The brief was to create a home that reflects the owners’ personality and supports a new phase of life. After many years in a busy family home, they wanted an apartment defined by simplicity and elegance — a place where each room has a clear purpose and nothing feels excessive.
The ambition was to shape a refined retreat centered around balance and calm. Comfort and quality were essential, with a desire for a sense of understated luxury — not through abundance, but through precise detailing, carefully selected materials, and carefully integrated solutions. The focus was on atmosphere, proportion, and tactile surfaces rather than decorative gestures.
The result is a home that feels both generous and quiet — a kind of luxury found in space, light, and the lasting presence of materials.
The greatest challenge was to create a home that feels generous within more compact boundaries. Moving from a large villa to an apartment required careful prioritization of functions and a thoughtful approach to storage. The aim was to ensure that everything needed for daily life had its place, without compromising the sense of calm or elegance.
A key part of the process was integrating storage as a natural extension of the architecture rather than as independent furniture. The solutions needed to be precise and discreet, while contributing to the overall composition of the interior.
In addition, the building’s transformation into residential apartments in 2020 introduced technical installations that had to be addressed. It was important to integrate and conceal these elements in a way that felt intentional and seamless, allowing the spaces to remain composed and cohesive.
The material palette in this project was carefully composed to support the overall ambition of creating a calm, refined home where quality is experienced through touch, light, and longevity rather than visual excess. Every material was chosen for its ability to contribute to a cohesive and sensory atmosphere, while also ageing beautifully over time.
Timber forms the foundation of the interior. Light wooden flooring introduces warmth and softness, creating a gentle base that reflects and amplifies daylight throughout the apartment. In contrast, darker timber elements — used in custom cabinetry, wall surfaces, and ceilings — bring depth, rhythm, and a sense of structure. These vertical and enveloping wooden surfaces were inspired by the presence of tree trunks, reinforcing the connection to the landscape outside while adding a tactile richness to the spaces.
The walls are finished in lime paint, selected for its mineral quality and subtle texture. Rather than appearing flat, the surface responds to shifting light conditions, echoing the way daylight filters through leaves. This creates a quiet variation across the walls, allowing them to feel alive without becoming decorative.
Stone was introduced as a counterbalance to the warmth of the timber. A grey-brown marble is used in portals, niches, and key touchpoints, adding a sense of weight, permanence, and cool contrast. These moments mark transitions within the apartment, enhancing the spatial experience while also offering a distinct tactile presence.
Textiles play an essential role in softening the more architectural elements. Silk curtains filter the daylight, creating a diffused, almost atmospheric glow, while upholstery in deep, natural tones adds comfort and visual depth. Together, these materials support an interior that feels both intimate and enduring.
Team:
Architects: Gudbjørg Simonsen
Other Participants: Byggelaget
Håland mur og flis
Skau
Egb elektro
Jæren gulv
Sig. Halvorsen
Axel Charles Dahlgren
Expo Nova
Lie glass
Lie ventilasjon
Ege dører
Ita design
Photographer: Arne Bru Haug
Materials Used:
Flooring: Sisal urban plus
Doors: Ege dører
Interior lighting: Entrelacs, Giopato & Coombes, Bocci, Oluce, Contain, Kreon, Apparatus studio
Interior furniture: B&B Italia, Max Alto, Poliform, Vitra, Cassina, Walter Knoll, Limited edition, Dux, Flexform
Add more if available Fabrics from Kvadrat
Kitchen and wardrobe from Poliform
