28 Jun 2011 – MagnusPOULSSON (1881-1951)

Herodd is located on Nesøya and was the home of the renowned architect MagnusPOULSSON (1881-1951), who designed the Oslo & Bærum City Halls + many more well-known buildings here in Norway. Also Ellen’s father and the L&M’s great-grandfather. The house is now a Heritage house, thus protected.

Yesterday was a rainy walk from Sandvika to Nesøya (app 1hr) to visit L&M‘s grandmother, Ellen. We had a lovely afternoon chatting away over a pot of tea with smoked salmon, cheese and her delicious home-made oatmeal biscuits which are the best. She will still insist on having a perfectly pressed linen table-cloth and napkins. Looking thru’ her childhood pix accompanied with the stories was one of  the high points. Thank you Ellen for her graciousness and time. She will be 87 in Oct.

1974-1976, lived in Ellen&JohnIII’s Nesøya house, 3mins walk to Herodd and with the use of a private beach. They were then living in Tromsø. Nesøya in 1974 was and still is a small island in the municipality of Asker/Norway. It is linked to the mainland via a bridge and most likely got its name from the farm Nes on the mainland. This farm is assumed to have been one of the oldest ones in the district. When we lived there, Linn was the only a baby and we had just moved from Dublin/Ireland. It was difficult times, not understanding the language, culture etc. Without immediate family or friends did not help to the feeling of isolation.

The few familiar sights, like that of Kolberg farm is still the same, otherwise many changes. The Kolberg family are one of the known families (importers of Mazda & Hyundai) who have lived here for 4 generations. Took pix in 2008 during winter (Oct 2008 posting, WinterWonderland) and the winter and summer views are quite a contrast. The colourful variety of wild and garden flowers are a feast for the eyes!

Flowers are restful to look at. They have neither emotions nor conflicts – Sigmund Freud

Edited 10Jan2026 link from 7Jan2026 Budstikka – Magnus Poulssons egen drømmebolig på Nesøya er nå til salgs for 26 millioner kroner. Mannen som tegnet Oslo rådhus bygde i 1919 sin egen nasjonalromantiske tømmerhytte, som senere ble ombygget til helårsbolig under krigen. Boligen “Herodd” står som et hovedverk i norsk arkitekturhistorie og har vært i Poulsson-familien frem til 2010.