Interior design: between Nordic design and Japanese craftsmanship

For the new location of the starred restaurant, which also includes an underground cellar, Norm Architects has created an interior design concept customized that dialogues with the surrounding rural landscape. To furnish the airy and bright spaces, furniture and accessories in pure oak made to measure by the Japanese brand Karimoku, of which the same Danish studio is creative director together with the Japanese designer Keiji Ashizawa.

The rural scenario

Located in the inside the vineyard, as well as an accommodation facility, Ästad, the Äng restaurant is now housed in a sort of greenhouse that stands alone among the meadows and vines, near the lakes of southern Sweden, immersed in an uncontaminated and lush Nordic landscape.

Light and mirror

The window facades that define the transparent and reflective structure allow sunlight to enter smoothly and naturally. If from the outside they are transformed into mirrors, from the inside the large windows offer a 360-degree view that gives the feeling of eating and drinking, or rather tasting, in the quiet bucolic.

Natural materials

Mirroring the surrounding landscape, for the interior design with a measured style, punctuated by rough sculptures and pieces with ancestral references, Norm Architects chose natural materials, such as pure  oak for furnishings and accessories, raw canvas for the wall panels and stone for the floors, that have been slightly refined or processed to make them more 'delicate'.

Sensory experience

Comprising a bar and lounge area on the ground floor as well as a wine cellar, dining area and wine lounge on the basement level, the goal was to create an elevated experience around food and wine, adding to the sensory experience of Swedish haute cuisine.

Only local products for the dishes of the Äng restaurant

Since its opening in 2019, Restaurang Äng has refined its concept of only using produce from local farms, forests, and meadows around the Halland landscape and was awarded its first Michelin star in 2021 as well as the guide’s green star for extraordinary practices regarding sustainability.

The philosophy of material richness by Karimolu

In the core of Karimoku's brand identity is the material richness given by natural elements. The new furniture and objects designed by Norm Architects and Keiji Ashizawa Design specifically for Restaurang Äng, with the others existing pieces, part of the rich company collection, illustrate the craftsmanship of Karimoku Furniture as well as the deep understanding for the material properties of wood.

Intertwining the principles of Japanese and Scandinavian design - essential yet soft, graceful and timeless - the new delicate furniture and bespoke accessories are all made of Japanese oak.

A blend of haute cuisine and country idyll

“The overall vision has been to create a modern interpretation of the spirit of the place. You’re out in the middle of the Swedish nature on a former farm. Still, we wanted to create an elevated and refined experience around the food” explain the designers of Norm Architects. “We strived to strike a balance between the rural and local on the one hand, and the refined and elevated on the other. Therefore, we worked with natural materials that have been slightly refined or processed to make them more delicate. It’s turned out as a blend of haute cuisine and country idyll – just like the food”.