Homes Antiques

ituated on an island in

Norway’s Oslo Fjord

Tone Kroken’s house is

best reached by rope ferry

if you’re arriving between

May and October. ‘You

have to pull yourself over’

she laughs. ‘Sometimes the ferry is on the

other side and you need to pull it back again

before you can cross. This aects your mindset

because you can’t be in a rush. It sets the slower

tone for the island as a whole.’ But there is also

a bridge for those who prefer it.

Many of the island’s residents are creatives

who have shunned the nine-to-five work day

for a more flexible lifestyle. ‘We’re surrounded

by singers artists and musicians’ Tone

explains and this relaxed ambience is what first

attracted Tone and her children Emma (20)

and Emil (21) to the island in 2002.

Initially the plot was occupied by a small

wooden cottage and a tiny log cabin. There was

no running water or indoor bathroom. Tone enlisted the

help of the late architect Lars Østigaard to extend the

cottage. Lars understood her desire to modernise it while

maintaining the closeness to nature which was one of

her favourite aspects of the property. ‘Lars was a friend

and a fantastic architect. We instantly fell in love with

his drawing; I think we only changed one window. It’s

very light and I love the feeling that inside and outside

are one and the same’ she enthuses.

The main house is split over three levels connected

by a series of small stairs. The extension on the lower

level comprises an open-plan sitting room dining room

and kitchen. It’s easy to see why this cosy space is the

heart of the home. ‘We like to be close and listen to

music cook and talk – we don’t watch much TV’ she

muses. The room leads through an entranceway to a

second sitting room in the original cottage structure.

There are also two bedrooms and a shower room.

The master bedroom which doubles as Tone’s oce

sits above the open-plan living space. A simple linen

sheet half obscures the bedroom from the landing and

upstairs bathroom. ‘I don’t like having many doors in

my home’ Tone explains. ‘It feels more friendly and

welcoming without them.’

ABOVE The focal point of the living area is a magnicent French antique replace

bought from a friend in Oslo. The mantelpiece has been designed to display a

collection of items including an oval-shaped mirror which Tone placed in the garden

to age for two years. The Chinese porcelain Buddha is a ea market buy while

the antlers were found on the island FACING PAGE An antique rug acquired in

Istanbul separates the sitting room from the rest of the open-plan space to create

a zone where the family can relax and listen to music. The ‘Tulip’ chairs were bought

at auction and the sofa is by Gervasoni which Tone has piled with mismatched

cushions. The large paintings are by Tone’s neighbour Norwegian artist Gøril Fuhr

H&A SUMMER 2017 79

H&A LIFESTYLE: Homes