In Norway’s remote far north, where the wind can rattle walls and the winter light is fleeting, Kjetil Ingvar Berge has built a home that forces him to step outside—literally. The artist, drawn to the idea of simple living, purchased an abandoned 100-year-old kit home for the astonishingly low price of 150,000 Norwegian Krone (about $13,500). Originally shipped in pieces and assembled on-site—a necessity in this Arctic region where lumber was scarce—the home had fallen into disrepair, its walls weathered by time and neglect.
source.image: Kirsten Dirksen
The only toilet was in the barn. Rather than retrofitting the past, Berge embraced it. Instead of expanding the old wooden home, he erected a modern, tin-clad tower next door, linked to the original farmhouse by an outdoor bridge. The passageway—open to the elements—ensures that even the shortest journey becomes a brush with nature, much like his former walks to the barn.
Neighbors were skeptical. One assumed he’d soon enclose the bridge for warmth. A decade later, it remains exposed, a commitment to experiencing the landscape in all its moods. “It forces you to notice,” Berge says. Eagles soar overhead, storms shake the timbers, and every trip between the two structures is a reminder of place.
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His new addition, inspired by the region’s kit homes, preserves the character of the original dwelling while adapting to modern life. Clad in repurposed tin roofing material and built with salvaged elements, Berge’s home is a study in restraint—where space is a privilege, not a given.
