GRAPHĒ: How a Tiny Red Home in Norway Turned Into a Compound of Gables

A family added two larger structures and two gardens—one outdoors, and another enclosed with glass looking out onto the forest.

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Project Details:

Location: Rælingen, Norway

Architect: Rever & Drage / @reverdrage

Footprint: 2,691 square feet

Builder: Ansnes Entreprenør AS

Photographer: Tom Auger

From the Architect: "This project in Rælingen, Norway, is an expansion of a modest traditional home into a rich and spatially complex residence for a large and active family. The original house, a small red-painted wooden dwelling with white-framed windows in a popular romantic vernacular, was cherished by the owners for its character and familiarity. Their ambition was to preserve that charm while increasing the living area and creating a variety of new spaces suited to contemporary family life.

"The plot is long and narrow, wedged between two roads. To the east lies the street and the local neighborhood, while to the west the ground falls away towards a less interesting road and a beautiful forested landscape. The topography and spatial constraints became key drivers in shaping the architectural response. The design solution was to add two new volumes—one to the north and one to the south—linked to the existing house through open or semi-enclosed transitions. Conceptually, the project can be read as three red houses in a row, separated by two green open spaces. These between spaces, one outdoors—planted and paved—and one indoors facing the forest to the west, are integral to the experience of the house, bringing light, greenery, and seasonal change close to the interiors.

"The southern, two-story building contains a bedroom, bathroom, home office, and a snug. Between this new volume and the original house sits a glazed winter garden and a fireplace lounge oriented towards the sunset and the leafy forest beyond. The northern building is organized across three levels: a garage and technical spaces on the lower floor, a self-contained rental unit above, and an atelier-like study tucked under the sloping roof at the top. Between the buildings lies a passageway and a larger multipurpose space located in a partially sunken basement level. The result is an intricate collection of interconnected places, each with its own character, scale, and atmosphere. The architecture enables both togetherness and retreat, accommodating the dynamics of family life through tailored solutions and subtle spatial transitions. Externally, the material palette explores a nuanced spectrum of reds: painted timber cladding, brick, tiles, and steel surfaces all share a chromatic kinship without uniformity.

"To avoid monotony and maintain a link to the original building, a single blue door and a patch of white window frames have been preserved as a gentle reminder of the house’s earlier life. The dialogue between the red buildings and the surrounding greenery evokes timeless Nordic associations—the red house in the forest, the cultivated and the wild, the domestic and the natural. Inside, light ash wood, painted surfaces, patterned wallpapers, brick, and exposed concrete coexist in a tactile interplay. Refined brass and timber details meet raw structural materials in a manner that recalls modernist craftsmanship. Together, these contrasts create a living environment that is both warm and contemporary—rooted in tradition yet confidently forward-looking."