A design lovers travel guide to Bergen, Norway

Bergen, Bryggen, all dressed up for national day, Image by Reidar Tomte on Instagram

For those of you who doesn't already know...I am Norwegian! But more than that: I am from Bergen....the most beautiful town in the world! And May is a pretty special month there.... You see : The 17th of May is the Norwegian National day, and the city and all its people get dressed in their best, and have a huge Party....flags and national costumes, parades and good food, beer and songs....it is truly the epitome of nationalistic pride (In the best way possible!!). So this time of year I get a bit extra nostalgic, and homesick! So I've put together this little guide to my beautiful hometown, from a design lover perspective, as a homage to Bergen on its national day!
Norwegians, as most Scandinavians, take pride in their beautiful country, and their surroundings....and good design is at the forefront of the peoples consciousness, along with a quality of life unlike no other place in the world...So today I am sharing where to stay, where to eat, what to see and where to shop should you ever be so lucky as to visit Bergen!
Where to stay
Bergen is a small city, and you can easily walk from one place to another, so pretty much any central accommodation is ideal...If you are on a tight budget try the quaint, but chic klosterhagen hotell, situated in the historic and picturesque area of Nordnes. Or if you'd prefer, you can rent a real Bergen apartment, with all the Scandinavian style you could want by searching airbnb, for a truly authentic experience!

Clarion hotel Admiral

If you are treating yourself to a luxury stay, I can recommend the stylish Clarion Hotel Admiral that's situated right on the Bergen Marina with stunning views of the fjord. Or the Clarion Hotel no13 ,a unique gem of a hotel in the heart of the city where breakfast, mid afternoon snack and evening meal is included in the room rate!!

Hotel no 13

Which brings us nicely on to:
Where to eat and play
I'm not going to lie: Eating out in Norway is expensive, but definitely worth it! Being a coastal city, yet close to local farms, fresh produce, like fish and meat is premium, and Bergen center is full of gorgeous restaurants and cafes with beautiful food...

Bare pa 13, which is a self proclaimed avant garde Norwegian street food restaurant, is actually situated on the ground floor of Hotel no 13, and describes itself like this:  "We serve the best we can cook, from the best we can get, from day to day. No menu, no choice. Simple, quick and delicious!!" Intriguing, no??
Bare Vestland is slightly less avant garde, but non the less unusual: With focus on local, organic ingredients of high quality, they offer you exciting dishes in tapas format, Western Norwegian style Tapas...Served in a relaxed and intimate atmosphere, with good drinks!

Bien Bar

Bien Bar, is a "must visit destination" for an atmospheric dining experience: with its french/Italian inspired menu served in the unusual interior of a former 1930's Art Deco pharmacy, often with musical entertainment come night time.

Lysverket (photography: Cecilie Bannow)

Another great culinary experience can be found at Lysverket, highly acclaimed for their neo-fjordic cuisine....and do stick around for an amazing party atmosphere at night with superstar dj's , like Bjorn Torske (pictured above) and a comprehensive cocktail menu!
Daytime is also playtime
Lysverket (above) is situated smack bang in the center of Bergen , in the multi-building KODE art museum, which houses a comprehensive Edward Munch collection, as well as more modern exhibitions worth checking out...So this is also a "must visit" part of Bergen during the day time. 
This is also a great place to visit with kids, whilst keeping the design interested parents amused as well.... and the belonging Cafe Smakverket is a great place to stop for lunch and picking up some great art prints in the adjoining Art shop!

KODE ART SHOP

If you want some more art and culture, in a child friendly environment, why not visit Urdihuset for exhibitions and a spot of lunch in the cafe....


...or for a more grown up experience, visit USF verftet , the home of cultural Bergen...
 with artists studios as well as a Cinema, a concert venue, an art gallery and regular jazz clubs this is the place to be.... And the Kafe Kippers is the rallying point of artists and the public, located on the pier accommodating Bergen's largest outdoor restaurant in the summertime, where 500 quests can enjoy the most beautiful fjord views as well as the sunset. Set in an old Cannery factory , it's another must visit, come day or come night!

Kafe Kippers

Of course, you must not visit Bergen without taking the The Fløibanen Funicular to the top of  Mount Fløyen  for the best view of Bergen town and beautiful woodland walks...fun for kids and adults alike there are often events held here and there is also a very good (but a little over priced ) restaurant.

view from mount Floyen

And just taking a couple of hours strolling around the gorgeously quaint cobbled back streets of Bergen is another thing I'd recommend:

The slightly bohemian and lively Area Skostrædet must also be visited both in terms of shops, galleries and  nightlife:

Another great , child friendly lunchtime spot for interior lovers, is the KANEL coffee and home decor shop. where you can feed the kids a cake whilst indulging in a spot of home ware shopping from brands like housedoctor and bloomingville. 

Kanel Cafe and interior shop

And that brings us to....
Shopping
In the fashionable Galleriet shopping center  in the heart of Bergen, you will be spoilt for choice when it comes to interior shopping: Galleriet boasts no less than 6 interior/homeware shops: Christiania Glasmagasin, herskap og tjenere, hjerteholm, Kitch'n, Kremmerhuset and Tilbords. And the toy shop on the 5th floor is heaven for kids!

Galleriet

And I always make a point out of popping into  BOLIA whenever I'm "back home". Bolia is a design company with an ever-growing stable of young award-winning designers that puts their heart and soul into creating unique collections, brimming with originality, personality and innovation.from Furniture to home accessories, Bolia is a budget friendly dream shop for anyone as interior obsessed as me!!

Bolia

But in terms of Design heaven, the Illums Bolighus Bergen is a MUST!!! A HUGE interior design shop with a selection of the greatest design classics as well as new innovative brands in design, lighting, gastronomy, bathrooms, wellness and fashion.  Illums Bolighus is one of Scandinavia's leading locations for design and home furnishings. A business that has an inspiring environment and a wide range of appropriate quality products in a great design that inspires customers.

There are of course also lots of little gems, when it comes to shopping for design and interiors in Bergen....here's a few worth mentioning:

Nordiske Rom (situated in OS, outside Bergen, but oh so stylish!!) Sostrene Grene , Kremmerhuset ,Mondur, Mogs , Drommehuset, hjem kjaere hjem and ROST....I could go on and on, but I will leave it there....

Lastly I want to mention The Interior and housing fair that takes place in the stylish music hall Grieghallen, Bergen 16th-18th October, where this years theme is HANDMADE IS THE NEW BLACK...promoting traditional and modern craftmanship.....a topic I can truly resonate with....

This years inspirator is the fabulously creative AnoukB Studio so I am definitely hoping to personally attend this fair and it's design talks!

I hope you find my guide to Bergen useful should you ever decide to go there....which you SO should!

I am lucky enough to be heading back to Bergen the last week of this month, and hope to be visiting many of the places I've just told you about!

And if you've ever been yourself, and feel like I've missed out your favorite spot, please feel free to mention it by commenting below!

Now all that's left for me to say is:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NORWAY (which is customary on National day)

and I'll see you soon Bergen!!

summer garden....

Boho Scandinavian style

Oh May...

I love this month!

The sun comes out and temperatures soar....

It's the beginning of summer and outdoor living!

And this year I've made an extra effort to set myself up for enjoying our garden!

New lawn has been laid....I've weeded and replanted the flowerbed, made a little potted herb garden at the back, new gravel for the walkway and my DIY pallet sofa has had a lick of paint....hey: I've even repainted the back of the house!!

So I thought it was well earned when I splashed out on some new garden furniture....and I love the retro feel of my new blue-tones table and chairs....from Asda of all places!!

And today was such a beautiful day...perfect for styling my new look garden, and set up for some al-fresco snacking in the sun!

A bowl full of olives, some smelly french cheese with a french loaf and a jug full of cold water....

...keeping it simple in the heat!

I adore these minty green geometric ceramic bowls from House Doctor I got a few months back, and the bread basket and wooden pot is from H&M.

My recycled glasses and carafe is from Sainsbury's....

A few sprigs of cow parsley in an old jam jar for a quick and pretty table decoration...

And I adore my piraty Thomas Paul melamine plates from Not Another Bill!

Nice, simple food + sunshine....

In my lovely "new" surroundings...

I still love the seating area I made a couple of years ago out of pallets...and although it was looking worse for ware, it was nothing a quick lick of paint couldn't sort out!

My sun-parasol is also an Asda bargain...I've just jazzed it up a little with some black fringing...

And for those barmy summer evenings , I've added some battery powered string  lights from Robert Dyasfor an extra cosy feel...

And a couple of my old lanterns has had an update courtesy of Mr. Spray paint!

Of course the star of this little bohemian garden set up is that beautiful rattan chair that the lovely people from Out there interiors was kind enough to send me....I love the shape and the natural rattan and the fantastic Danish craftsmanship..

....perfect for relaxing in the sun with a good book....

...some strawberries and a glass of rose!

The cushion on the chair is from Handicraft palace and the light woven blanket is from H&M

That lovely blue hexagon tray was a bargain find in TK Maxx.

As was the large minty blue floor cushion...

I love the bohemian feel of using rugs outdoors to create lovely areas for chilling out:

And the jute rug is another bargain from Asda, and the tribal patterned rug is from H&M, as is the tasseled cushion:

So it looks like I'm all set for summer in the garden this year....Bring on the sunshine!

An Artful life

So last night I had the pleasure of attending the preview night of The eclectic furniture and homeware website An Artful life's pop up shop, hosted by Jaguar shoes collective at The Old Shoreditch Station.

If you've been reading Nostalgiecat for a while you will be familiar with An Artful Life, as they are my stockists of my Concrete home accessories, and I've waxed lyrical about the impeccable tastes of founder Kate Withfield before, as her collections always strike a chord with me!

As both Jaguar shoes Collective and An Artful life is all about supporting new and upcoming design talent/artists, I feel that this collaboration is a match made in heaven:

"JaguarShoes Collective is an arts organisation that creates beautiful and unique exhibitions, events, publications and world renowned venues. It constitutes a group of creatively motivated businesses and individuals working in art, film, fashion, music, publishing and design. They provide many platforms for creative talent; from exhibitions and events, to collaborative products and retail opportunities. Believing in, and aiming to motivate positive change through creative output."*

"An Artful Life studio & shop aims to make and sell beautiful, imaginative and on-trend pieces to help people create their own stylish environments. The product range is constantly changing and evolving: many pieces are new and chosen for their cutting edge and contemporary style; others are one-off vintage finds, some hand-crafted by Kate or her contemporaries. An Artful Life finds often unknown artists and designers and helps get their work in front of everyday customers, in this way offering something totally unique to customers and at the same time helping fresh new talent to grow."*

Tying in with both London Craft week and Clerkenwell Design week, the timing of this showcase is also impeccable: running from 4th May until 14th June.

I had a great time at the preview, and enjoyed meeting fellow concrete artist Daniela Ruby  to Angela Morris-Winmill ....and of course seeing the eclectic body of furniture, lighting, art prints and originals, cushions, ceramics and gifts , hand-picked by Kate for her new collection:

Handmade macrame planters, upcycled hand painted retro furniture, from An Artful Life Studio, sits in perfect harmony with knitted woollen cushions from finish company 1X2 and hand picked home accessories from established interior lines, such as House doctor...All beautifully supplemented by original artwork and modern prints from smaller graphic artists,Daniela Rubino's concrete and metal shelves, as well as my own line of concrete accessories.

 The collection is now on display at the Old Shoreditch Station in collaboration with East London arts organisation JaguarShoes Collective.  The pieces will be there to view for 6 weeks but there is just one opportunity to come and shop -
this Sunday 10th May 12-3pm

The Old Shoreditch Station cafe / bar, 1 Kingsland Road, London E2 8DA.  
(On the corner of Shoreditch High Street & Hackney Road.  Nearest tubes are Liverpool Street, Old Street & Hoxton)

But if you can't make it there, don't fret:

Kate's online shop is just bursting with eclecticism and original and unusual home decor....and I am pleased to tell you: All at affordable prices!!

Kate has certainly got an eye for not only aesthetically pleasing , modern design, but also for quality craftsmanship...something that shines through her collection!

So if you are after something a bit different for your home, I would highly recommend that you check out An Artful Life...not only will you be supporting the very talented Kate Whitfield in these early days of setting up her new business, but you may also find, and support THE next big thing in design, before they hit the mainstream!!

Here's a few little tasters of what's in stock at the moment:

 From Top Left to right:

 DR DESIGNS metal and concrete shelf / Octagon bronze and light grey print by LANE / Raw gilded concrete bowls by JUNE OLSEN (That's me ;)/ Fat Ceramics coffee cup by Piet Hein Eek / Molecular drop pendant light by House Doctor / Grey neon x-l bath towel / Brass candle holder / Pastel diamond concete candle holder by Korridor Design / Kawa lounge cane chair by House Doctor.



And exclusively for my readers, Kate is now offering a 10% discount on her entire collection on her website with the code NOSTALGIECAT:

Enjoy it guys!

*Extract from the JSC website