Iconic Design, Art and Vintage Treasures in a Beautiful Danish Home

Warning: this incredible Danish home will make you want to get the paint brush out this weekend. Whether that's to paint the walls or a vintage find remains to be seen, but the subtle (and at times, bold) use of colour in interior stylist Eva-Marie Wilken's home sure is inspiring. 

But it's not only the use of tones - the combination of pattern, art, sculpture, iconic design pieces and small accessories make her home truly unique - and while there's a lot going on, the calming tones and minimalist look ensures plenty of visual breathing space. 

So, buckle up friends, and get ready for an inspirational joy ride! 

I love how Eva-marie dares to be bold. This cobalt blue desk was a simple off-white colour when she first discovered it and has been turned into a statement piece with an unexpected splash of paint. See below for the 'before'. 

These large openings from room to room are a common feature in Copenhagen turn-of-the-century buildings and allow the light to flow through the space. I love this glimpse into the sitting room where sculptures have been wall mounted beside art. 

Notice the stainless-steel dining chairs (seen more clearly in the lead picture) - a big trend in the world of interiors right now. 

Playful touches can be seen in many corners of Eva-marie's home giving the space a whimsical touch. Notice how she has played with shape - for example in the image above three round items have been grouped together to create balance. 

Fortune favours the brave, as they say, and this recently painted yellow door makes a wonderful focal point in the kitchen. 

Eva-marie's love for different mediums also shines in the pale pink master bedroom where art, sculpture and decorative lamps have been grouped together. Notice how she also uses 'negative space' (i.e. areas of the room left blank) to train the eye and create a sense of calm. 

Dark brown and mustard hues work beautifully with the pink and create contrast. 

There's something wonderfully decadent about the bathroom - and yet it also has an old school feel about it at the same time. It's fun to see the use of wallpaper! Note that while it looks like a wall-to-wall carpet in the image above, it's a stone floor, so no one need panic! 

Wow, I so enjoyed this tour, it spoke to me in so many ways. I loved all the design elements (every item was unique and while it served a purpose it also added interest from a visual perspective). 

I also loved the use of subtle tones and the art. 

Is there anything that stood out to you about Eva-marie's wonderful Danish home?

You can see more pictures and get some Danish fashion / styling ideas over on instagram at @evamariewilken.

Thank you so much for stopping by My Scandinavian Home today, I hope you have a wonderful weekend and leave feeling full of new ideas! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of @evamariewilken

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A Clever Small Space Hack in a Beautiful Danish Apartment

Hey friends! How are you this fine day? 

One of the things I have always admired about Scandinavians is how practical and resourceful they are. Something needs fixing? Out comes the toolbox. Car tyres need changing? Out comes the jack! And this practical approach transcends to the home too. Scandinavian homes might be beautiful, but they're also user-friendly and comfortable. 

This comes particularly in handy in a small space, where every inch counts.  

A few days ago I was browsing Simply Scandi magazine (if you don't already subscribe, it's a must! And I'm not just saying that because I'm a proud contributor, honest!) - and stumbled across Vasia Moragianni's home. 

After her divorce, Vasia and her young son Emil moved into a one bedroom flat in Copenhagen. Determined to ensure privacy and maximise space, Vasia devised a plan to turn the 60 sq.m (645 sq.ft) space into a spacious and bright two bedroom apartment. Read on to discover how! 

The original floor plan:

When they first moved in, Vasia and her young son Emil shared a bedroom. 

Glossary: værelse - bedroom, stue - sitting room, køkken - kitchen, bad - bathroom, entré - hallway

Floor plan after: 

Vasia swapped the bedroom and sitting room areas and removed a wall between the kitchen and sitting room to create one large room. A wall was erected to divide the bedroom into two separate rooms. 

Kitchen before 

This is how the kitchen looked before the wall was removed:  

And this is how the room looked after the renovation: 

The open-plan space includes a small sitting room and dining room area. 

One bedroom becomes two

Vasia was particularly keen to ensure Emil had his own room. The answer was to divide the single room into two.

In order to maximise floorspace, the bed can be rolled through a hatch into the adjacent room, fitting neatly under the raised bed in the adjacent room.  

While, initially the larger room doubled up as a bedroom and office. These days, the rooms have been swapped and Emil occupies the larger room. When the bed is removed, he has plenty of space to play! 

What a clever idea - so unique! 

The best thing about this renovation is that it ticks all the boxes for small space living: it's multifunctional, flexible, has zones for all activities and allows a wonderful flow of light for a spacious feel. 

Could you imagine doing something like this in your home? Or perhaps you have a friend dealing with a similar conundrum? If so, please do share this post with them in case the idea comes in handy! 

For other small space solutions today, check out: 

10 small space tricks to learn from a Swedish apartment

A small Stockholm apartment with a clever library solution!

11 small space hacks to learn from a beautiful Danish home

You might also like to scroll through the entire small space archive which includes ideas for studio apartments, smart room dividers and more! 

Thanks so much for dropping by this week. Have a wonderful weekend!

Niki

Photography: 11& 13 Christina Kayser, the remainder by @small_nordic_tales 

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This Fabulous Colourful Copenhagen Home is On Airbnb

Hej kompisar! Is it just me, or when planning a holiday or weekend away, the lion's share of the work is in finding the perfect place to stay? I guess it's because, if like me, your environment can add so much to your time away! 

The good news is, if you're visiting the Danish capital, I might have saved you hours (weeks... months...?) of scouring the net! Look no further than this incredible three bedroom apartment in the hip neighbourhood of Vesterbro which features sky high ceilings, beautiful period features, original wood floors and incredible light-filled rooms. 

Owned and run by host Nikolaj Paaby Normand, the abode is filled with incredible one-off pieces, art, make-you-smile colours and a riot of pattern. Needless to say, these pictures taken by Anitta Behrendt, have graced the covers and pages of some of Denmark's finest interior magazines and the airbnb is considered a firm 'guest favourite'. 

Ready to take a nosey around? Step this way! 

Have you ever seen such a colourful dining set arrangement? It works thanks to a very calm backdrop, making it a focal point of the room. 

The apartment is full of one-off pieces which adds intrigue around every corner. 

Colour, texture, and pattern come together in the sitting room, giving the space a relaxed feel. While the furniture and Svenskt Tenn pattern have mid-century appeal. Again, a calm backdrop helps to draw the eye to the centre of the room and ensures the look doesn't become too chaotic. 

A calming blue accent wall appears in the bedroom, while the vibrant quilt and cushion ties the look in with the rest of the living space. 

Oj oj oj - as they say in Sweden. It's one thing seeing an incredible space like this in a magazine, it's another knowing that you can actually stay in it as an airbnb. 

Meet you there?

More information about this Copenhagen apartment on Airbnb. 

Would you like to dream over a few other Airbnbs in Scandinavia? Hey, why not plan an entire tour of the region? Here are a few of my favourites:

A charming Danish summer cabin on North Zealand

A limestone barn on the Swedish island of Gotland

The Stonecutters Farm on the island of Öland

A cosy ski chalet in Hafjell, Norway

A quintessentially Swedish lakeside cottage

Aaaand that's it from me this week. I hope you have a fabulous weekend and the sun shines for you! 

Niki

Photography: Anitta Behrendt

Design / owner: Nikolaj Paaby Normand

Shared with kind permission

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Sarah's Earthy and Calm Danish Apartment

When I featured Sarah's small Copenhagen apartment in 2021, it was one of the most popular tours of the year - for good reason (revisit it here!). I was excited to see that Sarah and her partner have since moved and are now busy renovating a 19th century apartment in the heart of the danish capital with "sustainability, recycling and minimalism" at the core. What's more, they are doing much of it by hand to save money. 

The apartment is still a work in progress but I couldn't resist sharing a sneak peak of where the pair are up to. I love the earthy tones, Scandinavian vintage furniture and beautiful textures. A great sign of things to come as it slowly but surely becomes a home! 

So calming!

Sarah's style looks so effortless but having completed a DIY budget make-over on our downstairs loo I know just how much work they would have put in to get here. If you'd like to see exactly what they've been working for and how much of a gut job it has been, I can recommend taking a peek at Sarah's highlights over on instagram! 

One thing I haven't pointed out yet, is just how incredible the bones are in this apartment. They are very typical of the beautiful neighbourhood of Frederiksberg where this place is located. I was once lucky enough to shoot a home nearby for my book The Scandinavian Home and it remains one of my favourite homes to this day! 

Would you like to take a look inside a few other Danish apartments today? How about: 

A Danish family home with a warm golden touch

Sidsel's elegant Copenhagen home with a snoozing dog

A stationary designer's lovely Copenhagen home

Have a fabulous start to the week! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of @milevidt, shared with kind permission. 

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