Inside your homes: Mr Aardal

On Instagram, your beautifully curated Scandinavian style home has been gaining a lot of attention. Can you tell us a little bit more about what started your love of interiors?

My love of interiors began about 12 years ago after I started to work with some local architects. At that time, I did lighting planning for private customers and they seemed to have a thing for the Arne Jacobsen Eklipta lamp. This sparked my curiosity and led me on to Poul Henningsen, Hans J.Wegner, Kaare Klint, Poul Kjærholm, Børge Mogensen and so on.

It didn’t take long before I had my own Eklipta. There was something about the design, the glass shape and the weight of the lamp also gave a sense of quality. After that I went on to a PH 5 Pendant Light and an AJ Wall Light - I was hooked! From there it evolved into furniture from the same group of Danish designers. There was no turning back... hello world of Danish design!

You are a collector of design classics (especially chairs!) – what is it that draws you to Danish design?

There is something truly unique about the golden age of Danish design, 1940-1960. The furniture was modern, minimalistic and even timeless.

A chair wasn’t just a chair anymore, it was a mix between good, functional furniture and figurative art. Usually made from solid wood and natural materials, this furniture could last a lifetime. They are timeless with true quality that lasts with minimal effort. You can even turn them upside down, or any other angle. They always look good!

When choosing timeless furniture for your home, what qualities do you look for?

I’m a big fan of solid wood, especially oak. It’s hard, easy to sand and you can even get different finishes like oils etc. Wood is everlasting if you treat it right.

I try to ignore trends in expensive furniture and stick to furniture that will fit in most interiors, for me this works as an interior base. This way I can change it up by adding/removing colours and small less expensive things, like pillows, pots and plants and so on.

You are about to begin the renovation of your new house, Villa Vikedal. What can we expect from your interiors?

I have a clear sense of what I like before this project starts compared to last time when my taste and interior evolved as I went along.

I think my taste in interiors will show even more. There might be some surprises, like a bit of colour! The house in Sandnes was somewhat monochrome. I think colour adds a bit of playfulness to the interior, which reflects what kind of person I am. I think the interior will show more clearly who I am, who WE are.

After renovating your last home, what was it that made you want to start a new renovation project with Villa Vikedal?

After doing the project in Sandnes I learned a lot about the function of a home, the way I use it and spend my time in it and which qualities I should focus on in the future.

When I meet Kristin last year, we decided that we wanted to live in Stavanger and build our dream home together - in the heart of the city, where we feel we’re a part of something bigger. We’re going all-in on this project and teamed up with some of the best contractors, designers and architects we could get our hands-on.

Renovations can be especially challenging projects; do you carry out any of the work yourself or bring in craftsmen to help? Where do you start with a project like this?

Since I have a background in the building industry, I know a thing or two about building homes. We will do some of the work ourselves, there’s something about putting your blood, sweat and tears into your future home - you get a special bond to your home. However, most of the work will be done by contractors as it is such a major project!

You live in Stavanger, Norway. Known for its beautiful scenery and wooden houses, what are your favourite things to do in the city?

I love taking a spontaneous short walk downtown on a Tuesday night for a glass of wine or a bite. Stavanger is big on gastronomy and being a food lover that is a big upside. We actually have two restaurants with a Michelin star. Which isn’t bad considering the city only has a population of 130,000.

We’ve been looking into the changing face of the home here at Nest. With remote working becoming ever more popular, and homes in cities becoming ever smaller, how do you think our interiors will have to respond to these challenges?

I think the key to remote working from home is to dedicate space for different uses. Even more than they are today. Creating zones whether they are big or small for working, eating, socializing, relaxing and so on. Open planning might not get physical walls and doors, but I think there is a certain need of invisible ones. To draw a line between work and leisure.

Do you have a timeless space? Share it with us over Instagram @nest_co_uk. Browse Nest today to discover thousands of everlasting designs.