Elisabeth Dunker not only is a talented designer, she also resides with her adorable family in a big Swedish apartment. Nice work if you can get it! From our desks in Manhattan, we take a transatlantic peek at her lovely home.

What is Gothenburg like as a place to raise a family? My daughter Tovalisa is nine, and my son Otto is six; Gothenburg is a great place for them. It is Sweden's second largest city and has a diverse cultural life. We live in a big old apartment close to the harbor.

Your daughter's room is so peaceful. Did she help decorate? When we moved in three years ago, we painted a pink wall in her room, but she didn't like it so we changed the colors. Tovalisa likes putting up stuff she made or found, such as still lifes. Her favorite part of her room is the windows, where she sits and plays.

Where did you find the various pieces? I inherited the dresser from my mother; the bedspread is vintage. The bed is from Ikea, and the orange and white wallpaper is from the Swedish company Sandberg and was designed by the talented artist Charlotta Sandberg.

Yes, that wallpaper is gorgeous! What are your design inspirations? I'm inspired by everything around me: toys, movies, textiles, books, pastries. Some of my favorite sources of inspiration, which I always return to, are Tove Jansson's picture books about Moomin, John Melin's and Olle Eksell's graphic design and Stig Lindberg's ceramics.

How did you choose your children's beautiful names? Tovalisa was named Signe until she was born; I saw the name "Tovalisa" in a magazine a couple days before her birth and fell in love. The name Otto just came to us.

What does your son Otto like best about his room? Otto is not so pleased with the colors in his room; he would like black or blue walls with Spiderman posters. He really enjoys the floor space; he loves to sit and build with Lego or blocks. He also likes his writing table.

Where did you find the pieces for his room? The rug and yellow mirror are from Indiska, the blocks are from Brio, and the colored ball string lamp is from Ahlens. The dresser, chair and chest (which I painted gold) are vintage.

You use color so beautifully. How do you approach your color choices? I choose colors by intuition and mood; our home is a big mix of colors. Right now, I'm liking brown, which is obvious--every room has brown or wood details. Dark chocolate is one of my big cravings, so maybe that's why I like brown! Red also catches my eye, and yellow, and black... Oh, I think I like all colors. But I just said to my husband that if we move again we should paint everything white.

Is your home similar to your childhood house? It's quite different but has some similar textiles and porcelain. I grew up in a small town in a working-class family with very little cultural life. I suppose that's a reason why my hunger for art and culture is so big.

Where do you usually spend time as a family? In the kitchen. I craft, bake and play with the children. I'm not so fond of cooking so I'm so happy to be blessed with a husband who is. He's an excellent chef who makes the most fantastic, tasty food. My favorite is his pasta with chanterelle cream sauce. Tovalisa and I are vegetarians, so there's a lot of vegetarian food for everybody in our family.

What do people most respond to in your home? People always react with, "Oh, what a big apartment!" And it is. Every room is like two rooms, which feels like luxury.

Is this how you always pictured your home, or are you surprised by the way things turned out?  I'm often surprised by the way things turn out. Our home is in a constant state of change and so is my picture of it; I like it that way.

For more, visit Elisabeth's blog, portfolio, or flickr photos.

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