A summer house in the north of Norway
by Linn Slettli
In this blog post, the creative Norwegian interior architect Linn Slettli welcomes us into her summer house. Located in the northern part of Norway, the autumn season means early sunsets and long dark hours, with beautiful light during the daytime, changing the space entirely.
When diving into a renovation project in the north of Norway, I knew I wanted to design an interior evoking good emotions for my family and friends visiting us at the house. The small Island where my summer house lies holds memories of my childhood summers: Swimming in the cold, clear ocean, fishing with my grandfather, and seasons of unpredictable arctic weather. With the surrounding nature of majestic mountains, the powerful ocean, and soft beaches I wanted to create a tactile and soft interior for precious family moments.
When I took over the house it was in desperate need of some love and care after years of neglect. Still, there were some good potential qualities. A good original plan solution, original pine floors, the view, and the ever so poetic light.
Working as an Interior architect in Oslo I was familiar with DETALE and the KC14 surface as I had already been using it in projects. I knew the surface would be perfect for my house in the north with its warm and lively surface. I chose the colour “Pale Beach” as the shade and its feeling would perfectly complement the original pine floors with its scars and history and the surrounding landscape. Implementing a new modern kitchen with a matt surface and natural linen textiles gave the interior a perfect contrast between contemporary design and a cosy and enclosing interior.
"The surface and colour along with my choice of furniture and details work perfectly for any season or weather the arctic has to offer. Whether it will be warm summer days or stormy, rainy evenings – the surface adapts and keeps us comfortable and happy inside our house."
As an opposite to using professional painters for my interior projects in Norway, it was important for me to have the opportunity to test the application of the paint and the technique for myself. It gave me a valuable understanding of the paint’s possibilities, the do's and don’ts - An experience I can pass on to professionals when needed.
It was hard work applying KC14 to the entire first floor of my holiday home, but it was very satisfying to have total freedom and control of the end result. I am extremely happy with how the paint, the old wooden floors and the rest of the interior details come together and perfectly balance the raw and natural arctic surroundings.
