Hello Home, Thérèse Hellström
Thérèse Hellström, perhaps better known as Tess Hell, is a fashion personality and the founder of La Mode Agency, a PR and communications firm specializing in fashion and lifestyle. Her keen sense of trends and eye for detail have made her agency a favorite among fashion brands, both nationally and internationally. La Mode Agency is like a cocktail of creativity, networking, and strategic thinking, helping companies navigate PR, influencer collaborations, and events. Despite her numerous travel days each year, Tess is based in Stockholm, where she and her partner recently transformed their apartment into a dream home through an extensive renovation.
There is no doubt about Tess's favorite city when you step into her apartment in Östermalm, Stockholm. With its dark wooden floors, light and airy walls, and vibrant splashes of color, the residence exudes an atmosphere reminiscent of both Paris and the turn of the century. The open floor plan highlights a grand fireplace with beautiful ornaments, further enhancing the Parisian feel.
Curtains play a central role in Tess's interior design. In the living room, she has chosen woven linen curtains in off-white that seamlessly blend with the light walls, not only opening up the apartment but also creating a cohesive look between the walls and textiles. The curtains, with their soft drape and subtle texture, provide the room with natural light and a sense of spaciousness while contributing to a cozy and homely atmosphere.
For Tess, having a neutral foundation in the apartment felt like an obvious choice, as she prefers to add color through details and furniture. In the living room, two large sofas face each other, creating an inviting space for many guests. These sofas, mismatched in an eclectic style with emerald green and pink, are perfectly complemented by Gotain's round cushions in burgundy.
The dining room, strategically placed in perhaps the apartment's best spot with windows facing multiple directions, has, with its heavy marble table and burgundy accents, become the perfect setting for many memorable dinners since the couple moved in. Tess, who loves working with details, had the dining table made from the same stone that continues into the kitchen—a design choice revealed by a quick glance at the custom-built shelf where the stone cladding extends along the back edge. We begin to sense that certain keywords run throughout the apartment: coherence, quality, personal details, and always with a touch of fashion.
The dining room also features woven linen curtains in off-white, whose sheen subtly reflects other shiny elements in the room, from the organic glass bowl on the table to the brass ceiling lamp. The curtains provide a soft, inviting light while creating a visual connection between the different materials and textures in the decor.
In the office, a custom-built bookshelf surrounds the doorway to the living room, creating a natural frame and setting the tone for the creative work that takes place here. The bookshelf, filled with inspiring books and design objects, makes the room a space where order meets creativity. In front of the impressive bay window stands a sturdy wooden desk where Tess runs her business, with a view of bustling Stockholm stretching out below.
From the long corridor of the hallway, you continue into the bedroom and then to the apartment's true gem—the walk-in closet. For Tess, who engages with fashion daily, it is only natural to want to represent and live her brands. Her style inspires thousands of people daily, and stepping into her closet, it is easy to see why.
In the bedroom, curtains hang in two layers, immediately evoking the feeling of entering a luxurious hotel room. Soft light filters through the thin linen curtains, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. The brass curtain rod ties the drapery to the room's other details, while the beige blackout velvet curtains add as much form as function. To ensure the blackout curtains do not block the natural sunlight during the day, Tess uses a brass curtain tieback that elegantly holds the fabric to the side when not in use.
Sculptural forms are a recurring theme in the apartment, found in both furniture and artwork, which clearly reflects Tess's flair for fashion. Her ability to blend different aesthetic expressions demonstrates a strong understanding of how fashion and interior design can work together and complement each other. With her keen sense of style and drive for innovation, Tess continues to build her business, La Mode Agency, by thoughtfully designing each room and every detail in her home. Her interior design becomes an extension of her entrepreneurship, where every choice is part of her clear vision for the future.
