New restaurant celebrates the small scale and local

This week the ambitious new restaurant Oxenstiernan opens in a beautiful and historical building dating back to the 18th century in Östermalm, central Stockholm. The brainchild of Swedish gallery owner and silversmith Sebastian Schildt, it’s dedicated to local and sustainable produce at every level. “In a sense it‘s much more than just a restaurant. I see it as a platform where we can inspire with local food and local design; a place which speaks to all senses, and really touch the visitors. With a restaurant I can also attract a younger generation that doesn’t necessarily visit galleries to the same extent anymore,” Schildt explains.

The chef Elvira Lindqvist was an obvious choice for Schildt who wanted a creative leader with sustainability close at heart. Lindqvist has a solid knowledge of plant-based cooking with local ingredients and a no waste mindset, where no part of the produce is thrown away. The restaurant interior grew from a similar standpoint and believe in celebrating the local.
“I gave each designer and artist free hands and no one got a set brief or idea to follow. They didn’t know what the others did, and that was important to me. I wasn’t after a “perfect” interior, rather I wanted it to feel alive, interesting and inspiring,” Schildt explains.

Founder Sebastian Schildt and creative leader Elvira Lindqvist

Everything in the restaurant - ranging from the plates and the cutlery to the glasses, mouth blown in Stockholm, is made specifically for the place. To accommodate this Schildt has founded the new company Subjective with his son Ruben, producing and selling the items in the restaurant and online on a dedicated website.
“Today we consume at a pace that doesn’t make sense and the planet can’t keep up with this. We need to challenge ourselves, slow down and consume wiser. With Subjective we want to celebrate the local and create a small brand which is good both to people and planet,” says Schildt's son Ruben.

The brand will develop slowly and hand in hand with the restaurant. The designers contributing to the first collection includes
Anna Lerinder, Åsa Pärson, Mats Theselius, Simon Klenell and Monica Förster.

“We want to work hands on in the design process and the manufacturing, and we only want to work with designers and manufacturers that shares our vision of a better tomorrow. I think it’s important to highlight the value of craft and the work that goes into each product. We will cherish our belongings better this way,” Schildt says.