Oskar and Amanda are renovating and building for a life in the countryside

Just outside Gothenburg, Amanda and Oskar have found their place in the countryside – an old farmhouse with both charm and a great need for renovation. Extensive work awaits them, including both conversions and new builds. Oskar, who works as a sheet metal worker, has a keen interest and solid knowledge of construction, which will really come in handy when the old house is expanded and given a new lease of life.

The renovation covers everything – from the roof, façade and windows to the interior layout. Amanda does not hesitate to get involved and is learning new skills along the way. It is a project that requires time, patience and commitment – and all their free time is spent on the farm. It will be many months before the house is ready to move into, but the vision of a warm and personal home keeps them motivated.

A kitchen takes shape.

When we visit Amanda and Oskar, the house is beginning to take its final shape, and most importantly, the kitchen is ready. They tell us how they sketched, planned and discussed their way to their dream kitchen: a country-style kitchen with space for cooking, socialising and long dinners with friends.

 

Planning the kitchen

Since it was possible to raise the ceiling, install new windows and build a glassed-in dining area, Amanda and Oskar were able to design the kitchen from scratch. The vision was clear – a rustic kitchen with character and personality, with kitchen cabinets in a warm green tone.

The choice fell on Color+ with frame, a painted kitchen door in ash where the natural structure of the wood brings life and enhances the overall feel. The kitchen was designed using Ikea's planning tool – an easy way to test different solutions and settle on the one that works best, says Amanda.

Finding the right shade of green

A major advantage of the Color+ door is that it can be painted in any NCS colour. Initially, Amanda and Oskar considered a muted grey-green tone, but after gathering inspiration, they gained the courage to choose a clearer and warmer shade.

With sample jars and brushes in hand, different shades were painted on site – and the final colour was NCS S4020-G30Y. A green tone that feels both natural and vibrant, and which harmonises beautifully with the bright environment.

Tailor-made details

Amanda's father, who is an engineer, helped design the custom-built pantry, clad in panelling and designed to blend naturally into the room. The pantry door was made by a carpenter and given the same type of glass frame as the beautiful windows in the dining room – a detail that ties the whole design together in a discreet but thoughtful way.

A kitchen with both function and soul

Oscar, who also enjoys cooking, chose a 70 cm wide induction hob with integrated extractor fan from SMEG.

Note the charming antique spice rack, cleverly built into the wall facing the pantry – both practical and personal.

The porcelain sink is from IKEA, and the integrated dishwasher was placed next to it to create a functional work area.

The dog Thor also lives here on the farm and enjoys hanging out with his friend Messi.

Well-designed storage and everyday luxury

At the end of the kitchen, there was an idea for a display cabinet, but the solution instead became low storage that was adapted to the space and gives an airy feel to the room. An elegant transition from the taller cabinets – and a nice finish to the kitchen.

Life on the farm is developing in step with the house. More and more animals are moving in, and the hens and their rooster are already laying the finest eggs. After months of planning, test painting and building, the kitchen is finally complete. Amanda and Oskar can now enjoy the result – a room that reflects both the spirit of the farm and their own ideas.

A chat with Amanda and Oskar

Now that the kitchen is complete, we naturally want to know more about how it came about. We asked Amanda and Oskar to tell us about the ideas behind the planning, the colour choices and the details that make their country kitchen so personal.

What were your initial thoughts when you started planning the kitchen – how did you want the room to feel? It was important to us that it felt open and inviting, so we removed the walls separating the kitchen, living room and spare room to create one large room where we can socialise when we have guests. 

What inspired you to choose a green tone for the kitchen cabinets?
We wanted a colour that would suit the house and its location, and green was the obvious choice as we had already decided on green diamond shapes for our conservatory windows, front door and pantry door.

How did you go about deciding on the final colour and material choices?

We tested several shades of green and compared them in different lighting conditions in what would become our kitchen. Finding the perfect shade proved to be a challenge, but we were drawn to shades ranging from British racing green to forest green, and somewhere in between we found our green vision, NCS S4020-G30Y. The choice of a real wood kitchen also felt obvious. We were inspired by the timeless Shaker style and wanted to create a built-in feel that harmonises with the character of the house, which dates from around 1896.

The wooden worktop allowed us to retain the warm feel of the kitchen, which we are very happy about today.

Which detail in the kitchen means the most to you – something you think sets the style or feels extra well thought out?
We decided to make space for the pantry, which was previously a small pantry against one of the walls that we knocked down. It was important to both of us that we had space for it, as it adds a lot to the feel of the kitchen.

What were your thoughts when planning the kitchen layout – what was most important to achieve in everyday life?
For Amanda, it was important that the oven was at standing height, as she does most of the cooking. We chose extra-deep worktops to create more space and work surface, which we are very happy with.

You designed the kitchen yourselves – how was that process? Was there anything you learned or were surprised by?
We redrew the kitchen several times and asked our family and Helena and Marina at Bucks and Spurs for advice. Each time we drew the kitchen, we started with what we considered most important and worked from there. We faced a number of challenges because we wanted to fit several of our important elements into a small space, but the end result was exactly as good as we had imagined. We learned that kitchens take up more space than you think, and that it's okay to take your time and let an important decision marinate.

Now that you're standing here and everything is ready, what's the best thing about your new kitchen? The colour of our ash doors! They are so beautiful in the wood grain and feel so alive. 

It is clear that Amanda and Oskar have put both their hearts and time into every decision. The result is a kitchen that feels well thought out, lively and full of personality – a room to gather in, every day.