our second-hand guide explains how to apply.
Related guides
- The IKEA Museum in Älmhult — the other side of Swedish design history
- Second-hand Sweden: loppis and thrift culture — how buying used works, auctions and the export permit in full
- VAT refunds in Sweden — the complete tax-free procedure, step by step
- Gothenburg’s best museums — Röhsska and the Museum Card in context
- Free museums in Stockholm — more free days out near Nationalmuseum and ArkDes
Facts verified 2026-09-25. Sources: Nationalmuseum, ArkDes, Röhsska museet (City of Gothenburg), Form/Design Center, Kulturparken Småland, Kalmar läns museum, Svensk Form, Stockholmsmässan (Stockholm Design Week, Stockholm Furniture Fair), Sveriges riksdag, Skatteverket, Tullverket, Konsumentverket — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.