Edmonton Fall Home Show: Plunge right in with Nordic by Nature

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If the mantra hot, cold, rest means anything to you, you might just be a Nordic spa enthusiast.

This Scandinavian wellness experience of cooking your body, then jumping into an icy tub followed by recovery while huddled in a thick terry towel robe is a big deal across the country. Nordic spas are opening everywhere, but there’s no need to endure this healthy torture in a public place when you can enjoy therapeutic punishment right in your own backyard.

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Elements of a Nordic spa will be explored at the 2024 Edmonton Fall Home Show in a winter-themed feature called Nordic by Nature, the elements of which include a sauna, a cold plunge and a firepit surrounded by benches and hammocks. Nordic by Nature is being styled by Celeste Bakken of Form and Function Design which is based in Sherwood Park. As part of the wellness theme, the scenario will have two tiny cabins, or “bunkies,” styled as a yoga space and a backyard reading retreat. All wood products will be supplied by Forest Trek Woodwork and Maetche Construction, with live plants provided by Evolve Landscapes.

Bakken understands the desire to create a mini-Nordic spa like the one that will be represented at the Fall Home Show because she herself is a convert.

“I stopped being such a chicken,” she says. “A cold plunge is like an instant mood booster, which I did not believe until I tried it, but it does. It’s really invigorating.”

Forest Trek is supplying a matching sauna and cold plunge pair for the feature. The cold plunge is a three by six-foot oval in which people can either sit like they would in a bathtub or squat.

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“You’re not in there for very long,” Bakken says.

While Edmontonians are adding these items to outdoor spaces, Bakken says new equipment or structures should be strategically placed.

“In the last few years, conversations about outdoor spaces have included outdoor kitchens or planning the quickest safest route to the hot tub or sauna or the best placement of decks and all the technical requirements like power and access to the electrical panel,” she says. “I really enjoy it — I believe that natural spaces lead to better well being overall.”

Nordic by Nature will be next to the Main Stage at the Edmonton Fall Home Show, running Oct. 18 to 20 at the Edmonton Expo Centre. Check edmontonfallhomeshow.com for more features, tickets and presentation times.

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