How This Couple Gave Their Decades-Old Home a Modern Scandinavian Makeover

In 2018, couple Christian and Jelyka moved to Norway from the Philippines and bought a 1920s home, where they could settle in. "It was a fixer-upper house," Jelkya shares in an email interview with Real Living. "but since we didn't have that much budget for a more modern house, we decided to take on the challenge of [giving this home a makeover,] one room at a time." Naturally, the Norway-based couple envisioned a Scandinavian design for their new living space.  

Master's Bedroom 

"The first room that we tackled was the master's bedroom," she shares, which used to look a bit dull and gloomy. "We painted one accent wall to give the [white] room some dimension." The couple then went for a muted palette for the rest of the space to balance things out. "We also bought decorations and spray painted some old stuff." 

Bathroom

The bathroom looked very outdated, according to Jelyka, but all it needed was some fresh paint to look modern and sophisticated. "We [painted] the tiled walls white, which was a long process. Then, we painted the cabinets in a matte black hue." For an elegant contrast, they finished it off with gold cabinet and drawer knobs. 

Kitchen 

After painting the walls and cabinets white, Christian and Jelyka's old dark kitchen now looks more airy and spacious. "We also removed one upper cabinet [since] it was making the room look heavy." 

Entryway

To make their entryway more inviting, the couple painted the walls in a cheerful, sunset-like orange hue. They also decorated the small area with a large round mirror, which helped open up the space. 

Living room 

The new color on the walls instantly transformed the couple's living room!