A Tiny Danish Home That's Big On (Handmade) Design!

I was scratching around for something to post today. My criteria was to find something a little different from the other spaces I've shown this week. And since I went all white yesterday, I was thinking a pop or two of colour would be nice too. Little did I know my search would lead me to this beauty in the heart of Copenhagen! Measuring a tiny 44 m2 (474 f2), this little apartment in the Nørrebro neighbourhood serves as a pied-à-terre for Puk Sjelden, her husband Jake and their 17 year old twin daughters. The apartment is made up of two rooms: an open-plan kitchen / dining area and one double bedroom and has been renovated to incorporate clever design ideas, pops of colour and a series of fun DIY hacks.  Welcome to Puk's mini but mighty Danish world! 

The stripy stool is an IKEA DIY hack (check out the DIY highlights on Puk's instagram for the know-how) - and the built in bench and mattress are also handmade. The dining room wall has been painted in Sand from Jotun. 

Did you carry out the renovation yourselves? You seem very handy!
"We (or Jake!) are really handy and we do a lot of the minor details ourselves - like the blue shelves. However, we used a contractor for the larger renovations so that we didn't have to coordinate all the craftsmen. We were very involved in all the details throughout the process."

Puk and Jake have created two recessed shelves using electric blue paint ('Sadolin' code: U9.48.19) and light wood. 

How did you come up with the idea for the recessed shelving?  

There was a hole in the kitchen wall when we took over the apartment, so instead of covering it up we decided to turn it into a feature. The blue shelves came about because I wanted a change. They used to be a covered cabinet and I wanted to bring more dynamics to the room. The colour turned the shelving into more of an installation which I really like! It adds a bit of edge to the room. 

Print by danish artist Sini Salminen.

Can you tell me more about the pops of colour? 

It's funny because I used to be super afraid of colour! I always went for monochrome. But then a Danish design company inspired me to create the blue shelves - and now I can't get enough of colour! It can change the entire feeling of a room. 

What do you like most about your apartment?

I really enjoy the kitchen and the nook, it has a good feeling and it's so cosy hanging out here alone, together or with good friends. 

A Hay mega dot throw adds a sunshine feel to the bedroom. while simple crates provide as extra storage. A simple Pujo coat rack is perfect as a makeshift wardrobe! 

Isn't this space wonderful?

If you love this pad as much as I do you'll be excited to hear that it's also available to rent through Airbnb! Perfect little over nighter! I know where I'll be staying next time I'm in Copenhagen!

You can see more pictures here. 

Other small spaces to feel inspired by: 

A beautiful two room Swedish apartment

A mini but mighty Stockholm apartment

15 small space hacks to learn from a lovely Danish home

Anyone else dreaming of having a little pied-à-terre in town in which to hang out with friends and rent on airbnb? Such fun! 

Niki

Photography: Puk Sjelden / @poppelgade

A special thank you to my good friend Mette at @monstercircus for the tip!

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An Architect's Delightfully Calm Copenhagen Home (And It's On Airbnb Too!)

When you go on holiday do your prefer an airbnb or a hotel? - Or perhaps something in between? When travelling with the crazies I prefer an airbnb but when it's just Per and I - I'd more likely opt for a hotel (or a romantic B&B!) - mainly because I love a good breakfast buffet! But then I discover Airbnb apartments like this one in Copenhagen. Owned by an architect, the three-bedroom apartment is situated on one of the capital's most sought after streets and features beautiful sky-blue walls, light wood features and a blend of antique and new nordic design pieces. Who's to say you can't nip to the local bakery and pick up a fantastic wienerbrød (Danish pastry) and freshly brewed coffee to go in the morning?! The next time I'm in Denmark's capital city, I'm totally checking in here - and I might just never leave! Could you imagine staying here too? 

Mayor Aj5 sofa, Formakami pendant*

"Both architects, we transformed this historic apartment into a comfortable and calm home. With a focus on natural and luxurious materials, we have allowed the history of the place to inspire the design."

Circle pendant shade, Georg Jensen pitcher*

I love the backsplash. I spotted something similar in this magical Norwegian mountain cabin. You can create a similar one by treating a sheet of copper with acid for an aged look.  

"The apartments finished with a mixture of mid-century Scandinavian furniture, contemporary furniture, auction finds, and pieces from Justine's home in South Africa."

Copper clothes hanger* (similar)

Isn't it beautiful? I love the sky blue and copper touches in particular. 

If you're visiting Copenhagen and would like to hang out here for a while, the apartment is available through Airbnb right here.

Fancy exploring some other Airbnb options in Scandi-land? Here are a few I've got my eye on:

Two idyllic Danish cabins
A beautiful apartment in Bergen (love this!)
A hygge Danish log cabin near the sea
An off-the-grid getaway on an island in the Helsinki archipelagos
A romantic lakeside schoolhouse in Sweden

Quite a varied list, I must say! Which would you choose?

I've got to hurry home from there studio now as a local Malmö paper is coming to my house for a home story - so fun! God knows how the kids left it this morning but I'm pretty sure there's a lot of tidying up to be done. Gah! 

Have a lovely day!

Niki

Photographs courtesy of Airbnb found via Nordic Design with thanks

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The Colours in This Danish Home (and Wardrobe) Will Be Hot in 2020!

How about a little respite from all the Christmas craziness today? I was scrolling through Instagram over the weekend and stumbled on the fabulously funky, colourful home of Trine Staberg Petersen (well worth a follow on instagram if you love danish interiors and fashion!). Trine lives in Copenhagen with her husband and three children and has decorated her home with vintage furniture and accessories in an array of colours ranging from deep red and caramel, to earthy green, chocolate and lavender. Many of these shades are set to be big in 2020 and I love the way Trine has combined them. But my favourite thing of all? The retro soda stream! It took me straight back to my starlight express roller boots and walkman sport! Keep a look out for it in the tour!

I hope you enjoyed this tour as much as I did!

Did you spot the soda stream? FYI it's available online here.

The lavender / dark brown combination in the bedroom really caught my and is set to be really big in 2020. I also love the combination of light pink with red - it breaks every rule in the book, but hey, rules are there to be broken, right?! 

Is there anything that caught your eye? 

I guess you know what's coming - yep more colourful Danish homes! I say it a lot, but if you want to   look into a crystal ball and know what's coming, you just need to look into the home of a Dane! 

Embracing the blues in the home of Michael Schmidt

A rare peek behind the facade of Nyhavn

Home tour, how to add colour the Danish way

Looking for Scandinavian Christmas inspiration? This archive is full of it! I'm also super excited to share a very Scandi Christmas inspiration round-up with you tomorrow (perfect, if you're looking for some simple, last minute decorating ideas). Hopefully see you then!  

Have a cracking start to the week friends!

Niki

Photography Trine Staberg Petersen - shared with kind permission

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A Magnificent Danish Home With a Touch of Hygge!

I am not sure when we last saw the sun here in Southern Sweden, so we're busy making our own light in a way the Scandinavian's know best: with candles. A few bridges away on the Danish mainland, Helle Rye is doing the same in her magnificent apartment in Aarhus, Jutland. Dating back to 1899, the palatial property features parquet flooring, beautiful period touches and large, awe-inspiring rooms which lead through to one another via double doors. Light and airy the space may be, but Helle has also create a wonderfully cosy home for herself and husband Bo. Look closely and you'll spot sofas laden with cushions and blankets, cosy daybeds and sheepskin throws draped over the back of chairs. Oh, and candles, plenty of candles! Welcome to Helle's hyggelige world! 

I am so curious about the black curtains - my guess is that they are in place to dampen the sound, but they also add a certain cosiness (and drama!) to the space too. UPDATE: Helle tells me that she's put the curtains up to hide some really ugly paintings (it's a rental and they're not allowed to do anything about them!).

Does this scene also remind you a little of a sun lounger under a palm tree? Such a great idea to soak up the winter sun (when it appears!). 

Oooooh wow!  Isn't this lovely?!

There's something incredibly regal about Helle's home - and yet it feels cosy and personal too.

Is there anything in particular that stood out to you?

See more of Helle's magnificent home on her instagram A Nordic Moment (news alert: she's started decorating her home for Christmas and it looks magical!).

There's also a load of other danish homes in the archives, I'm loving this Copenhagen family home,  an enchanting apartment in shades of sea-green and an art-filled apartment in Aarhus.

Hav en dejlige dag! - I hope someone, somewhere is enjoying a little sunshine, and if you are - please send a few rays this way!

Niki

Photography: Helle Rye

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A Dreamy Copenhagen Home Full of Books, Art and Danish Design

Friday totally calls for something fabulous. And when I discovered the Danish home of architectural technology student Freja Bak Petersen I knew I'd found just the place! Freja's Copenhagen apartment is a total dream! Just the glimpse of the books in her dining room in yesterday's Danish home round-up had me searching instagram for more, and her feed was awash with room after room filled with mid-century Danish design pieces, colourful art, stacks of books and subtle details that make the space truly unique and personal. Buckle up friends, you're in a for a real ride! 

Freja found the Børge Mogensen dining table on Scandinavian auction site Lauritz.

I could climb into that classic Kludestolen chair by Bernt Petersen and read all weekend, how about you?!  I also love floating bookshelves it helps to maintain a lovely light and airy feel (unfortunately, we don't have many walls in our home that could support this - do you?). 

Freja built the shelves herself (you can see a slide show of the process, including before pictures, here). So clever!

Instead of ripping it out, Freja kept the original 1920s kitchen and updated the cabinets with a lick of Retro paint by Beckers. The kitchen walls have been painted in Salt, also by Beckers. 

A plaster wall in the living room breaks up the white and adds a load of texture to the sitting room. 

It's the subtle touches in Freja's home, like the colour of the floor, that makes it so personal. "I painted the floors in a very light blue with a touch of grey. I love that they are light blue!" Freja told me. 

The velvet 'Floyd sofa' in matt beige is from the Sofa Company. 

What a perfect way to create room for a home office in a small space without having to stare at your work / study notes from bed! So inspiring! Freja made the desk herself using IKEA legs and a lacquered MDF board. The lamp is from Møller & Rothe.  

Oh, how I loved this home tour. I hope you also felt inspired!

Did anything stand out to you in particular?

I love the light blue floor (Freja has promised to come back with the exact colour code over the weekend. I'll stop by and update the post as soon as I receive it.

In the meantime, you can see plenty more pictures of Freja's home over on instagram here.

It seems the Danish design love fest has become a two-day affair! If you missed yesterday's post, I strongly recommend you pour yourself a coffee and hop over there now - so many dreamy spaces!

Other dreamy danish homes to love over the weekend include a rare peek behind the facade of Copenhagen's colourful Nyhavn, the cool home of a Danish architect and hygge and pops of colour in Hanna Järver's creative home.

Have a fabulous couple of days, friends!

Niki

If you're an interior designer or architect make sure you stop by over the weekend as I'll be announcing a very exciting contest!

Photography: Freja Bak Petersen, shared with kind permission.

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