The Wooden Bistro kitchen
In the small town of Bodø in Northern Norway, interior photographer Nadia Norskott lives with her partner Øyvind and their son Mio. The house, built back in 1937, which they renovated themselves, has three floors and plenty of space for a large kitchen. Yet, Nadia and her family chose a smaller kitchen with a distinct bistro feel.
The kitchen in dark oak is complemented by a custom-built bench, creating a charming bistro atmosphere.
The drawers in solid dark oak follow the same tone, giving a unified and elegant expression.
Nadia Norskott works as an interior photographer and commutes between Oslo and Bodø, where she lives with her family. The family’s house is in the functionalist style and was built in 1937. When the family moved in, the house was in dire need of renovation, and for almost two years they have been working on it, mostly doing the work themselves. Discover our top 10 kitchen renovation tips.
– We’ve completely renovated an old functionalist house from 1937. The entire house, which has three floors, needed a total overhaul, so we’ve spent two years on this project and are now almost finished, Nadia explains.
“I had never seen a kitchen from Nordiska Kök in person, so we thought it was a bit risky, but we took the chance. I had seen pictures on Pinterest that I liked and was inspired by. But we are really thrilled with both the quality and the appearance.”
– We've done a lot ourselves, hired people for certain tasks, and received enormous help from my dad, for which we are very grateful. Renovating a house, working, and having a baby at the same time – it's been intense, but now we're almost there, says Nadia.
The countertop in granite ceramic from Brickmate provides a sleek and durable surface.
The kitchen has a small, cozy spot by the window that gives a bistro feel, perfect for drinking morning coffee and enjoying a quiet moment.
At the heart of the house lies the kitchen – a dark oak kitchen with light upper cabinets, painted in the same color as the wall to create a sense of space. Nadia and Øyvind chose to make the kitchen slightly smaller to preserve the original feel of the house.
– We changed the layout and had all the possibilities to make the kitchen as large as we wanted, but we wanted a small kitchen. In the past, it was common to sit and drink coffee by the kitchen window and look out, and we wanted to recreate that feeling. It’s like visiting a grandmother, explains Nadia.
To match the house's original charm, a simple kitchen was chosen, with a focus on clean material choices. Read more about how to combine kitchen styles.
A matte white faucet from Vola and a stainless steel sink from Franke. Read our best tips for choosing the right faucet and sink for your kitchen.
The custom-built bench is the family’s favorite spot in the house. The charming teapot is a flea market find by Nadia
The kitchen's custom-built bench has become the family's favorite spot in the house. It's an inspiring place where they drink their morning coffee, have dinner, sit and knit, or, like Mio, stand up and look out the window at passing cars.
– The dining table in the living room goes unused unless we have a lot of guests, and our son stands in the window sill, watching cars and people pass by. We love this corner, says Nadia.
“The kitchen’s custom-built bench has become the family’s favorite spot in the house.”
Drawers in solid dark oak.
The upper cabinets are painted in the same color as the wall, giving the kitchen an airy feel. Read our guide to choosing the right color for your kitchen.
Since the kitchen is quite small, Nadia and Øyvind wanted light upper cabinets in the same color as the walls to make the space feel airy and avoid it becoming too heavy or dark for the small room. They also wanted a simple kitchen without technological gadgets to match the house's build year and original charm.
– We haven’t integrated a bar cabinet, coffee machine, hot water tap, or anything fancy. We prefer a more old-fashioned style and things that don’t require much maintenance, and that applies to the whole house. I like light, clean walls and often find things at flea markets, which I mix with new furniture. I prefer wood and authentic, high-quality materials. We avoid plastic and materials that pretend to be something they’re not, says Nadia.
The table is made by a local furniture maker, and the chair is a find from a flea market.
See more wooden kitchens
Bodø is located in Northern Norway, and ordering a kitchen from Sweden wasn’t an obvious choice. For Nadia, it was the pictures of the kitchen that made the decision.
– I had never seen a kitchen from Nordiska Kök in person, so we thought it was a bit risky, but we took the chance. I had seen pictures on Pinterest that I liked and was inspired by. But we are really thrilled with both the quality and the look. Especially the woodwork in the drawers and how easy it is to keep clean.
Explore Nordiska Kök on Pinterest.
Photo: Nadia Norskott
