Work

“My dad always told my siblings and me that we were one-half Norwegian, one-fourth Swedish, one-fourth German and all American,” says Sonja Anderson, the owner of Nordic World. For the past 27 years this vivacious entrepreneur has combined her artistic talent with her love of all things Scandinavian in a business which operates from the tiny hamlet of Frost, Minnesota (population 250).

Sonja was born and raised in Indiana and “just kept migrating west,” she says with an infectious laugh. Educated as an art teacher, she taught K-12 art in Winnebago from 1969 to 1971. When her son was an infant she took a class in rosemaling “just to get out of the house.” She quickly developed a passion for this style of painting, and studied further with several instructors from Norway at the Vesterheim Museum in Decorah, Iowa.

Sonja defines rosemaling as “Norwegian abstract flower painting, generally done on wood. The colors are deep and muted, with lots of shading.” Her custom rosemaling includes beautiful designs painted on wooden baskets, Christmas ornaments and dishes. “I love to paint on wood pieces that I find at antique shops,” Sonja comments as she displays a large wooden bowl that is a work in progress.

But Sonja is not only an artist – she is an entrepreneur. She asked herself, “What else can I put these designs on that can be mass-produced and sold?” Her original designs have been adapted to many different media – printed on notecards and napkins, and silk screened or embroidered on clothing. Perhaps the most famous of Sonja’s designs is her china pattern, aptly named “Sonja Rose.”

Sonja had been purchasing china ware from a wholesaler in northern Minnesota, and was asked to design an almond cake plate for them. Her “Sonja Rose” pattern is fired on china, and has expanded to include an entire set of dinnerware, as well as some specialty Christmas pieces. “I had to think differently in painting the design for the china,” says Sonja. “Normally in rosemaling there is a lot of shading – but there is no shading for the design fired on china.”

In addition to her own creations, Sonja sells a wide variety of Scandinavian imports – including dishes, jewelry, books and music, linen, dolls and figurines, and specialty food items. “This is the coolest stuff in the world!” she exclaims. “I don’t understand why everyone wouldn’t want a troll in their living room.” Nordic World has been in business since 1982, and Sonja has been selling product online throughout the United States and Canada for over 10 years. “Several years ago I was selling large metal Viking helmets manufactured by a man from Seattle,” she laughs. “I sold a dozen of them to a costume shop in Hollywood, and another three to a professional wrestler!”

Family is a very important part of Sonja’s life. From 1982 to 2006, Sonja operated her shop in a building on the rural acreage where she and her husband, Larry, raised their son and daughter. This allowed her to be home with her children and still have contact with the outside world. “I’m richly blessed with six grandchildren,” says Sonja. “My son and his wife live a mile away on the family farm and have four children. They are the sixth generation of Andersons to live there. My daughter and husband live in Woodbury and have two children.” Sonja also enjoys playing the organ at church, helping with the Sunday School program, and has a passion for landscaping their home.

Today Sonja operates her business out of the Benco building in Frost. Many of her sales are online, although she also hosts open houses before Christmas and for Syttende Mai (the Norwegian Constitution Day celebrated on May 17). The shop is also open by appointment and has many repeat customers who contact Sonja when they are visiting the area. Sonja says that one of the most enjoyable aspects of owning her business is the interesting people she meets. “People come to my shop for a fun outing. I love to shop in little stores with unique merchandise. It’s like a treasure hunt, to find and purchase something fun.”

Win a Sonja Rose cake plate from Nordic World! Check out details on the Womeninc Facebook fan page.