Norway: The Bolder Star Lodges
The Bolder Star Lodges, Norway: A Design-Led Escape Above Lysefjorden
Winter Wellness Meets Design-Led Adventure
Norway is a country where nature shapes everything, from architecture to lifestyle. And nowhere is this more evident than at The Bolder Star Lodges, perched high above the dramatic cliffs of Lysefjorden. These cabins are more than a place to stay they are a design-led experience that immerses travellers in contemporary architecture, Scandinavian minimalism, and breathtaking natural surroundings.
While the lodges welcome guests all year round, winter brings a special kind of magic. Blanketed in snow, the fjord feels otherworldly. The silence is deeper, the air sharper, and the star-filled skies more luminous. For design-savvy winter travellers, this is a chance to combine wellness, architecture, and adventure in one unforgettable stay.
The Vipp Guesthouse Concept
The Bolder is part of the Vipp Guesthouse collection, a series of architectural hideaways around the world where travellers can experience the Danish design brand’s furniture, kitchens, and accessories in real life. Known globally for its sleek kitchens, timeless furniture, and understated approach to luxury, Vipp has created a way for design enthusiasts to live with their products in extraordinary natural and urban settings.
At Lysefjorden, that concept takes on new resonance. Here, design is not confined to a showroom but woven into the rhythms of daily life: brewing coffee in a Vipp kitchen while watching the morning mist drift across the fjord or sinking into Kvadrat-upholstered seating as a snowstorm passes outside the glass façade.
Architecture on the Edge
The story of The Bolder begins in 2010, when entrepreneur Tom Norland acquired 170 hectares of untouched land overlooking Lysefjorden. Initially imagining small hermit huts, he soon realised the site demanded something bolder. With architect John Birger Grytdal of Norgeshus, he developed the first two cabins, known as the Sky Lodges: dramatic two-storey cubes clad in Canadian cedar, balanced on a single steel pillar drilled into the granite.
The sensation of standing inside these cabins is one of levitation, as if floating between earth and sky. Floor-to-ceiling glazing erases boundaries between interior and exterior, amplifying the raw drama of the landscape.
Ten years later, Norland expanded the project with the help of Snøhetta, Norway’s world-renowned architecture studio. Together, they designed four Star Lodges: Stylten, Myra, Stjerna, and Eldhuset. These cabins are rooted in their environment, built with site-cast concrete mixed with granite aggregate quarried from the land and framed in wood that echoes the slow-growing pines surrounding them. Even the trees removed during construction were preserved for reuse elsewhere.
Elin Engelsvol, Vipp Bolder Lodges, Norway
“My intention was to give visitors a front-row view to one of the best-known fjords in the world. The border between inside and outside had to be blurred to convey the feeling of floating in nature.” — Tom Norland, Entrepreneur and Owner
Minimalism Meets Material Warmth
Inside, the design ethos is deliberately minimalist, not to compete with the views but to frame them. Each lodge is compact yet richly detailed, designed for comfort after a day of hiking, skiing, or simply wandering in nature.
Flooring: polished concrete for an industrial grounding
Walls & ceilings: dark oak and lime plaster for warmth and tactility
Furniture & kitchens: timeless Vipp designs in natural, durable finishes
Upholstery: Kvadrat fabrics, offering texture and a hint of 60s Milan glamour
Lighting & accessories: carefully curated to harmonise with the landscape
Photography, E Heier
Every element has purpose, from the natural stone washbasins by Huber Naturstein to the steel and brass kitchens. The goal is not just visual elegance but a multi-sensory experience, where textures and materials create a dialogue with the fjord outside.
“The goal was to create a total experience for the visitors — coming back to a cosy, warm wooden nest with a spectacular panoramic view of the ever-changing weather after a beautiful day of hiking along the fjord.” — Frank Denis Foray, Architect, Snøhetta
Why The Bolder Is Perfect for Winter Travel
While summer brings long days and hiking trails, winter intensifies the magic of Lysefjorden. Imagine waking to snow-dusted cliffs, then watching the fjord shift in colour as the sun traces across the horizon. At night, the glass walls make the cabins perfect viewing platforms for stargazing and if you’re lucky, even the Northern Lights.
Photography, Elin Engelsvoll
For winter travellers, The Bolder offers a rare combination of experiences: a place for wellness and mindfulness, where guests can disconnect from busy lives, reconnect with nature, and embrace silence; a base for adventure, with opportunities ranging from fjord hiking and climbing to snowshoeing across frozen landscapes; a chance for design immersion, living with Vipp products in situ and discovering how thoughtful design elevates daily rituals; and finally, the comfort of cosy minimalism, with interiors that feel like a cocoon, warming the body and calming the mind.
This is not a typical ski lodge or mountain hotel. It’s an architectural retreat where design and nature align to create a holistic winter escape.
Contemporary Design Meets Collectible Living
The Bolder project embodies the idea that contemporary design is not just something you see, it’s something you live. By integrating Vipp’s kitchens, furniture, and lighting into cabins that stand at the edge of a fjord, guests gain a rare opportunity to experience collectible design in everyday use.
Unlike a showroom, the Guesthouse concept strips away barriers. You might cook dinner on a Vipp kitchen island while snow falls outside or relax on a Vipp chair after a winter hike. These moments root design in lived experience, reminding us that true luxury lies in function, form, and connection.
Photography, Elin Engelsvoll
5 Places to Visit Nearby
For those who want to extend their stay, the Lysefjord region is rich with experiences that balance adventure and culture. Here are five must-visit spots within reach of The Bolder:
Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) – One of Norway’s most iconic hikes, this dramatic cliff rises 604 metres above the fjord. In winter, it’s quieter but requires proper gear and guided support.
Kjeragbolten – A boulder wedged between two cliffs, suspended above a 984-metre drop. Adventurous travellers can hike (in season) or admire the surreal sight from safer distances in winter.
Stavanger – A charming city about an hour away, known for its colourful wooden houses, food scene, and the Norwegian Petroleum Museum.
Flor & Fjære – A lush island garden near Stavanger, accessible by boat, where exotic plants thrive against the dramatic backdrop of the fjord.
Lysebotn Village – At the end of Lysefjorden, this tiny settlement is surrounded by peaks and waterfalls, perfect for photography and winter exploration.
The Fluxx View
For travellers seeking a design-forward, wellness-oriented winter escape, The Bolder Star Lodges deliver an unparalleled experience. Combining cutting-edge architecture, sustainable building practices, and the enduring elegance of Vipp design, these cabins embody what contemporary luxury looks like in 2025 and beyond: immersive, authentic, and deeply connected to nature.
Whether you come for a snowy adventure, a restorative retreat, or simply to live with world-class design in one of the most spectacular settings on Earth, The Bolder Star Lodges in Norway promise an unforgettable journey – a true Fluxx pick.