Just north of Stockholm in a house from the 1960s, you will find Cecilia Blankens with her husband and her three children. Cecilia is a fashion journalist, entrepreneur, and the founder of the shoe brand Blankens. For the past two years, she has carefully renovated and refurbished the flint-lime brick house that they bought on their return home to Stockholm from Los Angeles.

One of the bathrooms is adorned with an Orbital Shower, of which most of the materials are recycled to live up to a sustainability mindset. We got the chance to talk to Cecilia and ask her in more detail about the renovation, what inspired her and how she got in touch with us.


When did you first hear about the Orbital Shower?

- I first read about it several years ago. I was living in California at the time, and there was such a drought and had been for many years. I didn't know then that it was a Swedish invention. My first thought was that it seemed so obvious and cool. Couldn’t let go of that thought.

Read more about the Orbital Shower.

Was the Orbital Shower a given choice for your bathroom renovation?

- Very interesting, at least. It required a certain space that our first bathroom didn't have. Now that we were renovating our second bathroom, we had plenty of space, so it was a perfect solution.

“Being able to say ’you can take a long shower’ is a great luxury.”
Cecilia Blankens
Orbital Shower owner


Have you stuck to the original outline for your bathroom renovation, or has it been modified along the way?

- The basic principles have remained the same. When the shower came to mind, I had an idea and a vision to construct and create a bathroom with only recycled furnishings. Things have worked out well. We needed to be flexible because we didn't know beforehand exactly what materials we would be working with. We simply ensured that everything worked together, but the actual layout of the bathroom has remained the same all along.

In addition to working with recycled materials, what kind of feeling did you want to achieve?

- We wanted to create a room that, especially during winter, could be used to turn darkness and cold into something bright and cosy. Now we have plenty of room. We have a sauna and a shower, that we can enjoy long guilt-free showers from. Plus, we have children who eventually will grow up to teenagers - so being able to say "you can take a long shower”, is a great luxury.


Your approach to recycling, has it been your main focus throughout the renovation?

- Yes, where possible. We haven’t emptied the rooms completely but worked with what we have. For example, we've removed wooden panels and reused them in other parts of the house. We tried to reuse a lot of materials and modernise without any major changes. They hadn't rebuilt the kitchen in 50 years, so it was absolutely necessary to replace it. Apart from that, we’ve bought mostly second-hand, from toasters to - everything! There's no point in just buying new things.

We buy most things second-hand, from toasters to - everything! There's no point in just buying new things.”
Cecilia Blankens
Orbital Shower owner

Are you pleased with the final result?

- Yes, but I was a bit worried for a while. For example, when I realised that we didn’t have enough bathroom tiles. At that point, we really had to reconsider things. Eventually, we got it together by using the same colour schemes, details, and joints. At times, it felt like I had taken on more work than I could manage, but the outcome is great.


And you're satisfied with your new shower?

- Yes, it’s a wonderful shower! We haven't fully installed the underfloor heating yet, so it hasn't really worked to its full potential. We can't wait for it to be completed. Plus, it's very stylish.

Now that your bathroom renovation is done, do you plan to include any other energy-saving technologies?

- I would love to have solar cells. It’s a dream and a goal to make my home energy self-sufficient.