Today I have not one but two beautiful real-life homes to show you: a stylish family house and a gorgeous waterside cabin. Both are located in western Norway and belong to interiors consultant Astrid Marie Vie, whose gorgeous Instagram account first caught my eye when she shared the stunning sea view from her living-room window.
Astrid’s style is my idea of Scandinavian design perfection: calming colours, uncluttered spaces, cosy textures, and timeless furniture and lighting that will last for years to come. I chatted to her to find out more about her home and cabin, where she finds inspiration and her top interior-design tips…
Hi Astrid! Please can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about what you do?
“I’m 35 years old and I work as an advisor for the municipality. I’ve also just started my own business as an interiors consultant. I’ll do this alongside my regular job for now, but my goal is to work on it full-time in the future.”
Where’s home?
“I live in a small town in the west of Norway with my husband and our two children. We actually built our house on the farm where I grew up. My husband also comes from the neighbourhood and we wanted to be close to our parents so that our kids could get to know their grandparents and spend time with them.
“Our cabin is on a little island called Atløy, off the west coast of Norway. We wanted somewhere by the sea but no more than an hour and a half’s drive away, so Atløy was perfect. It’s only 20m or so from the water and we wanted it to be light and airy, with high ceilings and big windows to make the most of the beautiful view.”
Both the house and cabin have a pared-back yet cosy atmosphere, with soothing colours and lots of inviting textures.
Did you carry out much of the work yourself?
“Yes. I’d already renovated my grandfather’s house after he passed away and lived there for five years. I learned a lot from that, so I felt comfortable managing the planning and building process of our new house myself. I also did a lot of the actual work, such as laying the floors.
“We then renovated the house last year, and I did most of the plastering and painting. I also built a wall to separate the kitchen from the dining room, and I made all of the kitchen fronts myself. I wanted a different style in the kitchen but we had just built the cabin, so the budget was a little tight. The new one only cost around €600 in total, so we saved a lot of money; I also love that no-one else has the same as us!
“I’m definitely the carpenter in the family. My husband says I can do whatever I want as long as I do it myself. He plays with the kids while I do the work!”
Astrid made the kitchen fronts for the house herself. She also built the wall separating the kitchen from the dining room.
How would you describe your interiors style?
“I’d say it’s Nordic minimalism, with a few Japanese influences. I like having clean surfaces and light colours around me. I also like having nature close by and bringing it into the house. I don’t buy many things, but the things I do buy must be well designed and of good quality. They have to last.”
The cabin’s kitchen is a perfect example of Astrid’s minimalist, Nordic-meets-Japanese style. The chairs are the iconic ‘Wishbone’ design by Hans J. Wegner.
Where do you find inspiration for your interiors?
“I find a lot of inspiration when I travel, and I particularly love Paris, New York and Spain. I read a few magazines such as My Residence, Cereal and a Norwegian title called Nytt Rom (‘New Room’). I like the Kinfolk magazine and books too, as the art of slow living really appeals to me. And I use Pinterest and Instagram of course – I love that I can type in what I want to see pictures of, and the search results seem endless!”
What’s your favourite part of your house and cabin, and why?
“My favourite part of the house is the kitchen. I love the simplicity and the soothing colours. I also love my daughter’s room – I lie in her bed wishing I’d had one exactly the same when I was four years old!
“My favourite place in the cabin is the living room. I love the big windows and sitting on the sofa watching the ocean shift with the weather.”
The cabin has lofty ceilings and full-height windows to make the most of the stunning sea view.
What’s your favourite piece of furniture and why?
“It has to be the bed I made for my daughter. It cost no more than €100 to build, but I put a lot of love and effort into it and I know it’s good quality. Of the furniture I’ve bought, I really like the &tradition ‘In Between’ chairs in the kitchen. I love the design and how they fit perfectly into my home.”
Astrid built her daughter’s bed for less than €100, creating a fun space for sleep and play with clever storage underneath.
Where do you source items for your home – any favourite brands or shops?
“I like a lot of brands, and my favourites include &tradition, Ferm Living, New Works and Cooee Design. As you can see I like Scandinavian design a lot! I also love lamps (I can never have too many!) and I buy almost all of them at Lampemesteren.dk. I’m currently saving up for the ‘Atollo’ lamp and the Flos ‘265’.”
Do you have any future plans for your house or cabin?
“In the house, I’m going to renovate my son’s room and the hallway. I just have to find the time… We also want a bigger laundry room with a wardrobe and private entrance for us and the kids.
“At the cabin we have to finish the outside area. We want to build a roof and an outdoor fireplace so we can use it year-round, not just in the summer.”
Astrid loves to incorporate dark accents and elements of nature into her interiors. In winter, she dresses her home with bare branches. The lamp and vases come from two of her favourite brands, New Works and Cooee Design.
Finally, what are your top interior-design tips?
“Clear out everything you don’t use and have fewer things around you. Choose a few colours to represent your home and paint the walls in different shades of them. You can then pick out the wall colours in details around the house. I don’t like bright colours and stick to neutrals, but I like having a few darker contrasts in each room – perhaps a candleholder or lamp. And use what you find in nature the whole year around. I love displaying bare branches in winter and flowers in summer.”
Thanks Astrid!
See more of Astrid’s beautiful home and cabin on her Instagram feed, and find out more about her interiors consultancy at purinterior.no.
All photography by Astrid Marie Vie
Love this house. Already follow her on instagram.
It’s beautiful isn’t it? So inspiring, and it looks so calm and inviting.
Norway stole my heart when we did a road trip there a couple of years ago! I can’t wait to go back.
And it stole mine on a fleeting visit to Oslo a few years ago! I’d love to see more, especially outside the cities. Astrid’s home and cabin definitely make me want to go back!