The Interior Stylist’s Minimalist Oak Kitchen
Light, space and turn-of-the-century details meet contemporary minimalism in interior stylist Catrine Svellingen’s former apartment in central Bergen, Norway. Here, she and her partner Per Ove created a home where historic architecture meets a calm and timeless material palette. The bespoke kitchen from Nordiska Kök in dark oak is designed to blend into the architecture and feel more like a piece of furniture than a traditional kitchen. The result is a home where materials, proportions and details work together to create a calm and harmonious setting.
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The apartment was built in the late 1890s and is located in the heart of Bergen, overlooking the surrounding mountain landscape and the city below.
The minimalist wooden kitchen in dark oak from Nordiska Kök is uniquely designed for Catrine Svellingen’s home in Bergen.
The apartment in the historic building clearly carries traces of its era. Generous ceiling height, large windows and solid materials give the rooms a natural sense of weight, while the apartment still retains much of its turn-of-the-century charm. But what Catrine fell in love with most when she first saw the apartment was the light, the view and the calm atmosphere you feel the moment you step trough the door.
— What first drew me to the apartment was the light. The west-facing windows fill the room with daylight from midday until sunset. Despite its central location, it feels incredibly peaceful the moment you step inside, she says.
The material palette is understated and earthy, with a mix of wood tones that adds depth, balanced by lighter elements, reflecting the minimalist aesthetic characteristic of Scandinavian design. The Expand dining table is by Northern, paired with Eames DSR chairs by Vitra and a Danish vintage rattan chair. Above the table hangs the Semi Pendant by Gubi.
On the kitchen table, a curated still life of objects adds personality and warmth to the space. The Pallo vase is by Skruf, paired with a vintage candle holder, a white ceramic bowl from Essei and a black bowl handmade by Norwegian ceramicist Ragnhild Wik.
Combining different materials and textures, and mixing old with new, is one of Catrine’s best tips for creating an interior that feels both calm and grounded, yet still vibrant and personal.
The layout is open, with the kitchen and living room sharing the same space but clearly defined into separate zones. During the renovation, the wall towards the bedroom was moved and given a curved form. The arch creates a softer transition within the room and gives the living area more space and flow. At the same time, it echoes the building’s architecture – a shape already present in the stairwell – naturally connecting the new solution with the building’s history.
To match the natural sense of weight that characterises the apartment, Catrine wanted to create a kitchen that feels more like an integrated piece of furniture than a traditional kitchen solution. Quality, craftsmanship and a shared understanding of atmosphere, materials and details were crucial in the choice of kitchen supplier. Equally important was the ability to shape the solutions down to the smallest detail – making Nordiska Kök the natural choice.
“I discovered Nordiska Kök through their visual universe and was drawn to the overall impression – the calm aesthetic, the sense of materiality and the craftsmanship. The fact that the kitchens are produced in their own carpentry studio gave us the opportunity to shape the solutions down to the smallest detail.”
The oak base cabinets with stand-out framework create a minimalist, architectural aesthetic, while the Corian worktop with its light tone and soft marble-like veining ties the material palette together. The kitchen tap is from Nivito.
On the open shelf, ceramics are displayed as part of the interior. The coffee cups are from the Japanese brand Hasami. The black jug is from Eva Solo, and the sculptural artwork is by Swedish artist Anette Hallback.
The kitchen was meant to feel architectural, yet soft, with a material palette that provides both depth and calm. For Catrine and Per Ove’s home, a dark oak kitchen was designed with a clean and minimalist expression. The dark wood adds weight and warmth, while the tall cabinets were ordered in the same colour as the wall so they blend seamlessly into the space and do not feel dominant.
To create a strict and architectural expression, proportions, handles and transitions have been carefully considered. Integrated solutions give a clean look, while an open shelf adds both lightness and personality.
Functionality was just as important as aesthetics – with generous work surfaces, well-considered storage and a natural flow between cooking and socialising. The oven is from Siemens.
Solid wooden drawers with custom cutlery inserts enhance the sense of craftsmanship and quality. A tactile presence – just as Catrine envisioned. The cutlery is vintage.
The shelf in the living room is a vintage find by Catrine. Here, old and new meet in carefully arranged still lifes – from books and magazines to candle holders and a vintage Werner Panton Leila lamp. Details that bring personality and life to the interior.
The apartment clearly reflects the eye of a stylist, with a clear intention behind every detail – from material choices and furniture to interior details that give the rooms depth and presence. The balance between the strict and the soft creates a home that is visually beautiful while also inviting you to pause, reflect and simply be. We asked Catrine for her best tips on how to create spaces that are not only beautiful to look at, but also rich in atmosphere – spaces that feel good to live in.
— For me, everything begins with understanding what kind of atmosphere you want to live in. Before choosing colours and furniture, you should ask yourself what the room will be used for and what actually matters in everyday life.
— Good planning is essential. Take the time to figure out what you want, and what you don’t need. Stay true to yourself and let your heart guide your choices.
— Choose materials with depth and tactility. Combine new and old, design and vintage. It’s the details that bring everything together. Here, I wanted to create a balance between the strict and the soft – a space that feels calm and grounded, yet alive and personal. A space with room to simply be.
The staircase reflects the building’s historic character built in the late 1890s.
Oslo-based Norwegian stylist Catrine creates interiors rooted in a Nordic aesthetic, where light, materiality and texture take centre stage.
Interior design and styling: Catrine Svellingen
Photo: Dag Sandven
Location: Bergen, Norway
About Catrine Svellingen
Catrine is a Norwegian interior stylist based in Oslo. She works with styling and visual concepts for brands, magazines and commercial projects within interiors and design – rooted in a Nordic aesthetic with a focus on light, materiality and texture. Her work explores the understated and tactile – a quietness that feels alive. Each setting is created to give space to feel, not just to see. Her styling has been published in, among others, Homes & Gardens UK, Bonytt, Bolig Pluss and Interiørmagasinet.
The kitchen is designed by Nordiska Kök and crafted in our carpentry studio outside Gothenburg, Sweden, before being shipped to the customer in Bergen, Norway. We are proud to offer our bespoke quality kitchens, crafted in Sweden, to customers across Europe.
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