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We accept orders as usual; shipments resume from July 27. We accept orders as usual; shipments resume from July 27. We accept orders as usual; shipments resume from July 27. We accept orders as usual; shipments resume from July 27. We accept orders as usual; shipments resume from July 27. We accept orders as usual; shipments resume from July 27. We accept orders as usual; shipments resume from July 27. We accept orders as usual; shipments resume from July 27. We accept orders as usual; shipments resume from July 27. We accept orders as usual; shipments resume from July 27.
The Swedish Gift Shop

The year was 2009. Katrien Philips packed up her life in Ghent, Belgium, and followed her Swedish partner back to his home country. They had met when he was working for Autoliv in Belgium and had lived together in Ghent for nine years. Now they traded a small city garden in the heart of Ghent for a house by Risveden — the largest continuous forest area in Västra Götaland — just outside Alingsås.

On her very first day in the new home, an elk stood quietly in the middle of the garden. That is how her Swedish adventure began.

A love letter to Sweden

Out of a wish to share her love for Swedish craftsmanship, design and nature, Touch of Sweden was born — a blog that grew into a web shop, The Swedish Gift Shop. A carefully curated collection of the best Sweden has to offer: gifts, textiles and home décor from both established and lesser-known Swedish designers.

The logo

Look closely at the logo — the whole story is there:

  • The house in Alingsås
  • The forest around it
  • The cat she loved
  • The elk that greeted her on that first day

New owner, same vision

In March 2025 I, Christer Nilsson — raised in the forests of Värmland — took over. Katrien has moved on to new projects, but the carefully built collection and feeling for Swedish craftsmanship live on. I am committed to caring for and developing the shop in the same spirit — as a well-curated letterbox between Sweden and the rest of the world, with products that carry the calm of the forest and the light of Swedish summer.

Välkommen — welkom — welcome — willkommen.