BO BEDRE Adapted Nordic Living for More Than 28 Countries
About BO BEDRE
BO BEDRE has been a leading voice in Scandinavian design since its first issue in 1961. The magazine helped define the modern Nordic interior style and later expanded its readership to Norway in 2003. Over the years, it has featured in several exhibitions and secured a permanent place in the history of Nordic design and lifestyle publishing.
As interest in the Nordic way of living continued to grow globally, BO BEDRE decided in 2015 to create Nordic Living, an international English-language bookazine. Blending the depth of a book with the visual pace of a magazine, Nordic Living offers long-form interior features, home tours, interviews, design news, and cultural stories. Today it is published twice a year and distributed in more than 28 countries.
The brief
The English edition needed to represent Scandinavian design culture with the same clarity, warmth, and visual influence as the Danish and Norwegian originals. Each issue comprises lengthy features with detailed narratives, stylistic nuances, and subtle humour that work well in Scandinavian languages but often require careful adaptation for a global audience.
BO BEDRE needed translations that:
- kept the magazine’s editorial identity intact
- took cultural differences into account across markets
- preserved the rhythm and tone of lifestyle journalism
- conveyed design vocabulary accurately
- felt like original English writing rather than a direct rendering
Editor-in-chief Erik Rimmer stressed that quality and brand fidelity were non-negotiable. The English content needed to reflect the same care that goes into the photography, styling, and layout.
Our approach
BO BEDRE chose AdHoc Translations to manage the English edition. They wanted a setup that offered consistency across issues, strong editorial sensitivity, and direct communication with the language team.
Project setup
To achieve this, we designed a process that balanced accuracy, nuance, and creative expression.
We agreed on:
- a dedicated translator with experience in interiors, design language, and long-form editorial content
- a native English proof-reader and copywriter to refine tone and style
- frequent dialogue between BO BEDRE and the translator to align expectations
- pre-press checks to ensure that text and layout worked together across different article formats
This level of continuity allowed the translator to understand the magazine’s evolving voice and linguistic patterns from issue to issue.
Translation workflow
The workflow was built to protect the magazine’s storytelling quality.
Each article moved through four stages:
- Interpretive translation
The translator focused on intent and tone rather than literal equivalence. Descriptions of materials, light, spatial flow, and design philosophy needed to feel natural to an international reader. - Cultural and stylistic adaptation
Some metaphors, idioms, and cultural references were adjusted so they resonated with readers outside Scandinavia. This stage ensured that the text reflected both the content and the spirit of the originals. - Editorial proof-reading
A native English editor reviewed the full set of articles. They checked structure, flow, clarity, headings, and transitions to ensure the final text read like lifestyle journalism rather than a translation. - Pre-press review
Before each issue went to print, BO BEDRE and the translator reviewed the final layouts together. Adjustments were sometimes required to fit text around photography, captions, pull quotes, and page composition.
This step ensured that the English edition upheld the visual and editorial standards of the magazine.
Quality and publication gains
The process delivered several advantages for BO BEDRE
- a consistent voice across issues and article types
- refined English versions that felt natural to readers in many markets
- shorter internal review time due to the translator’s familiarity with the brand
- fewer layout issues, as the team discussed page constraints early in production
- a repeatable workflow that the publishing team could rely on every season
The English edition now meets the same standard of quality that BO BEDRE is known for in Scandinavia.
The outcome
The approach ensures that Nordic Living reaches readers in more than 28 countries with content that feels authentic, polished, and true to Scandinavian design culture. The partnership continues to support BO BEDRED’s goal of bringing Nordic living to a wider international audience.
