CABIN FEVER
Lars and Nina Bjellebø Wessel have created a cosy and contemporary ski retreat that family and friends flock to for the holidays
A love of outdoor pursuits prompted one family to create a chic retreat in the snowy mountains of western Norway
Lars and Nina Bjellebø Wessel’s barn-shaped cabin looks totally at home in the snowy landscapes of Røldal, a ski village in the Hardanger district of western Norway, but it actually originated in Lithuania. ‘Our cabin travelled a long way to be here,’ laughs Nina.
‘We are a large family that loves to ski, hike and be outdoors so Lars and I designed it to suit each and every one of us,’ she continues. ‘The plans were drawn up locally by Vårdal Arkitekter and then sent to Gildera House in Lithuania, which prefabricated the house and delivered it to Norway on big lorries. The walls and windows were put in place in just four days and the outside was finished in about 10 weeks.’
With the couple living and working three-and-a-half hours away in Stavanger, designing the inside of the cabin took far longer. ‘For three years, we drove here at the weekends to decorate and furnish it,’ says Lars.
Before they started, Nina scoured magazines and Pinterest to compile a mood board, which she stuck to religiously. ‘We designed the cabin with huge windows so we could enjoy the fantastic scenery, so we felt it was essential to tone down the inside with darker colours to create a cosy feel,’ she says. ‘I found all the muted wall colours and
‘We gave ourselves plenty of time to think through every step we have taken, which might be the reason we don’t regret any of our decisions’
wallpaper, then we chose the wooden flooring and tiles for the hallway and ski boot room, which are ideal in the snowy winter months. There’s underfloor heating throughout the ground level, so we sourced suitable flooring that dries out quickly and stays warm.’
It was important to create an ideal base for skiing and hiking holidays for extended
family members and friends. ‘A ski storage and laundry room that opens from the outside was a practical addition,’ says Lars, ‘as was the ground-floor bathroom and sauna that also has direct access from the outside, so we can come in and warm up straightaway. We love to spend evenings together in the open-plan kitchen, where we
have a long dining table, and the living area has a two large sofas for relaxing on.’
Lars and Nina particularly enjoyed styling the bedrooms. ‘We decided to have three big family bedrooms with space for children’s beds as well as adults’ – one for us and one for our eldest daughter and her family on the ground floor, and one for
last word
our younger daughter and her family on the first floor,’ explains Lars. ‘Each bedroom is decorated to suit the taste of the occupants while also blending well with the rest of the cabin’s interior schemes. We’ve added two sleeping alcoves for guests, too.’
The style throughout is very personal to the couple and their family, with furniture
and accessories, collected from around the world or handed down, adding character and interest. The skull of a water buffalo found in Amsterdam now hangs on the sitting room wall, and there’s an array of beautiful carpets from Marrakech. ‘The dining table is 100 years old and was inherited from my mother,’ says Nina. ‘We have other
smaller antique and vintage pieces that look much better in here than in our main home.’
Having enjoyed one Christmas in the cabin, the family are looking forward to the next. ‘It felt so cosy, with the spectacular snowy scenes outside, and we had a huge Christmas tree that almost reached the roof,’ says Nina. ‘It truly was magical.’