Step inside this moody Norwegian cabin, that’s perfect for winter

Ann and her husband Lasse escape to their cabin in the snowy Norwegian countryside every year to celebrate Christmas and New Year with family and friends.

There’s something magical about the way the traditional, rustic facade of Ann and Lasse’s timber cabin rises up from the snowy hillside. In the ‘blue hour’ at about 2pm, when the Nordic light takes on a chilly glow, it is particularly atmospheric. It’s the hour when candles, lanterns and fires are lit, inside and out, to welcome guests for Christmas. “It is so beautiful here at this time of year, with lots of snow,” says Ann.

“We have celebrated Christmas at our cabin every year since our girls were little, except a couple of times when we were building a new one!” This prefabricated, traditional-style pitched-roof cabin is the third the family have owned – the second in this area.

“We first came here in the summer of 1994 and loved it,” explains Ann. The couple found a plot and had a cabin built, but when their daughters grew up and started their own families, it became too tight a squeeze. “When we decided to build a new place, we found a plot at the top of the old Olympic village in Hafjell and brought in an architect this time to help us design exactly what we wanted.”

The couple had specific ideas about the layout of the rooms, with bedrooms separated around the footprint of the property. “We didn’t want them all in one wing, all in a row,” says Ann. “By spreading them around, several generations can be here at the same time without disturbing each other.” The same thought inspired them to split the main living space into three parts: a TV room, a dining room in the middle and a seating area with a fireplace. Two steps down and a glass internal wall makes this last space feel separate and snug.

Ann put a bold yellow velvet sofa here, which stands out against the dark-stained wood walls. “It’s such an eye-catcher,” says Ann. “Decoratively, it’s the icing on the cake. I also love lamps and like to mix traditional rustic designs with classic, smart styles. We used the same principle when we chose new furniture for this place, mixing in some smart rather than country pieces. I like to mix styles and play on contrasts, and it works here.”

The ceilings and walls are all stained in the same tone, with dark window frames chosen to blend in rather than stand out. “It is the same, toned-down colour scheme throughout, which creates harmony,” says Ann. A sumptuous velvet-covered bench from Slettvoll makes the dining area a place to linger long after dinner is over.

Guests naturally move to the kitchen island from the adjoining hallway. “The location of the kitchen was very deliberate,” explains Ann. “It is in the middle of the cabin so you can greet guests there as they come in, then you can all move easily through to the dining room beyond to sit down and eat dinner.”

The kitchen, like the entire cabin, is decorated in a palette of neutrals ranging from black to pale stone and ivory, to create contrasts that highlight key pieces like the solid-wood cabinets

The bedrooms carry on the same mood, with dark velvets and linen used to dress the beds.Statement lighting contrasts against the wooden walls.

The outside of the cabin is decorated with fairy lights and greenery, just like the interior. “You don’t have to buy a lot,” says Ann. “You can go a long way with flowers, lanterns and a lot of greenery. I cut sprigs of juniper, cypress and spruce then use thin steel wire to bind it to wreaths and garlands, or just lay it directly onto the table.”

At Christmas, she and Lasse head to the cabin a few days beforehand to decorate and get everything ready before they become a party of eight to 12. “There’s always a good atmosphere here,” she says. “It’s all about getting cosy and enjoying good food and good drink.”

Words: Vibeke Stiansen/House of Pictures. Styling: Tone Kroken/House of Pictures.  Photography: Filippa Tredal/House of Pictures.