Sondre and Hilde in front of their home, Stallen. Photos by Anne Valeur.
STALLEN
INTERIOR DESIGN
This old brick and mortar stable is tucked away in a backyard in the Grünerløkka area of Oslo. As the building had to undergo some major restoration, the owners, Sondre Lerche and Hilde Solli, wanted to rethink the complete interior as well.
The house feels both small and big, with 55 square meters spread over two floors. The ground floor has a tall ceiling and one full wall of windows, while the second floor is organized around a central, sky-lit shower room. Connecting them are an internal and external staircase.
The first brief was simply “pine cabin” – from there the work developed as we went along, a process spanning a year and a half, from 2024 to 2025..
Custom pine cabinets below the new staircase, which is oak.
Kitchen, dining area and staircase with built-in cabinets.
Built-in storage for wine bottles and glasses.
Open cabinet for pans and kettles below the kitchen counter, with lattice in oak.
A primary concern was to lighten and warm up the palette of colors and materials. Pine was added to the existing oak, pale hues of yellow and pink were chosen for the walls that were not in lime-washed brick. A cream-colored Corian was used for the kitchen counter, bathroom shelf and three curved hooks, complementing the white of the sink and other porcelain items. A few brightly colored details took its cue from an existing ultra-marine door and Sondre and Hilde´s eclectic collection of colorful furniture and glass objects.
Kitchen counter in oak, with a Corian top and porcelain sink. Wall shelves with pegs, in oak.. Vintage pine lamps by Hans Agne Jakobssen. Pink Marseille soap bar above the sink.
Glass case to conceal the kitchen fan, whilst also providing mood light.
A low brick wall was added to allow storage of wood, next to the existing fireplace.
Throughout we had to maximize the usage of space. As in a small boat or a mountain cabin, this often requires overlapping functions. The inside of the tiny bathroom door is also a full wardrobe mirror when open. Its ceiling light seeps through two small, round windows into the bedroom, serving as additional lighting - or beacons for nocturnal trips to the loo. The kitchen cabinets are tucked underneath the staircase, maximized for storage while also keeping utilities, pipes and cables out of sight.
Second floor entrance area, looking towards the bathroom door. Blue door leads to the shower room.
Clothing rack and cabinets, Washing machine behind cotton curtain.
Bathroom door with mirrored inside. Two circular windows were added to allow light to pass in and out.
Cabinet fronts with airing slits.
Bathroom in pale pink, with a Corian wall shelf. Existing blue faucet and turquoise fronts.
Open bathroom shelf in oak, backlit.
Another aim was to achieve more privacy while at the same time preserving the quality of light, veiling the windows with either a temporary kefir wash of thin cotton. We added more lamps, softening the light behind opaline glass, pine veneers or textured glass panels.
Study in front of the large window, covered in a temporary kefir wash. Wall lights on each side.
Guitar wall with rails with paired pegs. Top, right: storage for guitar cases.
Cotton curtains for the large, sliding windows of the first floor. New wall lights on the low, external wall.
Extra care was put into those areas often touched – as the lacquered door handles and knobs, rounded edge profiles and smoothly sanded hooks.
Thermo-formed Corian hooks.
Lacquered handle for the bathroom door.
Lacquered knobs for the kitchen cabinets.
Handle profile for the cabinets, and fronts with slits for air circulation.
Vintage pine lamp by Hans Agne Jacobssen..
Single guitar hook and wall light for the study.
Masterful carpentry by Hans Jacob Normann, Andreas Grega and Sigmund Maske Os, who translated my line drawings into complex work plans, fine-tuning the designs and maximizing their functionality.
Masonry by Halfdan Gimle, staircase and lime-wash delivered by Olav Solholm A/S, electrical work by Kontakt Elektro A/S, plumbing by Vann Teknikk A/S and gas by Alfa Olis Gass og VVS A/S.
Photos by Anne Valeur.