The Lounge at restaurant Mangelsgården with tables from Frama and a pink sofa from Tacchini
There is an old 16th century building downtown Oslo called , history tells about royals, parties – and also of being a shelter for those without a home over the years. It was announced protected site back in 1927 and for many years not been in use at all. With all its history and atmosphere the building now houses a restaurant with the same name as the building itself. Mangelsgården opened in October and by now has gotten top reviews in every newspaper in town for their excellent food and friendly service. I´ve also tried the food and fully agree with the reviews – but do take a second look at the interior when you visit as well. It does everything for the atmosphere and how you experience the place. has been working on it for the past three years and the last pieces of furniture was delivered from Italy a couple of weeks ago. I´ve had the pleasure of hearing their thoughts and ideas for the design.
Bench from Frama with cognac leather seat
Sofa Tacchini, Rivet table/Frama and table lamp from Menu
When the designers started working on the interior they basically couldn’t do anything with the surfaces. During the restoration in 2008 everything was done the way it used to look like. The green color on the wall painted with linseed oil paint and the gold leaf details looks exactly like they used to do originally. They were not allowed to attach anything to the walls (a few lamps were allowed) and you can imagine the challenges it gave them. At the same time they say that all the restricitons made it a fun project to work on. With the goal of creating a restaurant were the guests would feel very welcome, the atmosphere is low-key and basically is a really nice place to be to enjoy great and simple food. A cosy restaurant and wine bar with a nostalgic Northern European kitchen.
High back sofa and low sofa from Tacchini, tables from Frama and chair from Please Wait to be Seated.
Before even starting on the design process Kråkvik & D´Orazio used the building as a location for a photo shoot. Spending a lot of time in what back then felt like dark and gloomy rooms made it easier to see what the premises needed. It was clear that they needed to add something new – with great respect for the building and its history. The starting point was the blue chair from Mattiazzi called Solo Chair. It gives the room the unexpected pop of color it needs, freshening up the beautiful green. Every room has been brought back to its original colors except a small room right next to the dining area now used as an wardrobe. During the 2008-restoration it wasn’t possible to find the original color and Kråkvik and D´Orazio was given full creative freedom – the room is entirely colored Klein blue with inspiration from the blue dining chair.
Pendants and tables from Frama, blue chairs from Mattiazzi.
The Frama tables is covered with leather that will age beautifully like the rest of the building. Carrying history and stains, underlining the relaxed atmosphere. They look worn already, I love it. The round table in the corner is the most popular one, of course. With vintage chairs around and a huge rice lamp above.
Handcrafted menu design and cutlery from Ole Palsby
The blue room
The bar and wine cabinets is custom built by Frama. Nothing could be attached to the floor or the walls because of the buildings status as protected site. If you are familiar with Frama kitchens you can see the similarities but the dark grey color of both the bar and the stool is exclusively made for Mangelsgården.
Photography © Elisabeth Heier. Interior design and styling by Jannicke Kråkvik and Alessandro D´Orazio
Thank you so much Jessica, Henrik and Niklas (Understaden) for opening up your restaurant for me to share it with my readers – and a warm thanks to Jannicke and Alessandro who is an endless source of knowledge and inspiration.
Elisabeth
The post appeared first on .
