House Tour : Ingrid's Colourful Home

This week we are spending some time with Ingrid in her amazing colourful home in Norway. I discovered Ingrid on Instagram (Polkadotingrid) and was instantly drawn in by her dynamic eclectic style and the happy, bright atmosphere in her home. 

Where is your home?

I live in a small place in Norway called Raufoss. It is about 1 1/2 hour outside of Oslo. I live here with my husband, our two children (one boy and one girl) and our dog (who is often featured on my Instagram). 

What age/era is the building?

The house is from 1934. My parents bought it in the late ‘70s and added a few new rooms to the house. When they decided it was time to move we got the opportunity to move in, this was in 2009. Because we knew the house so well before we moved in we had some ideas as to what we wanted to do with the house. 

 Have you done much work to your house?

It was important to both my husband and I that we made it our home and that he shouldn’t feel like he moved into my home. We changed the kitchen and got a custom-made colour for the fronts. And we painted the floors grey. Over time we have also painted most of the walls and put up the polka dot wallpaper.

How would you describe your own vintage style?

The style has evolved over the years. I try to buy a lot of old furniture at flea markets and second-hand shops, so it sometimes takes some time to get the stuff I want. I try to buy used furniture both because of the environment (old furniture is often of great quality and will last «forever») and because I really like the 50-60-70 style. I have always liked it I think, the straight lines and simplicity of the furniture is great.

Who do you share your home with? And do they share your love of vintage and colour?

I have always been a big fan of bright colours, both in my clothes and my interior. And my husband is luckily ok with it. He is also a fan of colours, but maybe not as much as me. 

Do you have a favourite piece in your home?

I don’t really have one favourite piece, I like the way everything works together. If I have to choose a few it will be the dinner table with the different chairs and the 60s teak shelves. They were made in Norway and I found some in perfect condition! I also like my pink kitchen shelves, they are from a school i used to work at, they were worn down and kind of ugly, but with a coat of pink paint they were good as new.

Do you have any criteria based on style/era/colour for your home? Or is it simply a gut reaction?

I try to get an eclectic, retro, colourful mix of everything, so it won’t feel like we live in a museum. I think colours, humour and references to pop culture is a good way to describe my style. I want a place with a fun vibe and lots of different things to look at. There is no criteria, it’s a gut feeling, and for the most time everything goes together. 

Our friends describe our home as a happy home and this is of course the most important thing. That we have made a happy home where it is nice to stay both for adults and children.

You obviously love big bright colours (especially turquoise and yellow), can you tell us more about where that love comes from?

Colours give me lots of energy, especially turquoise, yellow and pink. They are the main colours of the home, and I think they go great together and with other colours. I don’t really know where the love for these colours came from, they just make me happy. 

I love the eclectic collection of art on your gallery wall, do these pictures have any significance or are they up there purely for visual joy?

The art wall is a combination of paintings I have inherited from my grandparents and stuff I have made myself. So they have a lot of sentimental value. I try to keep it fun, that’s why I painted a robot on an old thrift store print. I think the paintings balances the turquoise quite well. 

Photo credit: All photographs kindly provided by Ingrid – see more on her Instagram! @polkadotingrid