[Eikund] At home [with Lars]

A classic Oslo flat in a building from the early 1900s, with traces of the past still intact: kitchen cupboards that have stood for some 50 years, and a kitchen that’s kept separate from the living room. This is home to Lars, a Dane, and his Swedish girlfriend Frida. The design, however, is Norwegian.

How would you describe your interior style?
Multi-mix is probably the best way to put it. On their own, the furniture, interior pieces and everything else in the flat tend to be quite minimalist, each with a clear character of its own. Taken as a whole, though, it’s more maximalist in its colours and styles. The inspiration itself is a blend of Scandinavian, Japanese and industrial.

You’ve said that most things in your flat have a story. Can you tell us more about how you go about furnishing your home?
The story is rarely chosen in advance, except that a lot of what we have comes from friends and acquaintances we have a connection with. That probably makes you like the chair, the picture or whatever it is, a little more from the start, so you’re not just neutral about it. Most importantly, we find ourselves thinking about the person behind it more often. It gives you a good feeling in the moment, and also a sense of belonging that brings good energy.

You’ve said that most things in your flat have a story. Can you tell us more about how you go about furnishing your home?
The story is rarely chosen in advance, except that a lot of what we have comes from friends and acquaintances we have a connection with. That probably makes you like the chair, the picture or whatever it is, a little more from the start, so you’re not just neutral about it. Most importantly, we find ourselves thinking about the person behind it more often. It gives you a good feeling in the moment, and also a sense of belonging that brings good energy.

Is it a lot of chance, or is it exactly that, a collection of objects with stories gathered through life, that eventually becomes a home?
You’ve hit the nail on the head. Not everything is carefully considered, but it’s chosen with the heart. The things that perhaps don’t look quite perfect get to live a little and grow a little in our small world. That way, both the flat and the style take on a character of their own. It adds to the mix, but it feels natural over time and gives the whole place its personality.

What do you like most about the flat?
The calm! I thought about it a bit after we last met. The mix of wood from Eikund and the industrial feel of USM gives me a balance that brings a natural sense of calm, for me personally. Reading and listening are calming for everyone, but here both feel completely natural to me.

Which room do you like best, and why?
The living room is my favourite. It’s where we spend most of our time and where we gather. We’ve had plenty of glasses of wine and starters standing around in the kitchen, but the living room is still where we sit and enjoy ourselves, talk, and make most of our memories. Calm aside, we’re incredibly sociable people, so the warmth in the flat comes partly from the Scandinavian style, but mostly from the people around the table.

As a Dane living in Norway with a Swede, do you argue about Norwegian, Swedish or Danish design, or do you settle on “Scandinavian”? 
There isn’t much arguing in this Scandinavian home, but I’m probably the one who has chosen most of the design. Frida has come to like and understand the style as it’s developed. Her father loves working with wood in his workshop, though, so that background has definitely made it easier for me to get my way.

You mentioned your friends originally gave you a Krysset, but you swapped it for Broadway. Why Broadway?”
I chose Broadway because it reminded me of Finn Juhl’s style. If it hadn’t been for Broadway, I’d probably have gone for a Finn Juhl chair. But I should say there’s no way I’d swap Broadway for another chair today, whoever made or designed it. love how comfortable it is, and it holds the memory of every friend who chipped in to give it to me. That makes it very special to me.

We know you’re interested in wine and food. What makes them such a big hobby for you?
Food and wine have been my career. First as a waiter in Stavanger, then as a cellar hand on an internship at a vineyard in Alsace, and later in the wine trade in Norway and Denmark. It’s become a way of life for many reasons, but the best thing of all is the joy it creates with other people. People are more honest and open when they’re well fed and slightly merry.

Are there parallels between good wine, good food and good furniture worth pointing out?
Don’t get me started! There are lots of parallels between food, wine and furniture. In most areas of life, quality comes down to detail and craftsmanship. Creating quality, mastering a craft and understanding design all take time. Whether it’s entrecôte with béarnaise, the Barcelona chair or a work of art, you can’t make something that ends up a classic without the knowledge and craftsmanship behind it.

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