31 Blum Inspirations ‘We played w ith flex i bi l it y. The sl id ing doors g ive us the possi bi l it y to combine two rooms.’ Integrat ing working space – with sense and sensit ivit y Johan Tran’s flat was a t ypical, compar tmentalised apar tment in an old building in the middle of Oslo. He and his gir lfr iend live together. Both work a lot from home. The designer’s first thought was to gut ever y thing and use ceiling-high sliding doors in the Japanese tradition to create flexible spaces for living, cook ing and work ing. This is how he created a multi- functional space bursting with Nordic Scandi vibes. ‘All we have to do is close the room divider bet ween the of fice and living room and we can both work in a rela xed way dur ing the day. It also creates a nice and pr ivate guest bedroom at night,’ says Tran. Ver tical slits have been milled into the sliding doors so that daylight can stream into the living room. ‘If we’d used permanent walls to zone of f the study, we wouldn’t have used the space af ter work.’ When the doors are open, the of fice becomes one with the living room. The calm colour scheme, green plants and discreet decorations are conducive to concentration – in the workspace and entire apar tment. The beech veneer desk that was designed by Tran himself is mounted to the wall to save space. Its drawers keep things tidy. Thanks to the wall mounting, the herr ingbone hardwood floor is in full view. ‘I like the classic look of the floor ing,’ says Tran. ‘What ’s more, the pat tern breaks up the str ict lines.’ Opt for bespoke solut ions and be creat ive Tran has not only designed the delicate desk in the study but also the dining table in the living room. ‘It ’s the standard height to ensure that you can sit in a rela xed position,’ says Tran. ‘But we’ve adapted its width and length to the size of the room.’ The wall shelf is also a per fect fit: not an inch of space is wasted. Tran has some good advice if you want to fit a lot in a small space: ‘Use space ma ximising solutions as much as possible.’ If you don’t think you’ve got enough know-how to design the furniture yourself, go to a cabinet maker, pick your favour ite wood and have the storage space solution or furniture made to measure by a professional – it ’s wor th the investment.
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