Forest Retreat by Norm Architects, Reimagined with Karimoku Case

Situated deep in the Swedish forests, a cabin designed by Norm Architects has been given a new life — one that feels even more entwined with its surroundings. Originally completed in 2021, Forest Retreat has now been reimagined with a curated selection of Karimoku Case furniture, adding a new layer of intimacy and refinement to the already serene escape.

Karimoku Case’s designs integrate seamlessly with the architectural character of the retreat, shaped by a shared devotion to detail, material honesty, and understated beauty. Hand-applied dolomite plaster walls, oak floors, and natural textures provide a calm canvas, with each furniture piece contributing to a harmonious whole. Generous proportions, refined ergonomics, and a language of restraint offer both visual and physical comfort, enriching the atmosphere of calm and clarity.

While this new chapter adds a distinct softness, the essence of Forest Retreat remains rooted in its original concept. Rustic yet refined, it was designed for slow living during both summer and winter months. In a modern, urbanised world that often overwhelms us with excess, the retreat demonstrates the beauty of choosing less — and steering life in a direction that creates happiness and well-being.

The secluded property comprises a main house spread across two floors and a guest annex built between the tree trunks. With the ability to host up to three families, each with their own suite, it offers both connection and privacy. The lower floor of the main house functions almost like a hotel suite, complete with bedroom, bathroom, minibar, and sauna, while the annex is entirely self-contained.

Inside, tall slender wooden cabinet doors lead from the main living space into bedrooms and bathrooms, saving space while visually elongating the rooms. Large windows and doors now open the retreat to the outside, framing valley and forest views to the east, south, and west. From dawn to dusk, daylight moves through the interiors, bringing nature inside and serving as a a visual connection between the indoor, the outdoors, and the natural environment.

As Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen of Norm Architects explains, “Creating homes is often an exercise in restraint. And while the creation of a simple, authentic, and welcoming space might seem effortless and natural once completed, the journey to simplicity and the exercise of finding essence is often rather complex and not an easy task.”

It’s this philosophy that makes Forest Retreat so compelling. The inherent warmth and tactility of the chosen materials, paired with Karimoku Case’s refined designs, ensure the home feels rich and layered rather than sparse. Nature is ever-present, yet the interiors hold their own quiet strength — a seamless balance of rustic authenticity and timeless refinement.

Credits

Architect & Partner: Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen, Norm Architects 

Photography: Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen

Cabinetry: Kolon 

Walls: St. Leo 

Furniture: Karimoku Case

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Fritz Hansen Presents the After Series by Michael Anastassiades

Fritz Hansen has unveiled After, a new chair and table series by acclaimed designer Michael Anastassiades. Defined by geometric clarity, subtle gestures, and immaculate execution, the collection bridges the Danish brand’s 153-year heritage with a modern design language.

Named After, as a reference to the design approach, the series introduces a more modern design language to the Fritz Hansen collection, yet with a sense of continuity from its heritage lineage. The collaboration marks Anastassiades’ first with Fritz Hansen, though the London-based Cypriot's long-standing admiration for Danish design is central to the series. Drawing on the brand’s archives and ethos of collective contribution, he distilled traditional archetypes into his own pared-down expression.

The result is a chair that clearly bears Anastassiades’ signature while echoing the legacy of Danish masters such as Kaare Klint and Poul Kjærholm. The round dining table echoes the clarity and play on geometry in a sturdier form. Their honesty, purity and materiality, a testament to the technical prowess and craftsmanship of Fritz Hansen. “My approach is based around the idea of collective contribution, building on the Danish design heritage and bringing my own layer of simplification and thinking,” Anastassiades explains. “There is a lot of clarity in shapes and forms and why they need to be there, they are very considered and geometric, primal in a way.”

The After chair is conceived as a precise interplay of stacked elements: a curved backrest resting on square legs, which hold a gently scooped plywood seat. The joins are matched to the millimetre, an exactitude achieved through a traditional cabinetmaking technique used for the backrest, in which a piece of wood is sliced into sheets, glued back together in identical sequence and pressed into a curved shape. “The joinery has to be so good, so stable, and there needs to be a level of comfort,” Anastassiades says. “The curved backrest has to be so precise to the millimetre… All these details matter. They are really subtle gestures that make the chair.”

This sense of stacked layers and contrasting geometry is repeated in the After dining table. The round tabletop appears to float on cross-shaped legs, their chunky rounded edges aligning them to and distinguishing them from the chair. Two distinct finishes offer contrasting characters: Ash with a hard wax oil that highlights the natural elegance of the grain, and Burgundy lazur, a rich hue reminiscent of darker wood tones or the patina of aged brass that Anastassiades uses in his lighting designs. A burgundy version with a Rosso Levanto marble top pushes the series into another realm, contrasting the monumental materiality of the wine-red stone with the tactility of the wooden legs. Thin cushions, in nature or burgundy Pure leather, further refine comfort.

Anastassiades describes the process with Fritz Hansen — which involves workshops with the brand’s creative director and furniture makers to develop the final product — as slow, methodical and collaborative. “Their knowledge is so fundamental in the process. It is a very different approach than any of the other brands I have worked with,” he says. “A part of the aesthetic is how you work with the limitations of the wood and find innovative ways of solving the problem that are not going to compromise the design. I’m very happy with the result; the execution, the quality and the detail are very good. It is such a simple design but it is immaculately manufactured."

For Fritz Hansen’s Creative Director Els Van Hoorebeeck, the After series encapsulates the brand’s philosophy of design being an evolution, not revolution. “In ash you get Fritz Hansen the manufacturer – the details, the immaculate delivery, the comfort maximised for the chair without losing the aesthetic purity. Whereas the burgundy and marble table feels as if it has landed exactly where the brand is at from a design perspective.”

Van Hoorebeeck adds: “The After series emphasises where we come from, how we work with our heritage, and at the same time shows a preview of what is ahead. It is a really nice link between the past, present and the future.”

The After series launches worldwide on 4 September, 2025, and will be available in Australia and New Zealand through Cult.

Images courtesy of Fritz Hansen

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Space Copenhagen Thoughtfully Reimagines Schloss Schauenstein

Nestled in the heart of the Swiss Alps, Schloss Schauenstein has long been a destination for culinary excellence under the vision of three-star Michelin chef Andreas Caminada. In celebration of the restaurant’s 20th anniversary, the interiors of the 12th-century castle have been thoughtfully reimagined by the acclaimed Danish design studio Space Copenhagen. The result is a delicate dialogue between past and present, where heritage and craftsmanship intertwine, and where guests are invited to savour not only Caminada’s celebrated cuisine but also the sensory experience of the castle itself.

Schloss Schauenstein’s ivy-clad stone façade rises from the mountains of Fürstenau, Switzerland, steeped in centuries of history. As guests arrive, they’re met by crisp alpine air, scented with pine and woodsmoke—setting the tone for the experience ahead. Crossing the threshold, they step into a world where ancient stone walls, timber beams, and winding staircases are thoughtfully balanced with soft, natural materials including oak, stone, wool, and linen. The lobby introduces Space Copenhagen’s restrained and elegant aesthetic: timeless furniture pieces from Studio Oliver Gustav, including a stone side table by Maverick Lee and a brass table lamp by Michael Verheyden, sit in quiet conversation with the castle’s original architecture, offering a sense of both intimacy and grandeur.

At the heart of Schloss Schauenstein, the dining room is an intimate, evocative space, softly lit to cast shadows that move gently across textured walls. The atmosphere exudes a calm sense of anticipation, allowing guests to fully immerse themselves in Caminada’s culinary vision. Tableware, cutlery, and bespoke furniture—crafted by local artisans using wood and stone—reflect the same attention to detail and commitment to craftsmanship. Custom Sela dining chairs from De La Espada, upholstered in a distinctive blend of wood, leather, and textile, complement the refined yet grounded setting.

In the Chimney Room Bar, warm rust tones create a cocooning atmosphere, complemented by Space Copenhagen’s Loafer sofas for &Tradition, the Stay Chair for Gubi, and Frama’s Sintra Stone Lounge Tables. Throughout the interiors, vintage pieces salvaged from the castle have been upcycled and reupholstered, seamlessly integrating with more contemporary designs to create a layered, cohesive narrative.

The redesign of Schloss Schauenstein is a testament to the collaborative vision between Caminada and Space Copenhagen—a shared commitment to honouring the spirit of place while creating a timeless, sensory experience.

“Having worked with Space Copenhagen for our boutique hotel and restaurant Mammertsberg, it was clear to me that they were the perfect people to bring the castle into its next era,” says Caminada. “My wife Sarah and I wanted to create the perfect harmony between tradition and modernity, blending timeless design classics into the fabric of the castle.” He continues: “To me, experiencing the castle’s spirit and feeling its history has been crucial in planning the renovations for our 20th anniversary. Guests should feel at home in every corner and enjoy both the culinary journey and the castle with all their senses.”

The redesigned guest rooms provide a sense of stillness and retreat. Each room is distinct, yet all exude an understated elegance. Original stone and timber-clad walls anchor the spaces in their medieval heritage, while natural materials—oak, soft wool, and linen—introduce a contemporary warmth. Earthy tones reflect the surrounding alpine landscape: soft greys, burnt orange, forest greens, and warm neutrals.

Furniture has been carefully curated and crafted: vintage pieces from the castle restored alongside iconic designs from B&B Italia, Cassina, and Bonacina, as well as bespoke additions by Space Copenhagen. The lighting is soft and atmospheric, changing with the time of day to cast shadows across the textured walls. Large windows frame views of the valley and the cobbled village below, blurring the boundaries between inside and out. Bathrooms, finished in stone with minimalist fixtures, invite quiet reflection, featuring rainfall showers and deep soaking tubs that enhance the sense of calm.

Signe Bindslev Henriksen, co-founder of Space Copenhagen, comments “Each room is a study in understated elegance, deliberately stripped of excess to let the architecture, and the guest’s own experience, breathe. No two rooms are the same; each offers its own sense of place.”

Peter Bundgaard Rützou, co-founder of Space Copenhagen, adds “There’s a rare stillness to the rooms. They offer different forms of respite, but all share a sense of comfort, privacy, and connection to the landscape. We hope guests feel less like they’re checking into a hotel and more like they’re being welcomed into a thoughtfully curated retreat.”

Space Copenhagen’s sensitive design approach invites guests to experience Schloss Schauenstein as a living, breathing place—where the past is honoured, the present savoured, and the future thoughtfully imagined. Every detail, from the softly worn stone floors to the carefully curated furniture, reflects a deep respect for craft, material, and context. This isn’t just a renovation—it’s a quiet reawakening. A layered collaboration between architecture, design, and gastronomy. Together, Andreas Caminada and Space Copenhagen have created an experience that feels timeless yet deeply personal—an immersive experience where heritage and hospitality, nourishment and nature, memory and modernity seamlessly converge.

Credits

Design: Space Copenhagen

Photography: Joachim Wichmann

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BROM by AtelierCarle Reframes Rural Architecture with Purpose and Permanence

Set against the backdrop of Lac-Brome in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, BROM by AtelierCarle is a layered architectural response to questions of sustainability, cultural continuity, and place. Located on an estate that had been in the same family for nearly a century, the project moves beyond conventional preservation or aesthetic gestures. Instead, it engages in a deeper cultural reflection—one that considers the evolving rural landscape and what it means to contribute meaningfully to our shared built environment.

Led by AtelierCarle's founding architect Alain Carle and project manager Isaniel Lévesque, the project reflects a philosophical approach to architecture. Here, sustainability is not measured only in environmental terms, but also through the lens of memory, material permanence, and collective experience—grounding the new residence in both site and culture.

The original structure—a timber-framed residence from the early 20th century with rubble stone walls—had deteriorated beyond repair. While this necessitated a move away from the idea of total conservation, AtelierCarle chose not to erase its presence, but rather embed it into the new narrative. The masonry chimney and foundations were preserved, and as a result, entry to the new building involves passing through the remnants of the old one—a kind of architectural remembrance, a duty of memory—which defines the arrival at the property. The secondary buildings on the site have been preserved and incorporated into the overall landscape design. The property now consists of a series of three connected pavilions that draw on the rhythm of 19th-century rural structures, subtly referencing a form of territorial occupation that once defined the region.

This new configuration, which conceptually establishes a dialogue between the new and the disappeared, highlights the enduring nature of stone in contrast to the more ephemeral character of wooden frameworks in rural architecture—a fragile material history that is often overlooked in the construction process.

The siting of the home, influenced by the natural slope of the land, allowed for the creation of a basement level and full-height rooms below. The ground floor maintains a consistent relationship with the landscape, offering a seamless transition between indoors and out.

From the outset, the team approached the build as a cultural practice. Stone becomes the project’s throughline—grounding both the structure and its sensory experience. Two volumes housing the entrance halls are clad in stone, providing aesthetic and material continuity with the original structure. New retaining walls wrap around these core volumes, establishing the axes for the development of the three pavilions. The masonry continues inside, creating a natural progression into softer materials. Stone also functions as a thermal mass throughout the home, supported by a geothermal system.

The above-ground structure—a mix of metal frames, wood, and exposed beams made from reclaimed timber—is capped by soaring four-sloped cedar roofs, their steep angles referencing the surrounding monumental landscape of the Monteregian Hills. Rather than treating windows as decorative elements within a façade, AtelierCarle designed them to directly respond to the landscape, dissolving boundaries and drawing the outdoors into everyday experience.

Inside, the layout unfolds in a continuous sequence across the ground floor—a horizontal rhythm that echoes the surrounding lakeside landscape. Tall cathedral ceilings and generous volumes are punctuated by large doors crafted from reclaimed wood, offering moments of openness and intimacy. Overhead, reclaimed beams have been carefully adapted to meet the structural needs of the new build.

The interior materiality embraces simplicity, with an aesthetic that bridges old and new, past and present. A minimal palette of stone, timber, concrete, and low-emission finishes was chosen for both its durability and reduced environmental impact. These natural materials ground the spaces, reflecting the fragile yet enduring history of the site.

Just as the architectural approach blurs the boundaries between before and after, the interior atmosphere evokes a sense of suspended temporality—a feeling of permanence that unfolds from the inside out. The result is a home untethered to trends, anchored instead in place, memory, and material continuity.

Too often, projects of this kind are marked by overconsumption or the unnecessary dismantling of viable elements. Here, the design extends the lifecycle of what already exists—preserving what can be preserved, and reimagining what cannot.

Custom furniture by Élément bois adds a layer of timeless tactility, while lighting by Sistemalux and Lumenpulse defines each space with quiet precision.

Rooted in a deep sensitivity to time, place, and material, BROM creates an architectural language that feels both grounded and open—one that acknowledges the past while responding to the needs of contemporary rural life. Rather than imposing itself on the landscape, it becomes part of it, contributing meaningfully to the evolving story of rural life and the shared traditions that shape it.

Credits

Architecture & Interior Design: AtelierCarle

Build: BBD Construction

Landscape Architect: Oscar Hacche

Photography: Alex Lesage

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