A Lovely Pared-back & Contemporary Home In Bergen, Norway

Are you ready for a virtual trip to Bergen, Norway? Today, we're taking a tour of the beautiful home of Ole Anders Teslo - of real estate agent Eie and Catherine Bækken, a designer at Heem, a Norwegian studio focusing on subtle minimalism in the field of interior architecture and concept styling. Little wonder their home is a picture of Scandinavian modern perfection! The rooms have been painted in various earthy, calm tones - from a lighter blue-grey in the dining area to a dramatic deep shade in the bedroom - proving the background for an amazing selection of Scandi design pieces! The minimalist touch ensures a light and airy feel - and also allows each iconic piece to stand out. Look closely and you'll also see subtle textures which help to ensure a balanced feel. I think neatniks in particular are going to love this tour! Ready to take a peek? 

Eames wire chairs circle the table and a Penthella floor lamp can be seen in the corner. 

You often see lamps (like this Hay Cloche one) on the windowsills in Scandinavian homes. I've asked a few friends about this and they say that it helps to make your home look warm and inviting from the outside, making it nice to arrive home!

A pair of Jielde lamps are the only items on the wall in the kitchen (I love these lamps! I picked up a beautiful vintage one on Etsy a few years ago here). Try Icelandic brand Kalklitir for a similar chalk paint affect. 

A beautiful leather Tiki sofa pops against the dark wall and a mirror and Flos 265 light help to lighten up the space on darker days (it rains 239 days a year in Bergen - can you believe that? It's still one of my favourite cities though!).  

Wall mounted classic String shelves provide a perfect home for a collection of magazines, books and other treasures. 

I love this little home office space. Using a Ferm Living plant box* as storage for prints and frames is a great hack too (it could also be used in a children's bedroom for books!). 

I spy the iconic wishbone chair. Did you know these chairs take around three weeks to produce - including one hour for a skilled craftsman to weave the seat? They are so beautifully made! 

I love how a simple Thonet bentwood chair has been used as a bedside table. I also recognise the Noon print by Kristina Krogh (I have the same one in my bedroom!).

And just look at the storage system below! I can imagine this looking so different with a wardrobe like mine - but loving the idea, it turns the whole room into a walk-in-wardrobe! Could you imagine doing something like this?

I hope you enjoyed this tour as much as I did and have come away with some ideas for your own home. 

If you'd like to see more of Catherine's style, check out the Heem portfolio - it's full of beautiful minimalist spaces! 

I'm really excited that this has given me the opportunity to dip into the Norwegian archive to find a few more homes for you to enjoy today (there are so many incredible ones in there): 

An idyllic Fjord-side summer retreat

A simple yet cosy Norwegian cabin by a fjord

A cosy candlelit cabin in rural Norway

A charming cabin on the water's edge

Oh, how I miss Norway! Have you ever been? It's a magical country. 

Niki

Styling: Heem

Photography: Dag Randen

This post contains affiliate links marked with * Thank you for supporting My Scandinavian Home. 

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An Idyllic Fjord Side Summer Retreat in Norway

Today the weather gods have delivered horizontal snow mixed with rain here in Southern Sweden. Typically, we're still on our bikes, but it wasn't that fun getting to my studio I can tell you (I'm still thawing out!). But the light has returned, and that's what gives us hope spring is just around the corner. And after spring comes the wonderful Scandinavian summer. And with that in mind, I thought we could all dream about this idyllic summer retreat in Norway today! Captured by Norwegian brand Slettvoll as part of their spring-summer campaign, the fjord side cottage will have you dreaming of days on the water's edge under the midnight sun! 

The property has two separate buildings as far as I can see - a guest house (pictured top) and a main house - where the interior pictures were taken. With a setting like this, I'd be perfectly happy to wake up in either one - how about you? 

Sidenote: how beautiful is the outdoor furniture pictured above? You can find more info about it here. 

It's not always warm enough in the evenings to sit outside (when we were sailing last summer on Sweden's west coast, the temperatures varied between 12 and 15 degrees celsius (around the mid 50s Fahrenheit) for several weeks! BRRRR!) - but I wouldn't mind, if I had a view like this. 

I love how a bench with built-in storage doubles up as seating at the table. 

The calm, white interior decor is earthy and pared back, allowing the view to take centre-stage. 

Pretty much all the furniture in the picture is from Slettvoll - more info here. 

Beautiful! 

Could you imagine spending lazy summer days here? 

Actually, scrap that, I'd happily spend a week there right now,  snow, rain, gale and all! 

In an ode to all things Norwegian today, here are some other tours I love: 

A Norwegian house by a fjord

A simple, yet cosy Norwegian cabin by a fjord

A charming yet simple Norwegian cabin by the water

Oh, how I miss this incredible country! I still dream about my trip to Hardanger in 2019 with Skandinavisk  and dream about returning with my family! 

Have you ever been to Norway? If so, I'd love to hear about your trip! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Slettvoll - found via Planet Deco with thanks. 

PS This post is not sponsored, I just felt inspired by the pictures, and thought you might be too! 

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A Simple, Yet Cosy Norwegian Cabin By The Fjord

God morgen - as they say in Norwegian! How was your weekend? Here, it was a cold, snowy one but the sun was shining, and I actually found myself squinting in the brightness (you wouldn't believe how much we long for that sensation here in Scandinavia in the winter!). But there can also be a certain beauty in the grey, and our friend Hilde Mork, is the master at catching it. I featured her lovely little Norwegian cottage twice last year, once over the summer solstice, and once at Christmas. And now that cabin has become her studio - and she and her husband and their children have moved into a wonderful cabin overlooking the fjord. The pair have carefully renovated the space over time - transforming the old, uninsulated structure into a modern living space. Here are some snapshots of life by the water in the Norwegian winter. 

Beautiful!

I love the simplicity - of the interior, it shows the power of vintage finds (old chairs, lamps etc) as well as wood and textured linen. 

Could you also while away a winter here looking out over the water?

I think it'd be rude not to put our feet up, and celebrate the beginning of a new month with a few more Norwegian home tours today, do you? 

Here are a few of my favourites: 

A cosy candlelit cottage deep in the Norwegian fjords

A Norwegian house by a fjord

The cosy and relaxed home of a Norwegian blogger

Wishing you all a great start to the week - and better still, a wonderful start to Feb. Can you see the light slowly returning where you are too?  

Niki

Photography: Hilde Mork - shared with kind permission

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A Cosy Norwegian Country Cottage At Christmas

Ready for something very cosy and a little Christmassy today? You might remember photographer Hilde Mork's beautiful rural Norwegian home from a feature I wrote about it just before midsummer. I've been dreaming about her lovely cottage ever since. Today, I thought it would be nice to revisit Hilde's home to celebrate the start of my favourite month of the year - December (birthday month!) and see how it looks in Winter time. As you can imagine, her little cottage in the small hamlet of Nesodden, near Oslo (which she shares with her two children) is as hyggeligt as can be! Surrounded by snow, the cottage is lit with the warm glow of a wood burning stove and advent candles flickering in the window. A fir tree has been chopped down in the forest and awaits outside the door and scattered stars hint that 'Jul' is near. Welcome to Hilde's cosy, sheepskin-lined home! 

How beautiful.

I can so imagine hunkering down there today by the fire, how about you?

There's evidence of what Hilde does in her spare time throughout the cottage - from the woodshed (imagine the amount of effort it took to chop up all that wood?) and dragging a Christmas tree home, to the homemade paper stars on the windowsill (see the DUY tutorial here) and knitting by the fire. Lovely hobbies - and perfect for when the snow falls gently outside! 

You can see more pictures of Hilde's lovely home here - and take a peek at how it looks in the summer here (equally beautiful, just very different!). Hilde also has an online shop where she sells her prints and other items -  and her work is also available at The Poster Club* (ships worldwide), something for Christmas perhaps?

Shall we entertain ourselves with a few more cosy homes this cold and frosty 1st December morning?

Here are some of my favourites: 

12 budget-friendly ways to transform your sitting room into a cosy winter haven

A cosy cabin deep in the Norwegian fjords

And one for those of you in the southern hemisphere: the cosy Whale Song Shack! 

Happy 1st December! 

Niki

Photography Hilde Mork - shared with kind permission

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A Cosy Candlelit Cabin Deep In The Norwegian Fjords

Do you get the feeling that some days you just want to escape to a far-off place, light a fire and lead a simple life? In my mind, Lisa Reid Mjaavatten has got it just right. Her cosy log cabin lies deep in the Western Norwegian fjords, surrounded by mountains and endless wilderness. Built in the 1970s and consisting of two tiny bedrooms, it provides just enough space for her, her husband and their three children to escape daily life in Bergen. In her interview with North Letters magazine, Lisa describes how her cabin is her sanctuary - even in the midst of the harsh Norwegian winter.  Read on to discover why!

As an interior designer, Lisa was keen to maintain the history of the cabin and keeping the original pine panelled walls and kitchen was a deliberate move to keep "the very spirit and essence alive in the cabin". The decor is also deliberately simple and uncomplicated. "I do not need a lot of things, not having a material ownership is incredibly liberating, but the few things I do own have a special meaning," she says. 

A simple log is used as a side table for candles and warming cups of coffee. 

A pair of vintage snowshoes adorn the wall in the bedroom, while a contemporary Kizu table lamp rests on a chest-of-drawers. 

When the family first bought the cabin, it had no water or electricity and they had to collect water from a few hundred metres away up a narrow forest path. It was only in recent years they decided to install electricity - and the simple act of switching on a light brought with it ''a feeling of total luxury.'' 

While many struggle with the harsh Norwegian winter, Lisa chooses to embrace it. "I love the cold and grey months." she tells Northern Letters, "Feeling the hard rain bite against your cheeks just gives me a little reminder that we are not in charge here, Mother Nature is in control. We are here to enjoy what she brings us and not take it for granted." 

Life at the cabin in winter doesn't come without complaints from the family - especially about "going outside in minus 15 degrees Celsius. Or scraping ice off the inside of the windows in mornings. Or cutting through thick ice in the property's well with an axe to get water for the morning coffee." But even these are seen as a positive: "This is adventure and we are making memories." 

Lisa enjoys a coffee on a handmade bench covered with a warm sheepskin (similar sheepskin items can be found here*).

Lisa loves to sit outside all year-round and take in the staggering surroundings. "The old pine and birch woodland around the cabin offer protection from the harsh weather and winds," she explains to Northern Letters. "The swaying of the branches from the hallowing winds up the fjord sing songs when I am alone."   And the beauty of the huge mountain peaks and deep, inky blue fjords bring with them a sense of calm. "They are like old friends keeping an eye on us."

What a magical place! 

I was particularly interested to hear how Lisa embraces the harsh Scandinavian winter. I have to confess I've always struggled with this - especially come January and February! I like the idea of deciding that the feeling of the freezing cold rain or snow on your face can be seen in a different light - and obstacles caused by the cold weather build memories. Funnily enough, some of my strongest memories (and language!) come from trying to put chains on the tyres in Norway, or stepping out in minus 25 degrees Celsius at Marianne's cabin and watching the head torches of cross-country skiers flash pass as they make their way home. 

I also took heed from a wise friend from Greenland who suggested experiencing sunny days in winter as a bonus. "If you except that it's likely to be cold and grey when you walk out the door, you're more likely to embrace it," she explains. 

I've also found lighting candles at breakfast and after work help to make me feel good - as well as bringing in lovely seasonal touches like pinecones, branches from a fir tree etc. Not so much that it feels Christmassy - but just enough to enjoy that hygge vibe! 

Do you experience harsh winters where you live? If so, do you have any tips on how to embrace the colder months of the year?

Thank you so much to North Letters for the kind permission to share these beautiful images. You can read more about Lisa's home here (in English) and it will also be in print when North Letters magazine hits the newsstands in February 2021. In the meantime, I'd highly recommend checking out their Instagram feed - it's stunning!

Fancy feeling all cosy today by taking a peek inside a few other Scandinavian log cabin? I love: 

A cosy Finnish log cabin in wintertime

A rustic Norwegian log cabin hide-away

A Magical Norwegian mountain cabin

Have a hyggeligt day friends! 

Niki

Photography: Gunn Kristin Monsen

*affiliated links

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