Sondre and Hilde outside of their home, Stallen. Photo by Anne Valeur.
STALLEN
INTERIOR DESIGN, 2024-2025.
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.
Custom pine cabinets below the new staircase, which was built in oak.
Kitchen, dining area and staircase.
Built-in storage for wine bottles and glasses.
Open cabinet for pans and kettles below the kitchen counter.
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 hooks in oak. Marseille soap bar above the sink.
Glass case with built-in lights to cover the kitchen fan.
A second 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, looking towards the bathroom door. Shower room door to the right
Clothing rack and cabinets, Washing machine behind cotton curtain.
Bathroom door with mirrored inside. Circular windows were added at the top.
Cabinet fronts with airing slits.
Bathroom in pale pink, with a Corian wall shelf.
Bathroom cabinet in oak, backlit with a dimmer built into an oak box.
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.
Guitar wall with paired pegs.
Cotton curtains for the large, sliding windows of the first floor. New wall lights on the low, external wall for extra light.
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 air slits for circulation.
Vintage pine lamp.
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.