A Scandinavian colour course
Pernille Berg, Andreas Mathiassen and their two daughters live in a three-bedroom detached villa built in 1918 in the city of Trondheim, Norway.
Pernille’s home in Norway was very much a project house when she bought it “it was as if time had stood still ’’says Pernille. It needed renovating throughout – and not just the practical things like wiring and plumbing, but how space worked day-to-day as well as aesthetically.”
‘Pernille had plenty of ideas, especially when it came to colour. “ I never wanted to use colour for the sake of it” she explains, as she talks of her home where blush nestles next to mint and the softest blue co-exists with apricot and orange. “ I wanted to create a home where you could find a sense of peace and wellbeing.”
The couple, who own Spire Interiør, a styling and design brand, installed a new kitchen, replaced two bathrooms and laid new flooring throughout. ‘We wanted to design a house for play, dancing and unwinding” says Pernille. In the living room, the walls are painted Skin Powder from Pure & Original, with the green sofa from Bolia. The Iconic safari chair by Karre Kline was launched in 1933.
“They also made structural changes, replacing the windows for a design more in keeping with the buildings original ones. “Changing the windows altered the whole character of the house.” Says Pernille. It was as if everything fell into place.” In the living rooms bay window, the couple has created a cosy corner for their daughters. The lamp is from Jielde and the pouffe from Bolia. The armchair is called Cuba and came from Carl Hansen.
In the dining room, a soft sage feature wall gently contrasts the blush pink ceiling and adjacent walls to showcase curvaceous and cool-toned furniture. Pernille and Andreas have invested in a few designer pieces that they hope to pass on to their daughters. The dining room sofa, Arne Jacobsen’s Mayor design, has already passed the ‘acid test’, as Pernille explains ‘ Tomato sauce can actually be washed off the woollen fabric.”
For Pernille, colours and styling are not just about creating harmony; in fact, she believes too much matching can have a negative effect on a home. “ For me, things must fit together, not too well. It’s a balancing act.” she shares. Pernille edited colour swatches down to a soft, muted pastel palette, punctuated with crisp white. “ The green of the kitchen makes the room just bright enough while at the same time being cosy’.
The colours that made the cut all had one thing in common: they made her happy. “The most important thing is that I enjoy being there,” Pernille explains. The walls are painted in Green Harmony by Jotun, with a kitchen from JKE Design, The lamps are Muutos’ E27 design. The Rug is from Craft Sisters in Copenhagen.”
Next door there is a walk-in wardrobe, which was created from a small bedroom. ‘While the walls and shelving are black, there’s plenty of light – both from the window and the wall colour of the bedroom.
“Colour theory is a practical design tool, but you don’t always have to follow the rules,” Pernille believes. “Think of colour as a puzzle – it’s more than just the walls. You need to look at the textiles, flooring furniture and lighting that you choose too, which together combine to create the colour palette of your home,” she says. A hallway corner has been turned into practical storage with a built-in bench and bespoke hanging rail.
1 House Doctor patterned runner, rhool.com 2 Aurelia pendant lamp, Minkinteriors.com 3 Ladyholme pure matt emulsion, Fenwickandtilbrook.com 4 Kaare Klint Safari Chair, Carlhansen.com 5 Velvet cushion, Idyllhome.co.uk 6 Matisse-Style print, Rocketjack.co.uk 7 Carl Hansen table, Heals.com 8 Pouffe, Beanbagbazaar.co.uk
See more of Pernille’s home in our Spring digital edition.
Words & styling: Mai Eckhoff Morseth/House of Pictures
Photography: Filippa Tredal/House of Pictures
