The quest for the best

Photography: Matthew Gormly

Originated in the fashion industry, Swedish born Malin Elmlid followed the dogma of low carbs. No pasta, no potatoes, no bread. But Malin loves bread, so she decided to only eat good bread. And there the dilemma began. Not satisfied with the bread she was able to buy in Berlin, the place she lived at that time, Malin started to bake her own bread, a white sourdough bread, made of only flour, water and salt.

Using only three ingredients it was important for Malin to choose the best raw materials she could find and to follow the several thousand-year-old-tradition of sourdough baking. This, of course, took time and commitment, but for Malin it was all worth it. Once she had perfected her craft and was satisfied with the result, she started giving away loaves she could not eat herself. And when people wanted to give something back in return, Malin got everything from a concert ticket and guitar lessons to a repaired bicycle, as well as insights into people’s homes and their stories – The Bread Exchange was born.

“I like to cut the dough into three. That gives me the chance to share two loaves and still keep one for my family.”

Malin Elmlid

After almost 20 years in vibrant Berlin and exciting trips around the world, both with her job and her bread, Malin Elmlid began looking for a place in the North, in her home country Sweden. She was lucky enough to find a house in a small, picturesque village on the east coast of Sweden, not far from where she grew up. It was clear from the start that the house needed a complete renovation. For Malin, who is interested in history, there was never a doubt that she would dig into the past of the house and its residents, to understand all the details of its history and able to choose the right materials and colours.

Getting the kitchen in place was the biggest challenge of the entire renovation project. But Malin does not regret the effort, because “it’s the most important room, it’s the heart of the house, and that’s where we spend the most time together as a family”.

“Since I like to cook a whole meal in the oven, I ended up getting two.”

Malin Elmlid

Malin wanted the kitchen to be an organic part of the house that felt like it had always been there. To achieve that feeling, she opted for bespoke furniture in the style of the first kitchen in the house, painted with linseed oil paints used at the time. For the countertop she chose limestone which is typical of the region, and the kitchen island is made of wide pine planks from the surrounding forests, with the potential to age over the years. Malin’s approach to the renovation is comparable to her sourdough baking – no compromise on the ingredients and no compromise on time.

The sink is placed in the way that your view goes out into the vastness of the sea when doing the dishes whereas you can watch the fire in the tiled stove whilst standing at the kitchen island – water meets water and fire meets fire. Every detail has been thought through and that is not a surprise. Malin considers herself a curator of the house, someone who takes care of it, and preserves it for the next generation to come.