A Photographer’s Eye for Design

Becoming a photographer seemed to happen naturally for me. I was inspired by the beauty of the outdoors and found a passion for photographing rugged and vast landscapes globally. When Andrea and I moved to the U.S. we wanted to be close to natural elements, so we explored Montana after hearing my father’s stories of studying there in the 1960s. We fell in love with the atmosphere and vibrant colors and decided this was where we wanted to stay for good. When you leave your home country, it’s easy to feel like you don’t belong, so I appreciated having a historical anchor in Montana. I knew Andrea would also love having a place of our own, she always wanted to have “a nest.” We built The Nooq from the ground up on the first plot of land that we saw. It has direct views of the slopes, making it the perfect location for our dream home: a mountainside retreat that reflects our streamlined style.

Having never built or designed a home, I actually drew the first sketch of the house on a piece of paper. I knew I wanted three connecting pointed roofs, because as a photographer, capturing a rectangle felt less visually appealing to me than a triangle. Thus, I started using the same principles I use in photography for our dream home’s blueprint.

With our desire to bring modern Scandinavian designs into our home, we focused on clean lines, a neutral color pallette and creating an airy feeling inside. We envisioned bringing the feeling of the outside in and captured this with floor to ceiling windows in our open living room and kitchen, making The Nooq the perfect place to reconnect with nature and a slower way of life. The clutter-free, light-filled space this design offers provides the comfort so many of us seek in a home.

When it came to planning our dream kitchen and choosing appliances, we were immediately drawn to Bosch. The quality, design, and performance we were familiar with from our European origins drew us in, but we fell further in love with how seamlessly the appliances fit into the look of our space, allowing our more unique stylistic choices to come to life.

Even in the kitchen, we were very selective about the layout and appliances we chose in order to deliver on the home’s overall purpose of bringing the outside in. To maximize visibility of our fireplace and the breathtaking views of our living room, we opted for the Bosch induction cooktop. The minimalist style, low profile and clean lines make it one of our favorite appliances, and the installation allows us to look out at the open scenery without needing a vent hood hanging down from the ceiling. Instead, we rely on our downdraft ventilation hood, which I might add always impresses our guests when it pops up with the push of a button! It’s the perfect solution for our kitchen because it’s there when we need it and disappears when we don’t.

We wanted our friends to be able to sit around the island while we cook. Thus, we created a 180-degree open space around the island table to achieve this cooking and entertaining space, which makes it fun for both the chef and our guests.

Andrea loves the convection setting of our Bosch wall ovens for precise baking. She can’t believe how fast food cooks using this setting and it has definitely led her to a newfound love for baking pies (I’m not complaining!).

Our Bosch French Door bottom mount refrigerator maximizes food storage while maintaining the minimalist kitchen design we were going for. It has a streamlined counter-depth exterior with hidden feet and hinges that is perfect for our smaller space. We also opted for a dishwasher with a clean exterior and hidden controls, blending in seamlessly and reflecting the quiet, calm ambiance we wanted our home to embody. Speaking of quiet, as with any Bosch dishwasher, this workhorse is seen but not heard when it’s running, and this makes such a difference in our serene space.

Don’t settle! Bringing to life the home you envision is what will make the end result so special to you . Thus, consider a new build rather than remodeling your home to look exactly like your neighbor’s. Design and building techniques are evolving every day. Don’t be afraid to be different.

Once you have your vision in mind, learn how the process works and decide what you want before jumping into the costs of financing, architectural fees, etc. Being prepared and having a general understanding of the process will make it feel a lot smoother and gives you the confidence you need to push back. For example, our electrician recommended an exact plan, but then Andrea shared her own version and why it would work. Ultimately, with a little planning together, we were able to bring her plan to life with him.

Andrea’s advice: follow your instincts. Go with your first impression or the initial idea you like whenever possible. Overthinking can result in lost time and stress over little details. This is especially important when choosing items like flooring and tiles that are more difficult to replace down the line. Go with your gut and choose what you like right away – that’s what will stick in the long run.

When Andrea and I wake up at The Nooq, we walk around and pinch ourselves thinking, “I wonder when the owner will come back? Oh wait, that's us!” All the hard work, time, effort and investment we put into living in such a unique and special place to us means the world. It’s where we return after long trips and feel totally at ease relaxing in a space that we can truly call our own.

- Alex Strohl