In a Remote Norwegian Forest, a Family Home Is Sheltered Inside a Luminous Greenhouse

An architect and ardent locavore designs a residence with a glass shell that allows her to pursue gardening year round.

In a Remote Norwegian Forest, a Family Home Is Sheltered Inside a Luminous Greenhouse

An architect and ardent locavore designs a residence with a glass shell that allows her to pursue gardening year round.

At the end of a long road that winds through a dense spruce forest, just north of the small town of Kongsberg, Norway, sits an enormous greenhouse by a stream. Inside, an abundance of fruit trees—figs, grapes, citrus, cherries, and plums—and vegetables of all sorts grow, at odds with the surrounding snowy landscape. Alongside this vegetation sprouts something even more unusual: the family home of architect Margit-Kristine Solibakke Klev, her husband, physicist Arnstein Norheim, and their two young children.

The home of architect Margit-Kristine Solibakke Klev and her husband, Arnstein Norheim, is built inside an enormous greenhouse.

The home of architect Margit-Kristine Solibakke Klev and her husband, Arnstein Norheim, is built inside an enormous greenhouse. 

Photo by Nadia Norskot

At the end of a long road that winds through a dense spruce forest, just north of the small town of Kongsberg, Norway, sits an enormous greenhouse by a stream. Inside, an abundance of fruit trees—figs, grapes, citrus, cherries, and plums—and vegetables of all sorts grow, at odds with the surrounding snowy landscape. Alongside this vegetation sprouts something even more unusual: the family home of architect Margit-Kristine Solibakke Klev, her husband, physicist Arnstein Norheim, and their two young children.

The furnishings set amid the planting beds—including the Winnipeg armchairs and Royal pendant, all from Jotex—further blur the boundaries between interior and exterior.

The furnishings set amid the planting beds—including the Winnipeg armchairs and Royal pendant, all from Jotex—further blur the boundaries between interior and exterior. "I chose the light fixture because it’s simple and elegant, and, of course, I wanted something really big in the greenhouse space," says Margit. The Claystone floors are by ClayLime.

Photo by Nadia Norskot; Styling by Maria Hove Vestre

"The pink color scheme was something that Dagny and I started the design process with," says Margit. "We wanted a warm, natural color, so we decided to use pink Claystone on the floor. The other pink colors followed. It also makes a wonderful contrast to all the green leaves in summer." The glass pendants are from Jotex.

Photo by Nadia Norskot; Styling by Maria Hove Vestre

See the full story on Dwell.com: In a Remote Norwegian Forest, a Family Home Is Sheltered Inside a Luminous Greenhouse