A Renovated Apartment in Norway With a Dreamy Loft
Outside Oslo, one family's remodeled home includes a dark, secluded loft that encourages daydreaming.
In Bærum, a municipality in the outskirts of Oslo, Norwegian studio Austigard Arkitektur transformed a second-floor apartment in a typical, postwar residential building into a dreamy, cabin-like family home with a lofted den.
The building consists of two floors with two residential units occupying each floor. The family owned one of the units on the upper floor.
Courtesy of Austigard Arkitektur
The owners of the apartment wanted to expand their home vertically and horizontally in order to enjoy more spacious, attractive interiors.
Courtesy of Austigard Arkitektur
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The unit had a low ceiling, and because Austigard Arkitektur had previously done an outstanding job with a low-ceilinged structure in an earlier project—Loft Humleveien—the owners decided they would be the perfect team to work on the renovation of their home.
Named "House of Many Worlds," the impetus behind project was to create depth within the 1,000-square-feet space, so the architects used perforated steel plates to separate the loft area from the large living space below it. Most of the interior surfaces are clad in beech veneer.
Courtesy of Austigard Arkitektur
"The darkness in the loft evokes a feeling of the world being expansive," says Austigard.
"We have tried to create several zones in the house, so that even if you are in the same room, it is possible to do things independently from others. To be alone together," says the studio’s cofounder Tor O. Austigard.
Courtesy of Austigard Arkitektur
The loft, visually and physically, is the most secluded area of the home with its maze-like feel.
Courtesy of Austigard Arkitektur
"The idea of the loft is that you can be up there, in half-dark, looking down on the life below, like a bat hanging up in the dark ceiling," says Austigard. "The clients—a lively family with three kids—have expressed that they appreciate the opportunity to retreat up into the dark to read a newspaper or book while still feeling connected with family members below."
The dining area has a large table where family members can sit together but engage in different activities, exemplifying how a space can be at once communal and private.
Courtesy of Austigard Arkitektur
Shop the Look
Stokke Tripp Trapp High Chair
A sturdy, durable and environmentally friendly wooden chair is designed for maximum adjustability so you can find the perfect height for your little one at the family table. The seat and foot rests can be easily configured to fit a newly sitting six-month-old or a full-grown adult, both in ergonomically correct positions that encourage a positive dining experience.The included Baby Set features a high-backed seat inset that adapts to the chair for use by the youngest babies, once they're ready to sit up alone. The protective back and rail, made of BPA-free polypropylene, fit securely into the Tripp Trapp® chair.
ShopHerman Miller Nelson Saucer Bubble Pendant
While outfitting his office, architect and Herman Miller design director George Nelson discovered a silk-covered Swedish hanging lamp that he coveted but found too expensive. He then recalled seeing a photo in the paper of Liberty ships being mothballed “by having the decks covered with netting and then being sprayed with a self-webbing plastic,” which got him thinking. “And then, Whammo!” Inspiration struck, and by the next night, Nelson had designed his first Bubble Lamp (1952) by spinning a skeleton of steel wires on a turntable and shooting it with translucent plastic until it was covered in a smooth, washable film. “When you put a light in it, it glowed,” he said. This is the authentic Bubble Lamp, produced in partnership with the George Nelson Foundation. Bulb (not included): LED, CFL or incandescent; E26 base; 60W max for small, 150W max for others. UL Listed. Made in U.S.A.
ShopCarl Hansen & Søn Wishbone Chair
Using the best natural materials and refined steam-bent methods, Wishbone is made to last for generations. In 1944, Hans Wegner began a series of chairs that were inspired by portraits of Danish merchants sitting in Ming Chairs. One of these chairs was the Wishbone Chair (1949), also known as the “Y” or “CH-24,” which has been produced by the Danish firm Carl Hansen & Søn since 1950. The son of a shoemaker, Wegner was trained as a cabinetmaker before attending the School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen, after which he began his career as an architect. Just three years later, Wegner started his own design office, and his work soon caught the eye of Carl Hansen. The Wishbone Chair fit what the Hansen company was looking for to supplement the heavier forms popular at the time. Made in Denmark.
ShopA large window affords views of the environment.
Courtesy of Austigard Arkitektur
Shop the Look
Herman Miller Nelson Saucer Bubble Pendant
While outfitting his office, architect and Herman Miller design director George Nelson discovered a silk-covered Swedish hanging lamp that he coveted but found too expensive. He then recalled seeing a photo in the paper of Liberty ships being mothballed “by having the decks covered with netting and then being sprayed with a self-webbing plastic,” which got him thinking. “And then, Whammo!” Inspiration struck, and by the next night, Nelson had designed his first Bubble Lamp (1952) by spinning a skeleton of steel wires on a turntable and shooting it with translucent plastic until it was covered in a smooth, washable film. “When you put a light in it, it glowed,” he said. This is the authentic Bubble Lamp, produced in partnership with the George Nelson Foundation. Bulb (not included): LED, CFL or incandescent; E26 base; 60W max for small, 150W max for others. UL Listed. Made in U.S.A.
ShopStokke Tripp Trapp High Chair
A sturdy, durable and environmentally friendly wooden chair is designed for maximum adjustability so you can find the perfect height for your little one at the family table. The seat and foot rests can be easily configured to fit a newly sitting six-month-old or a full-grown adult, both in ergonomically correct positions that encourage a positive dining experience.The included Baby Set features a high-backed seat inset that adapts to the chair for use by the youngest babies, once they're ready to sit up alone. The protective back and rail, made of BPA-free polypropylene, fit securely into the Tripp Trapp® chair.
ShopCarl Hansen & Søn Wishbone Chair
Using the best natural materials and refined steam-bent methods, Wishbone is made to last for generations. In 1944, Hans Wegner began a series of chairs that were inspired by portraits of Danish merchants sitting in Ming Chairs. One of these chairs was the Wishbone Chair (1949), also known as the “Y” or “CH-24,” which has been produced by the Danish firm Carl Hansen & Søn since 1950. The son of a shoemaker, Wegner was trained as a cabinetmaker before attending the School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen, after which he began his career as an architect. Just three years later, Wegner started his own design office, and his work soon caught the eye of Carl Hansen. The Wishbone Chair fit what the Hansen company was looking for to supplement the heavier forms popular at the time. Made in Denmark.
ShopFamily members can lead their own pursuits at the communal table, occupying an in-between space.
Courtesy of Austigard Arkitektur
Continues Austigard, "When you sit at the big table in the dining area, looking out through the window, you feel as if you are up in the trees. The children often see squirrels or birds along the branches, and probably due to reflection of the glass, the squirrels don't even notice they're being watched."
"The loft is deliberately made dark. When you are in the dark, but close to something bright, your focus goes away from your own situation towards that bright situation," says Austigard.
Courtesy of Austigard Arkitektur
The living area and a study corner.
Courtesy of Austigard Arkitektur
"Since this project was a rebuild, we had to imagine how the final interior layout would look," says Austigard. "During the construction phase, the measurements changed frequently, which meant that we had to redo the design a few times." Austigard cites the painter Edward Hopper as one of his sources of inspiration for this home. Like the works of the American realist, Austigard says he likes to experiment with spatial depth to convey feelings of emptiness and loneliness with an dreamy sense of warmth, homeliness, and comfort.
The kitchen looks out to woodland views.
Courtesy of Austigard Arkitektur
The loft is a private oasis for daydreaming.
Courtesy of Austigard Arkitektur
"Wherever you are in the world, you are always halfway somewhere else, thorough your mobile phone, Facebook, etc.," says Austigard. "Even if we are not actually opening our mobile phone, our head is always half present, half somewhere else. I don't think this is a problem. As a creative person I find this comfortable. I thrive in spaces that I feel are well-connected to other places, ideas, memories, fantasies, or stories," says Austigard, who tried to convey this sense of being in-between within the House of Many Worlds.
Floor plan
Courtesy of Austigard Arkitektur
Sectional drawing
Courtesy of Austigard Arkitektur
Sectional drawing
Courtesy of Austigard Arkitektur
Sectional drawing
Courtesy of Austigard Arkitektur
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