REBECCA NORBERG

 In what way do you think your environment growing up shaped the person you are today? Are there any traditions or rituals that your family / culture have that you cherish and make you proud?

When I think of my childhood and the environment that I grew up in, the first thing that comes to mind are both outdoor and indoor environments in equal measure. One would assume that growing up in Stockholm was cold and dark for a large part of the year, which it is if you compare it to other countries, but as a child, that's not something that was a narrative that I was told or that I focused on. I really enjoyed the seasons and being out doing activities all year round. Of course we had to wear more clothes in winter, but other than that, it wasn't that big of a deal. I think that talking about rituals and traditions, there is a saying in Sweden where I grew up that translates to the equivalent of “there is no bad weather, there’s only inappropriate clothing”. That was very much the mentality. Actually, my environment almost relates more to the outdoors than the indoor environments that I grew up in. 

When it comes to our home and the fact that I grew up in an apartment, something that I think about is the fact that we moved around. Not a lot, but a few times as a child. Also, there wasn't that much of a narrative around interiors when I grew up. It’s strange because my mom worked with interiors, so maybe that's the reason that I related it more to her job and something natural. I do know that friends who came to our house felt that we had a very nice home. Not that things were expensive, but just that it was quite tidy and organised and more of an adult home. Even though me and my sister were children and we were living there as well, some of my friends would joke about it feeling almost as if it was a staged home for a magazine. But because it was the only thing I knew, I thought it was funny and I didn't think much of it because it was just my home and my parents were never crazy obsessive about anything. Of course we had to be careful not to spill on the furniture etc., but my parents did it in a very discreet way so that we didn't have to remove ourselves as children from the space. Instead they would provide cozy cushions for us to sit on on the floor, rather than eat chocolate on the white sofa.

You lived in different places throughout your life. What does being an immigrant mean to you? Do you think those experiences gave you a different perspective than if you had stayed in Sweden?

For those that don't know, I grew up in Stockholm, but my family also lived in New Zealand, in Auckland, when I was around 10 and in Valencia in Spain when I was around 14-15. We also moved apartments, like I mentioned in my answer to question one. Um, and we lived in the city, but my extended family owns a summer house outside of Stockholm and my grandparents live outside of the city center and we would visit them very often. So I felt like my relationship to a home was quite fluid and that I was fairly flexible, or became flexible, as a child around living in different types of homes. When it comes to moving around and being an immigrant, it made me a little bit of an outsider, but in a positive way. I know that there are many different social and cultural settings and nationalities and backgrounds that people have that you don't have to fit in everywhere. Maybe you don't connect with every single person you meet in a new place, but you will find like minded people regardless of where you are and that's a beautiful thing. There is similarity in diversity and a shared, common human experience that most of us can tap into and get to know each other via – regardless of age or ethnicity or religious beliefs etc.

What are three ways that you identify (labels you’d give yourself), they don’t necessarily have to be the only or the most important ones, and what are three small ways in which these are reflected in your home?

So three ways in which I identify are, for example, that I feel that I'm a bit of an outsider sometimes, in a good way. Usually it's something that I choose myself as a way of going past my comfort zone, like trying something new that I've been dreaming about and not holding back but wanting to grow and experience new things. The way that’s reflected in my home now is, for example, that I live quite isolated compared to what most of my friends and colleagues do. I decided to move to the countryside with my family. We live in a house on an island and we see the ocean. We have cats and chickens. I work from home and being culturally and socially isolated from the industry that you work in is I guess quite rare. For me, the reason is that I feel that this home is really a sanctuary during a time in my life where I do want to prioritize my work, but I also want to prioritize health and my little child, who is one and a half years old. I want to have a connection with the present moment, which I feel is a lot easier here than in a busy, urban environment, which is what I previously lived in.

I also identify as a caretaker, both for myself and for the people around me and I’m someone who enjoys the company of others, but also needs time for myself. How this is reflected in my home is that there are a lot of different pockets where we can both hang out alone or with bigger groups of people. We have an open floor plan in our living room so that people can sit in lounge chairs, on a sofa or on the floor, we even have a double bed as a daybed in our living room around where we have a fireplace. When I’m home alone during the day, this big, airy living room becomes a place where I can read a book, reflect, meditate or relax and have a lot of air and beautiful light around me.

I also identify as a Scandinavian I guess. Actually, I don't know if I identify as a Scandinavian, I feel it's just so ingrained in me and I don't know anything different. As a Scandinavian, I guess my home is a cozy place and somewhere where I spend a lot of time compared to what I probably would if I was living in a warmer part of the world. It's also a place filled with natural materials and calm and serene colors and tones. The textures are soft and comforting too. It's a very supportive space rather than an intense or super expressive space, which I'm currently quite interested in challenging by exploring a different aesthetic. However, the foundation will likely always stay with me because of how I grew up and how I relate to homes in general. I guess I want the home to be a place that feels good to be in and that makes you happy.