PATAHOLM + THE BREAD EXCHANGE
Rooted in History
It all began with the renovation of our home - the last outpost in the quiet, wind-worn Swedish village of Pataholm.
Once the old harbour bar in what was once a bustling, illicit trading hub, built in 1726, it had stood through centuries of trade and tides, laughter and labour. Over the past hundred years, however, time and renovations had reshaped it almost beyond recognition. What remained was a shell of history - waiting to be uncovered, cared for, and brought back to life.
During the renovation, I soon realised that the most sustainable way to renovate is, in fact, not to renovate at all - but to maintain what you got. Too often, we remove old materials of great quality simply because they’ve become worn or feel outdated. Yet resources are growing scarcer, and the craftsmanship and materials available 150 years ago are things we could hardly find or afford today.
It’s a rule that applies to life in general: the smartest thing we can do is to take care of the good things we already have. The same goes for how we treat our homes - and how we treat and care for our bodies. To be truly sustainable, it all begins with cleaning and care.
Time and natural resources are limited, and I don’t want to waste any of it.
Make it last
When you surround yourself with things you truly value, you want them to endure. It might be your furniture, or the very materials your home is built from. Like a heartwood pine floor or a kitchen bench out of natural stone.
But it could just as well be your own body - and the healthy skin that carries and protects you. That’s why it became essential for us to find a way to clean and care for both our home and our body at the same time - to make things last.