Norway • Real Estate

How people live in any particular country says a lot about the culture. Norway has one of the highest standards of living on Earth. And yet, there doesn’t appear to be a lot of ostentation. It exists, but they do it Scandinavian style. I’m an American, so when people in my country have money, they tend to want to flaunt it with enormous houses, way too many expensive cars, and quite often a yacht or two. Russians are the same. But Norway doesn’t have that problem. They’ve got nothing to prove to anybody. Their country is drop dead gorgeous. The landscape itself is wildly ostentatious. 

If their architecture were any more ornate, they’d destroy the precarious balance they’ve created with Nature. So they’ve found a way to enjoy their wealth, but do it with economy and efficiency. Really, all of Scandinavia enjoys this delicious harmony with Nature. They don’t share Italy and France’s love of ornate architecture and interior design. It’s Spartan by comparison, but it seriously works. They practically invented the concept of “less is more”. Think IKEA, and you’ve got the idea. Maybe it’s their Viking heritage that has taught them to make less look like more. They waste nothing. But everybody everywhere has an IKEA store for a reason. This is how you enjoy Arctic living.