Scan Magazine
| Design Studio of the Month
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Norway
Design Studio of the Month, Norway
Childhood impressions turned design – implementing cultures, identity and roots into modern styling When it comes to design, styling and other creative processes, inspiration and influences are essential; the ability to put unrelated elements together to make a unity, mixing the foreign with the familiar to create something that feels fresh yet recognisable. Stylist and entrepreneur Vera Eriksrød preserves the old and blends it with the new, keeping both legacy and progress alive. By Alyssa Nilsen
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Photos: Vera Eriksrød
Eriksrød’s inspiration comes from experiences most of us will never have. Moving to the village of Ngo in the Republic of the Congo with her missionary parents at the age of three, she spent her childhood among the indigenous people in their thatch and mud huts, playing with the children on the savannas and going hunting the traditional ways. Their way of living was a simple one. There was no electricity, only kerosene lamps for light. The only potable water 86 |
Issue 139
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February 2022
was distilled rainwater, and mosquito nets protected them as they slept. The light, colours and textures of Africa were
Vera in Congo. Private photo
forever imprinted in Eriksrød’s young mind, and when she returned to Norway at the age of 15, everything felt alien and different. Adjusting to the Norwegian culture was a process that required time, but eventually the unfamiliar became familiar. Her background in simple living as a child, followed by years at boarding school upon returning to Norway, has resulted in a strong need for creating a proper home for her own children and family. This is reflected in her work as both a stylist and a consultant. “Shaping what surrounds us at home is one of the most basic needs we have as humans,” Eriksrød says. “It’s about having a place where you belong – a place that just makes you feel happy and at
