Today’s house tour is a stunning home in Norway. Situated in a small town called Gjovik, an hour north of Oslo, this family home was designed to merge with it’s bleak yet beautiful natural surroundings.
There is beauty in simplicity and this home is a great example. Pared back and minimal, yet warm and inviting, there is so much to love about this stunning Nordic home. This home has been designed as 6 overlapping cubes of different sizes. Each cube leads on to the next creating an effortless internal flow from one room to another.
This minimalist Nordic home was designed by Norm Architects who describe it as “beautifully blending in with its harsh yet peaceful surroundings – with its humble structure and cosy cubes –, the house showcases the epitome of hygge.” Sometimes going for minimalist decor can seem cold and soulless. But as this home shows it’s possible to combine minimalism with warmth and lots of personality. And as Norm Architects say, this house has plenty of hygge!
The first thing that stands out in the interior is the combination of wood and concrete that work so well together – the warm and cool textures balance each other out. This gives the home a minimalist vibe without compromising on warmth. There are also softer textures like linen and other fabrics throughout the home. Combining different textures in neutral tones is something you will see without exception in Scandinavian and Nordic homes as this is so important in creating a space that feels cohesive, warm and inviting.
There is a sense of calmness in this home which doesn’t just come from the pared back decor but also from the lack of stuff. There is absolutely no clutter in sight! I like to keep things real here so it’s important to note that these are press images and in reality most of us can’t live like this – I doubt they do either. But it does go to show that minimising clutter can have such a positive impact on our homes. And that is another lesson from Swedish and Nordic homes – keep clutter at bay and only hang on to what you use and love. Everything else is clutter.
The wood and concrete theme continues throughout the home but each room has it’s own look too. I am a huge fan of using the same materials and colours throughout the home as it makes your home feel cohesive and the flow from one room to another is effortless. That’s not to say each room can’t be different but there are strong design elements tying the whole home together. That’s exactly what we have in this beautiful minimalist Nordic home.
While I realise most of us don’t have the luxury of designing a house from scratch, there is no harm in dreaming! Besides, there is lots of inspiration to take away from this home, don’t you think?
Want to peek in to another beautiful Scandinavian home?
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