Olssøn Barbieri is an Oslo-based design studio founded by Erika Barbieri and Henrik Olssøn. The duo, after several years of studying communication and industrial design in Florence, Italy, moved permanently to Oslo in 2005 and opened the studio. In 2012, the studio officially took the name Olssøn Barbieri.
The studio specializes in strategy, brand identity, and packaging, particurarly for food and beverage. Erika and Henrik wanted to create beautiful, meaningful work and collaborate with cutting-edge brands, visionary clients, and other talented creatives. Their passion for food and beverages stems from their Italian experience and is still evident in the studio's kitchen, where they prepare lunch every day.
As the studio grew, the duo decided it was time to expand the team and move to a larger space, and after five long years in the first office it was time to say goodbye.
For Erika and Henrik, food and drink are not only part of their daily work, but also a way to create moments of conviviality, shared experiences, and new inspirations. For the common room of their new studio, a high, open space with light gray walls and floors, they decided to go back to Italy a bit, if only for the culture of good design, and chose Very Simple: Kitchen.
The kitchen project features a wall configuration in standard ‘silk gray’ and a stainless steel countertop that pairs with an open shelving trolley, an element that can be moved around the space with multifunctional use. The space is completed by a large communal table made entirely of Dzek marble.
The duo remagined a space that embrace the fusion of their Italian and Norwegian cultures, a place where food connects people as an expression of love.