On a small square in Stabekk - a leafy suburb just ten minutes outside Oslo - sits Bolina. The shop occupies three joined spaces on the ground floor of a building constructed by the founders’ grandfather. Inside, it is scented with rosemary and eucalyptus and layered full of Japanese ceramics, textiles, vintage finds and clothing - among them pieces from TOAST. Customers step in and linger, drawn by both the changing displays and the atmosphere that has quietly built over decades.
Bolina is run by sisters Cathrine and Hanne Borge, who, after nearly forty years working together, share an easy rhythm - part intuition, part humour. In its early incarnation, the shop was a traditional hardware store, a place of keys, buckets and lawnmowers. “There were nuts and bolts and keys and lawnmowers in the summer, which we rolled out onto the street,” Cathrine says. Over time, their mother - who shared her daughters’ creative instincts - introduced more kitchenware. “Then when Hanna joined, we quickly stocked less and less hardware,” Cathrine says. “I started when I was 18 or 19,” adds Hanne. "I have had some economic education, but not like my sister with fashion or interior design. None of that. I'm self-made."
Change was not guided by a strategy, but by curiosity and personal feeling. “We never really wanted to follow a particular style,” says Cathrine. “Most of the time, we usually just follow our gut feeling, our heart. If we like something, we buy it.” One of the first turning points came when they began stocking clothing. A rack of striped sailor tops was set out on the pavement - and sold rapidly. We had a little rack outside the store, and I think we sold like 10 pieces each day,” Catherine says, “It was amazing.” Today, clothing accounts for half the shop’s offering. Long-standing relationships with brands are part of the approach. “We have stocked some for 15 years,” says Cathrine.
The building itself has evolved too. The sisters have expanded the shop by knocking through to the next space. “Twice we’ve done that,” says Cathrine. The area around them is low-rise and residential. Within the building are fifteen other shops, including a florist. “We use flowers from there in the store, and we also sell silk flowers,” says Cathrine. “So sometimes we mix them.”
The shop is layered and arranged with a sense of ease. “I wouldn’t describe it as minimalist,” laughs Cathrine. The sisters make their selections independently but with mutual respect. “Me and Hanna are quite different in both what we like and how we are as people. But we value each other,” says Cathrine. “We just buy what we like, really. Like if you would go shopping for yourself and choose what to put in your apartment.”
A strong part of Bolina’s identity is its transformation across the seasons - an approach which keeps long-standing customers returning. “We have three major events,” says Cathrine. “We have the spring release, as we call it, which we transform the whole shop, everything, into spring. And we do the same for autumn. And then we also do the Christmas shop.” The Christmas event is especially loved. “Our customers love to see how we transform the shop, and they make a girlfriend or mother and daughter event out of it.” Many of the shop’s customers have been visiting for decades. “Most are long-term customers,” says Cathrine. “Some of them have been coming here for 40 years.”
A typical day begins in a simple way. “Coffee. Always,” says Cathrine. The sisters divide their time. “Hanne works in the shop quite a lot compared to me,” explains Cathrine. “I work more in the back rooms. I work a lot with the photos and styling and things like that.” They update the displays frequently - responding both to the seasons and to their customers’ visits.
When asked about their favourite pieces, the sisters answer readily. “Japanese ceramics. I love, love, love those,” says Cathrine. “Most of my kitchen is filled up with them.” Hanne adds, “I like vintage. We have a selection of vintage, some beautiful baskets.” TOAST clothing also holds a long-standing place. “I first saw TOAST in Country Living magazine. It was long before there were any TOAST shops. I’ve been buying TOAST for what must be 20 years.” The sisters describe TOAST clothing with an appreciation shaped by many years of wearing it. “You can wear it every day. And it’s comfortable,” says Cathrine. “I think it’s clothes that you can move in. You can live in them. You can look really nice and go out to dinner, but you can also lounge around in the house.”
When we speak, Cathrine and Hanne are sitting side by side, laughing easily as they describe their lives as shopkeepers. It’s this natural closeness that gives Bolina its particular charm, an easy warmth and humour that draws customers back and creates a sense of genuine community in this peaceful Norwegian neighbourhood.
Discover a selection of TOAST pieces at Bolina, Norway.
Words by Alice Simkins Vyce.
Photography by Ivar Kvaal.
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