Renovated Oslo apartment blends 1930s Art Deco proportions with contemporary materials

# Overview This renovated apartment sits in a 1937 Art Deco building in Frogner, an upscale residential neighborhood in Oslo near Solli plass and Frogner Park. The brief preserved the building's high ceilings and classic room proportions while reorganizing the plan and specifying durable, tactile materials: dark-stained oak, terrazzo and brushed steel.

# Plan and circulation The apartment measures 76 m² and contains a living room that opens onto the kitchen, two bedrooms, one bathroom and a generous entryway. A sunny balcony extends the living room outdoors. Terrazzo flooring runs through the living areas—entry, kitchen and living room—creating visual continuity and enhancing the sense of space.

# Materials and lighting

# Kitchen The Strømsdal kitchen combines solid oak with oak veneer. Cabinet fronts are dark-stained while interiors use lighter oak to create a two-tone effect repeated elsewhere in the flat. The lighter terrazzo countertop keeps the kitchen visually lighter. Oak panels and mouldings rise to the ceiling. Practical touches include an illuminated niche for cookbooks, a concealed coffee station behind a door and a large mirror above the sink to reflect natural light toward the back of the room.

# Living room and fireplace The living room centers on a distinctive fireplace clad in green Kappa tiles (41zero42). A custom brushed-steel range hood caps the fireplace and serves as a focal point. Around an antique dining table, blue velvet chairs add warmth and vintage character. An arched wall sconce lights the dining niche.

# Bedrooms and storage

# Bathroom The bathroom contrasts strongly with the rest of the flat. The floor uses large Venistone tiles (Ceramica Sant'Agostino) and the walls are covered in an azure-blue mosaic by Flisekompaniet. A custom sink sits on a dark-stained oak vanity that echoes the floor pattern. A blue toilet matches the palette. The ceiling is clad in dark oak panels with spotlights and LED strips, and an illuminated mirrored cabinet completes the storage.

# Entrance and details An oak front door sets the material tone on arrival. Oak panelling continues on the walls and ceiling of the entryway, tying the entrance to the rest of the apartment. A Flos light fixture is noted in the transitional space.

The renovation aims to respect the apartment's Art Deco proportions while introducing a contemporary layout and high-quality finishes. Dark oak is used consistently to create a strong identity across rooms with different functions. Color contrasts—green tiles at the fireplace, blue mosaic in the bathroom, blue velvet in living and sleeping areas—provide character without altering the original scale of spaces.