Lindas Dekor: Innovative home design, from New York to Lofoten

By Molly McPharlin | Photos: Lindas Dekor

Whimsical kitchen equipment, modern self-adhesive tiles, characterful knick-knacks to decorate a home or summer cottage – these are just some of the charming, useful, and quirky home décor items that are stocked at Lindas Dekor, an online design and DIY store located in Inderøy, Norway that customers can explore from all over the world.

Lindas Dekor began in 2008 when its founder, Linda Melby, met her true love and moved to Værøy in Lofoten. While the island was incredibly beautiful, jobs and money-making ventures were hard to come by. In 2010 she decided to open her own business.

Lindas Dekor: Innovative home design, from New York to Lofoten

Containers and labels.

Since there were only 750 people living on the island, Melby discovered she needed a broader customer base and started selling her products through Facebook. Her daughter Charlotte was living in New York at the time and helped her mother set up a web shop for the start-up business.

While there, Charlotte discovered there were very few rental-friendly ways to renovate an apartment. “I asked my mom to send material to create wall stickers so I could cover my tiles,” Charlotte remembers. “My mom realised there was a market for such products and found suppliers of self-adhesive décor film that could be used to upgrade tiles, walls, furniture, and more. We launched Lindas Dekor off the back of this and quickly became the largest distributor of self-adhesive film and tiles for easy home renovation in Norway.”

Wall tiles.

Building a business from the ground up

Neither Linda nor Charlotte had any formal training. Linda had experience within the retail industry as a manager, but everything they know about interior design and e-commerce has been self-taught. They started with a small warehouse, but always viewed themselves primarily as an online shop and have now moved into a much larger facility in Inderøy. “Internet sales are how we reach our customers. We are currently working on setting up a small showroom, but besides this, there are no plans to open an in-person store,” Charlotte says.

The main products they sell are still self-adhesive décor films and tiles, but they have also expanded to include a variety of storage solutions and home products. “What is unique and special about our products is that they are so user-friendly. Anyone new to the DIY world can easily use these products to create their dream home, regardless of budget or if they rent or own their property,” Charlotte states.

The beginning of Lindas Dekor in 2010.

“Considering we have the largest collection of designs in Norway and Sweden, our customers can choose from a wide range – realistic wood, classic marble, concrete – that give them endless possibilities for renovating their home.”

Though they don’t consider their products distinctly Norwegian, most are what would be termed Scandinavian interior design. “Though the look we promote is mainly Scandinavian, we do like to offer whimsical, fun interiors as well. We have a wide range of designs so anyone will be able to find something they like,” Charlotte says.

Lindas Dekor today.

The DIY and design trend in Norway

Customers of Lindas favour a wide range of products. The marble collection of self-adhesive film in beige and white are popular. “We receive daily photos and reels on Instagram of customers creating their own custom table with this design and it always turns out so amazing,” Charlotte says. Oak minimal design products are also popular for people renovating their stairs. “It’s always fun to see how happy customers are after being able to create something on their own.”

Charlotte thinks the typical Norwegian household consists of modern design using Ikea furniture and some individual pieces from family or unique shops. A natural colour scheme is favoured with large windows that focus on the dramatic sceneries Norway offers. “We see a lot of people interested in home décor,” she says. “In contrast to other countries, Norwegians tend to renovate often, using trending designs and colours. We are currently witnessing a switch in Norwegian homes from neutral dark colours to lighter ones.”

Charlotte feels it’s difficult to choose one favourite product Lindas offer. “I’m especially fond of our self-adhesive tiles,” she says. “I love the realistic designs on these and the fact that in an hour I can have new tiles in my kitchen or bathroom without any other prep work or huge expense. They are perfect for someone like me who enjoys changing the interiors of my home often.”

Stairs with foil.

An environmentally conscious business

Sustainability is important to Lindas Dekor. “The products we offer are created to reuse and redesign existing furniture and interiors,” says Charlotte. “Instead of throwing away an old table and buying a new one, you can update it easily with our self-adhesive films and make it last for several more years. The same goes for kitchen and bathroom walls, your floors, your stairs.”

The suppliers that Lindas Dekor collaborated with also are environmentally conscious in terms of their materials and factory management. “One supplier uses their excess heat from production at the factory to heat their village,” Charlotte says. Lindas Dekor has several systems in place in their own warehouse to ensure that reusing and recycling materials is possible.

Future plans

For the future, Lindas Dekor plans to continue expanding beyond Scandinavia. “Currently, we ship in Norway and to Sweden. We’re launching shipments to Denmark in July 2023,” says Charlotte. “Our vision is to keep expanding beyond Scandinavia. We wish to provide DIY-inspiration and décor to all of Europe and become the go-to online shop for all DIY needs. Especially for those who are new to that world.”