my scandinavian home: norwegian home

Before and After: A Traditional Norwegian Cabin Gets a Beautiful Colour Update

A few years ago, Berit stumbled across her dream croft surrounded by forest in Lunner, Hadeland, South-east Norway. The 50-metre square (538 sq.ft) cabin had great bones, but was in need of an update. Keen to put her own personal mark on it, Berit turned to Hytteliv magazine and interior designer Siv Brenne, who together with paint brand Jotun set to work on transforming the space while working to highlight the original features. The result is a peaceful retreat in soothing tones, and the perfect place to unwind.

Kitchen before:

Kitchen after:

The kitchen has been given a fresh, calm update with wall panels in 1140 Sand, the ceiling in 471 Lys Antik (both LADY supreme finish matt) and the kitchen cabinets are from Bærum Kjøkkensenter, painted in colour s3005-B8OG.

The sand shade has also been applied to the traditional-style sitting room area to give the living space a cohesive look.

Master bedroom before:

When Beret bought the cabin, the small master bedroom was a sea of blues ranging from a more earthy shade to a bright sky blue.

master bedroom after:

A soothing blue-grey tone (6315 Jade) was applied to the walls while the window frames were painted with a slightly darker 6232 Sjøalge to ensure the original features pop. Furniture and accessories in white and sand help to carry the theme through from the kitchen and sitting room.

Guest bedroom before:

The guest bedroom was a riot of blue and red - which I am not opposed to since it gives it an air of traditional Norwegian country. However, the transformation is so charming....

After:

The top bunk is mounted on the wall to give an airy touch to the small room (I'm curious to know if the walls would hold this at our summer cottage - I'd love to do something similar!). The walls and beds have been painted in a lovely light 1376 Froströk, while the door and window frame have been given a darker 6232 Sjøalge treatment to match the master bedroom).

Bathroom before:

After:

The bathroom has also been given a traditional touch with antique furniture against a backdrop of wood panels painted in calming 4017 Pilasterblå. The blind is from Green Apple and bench is from Lama.

The exterior was also given aan update. A dramatic 734 Brunsvart (brown-black) was a applied to the wood panels and been paired with window frames in a softer 1376 Froströk and shutters in 4252 Kimrök Dämpad - creating a wonderful cohesive look between outdoors and indoors.

What a lovely update! I love the soothing palette. It demonstrates just how important it is to work with a cohesive colour scheme before you start to decorate.

Is there anything that stood out to you?

For more fab before and afters, check out this archive - some really incredible ones in there! Also, take a peek in the Norway homes archive - a favourite of mine!

A couple of other things before I head off:

If you subscribe to My Scandinavian Home via e-mail, the feedburner will no longer work from tomorrow onwards (unfortunately) so I'm working on a new solution in order for you to continue receiving my posts straight to your inbox! I'll be back soon with more info!

And secondly, my article: Handmade Tale: The Rise of Handcrafts for the Home is now live over at IMM Cologne online magazine if you fancy a read! I love this movement, it makes me so happy! I hope it inspired you, too.

I'll be back tomorrow with a beautiful Scandi home tour. See you then!

Niki

Photography courtesy of Hytteliv & Jotun

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.

FILED UNDER: minimal norwegian home

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!

FILED UNDER: Norway norwegian home rural retreats Summer cottage

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.