N O R T H E R N N O R WAY / T R O M S Ø / B O D Ø / LO F OT E N
Localfolk
© Copyright 2022 Localfolk Norway All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Magazine contains content marketing/advertorials. This magazine is printed on Scandia 2000 premium paper by Rolf Ottesen AS.
Localfolk
ISSUE FIVE MARCH 2022
Editor-in-Chief Mette Tonnessen mette@localfolknorway.com
Localfolk Norway - Published by Localfolk Publishing House
Associate Editor Charlie Jarvis
A big thank you to all the contributors and everyone else who supports Localfolk Norway. We provide highquality content marketing/advertorials to promote the best Norway has to offer of design, food, architecture and innovation.
Words Kai Isaksen, Julia Elizabeth Yager, Sally Fox, Charlie Jarvis, Maria Jakobsen, Rigmor Reppen Solnes Images Jake de Hoop, Terje Arntsen, Glasshytta Vikten, Marianne Bjørnmyr, Dan Mariner, Stine Marie Vars/ Árvu, Marie Louise Somby, Babang Deshommes, Storm Films, Jenny Andersen, Fredric Boukari, Vegard Stien/ Magy Media, Steffen Fossbakk, Craig Alibone Chocolate, Ranahytta, Robert Finn Novak, by North
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Printer Rolf Ottesen AS Enebakkveien 443, 1290 Oslo
Cover Image Power & Paper at NOUA, artist: Samuel Henne. Photographer - NOUA/Dan Mariner
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LOCALFOLK
The premier design platform where you find Norway’s independent makers and local businesses. Our mission is to introduce you to creatives from all over Norway, by telling their story. Localfolk is a quarterly design magazine that was born to enrich our online catalogue and support our community, writing about local artisans, makers, designers, and entrepreneurs. Each issue, you’ll discover Norway through the eyes of its creative community. We’ll introduce you to these dynamic businesses and producers through fascinating interviews, in-depth features and high-quality photography.
NORTHERN NORWAY
Welcome to this presentation of the creative community in Northern Norway. This curated collection of creatives is a celebration of the versatile range of talent and skills that is available in this vibrant region.
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Holmen Lofoten / Ranahytta / Rein Love / Robert Finn Novak / Skodi Rein
NŌUA / bv.ottem / Craig Alibone Chocolate / f ra Innersida / Glasshytta Vikten / Nova Interiør /
Northern Norway
Contents Issue Five
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Welcome to Northern Norway
Art / Design / Furniture 12 24 30 40 48 56 64 70 80 88 92
bv.ottem Glasshytta Vikten NŌUA fra Innersida Skodi Rein Rein Love Nova Interiør Holmen Lofoten Craig Alibone Chocolate Ranahytta Robert Finn Novak
Welcome to the Northern Norway issue
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71.1710° N, 25.7837° E
Northern Norway is a geographical region that stretches from Helgeland to North Cape—the northernmost point of mainland Europe. It's known for its stunning nature, unique culture, and natural phenomena, as well as for its creative inhabitants. The midnight sun in the summer and northern lights in the winter inspire artists near and far, while the historical wooden houses and quaint fishing villages provide perfect spaces for artisans and makers to design and showcase their work. Furthermore, the Sami people—the indigenous people of the north—bring life to the region with their colourful costumes, ancient sounds, authentic traditions, and craftsmanship, ranging from knitting and weaving to knife making and wood carving. Tromsø, sometimes referred to as the ‘Gateway to the Arctic’ or the ‘Paris of the North’, is the largest city in Northern Norway, with a population of approximately 75,000 people. The main pedestrian street called Storgata is dotted with small boutiques, vintage shops, and highend fashion stores, while the nearby cafes and restaurants are constantly bustling with patrons. Home to the Northern Norwegian Museum of Art and the Arctic Cathedral, hundreds of exhibitions and concerts allow visitors to experience the culture and sounds of the north through different forms of art and music all year round. Moreover, the Arctic Cathedral is one of Tromsø’s most famous landmarks for its impressive architecture, built in 1965 and inspired by Arctic nature. Roughly 500 kilometres south of Tromsø lies Bodø, Northern Norway’s mini metropole and the future European Capital of Culture 2024. Once a little coastal
Words / Julia Elizabeth Yager
town with steamship quays and canning factories, Bodø is now a thriving cultural scene complete with street art, music festivals, gourmet restaurants, and more. Stormen Concert Hall features all kinds of music and performing arts—from pop, rock, and jazz to ballet, opera, and theatre—while the Kjerringøy Trading Post consists of 15 old buildings that are frozen in time and have inspired the works of many. Knut Hamsun is one of them, a Norwegian writer who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Literature in 1920 for his novels, several of which have been made into movies and filmed in the area. Situated halfway between Tromsø and Bodø is the Lofoten archipelago, made up of six main islands with two towns, namely Svolvær and Leknes. In addition, there are several idyllic villages scattered along the coasts, surrounded by dramatic landscapes which have attracted and inspired artists from all over the world for decades. The fishing village of Henningsvær, for instance, is frequented by art lovers and hipsters (as well as local fishermen, of course) and is lined with niche shops and galleries that combine old and new designs. Some notable techniques include glassblowing, wool hat design, and candle making. During the months of November and December, Henningsvær transforms into a Christmas village, complete with lights and a cosy atmosphere for both locals and tourists to enjoy. In this issue, we give you an inside look at the creative communities across Northern Norway, featuring clothing brands, furniture makers, interior architects, kitchen manufacturers, and more.
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bv.ottem
Hand-made furniture for future generations
Alongside an award-winning career in graphic design, Bjørn Viggo Ottem launched bv.ottem to create enduring furniture for future generations to enjoy. Rooted in Tromsø, he has ambitions to show the world the quality craftsmanship his local region has to offer.
“Maybe it’s only because I love food and cooking,” Bjørn laughs, “but this analogy makes a lot of sense to me. Just as customers want traceable and sustainable ingredients in their meals, furniture design demands the same level of precision and care.”
Furniture design, Bjørn Viggo Ottem tells us, should be a bit like the work of a high-end chef. Every dish a chef prepares should have the right combination of form and detail, texture and colour. But if they want to create a truly excellent food experience, Bjørn insists, a chef needs to spend time finding the best ingredients out there— ingredients that are locally, responsibly, and discerningly sourced.
For Bjørn, the quality and origin of the material he uses in his furniture production has come to be one of the most important elements of his design. Speaking to us from his workshop in Tromsø—whose window looks out over the snow on the hills across the fjord—Bjørn suggests this comes at least in part from an attachment to the place where he grew up.
Images / Jake de Hoop and Terje Arntsen Words / Charlie Jarvis
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“Whenever we welcome visitors to our city,” he says, “we want to show them what’s special about the region. We want them to eat the local fish or enjoy the local nature. We want them to see the local quality. In the long term, it’s my goal to prove that it’s possible to produce furniture in this part of the world, based on the resources that you find right here.” Yet that’s not quite why Bjørn set up bv.ottem in the first place. In fact, while describing himself as a “chair addict”, Bjørn has not always been designing and making furniture at all. Instead, when he attended the Norwegian School of Craft and Design as a student, his specialism was graphic design and illustration. And with that training he joined the launch of Tank, the award-winning design studio, in 1999.
“That cabin has been standing there through 150 winters, and it’s been adding quality year on year.” Bjørn’s interest in furniture actually came later. It was when he was refurbishing an old wooden cabin that he was struck by the power and value of tangible materials, he tells us. “This whole experience gave me a lot of respect for wood as a material. That cabin has been standing there through 150 winters, and it’s been adding quality year on year.” Since that moment, Bjørn began to complement his work at Tank, where he remains a partner, with a craft that produces something more tangible, more physical: the making of furniture. “The things we make as graphic designers don’t really last— it’s all quite ephemeral,” he says. “I started bv.ottem because I wanted to build chairs for my three children, chairs that would be with them forever. That’s when I got in touch with Kim Daniel Arthur, founder of Ekte Furniture, for help, and he’s now my business partner.” In April 2020, Bjørn and Kim officially launched bv.ottem. Now, thanks to hard work, a dedication to quality, and a funding award they received for prototype development, the brand has several ranges of hand-made furniture: the BV01 Lounge collection, the BV02 Planke Bench collection, and a forthcoming range of tables and benches. All of these are built around what Bjørn tells us are his central concerns: contemporary design, high functionality, traceable materials, and proud craftsmanship. 16
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For him, that means not only honest, transparent, and trustworthy conditions of sourcing and production, but also the right combination of form, texture, and quality. “I try to give to all my furniture a sort of sculptural quality. My focus is on designing compelling forms that reveal their functionality and finesse as you approach them. Sustainable and traceable materials can’t do this alone—you also need design quality that outlives temporary trends.” With a compelling range of furniture and an eager local audience, what is next for the bv.ottem brand? “We have recently had a pop-up shop here in Tromsø, and now we want to focus on telling the world all about what we do,” Bjørn tells us. “In the long term, we want to reach the position where people come here and we can say, ‘this is where we grow the wood for the furniture, this is the person who cuts and produces it, and we are the team that builds it’. That’s what sustainable, responsible production is all about. Just like the fish they eat in the restaurant, customers deserve to know exactly where their chair has come from.” Ultimately, Bjørn is serious about taking on the world. “When you start something like this, you have to have a bit of guts. You need to say, ‘we want to be an international company that wins awards’. At bv.ottem, that’s exactly what we want to do.” 22
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Instagram / @bvottem Facebook / @bvottem bvottem.no
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Glasshytta
Capturing the rawness of nature in glass Founded by one man’s passion for glassblowing, Glasshytta has grown to become popular among audiences internationally. Now a family business, Glasshytta uses ancient glassblowing techniques to create useable art pieces that reflect the nature of Lofoten.
Images / Glasshytta Vikten Words / Maria Jakobsen
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y father, Åsvar Tangrand, grew up in the fishing culture of Vikten. He was a fisherman himself and he took home some of the glass floats used to keep fishing nets on the surface. From these, he created his art, such as wall decorations and windows.” This was the beginning of what would, years later, become Glasshytta in Vikten. Anders Tangrand took over the business from his father in 2010 and speaks fondly of the work Åsvar put into the brand. “After a trip to a glassblowing workshop in Finland in 1974, he decided to start his own glassblowing studio in Vikten. Then, with help from one of the Finnish glassblowers he had met on the trip, he set up the region’s first glassblowing studio in 1976." Glasshytta lies in Vikten, at the very end of Flakstadhalvøya in Lofoten. Between sharp mountains and the Arctic Ocean, Glasshytta has developed since the seventies to become an inviting studio, a café, and a place to buy unique, handmade glass. And this incredible location has a big impact on Glasshytta’s products.
“The craft stems from ancient Egypt and Syria, but the principles remain the same. We melt the glass at 1200°C in a crucible. Then, decorations and colours are added to one of the first glass spheres. Once cooled, you add more hot glass, so the decorations and colours lie between several layers of glass.”
“We try to reflect some of the roughness and the rawness of Lofoten’s nature. Using the colours of the ocean and materials from our surroundings gives our products a unique, rough character.” Some of Glasshytta’s products are made using a white quartz that can be found in the ancient bedrock of the nearby mountains. “We break down the quartz and roll it into hot glass,”Anders explains. “The quartz lies in the glass as a decoration and offers a very special effect. We’re not interested in making the glass as thin or smooth as possible. We’re looking to express something rawer.” This expression can be seen in the sea green colour and use of bubbles and textures in Glasshytta’s products.
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The techniques practised by Anders, as taught to him by Åsvar, are ancient glassblowing techniques practised across the world. “The craft stems from ancient Egypt and Syria, but the principles remain the same. We melt the glass at 1200°C in a crucible. Then, decorations and colours are added to one of the first glass spheres. Once cooled, we add more hot glass, so the decorations and colours lie between several layers of glass. Then we blow the glass into different shapes, using a range of different methods. There really are limitless possibilities.” A priority for Glasshytta is to showcase these ancient practices. Visitors can view the glassblowing process up close and buy the products directly from the studio. A big moment for Glasshytta was the visit by many of the European royal families in 1997. “It was the year King Harald and Queen Sonja turned 60 years old. Many of the European royal families were on a cruise along the Norwegian coast, and they stopped by Vikten and experienced the glassblowing for themselves. It was a very special moment for us, we almost didn’t realise how big it was until afterwards.” But it’s not just royalty that has come to the studio. “We’ve always had glassblowers visit us from countries like Latvia and Slovakia. These visits always create a form of creative energy. For me, it’s one of the things I enjoy the most about Glasshytta, the meeting of different craft traditions and ways of viewing glassblowing as an artform.” In the last two years, international tourism and visits have suffered. However, Glasshytta has survived due to Lofoten’s popularity among Norwegian tourists, and Anders is happy with where the business is heading. “I see that there are opportunities to expand and continue developing Glasshytta as a business, especially once the world returns to normal,” Anders says.
Instagram / @glasshyttavikten Facebook / @GlasshyttaVikten glasshyttavikten.no
Glasshytta wants their name to represent their unique facilities surrounded by breath-taking nature, and the high-quality products that reflect this nature. “I think that’s what people think about when they hear our name, and we’re quite happy with that.”
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NŌUA
A contemporary photography space run by artists
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Bodø is a city that’s growing fast and increasingly receiving international attention. Since 2017, NŌUA has been one of the brands driving this change. We sat down with Marianne Bjørnmyr and Dan Mariner, NŌUA’s directors and photographers themselves, to hear their story. Images / Marianne Bjørnmyr and Dan Mariner Words / Rigmor Reppen Solnes
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n a former post-war culture house in central Bodø, spread over 300 square metres across three floors, you’ll find NŌUA. Run by photographers, Marianne Bjørnmyr and Dan Mariner, who moved to Bodø from London in 2016, NŌUA is an arena for photography as contemporary art—hosting exhibitions, seminars, and artist discussions. But it’s a space that’s in continuous transition. “Right now, the main goal is to further develop the place in preparation for 2024, when Bodø will be the European Capital of Culture,” Marianne explains when we speak to them both. “And right now, things are changing fast.” Bodø’s European Capital of Culture project is known as ARCTICulation and its aim is to show Nordland in all its abundant glory to people who think it’s simply a dark land of snow and ice. The year’s central themes will include The Art of Nature, from an Arctic perspective, Fish and Ships, and—appropriately for NŌUA—Transition. “We have an ambitious programme in preparation for 2024, and our priority will be to secure a steady operation and place in NŌUA”, says Dan, a British photographer whose
own work has appeared in the likes of Lobby Magazine, Financial Times, and Klassekampen. “But in the long term, it is our main goal to have more international and Norwegian artists visiting both Bodø and NŌUA”. Since Dan and Marianne established the space in 2017, NŌUA has been very busy indeed—bringing to Northern Norway some of the most challenging names in contemporary art. In autumn of 2021, for example, NŌUA held an art show called Power & Paper, which saw three principal artists— Michal BarOr, Clare Strand and Samuel Henne—showcase their photography, hold seminars, host exhibitions and film screenings, and bring together the work for a publication with curators and writers. This was, in Marianne’s words, a “milestone” for NOUA— as the event was the opening show of their extended exhibition space.
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The event revolved around themes of officially documented history, individual relationships to memory and history, and concepts of manipulation and authenticity. It was curated by the Hong Kong-based artist Francesca Marcaccio, previously of the British Museum, while writers Diane Smyth, Karen McQuaid, and Maria Lyngstad Willassen reflected on the power artists have to create alternative realities and lead audiences into new realities.
“The local interest in photographic art amongst the public is high—and everyone here is just really inclusive and welcoming. We’re incredibly happy about that”. One of the best things about the show, Marianne and Dan suggest, was how well it went down with the people of Bodø. “The local interest in photographic art amongst the public is high—and everyone here is just really inclusive and welcoming. We’re incredibly happy about that”, Marianne says. “But we also want our own space to be inclusive, available, free, and easy—while at the same time being a place that showcases photographic art of high quality from around the world. That’s exactly what we want people to think of when they hear the name NŌUA.” Marianne and Dan are not just curators, but practicing artists in their own right. Dan, who studied Documentary Photography at Newport University in Wales, explores the interaction of infrastructure, ideology, and nature in his work. Meanwhile, Marianne trained at the London College of Communication and has been exploring themes of authenticity, communication, documentation, and evidence through her research-based photography. Yet for their work with NŌUA, their greatest asset is perhaps their large network of international artists and photographers. And now that the gallery also enjoys the support from the Norwegian Kulturrådet, Arts Council Norway, they may be one of Bodø’s greatest assets too—for 2024 and beyond.
Instagram / @atelier_noua Facebook / @ateliernoua noua.no
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Interior design for a more sustainable world
The asymmetrical roof provides cover for storing firewood outside the lean-to shelter. 40 Localfolk Norway
fra Innersida Terese Simonsen founded the interior architecture brand, fra Innersida, to produce sustainable spaces for organisations and municipalities around Tromsø. Localfolk sat down with her to talk about her creative process, working in the north of Norway, and making design more ecological.
Images / Stine Marie Vars/ Árvu Words / Charlie Jarvis
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Above Image / The semicircular shape of the structure creates an arena for unity and conversation. Facing Image / Details from the roof construction.
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The structures are located on the river bank with a view of the new Tana bridge.
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With and open front, everyone gets a good view. 46 a large Localfolk Norway
“Design is always about connecting to a project or a person—to whoever you are designing for. Too many people ask me about my style. But my style doesn’t matter at all. Rather, it’s your style that matters.” Terese Simonsen, the founder and owner of the interior architecture brand fra Innersida—“from the inside”, in English—connects with us in her shared office in Tromsø. As an interior architect, furniture designer, and designer of colours and spaces, she explains how the nature of her work inevitably changes radically from project to project.
this level. That means you really need to be ready for a bit of everything—and you don’t really specialise in any one particular direction,” she tells us. “On the other hand, being up here means that you need to make connections with those people with whom you work well. I’ve always been really lucky to have had great relationships with everyone I have worked with.” Yet the challenge of the north is not just practical. Rather, Terese insists, in these climates the way that you think about spaces must change too.
“Design—whether that’s interiors, furniture, or just a colour concept—starts with digging down into the core of the place and the client. That is what I find most interesting about the design process. It’s not about what I want or feel or think, but about understanding what’s best for that particular space.”
“This isn’t Italy, where you might spend a lot of your time outside. Really, it’s completely dark here between October and February—so lighting, the warmth of colours, and interiors matter much more. To put it simply, it’s just incredibly important that you have a nice warm place to come home to.”
This self-effacing approach is working well for Terese. Among her clients are some of the biggest banks in the north of Norway, private homeowners, a number of municipalities—including that of the Sámi community in Karasjok—and now Vollan Gjestestue, one of the most recognisable taverns on the road out of Tromsø.
Whether in homes, restaurants, or public or private buildings, Terese’s practice remains underpinned by a commitment to the environment.
“This tavern has been a particular challenge,” Terese says. “There are just so many people that use it, love it, and have an opinion. Ultimately, my job is to understand who I am designing it for. Is that the manager, the tourists who pass by, or the locals? To my mind, the best design will understand that it is a mix of all three.” Working with an architecture firm until 2016, Terese set up fra Innersida for exactly this kind of challenge—in which she would use her own unique approach to design to deliver personally tailored solutions to clients across the north of Norway.
“Everything we do needs to be done with the environment in mind—and when we talk about sustainable homes and buildings, interior architects and designers need to be the ones to drive this trend,” she tells us. “The days are over when we could go into a project and just throw everything away. Instead of buying a new table, furniture, or fittings, it's more interesting and sustainable to work with what we have already. The crazy thing is that it is often cheaper to buy new things. To my mind, it’s the responsibility of designers to change this.” Instagram / @frainnersida_interiorarchitect Facebook / @frainnersida frainnersida.no
“It’s really interesting to work in Northern Norway. There just aren’t many of us doing what we do at Localfolk Magazine
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Skodi Rein
From the large fells and plains of Northern Norway, Karen Utsi Sara and John Anders Sara keep old Sámi traditions alive. In 2012, they founded Skodi Rein, a small family business that produces awardwinning dried reindeer meat, the traditional way.
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Images / Marie Louise Somby Words / Maria Jakobsen
A taste of wild nature
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“We’re working with the world’s most ecological and sustainable meat production.The reindeer live freely in enormous grazing areas all year.”
“It’s not your usual job. Rather, it’s a lifestyle,” Karen Utsi Sara, one half of Skodi Rein, tells us. “Reindeer herding has been an important industry in Norway for many centuries, especially for the indigenous Sámi population. Our families have herded reindeer for generations, and reindeer meat has always been a large part of our diet.” Skodi Rein prides itself on its use of traditional production methods, which have been passed down from Karen’s ancestors. 52
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Facebook / @SkodiRein skodi-rein.no
“Our main product is dried reindeer meat. We use the traditional method of drying the meat outside in a traditional drying house for several weeks.”
grazing area on the plains, to the summer area by the coast, and they walk for hundreds of kilometres each year.
The family also produces other forms of reindeer meat, such as smoked meat, which is prepared in a traditional Sámi lavvu, but this is currently only sold locally.
The great taste of wilderness, Karen says, comes from the natural grazing, as the reindeer feed on lichen and heather, instead of compound feed.
Distribution is the biggest challenge for Skodi Rein, Karen explains. The company was founded when distribution of reindeer meat was at a low ebb. Although it remains difficult, the business has worked hard on marketing their products. “When we started, there was little to no marketing of reindeer meat. In fact, the media only portrayed negative stories about reindeer herding. This was what we wanted to change; we wanted to show the positive and unique things that reindeer herding has to offer.” One of the many special things about Skodi Rein’s reindeer meat production is the focus on animal welfare and ecology. The reindeer live freely in enormous grazing areas all year, in what Karen describes as “the world’s most ecological and sustainable meat production”. These are areas without fences, and each reindeer is traced from birth to slaughter. Following the methods of their ancestors, the reindeer are herded from the winter
“We’ve had two recent bad years for the grazing areas, and it’s scary, in these times of climate change, not to know what will happen in the future. But we don’t know, if the reindeer are forced to switch fully to compound feed due to climate change, whether it will sacrifice some of the unique taste. I almost can’t think about it, it’s like a nightmare.” The taste of Skodi Rein’s dried reindeer meat has won a few awards and prizes. In 2017, they were awarded the “Reindeer meat producer of the year” prize by the Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food. And for a brand that wants their name to be associated with quality and a unique and authentic flavour, that’s a really important achievement. “We’re proud to be one of the first businesses to create marketing for reindeer meat, and we have seen the positive effects of this already. Our dreams for the future are to become the world’s biggest dried reindeer meat producer, and to have our unique, sustainable product sold across Norway, as well as abroad.” Localfolk Magazine
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A lifestyle brand born of music and community
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Rein Love Born out of Tromsø’s music scene back in 2014, the lifestyle and clothing brand Rein Love keeps community close to its heart. With a physical space in the heart of town—and a recent feature in a major movie—it’s receiving a lot of international attention.
Images / Babang Deshommes Words / Charlie Jarvis
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Image / Storm Films (Tre Nøtter til Askepott)
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When we connect to Eirik Simonsen over video call, he is sitting in the Rein Love store on Storgata, Tromsø, sipping Norwegian-roasted, home-brewed coffee. “If you were really a guest here with me today, I’d offer you some coffee and show you round,” the founder and creative director of Rein Love says. “This place is not just a shop, but the home of the Rein Love brand—and our customers are not customers as such, but guests.” While we may not be there in person, Eirik gives us a tour of the space nonetheless—from the “backyard” area where coffee brews to the communal space of the main store, where events with local and international artists take place. “Unfortunately, that hasn’t been used as much as we would have liked,” Eirik admits.
“White reindeer are really rare, but when they are born, they tend to be a little different—not necessarily following along with the rest of the herd. We thought that was a nice attitude, a nice mentality, and it was the inspiration behind thea brand.” “We opened this space in autumn of 2019—and we all know what happened next. While we managed to stay open during the pandemic, we imagine this as a place for live music, community events, and just hanging out too. In the future, that will happen.” To this end, Rein Love has been far from your conventional clothing brand since it was established in 2014. While the product design focuses on a mix of high-end fashion and street adventure wear, the team has always said that the values and vision of the brand are much more important. “Read this behind me,” Eirik says, pointing to their brand logo. “'Don’t follow the herd. Stay wild.’—This is what Rein Love is all about”. Eirik explains that the brand itself was born from an encounter with the idea of the white reindeer, a highly symbolic figure in the culture of the Sámi people of northern Norway. “White reindeer are really rare,” Eirik explains. “But when they are born, they tend to be a little different—not 60
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Image / Jenny Andersen
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Instagram / @reinloveclothing Facebook / @ reinloveclothing reinlove.com
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necessarily following along with the rest of the herd. We thought that was a nice attitude, a nice mentality, and it was the inspiration behind the brand.” Yet the symbol of the white reindeer had many different facets, the team discovered. “Rein in Norwegian actually means pure and clean. But we also learned this incredible story from the traditional beliefs of the Sámi. The white reindeer was originally a creature who came from the sun to the earth with a message of love to all humans. Together rein and love seemed like the perfect name.” Equipped with this brand, Eirik and his friends began to develop the designs for their first products—sustainable and organic quality clothing adorned with the deer. “From the first t-shirts, we soon added the beanies, socks, everything. We do all the designs as a team here in the store. We don’t have different people sat behind closed doors ‘designing’. We’re all together—we really value this vibe between us, our guests, and the city.” The brand’s designs have clearly been incredibly popular. So much so, in fact, that a film producer was soon in touch asking if their logo could be used in a blockbuster remake of the Czech/East German movie, Tre Nøtter Til Askepott (“Three Wishes for Cinderella”), a Christmas favourite in Norway since the seventies. “The film crew had been searching for a royal symbol to be used in this movie—and our signet ring was the perfect match. We thought it was a pretty cool request. Later, when we went to see the movie, we realised the character of Cinderella was exactly in keeping with our vibe.” So far, Eirik says, “happy and cool coincidences” have driven the brand’s growth—and he doesn’t want that to change. “We’ve always been a brand that has grown organically. Really, just this physical home is the heart of our brand. So, I don’t really want to say, you know, in ten years we’ll be here or there. Maybe we’ll have another home abroad? Maybe we’ll be bigger? But we want to stick to our values and this city and see how things go. “Right now, Rein Love is like a baby that has grown up and has just started school. There’s a lot of life ahead—and who knows where life will take us next?” Localfolk Magazine
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Nova Interiør
Building tailored furniture for Tromsø Approaching its sixtieth birthday, the kitchen and furniture brand Nova Interiør has always been proud of its roots in Tromsø. Now, it’s looking to expand, while remaining committed to the people that support it across the north of Norway.
Images / Fredric Boukari and Vegard Stien / Magy Media Words / Charlie Jarvis
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ova Interior is extremely proud of its history. Founded in 1963 by Astor Fredriksen in Tromsø, the company has been producing furniture on the same site ever since. But there’s change in the air. “Our history has always informed what we do,” Rolf Jacobsen, Nova’s CEO, tells Localfolk. “We’ve been here in Tromsø for sixty years, making furniture inspired by our founder and the beauty of the north—and we’re thrilled that we’ve had the support of the local community throughout these decades. But now we’re modernising, growing, and taking our products to new customers.” Nova’s key offering has always been kitchens—tailored, made-to-order kitchen furniture that’s assembled by hand and recognisable for its elegance and durability. Over the years, the brand has added bathroom and wardrobe products to its collection. Now, Nova is finalising plans to offer a complete interior design service.
If they’re local, we’ll come to their homes, take measurements, and have a real discussion about all their different options. “Finally, our commitment to handcraft makes a huge difference. Every completed product is controlled and assembled by hand.” Yet the driving force behind this quality? “At Nova, everything is about our people,” Rolf tells us. “We have people working with us who’ve been here for over 50 years. Sure, we can buy new machines, move to a new factory, or change our products, but we’re nothing without our people. If we know they’re happy and that they enjoy fulfilling, meaningful work, we can be sure we’re getting the quality we all want in the products.” Looking into the future, Nova’s emphasis on its staff remains its top priority.
“Our local customers have always come to us for the quality of our products. They trust us to design, build, and install kitchens that will last for decades,” Karen Eline Johansen, Nova’s sales manager, explains.
“Of course, we are looking to diversify the business and enter new markets perhaps further south in Norway—and we’re thrilled that we’ve seen incredible growth over the last couple of years,” Karen says.
“But when customers are renovating their homes, they’re less likely these days to go to one brand for a kitchen, another brand for another solution, and another brand for something else. We want to help customers come to one place for their kitchen and for the design of the surrounding space. We want to offer customers quality in all parts of their home.”
“But our focus stays right here in Tromsø. This city is a huge part of who we are. It’s where Astor Fredriksen founded the company and it’s where the heart of the company is. The mountains here give their name to our products, and we are really part of the community. That’s not changing for anything.”
But what do we mean by quality? Rolf and Karen identify three things that make Nova’s products so special.
Finally, Rolf points out the Nova logo, the blue star.
“Firstly, there’s the durability of the furniture,” Rolf says. “A few years ago, a customer came into the store to ask for help to replace a hinge on his Nova kitchen. He had never needed to fix anything on his kitchen before—and he had bought it thirty years ago!” “Then, there’s the flexibility of our service,” Karen continues. “Everything we make is tailored to our customers’ spaces.
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“I think it’s an extremely good logo. A nova is a type of star that attracts and gains energy from other stars around it— getting stronger and stronger thanks to others. That’s how we feel about our staff: we’re gathering energy from all of them to shine, to become bigger and stronger. We couldn’t do it without them.” Instagram / @nova.interior Facebook / @novainterior1 nova-group.no
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Arctic tranquillity and culinary adventure
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Holmen Lofoten
At the western tip of the Lofoten Islands sits Holmen Lofoten, a hotel where guests can log off, unwind, and embark on a unique culinary experience. We spoke to founder and owner, Ingunn Rasmussen, about her childhood in Lofoten and the challenges of running a hotel in the Arctic Circle.
Image / Steffen Fossbakk Words / Charlie Jarvis
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hen Ingunn Rasmussen was growing up, Holmen was, in her words, “really in the middle of nowhere.” With no bridges or roads from the mainland to the distant western end of the Lofoten archipelago—and only an infrequent ferry service—life had its challenges. “You had to be as self-sufficient as possible. And that meant making do with whatever resources you had to hand.” Now the founder and owner of Holmen Lofoten, a remote hotel and fine restaurant in the Arctic Circle, Ingunn was born into a family of 13 children. Her father was a fisherman, she tells me when we speak on the phone— just like most of the men in this part of Norway—while her mother was a seamstress and housewife. Together, Ingunn says, they would put whatever they could on the table, from hunting, fishing, or foraging. “It was inevitably a locally-focused, sustainable way of life,” Ingunn tells me. “It had to be. You had to follow the shifting patterns of nature and the weather. This is how we grew up, by learning how to survive in—and to appreciate—the nature around us.” Having left the islands at the age of 17 and having travelled the world since, it’s these ideas of rootedness, calm, and local resourcefulness that Ingunn is returning to and promoting with Holmen Lofoten. Set in refurbished old fishermen’s cabins—now equipped with insulation, natural materials, and impeccable Scandinavian design— Holmen remains “just a little place on a little island”, she describes.
Top Image / Head chef Richard Cox' razor clams with victory onions, butter, and pine, served on hand crafted ceramics by local cermacisist Gunvor Tangrand. Bottom Image / One of our larger fisherman's cabins, "Gustavbua". Facing Image / Cabin - "Ingebua" - named after Ingunn's father, Inge. He was the last who used the cabin during the Lofoten fishery.
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Because it’s not just a hotel that Ingunn runs. Rather, physically set in the local history of the fisheries—and with her childhood home just round the corner—it’s something like a way of life that she’s trying to show her guests. “We want people to come here, calm down, and log off. But we want to share our childhood memories of these islands too. This is not the hotel for people to come to if they want to rush around doing things and ticking off different sights. We just want our guests to be relaxed, happy, and well-fed.” Indeed, “well-fed” hints at a crucial part of the brand’s offering. Alongside the homely, elegant hotel, Holmen Lofoten places a lot of emphasis on what is put on the plates of its guests. Images / Dan Mariner
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Image / Steffen Fossbakk
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Image / Holmen's upper suite
Images / Dan Mariner
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Throughout the year, the hotel’s restaurant is run by head chef, Richard Cox. Meanwhile, the culinary focus has also resulted in the “Kitchen on the Edge of the World”, a series of five food events a year managed by Ingunn and British chef and food writer, Valentine Warner. “The restaurant is inspired by the island values of this place— of foraging and making do with what you have,” Ingunn says. “But while we’re eager to protect and preserve our food traditions, we need to move forward too. Thanks to Valentine, we invite international chefs to come to the site to host these special events, while Richard is always here to ensure that every meal is surprising and special in its own way.” That’s why Holmen Lofoten’s restaurant menu features such remarkable, eye-catching culinary experiments as oyster, goat sausage, and pickled rhubarb, or sea urchin, fermented plum, green juniper, and fig leaf. “That last one is really delicious!”, Ingunn laughs. “But the point is that when people come up here, they don’t expect to find this sort of range. We’re determined to keep the high standards of local produce, but we really want to encourage our guests to be adventurous.” And without a doubt, despite the tranquil atmosphere in the hotel, it is a special sort of adventure here in Lofoten. Ingunn explains how the challenges facing the hotel aren’t just logistical. Instead, one of the biggest challenges is how nature itself often intervenes to disrupt well-made plans. “Of course, we don’t have everything nearby we need to run a hotel, so everything takes a bit more planning than it would elsewhere. But more importantly, everything needs to be choreographed around the next storm, so there’s nothing left flying around outside or nothing gets damaged. This inevitably affects what we can do with our guests too—but that’s all part of the experience.” Now, Ingunn says, after a week of intense wind and rain, the weather has calmed, just in time for the new season. “The staff are arriving, and the guests are not far behind. Now, we’re preparing for the summer. We’re looking forward to great weather ahead.” Images / Dan Mariner Kitchen On The Edge bartender Nick Strangeway created this delicious milk-fruit punch. 78
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Instagram / @holmenlofoten Facebook / @holmenlofoten holmenlofoten.no
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Craig Alibone Chocolate From a space in the heart of Bodø, Craig Alibone pairs the limitless, surprising flavours of chocolate with the elegance of champagne. We spoke to the chef about his award-winning chocolate and an offering that’s unique in Northern Norway.
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Images / by North Words / Charlie Jarvis
Patisserie, chocolate, and champagne in downtown Bodø
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any of our recipes start with flavours that are familiar to everyone. But our aim is always to do something a little different. The great thing about chocolate is that there is so much you can do with it.” Craig Alibone, the owner and chef at the chocolatier, patisserie, and champagneria on Torvgata in Bodø, is proud of the flavours his team creates. And he’s not the only one that’s impressed. In 2019, the brand’s oak-smoked chocolate with sea salt won bronze at the Academy of Chocolate awards. And the same year, his white chocolate with fennel seed and salted cashew nuts also won bronze. But the experiments don’t end there. Craig’s range includes miso and brown butter, mango and hibiscus, and white chocolate with local blueberries and toasted oats. And, Craig tells us, a macaron with bacon and maple syrup is just around the corner. “Too many people are content with the chocolate they find on the high street. But when it comes to finding new and exciting flavours, the opportunities are endless. We think they’re worth exploring.” That exploration has been at the heart of the Craig Alibone brand since it was founded. As an ambassador for the French
chocolate brand, Valrhona, Craig has long used their luxury chocolate alongside locally sourced ingredients, from sea salt from Saltstraumen to Norwegian whisky from Myken. Yet a lot has changed since he opened his first chocolate shop in Bodø in 2016. “Back then, we had a really small range based on Valrhona chocolate. It’s responsibly sourced and fairly traded chocolate, from the highest quality beans around. But in the beginning, I was focused on encouraging people to just try it!” From that point, though, the company has gone from strength to strength. Alongside awards for their chocolate in 2019, 2020, and 2021, Craig and his team moved into this new, larger space on Torvgata two years ago—and diversified the brand’s offering to match. Now they serve patisserie during the day and chocolate in the evening— paired with drinks chosen by some of Norway’s best sommeliers. The move from chocolate to patisserie might seem like a strange one—but not if you know Craig’s talents. Working in kitchens since the age of 16, Craig trained with some of the biggest names in international cooking, including at the school of French-born pastry heavyweight, Alain Ducasse. Localfolk Magazine
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“With patisserie, you just have to learn the French way— and training at Alain Ducasse was the best way to do that. It was incredible. I learned so much, but it also kickstarted my thought process on how I wanted to do things my own way. When I finished, I started as head pastry chef at the Holmenkollen Hotel in Oslo, where I could put all my new skills to the test.”
Instagram / @craigalibonepatisserie Facebook / @craigalibonepatisserie craigalibone.com
Since then, chocolate and patisserie have gone hand in hand for Craig. But, as a French-trained Brit in Norway, his development has always balanced his three main influences. “There are big parts of me that miss the UK. That’s why I try to incorporate British flavours into our recipes—although that’s always risk,” Craig laughs. “For example, I wanted to make a chocolate that recalled the taste of rice pudding, something that I just love but isn’t really eaten in this part of the world. We used a jasmine milk ganache—and it went down incredibly well with our guests.” In fact, Craig says, it’s his space’s guests in Bodø to whom he’s most grateful. “I feel like we’ve slowly become an important part of the community here,” he explains. “The pandemic could have been a really difficult time for us, as it was for so many. But there were nights in the last couple of years when I was literally in tears of gratitude. This place survived because the community rallied round to support us. That’s when I knew we had been accepted by this town.” Now, after the pandemic’s disruption, there’s a lot going on in the patisserie. Craig holds a regular jazz night in the cocktail bar and the venue is looking to start savoury foods too. “The emphasis will be on snacks and sharing. We’re planning to include some influences from back home too. Expect scotch eggs and toad in the hole—but with a little twist.” And Craig has bigger plans, too. “Another Craig Alibone space in another city is on the horizon. The idea’s still young and we have lots of homework to do, but Bodø has shown us that we have an idea people love. We can’t wait to share it with the rest of Norway.”
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Ranahytta
High quality cabins for everyone From their location in Mo i Rana, Ranahytta has delivered high quality cabins to customers across Norway since 1974. Their experts are passionate about building functional cabins tailored to their customers’ requirements and every cabin is still produced at their base in Mo i Rana.
Images / Ranahytta Words / Kai Isaksen
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anahytta began building cabins in 1974. In the first few years, the brand built lafted timber cabins, based on local traditions and building styles. But then the Olsen family—who still run Ranahytta today—had a different idea. They would build half-timbered cabins that could be produced and delivered as sections to be completed on site. Over 40 years later, this has proven to be a winning formula. Today, Ranahytta’s modern production facilities at Mo i Rana ensure that their customers receive cabins of the highest quality, that are long-lasting and weather resistant— in the famous northern Norwegian tradition. The company is managed by Hege Olsen, the third generation of the Olsen family to be in charge. But while the company is proud of its roots in Northern Norway, this doesn’t limit what it aims to achieve with its products—as Annine Arnesen Gubrandsen, Ranahytta’s digital marketer explains: “While we’re based in the north, we deliver cabins all over Norway,” she tells Localfolk. “Our primary goal is to deliver high quality cabins for most people.” Ranahytta’s product catalogue shows that the brand excels at doing exactly that. The product range contains cabin designs that suit almost anyone—from small to large cabins, with several bedrooms and modern facilities. Meanwhile, the quality of the design and build, allows the cabins to be placed in all of Norway’s diverse environments. And they’re designed to last for generations. “Our cabin designs are typically for people that want to enjoy the flexibility and simplicity of traditional cabin life, but who also want modern facilities and quality materials that reduce the need for maintenance,” Annine says. Their typical customer has some experience in cabin life and is now ready to invest money into the cabin of their dreams. They often have a good idea of what they want before the design process starts, and the experts at Ranahytta are happy to work with them to develop their ideas into workable designs. “Our experts can customise our standard cabin design, and work very closely with the customer to ensure the final design meets the dreams and expectations of the customer,” Annine explains.
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Instagram / @ranahytta ranahytta.no
Ranahytta does more than just construction. The brand also provides assistance in handling the formalities of the building process and employs experts in building law and project management. This means the company can guide the customer through the whole process of planning, buying and building the cabin. While Ranahytta operates nationally, it remains based in the north. All cabin elements are produced locally at their factory in Mo i Rana, and the company cooperates closely with the major suppliers of building materials to ensure they source only the highest quality building materials.
They also work with local sub-contractors that deliver stairs and windows, and Annine emphasises that the company is conscious about contributing to growth and development in their local area. Having a solid foundation with good local and national partners is a key part of their strategy in the future. Luckily, Norwegians are cabin loving people, they’re committed to their dreams of owning their own little piece of paradise. And Ranahytta will continue to deliver that dream from their base in Mo i Rana. Localfolk Magazine
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Localfolk Feature
Robert Finn Novak
Award-winning travel photography, from the north An award-winning travel and lifestyle photographer from Prague, Robert moved to Northern Norway 13 years ago and still calls Lofoten his home. He goes by Finnghal on social media, an old Gaelic word that means “the man from the north”.
Images / Robert Finn Novak Words / Julia Elizabeth Yager
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“You have to try, fail, try again, and keep pushing yourself. Never give up. If you believe you are going to make it, you will.”
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Robert has been in love with nature and the outdoors since he was little. But his career at first took him in a different direction. He studied technical drawing and engineering in school, spent a couple of years in the Special Army Ops, and covered nearly 150,000 kilometres hitch-hiking around Europe for roughly seven years. During this time, he learned differently languages and immersed himself in different cultures. It wasn’t until the early 2000s that he discovered his passion for photography. Shortly after moving to Germany in 2004, Robert purchased his first DSLR camera—a Canon 350D. Photography began as just a hobby, but two years after moving to Norway, he began taking it seriously. He shared with Localfolk that it was the slow pace of life in the north, combined with the unique nature in Lofoten and Vesterålen, that convinced him to make photography his career in 2012. “Depending on the project I am working on these days, my mornings are work-focused, with emails to send and edits to be done. But the afternoons are always reserved for the outdoors. And if the weather allows, my camera and drone come with me on all my afternoon adventures. The freedom to do that is what I love about my work up here.” Robert says he has lived his entire life according to the idea that “life begins at the end of your comfort zone”. And given this perspective, and his adventurous lifestyle—involving skydiving, paragliding, rock climbing, mountain biking, and skiing—he has had some accidents along the way, including surviving an avalanche in Norway in 2012. From these experiences, he has learned to know his limits, respect the mountains, plan carefully, and keep stepping out of his comfort zone as much as possible. Otherwise, he says, you’re not really living at all. Yet the adventure is having a positive impact on his work too. In the last decade, Robert has received many awards for his work and his photography has been published both in Norway and internationally. But the most significant milestone for him? The ‘Nordic Mesterskap’ in 2014. “There were around 4,000 photographs from Scandinavia, and I placed first,” he says. “It felt unreal.”
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Instagram / @finnghal finnghal.com
Robert received the Canon EOS 1Dx camera body as a prize, which drastically improved the technical side of his photography. And even today, Robert continues to shoot with Canon—specifically the EOS R series. His favourite lens is the RF 24-70mm f/2,8 which he uses 90 percent of the time due to its versatility. His other two lenses are the 70-200mm f/2,8 and 15-35mm f/2,8, and occasionally he will use the DJI Mavic Air 2 for aerial photography. And to edit his photos, Robert uses Adobe Lightroom for basic adjustments and Adobe Photoshop for more complex actions, plus any finishing touches.
Yet Robert does mention two projects that have been most exciting for him. The first was attending the ‘Lamborghini Avventura 2019’ and the second was shooting advertising material for a startup tourist boat company in Croatia.
Changing photography styles from time to time is an important part of Robert’s creative process. Many factors play a role in his current style—from his mood to the weather, current trends, and the country in which he’s shooting.
Right now, as a full-time travel and lifestyle photographer, Robert’s biggest challenge is recovering from the effects of the pandemic. Not being able to travel and having to cancel big projects around the world took a toll on his business. But now he’s bouncing back. Robert has recently closed deals on a few upcoming projects with big-name brands—but the details must still remain secret for now.
“Sometimes I prefer taking bright photos with strong contrast and saturated colours. Other times I stick to darker, moody, slightly desaturated edits.”
“You have to try, fail, try again, and keep pushing yourself ”, Robert says. “Never give up. If you believe you are going to make it, you will.”
That means that he has no particular favourite image, he says. Instead, he has many favourites—and all for 100
different reasons. “One thing they all have in common is that they connect me emotionally to the moment when I took them.”
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