Step inside this pared back coastal home
Monochrome yet inviting, Linda and husband Dag’s Norwegian coastal home is a lesson in Scandinavian simplicity and a place where the whole family gathers
For Linda and Dag Olsrud Tallerud, home feels like a holiday all year round. Their house, in the coastal village of Høllen in the Søgne area of Norway, is just a stone’s throw from the beaches of Høllesanden. They bought the house just two years ago, and today, it blends in well with its neighbouring white-painted houses. “But it’s neither charmingly old or new,” says Linda, co-founder of interior design company Sögne Home.
The house was built in the late 1980s, and when the couple bought it, it was almost as if time had stood still since the previous owner’s renovations. “This house sometimes borders on being too small for us and our seven children,” says Linda; the couple also have grandchild number three on the way and an active puppy. “We’ve had to exploit the space while stripping ourselves of anything superfluous.”
Gathering the family together – just the youngest two still live at home – was really important for Linda and Dag, so living and dining space was prioritised in their renovations, with a large, sociable kitchen a must. They decided to move the kitchen from one side of the house to the other, which allowed for a sliding door to be fitted, leading directly to the back terrace. “You’ll find the everyone, from the youngest to the oldest, outside in the summer,” smiles Linda.
The new kitchen is long and narrow, with a large island in the middle of the space. “At one end of the island we work, while at the other we sit and eat,” says Linda. The units are from local company Strai Kitchens. The generous island is the perfect solution to the long, narrow space, with one end for prep and the other for working. The back wall is reserved for cabinets, with a double oven from Miele, while the open shelves make a great seasonal display area.
The long dining table also extends when “everyone comes home”, while the large sofa seats many. Upstairs, the bedrooms are small and furnished only with the essentials – a bed and a wardrobe.
Linda is strict about what is brought into the house. “My goal is to have as few useless things as possible,” she shares, “otherwise the house could quickly become overfurnished.”
Linda has taken her inspiration from the house’s exterior, choosing a monochrome palette throughout. But it’s not cold or stark, in spite of her ‘less is more’ approach. “I prefer to stick to the natural and functional, with lots of contrasting materials,” she explains. “My style is to have little colour and not too many trinkets or decorations. It’s how I find my peace.”
“I believe there should be a common theme running throughout a home, and a home will always be the most successful if you decorate based on the soul of the place,” says Linda. With just the essentials – a bed from IKEA, crepe bed linen from Kid Interiør and Birdy lamps from Northern – the main bedroom is simple yet stylish.
The house is just a stone’s throw away from the water’s edge, with a restaurant and boutique, while the beach lies just 300m further along.
At the front of the house, the lawn has been replaced with maintenance-free gravel and concrete tiles. The IKEA furniture has been coated with black lacquer paint, while the firepit is from Sögne Home.
