1877

The Bolinderska Palace – a study in luxury

In 1877, the businessman Jean Bolinder built The Bolinderska Palace next to the Grand Hotel in Stockholm. The architect behind the magnificent building was Helgo Zettervall. L.O. Smith was impressed by the luxurious flat, and decided to move into one of the two main apartments.

Smith and his wife lived an indulgent life in the apartment. Marie Louise bought silk-covered furniture in jacaranda, rosewood and ebony, and it has been said that she had fresh roses delivered from Copenhagen every day. Smith also created something unique for his time – a telephone line between his office at Skeppsbron and the Reymersholme factory.
Following the crisis with the Spanish export business venture, Smith’s marriage deteriorated. Until then, the couple and their apartment had featured regularly in magazine articles. Now Smith stopped spending time at home and was constantly on the move, communicating only through short telegrams. It did not help that Smith had a serious conflict with his sons.
The hot-tempered L.O. Smith terminated the contract at the Bolinderska Palace in April 1891. His belongings, the furniture and the artworks were put up for auction. After the auction, which did not bring as much money as he had hoped for, Smith disappeared abroad again. Marie Louise sued him and the divorce was a fact.