Bringing Modern Norwegian Design to the World

From an office in the Norwegian capital, the interiour brand Fram Oslo works towards spreading modern Norwegian design to the international market. But what exactly is modern Norwegian design?

Finding a Market

Throughout history, Norwegians have been good at design and good at making quality products that last. Sadly, the problem has always been that carpenters and businesses have lacked interest in international marketing, thus making many products almost exclusive to the Norwegian market. Before and during the 20th century, what was designed in Norway, stayed in Norway. This is still the case for some businesses today; they have an unexplored market where their products may be of high demand. This is where Fram Oslo want to make a change. Founded by the two sisters Annette and Sunniva Hoff and Christoffer Kverneland in 2016, the Oslo-based interior brand’s mission is to show what Norwegian designers have to offer, and the potential of Norwegian design and products.

“We Norwegians have always been good at beautiful and high-quality designs and products, but not as good at marketing them. And that’s where we saw the potential for a change.”

Annette Hoff

Diverse Inspiration

Norway is known for its rich and beautiful nature. Grand forests, long fjords and majestic mountains are the trademarks of Norway. So there is no suprise these elements are key inspirations for Fram Oslo’s designers’ work. One of their latest collections is called Norwegian Forest, a name clearly describing its inspiration. Norwegian Forest a collection of table cloths and tea towels encapsulating the Norwegian pine forests and the memories and experiences created within. With stylish, minimalistic patterns resembling pine needles and pine bark, the collection captures the essence of forests in a single piece of cloth. The products are made to bring a little nature to your everyday life, whether it is in the Norwegian countryside or in an American metropolis.
As well as the stunning nature, the designers also gather inspiration from Norwegian culture and history. Patterns, colours and shapes are based on both everyday items and extraordinary events special to Norwegian culture. One of their most sold designs is the bunad blankets and pillows, an interpretation of the bunad, a Norwegian traditional clothing used for festive gatherings, like weddings and The Constitution Day. Annette loves the blankets and says that they bring a little part of festive moments to everyday life, a small part of celebration to the couch or the bed.

What they see as modern Norwegian design is an interpretation of what defines this country and the people within it. An interpretation of our nature, history and culture.

Made to Last

In a society characterized by consumerism, a society where an item is used and thrown away in an instance, Fram Oslo’s vision is to break this habit and make products that last. With a focus on an environmentally friendly production done exclusively in Norway, made with Norwegian materials by skilled people passionate about their craft, they assure that their products are made to last. For some, these products may seem a little expensive, but they are made to last, a long term investment in your home. You would rather have a blanket outliving you than twenty different blankets in your lifetime, right?

“We want people to rather buy just one item that lasts, than ten items that break and are thrown away in an instant.”

Anette Hoff

A Welcome Addition

In their four years of business, Fram Oslo has grown substantially and has gained a lot of attention on the international design stage. They have experienced that their high-quality Norwegian products are a welcome addition to the market. Some may even call them a little exotic, a taste of a partly unknown design culture. Their mission of showing off Norwegian culture to the world is going well and they are gaining lots of attention from consumers around the globe. With steady growth and more interest in the craft, they hope to one day make Norwegian design a leading player in the international interior design game.


Interesting read? Then we highly suggest reading our story, Contemporary Scandinavian Design with a classic look, a story about the interior of Restaurant Edda in Oslo, an interior heavily inspired by traditional Scandinavian design elements. Here at Nuet, we publish weekly posts about everything Scandinavian. Read more on nuetaquavit.com/stories and follow our Instagram @nuetaquavit to get instant updates on new posts straight to your feed.