[1][2] Raknerud was raised in Kristiania (today's Oslo) where her father Hagbarth August Grøntoft (1847–1884) was a merchant.

She spent three years at the Christiania Kunst- og Haandværksskole, receiving training in architecture (1895–1897).

[3] Heidi Froknestad, who has researched Grøntoft Raknerud's background, points out how unusual it was for a woman to design a commercial building at the end of the 19th century.

In a letter, she wrote: "I am in any case the first woman in this class..."[4] When she returned from London, there were few opportunities for architects in Norway.

[4][3] The couple settled in Drammen in the south of Norway where she continued to design residential buildings and furniture.