my scandinavian home: danish home

A Delightful Danish Family Home Full of Art and Design

Why, hello there friends! It feels so great to be back after the holidays! We took our Christmas tree down yesterday (which may sound a bit late, but in Sweden, tradition dictates the 13th to take down Christmas decorations. And it looked so pretty, I wasn't quite ready to part with it earlier!). And now our home feels all fresh, calm and ready for 2021. Which reminds me, thank you so much for all your wonderful comments on my last post, I'm so happy you like my new ideas for My Scandinavian Home (and thank you to everyone who sent me private DMs with suggestions too - all taken to heart! Here's to a year full of Scandi inspiration!

I thought I'd kick off a wonderful Danish home tour, so, pull up a chair and get comfy - you're in for a treat - Copenhagen style!

Mette Helena is one inspiring woman! A Danish stylist and artist - the Mother of two is the owner of beautiful web shop Retro Villa - selling vintage wallpaper and Danish design, and co-founder of Kunstsalonen - pop-up galleries for the public in private homes. Little wonder Mette Helena's own home in Amagerbro, Copenhagen is full of vintage design and the most wonderful art! Let's take a peek inside.

One of Mette Helene's own painting hangs beside a Flos 265 wall lamp in the family sitting room. The coffee table is vintage.

A black and white piece by Mie Olise Studio as well as countless other designs have been hung on a calming pale blue wall in the bedroom.

And just look at all that storage space! Be still, beating heart! I need to show this to Per! How much would you also love to have this much storage? - perhaps you already do.

Mette Helena has gone for statement blue tiles in the bathroom. I love that her rod sometimes doubles up as a clothes dryer (see below) - I do this too (sometimes my family wonders if it's become my actual wardrobe!).

There's so much art and design love going on in Mette Helena's hallway. The mobile is by Peter Johansen, with a piece by Line Busch behind. The pair to the right are by Matilde Duus and on the floor is a piece by Jeanette Hillig.

What a beautiful, inspiring home! Thank you for inviting us on a virtual tour today Mette Helena - and thank you to Tia Borgsmidt for these fabulous photos!

See more of Mette Helena's home over at @mettehelena and visit her online shop here. If like me, you're curious about her public pop-up galleries in private homes, you can find all the latest news here. Let's hope everything rolls again soon!

Curious about other Danish homes with a ton of art and vintage pieces? Take a peek at:

Books, art and golden tones in a Danish home

The delightful Danish home of an art and plant enthusiast

A Dreamy Copenhagen home full of books and design

Wishing you a wonderful start to the week.

Niki

Styling: Metta Helena

Photography Tia Borgsmidt

The Relaxed Danish Family Home of Dorte Bak

Wednesday huh? What have I got in store for you? The relaxed Danish home of Dorte Bak, that's what! Under normal circumstances, Dorte's, lovely home in Amager, Copenhagen would be a mere 30 minutes' drive from where I live. But there's nothing normal about 2020, is there? So the only way for us Skåningar (southern Swedes) to visit Amager is online! Either way, Dorte's world is well worth a visit! Aside from her beautiful white washed, cosy, vintage-inspired home, which she shares with her husband, ten-year-old twin daughters and Silke the cat - Dorte has a couple of wonderful key strengths that I don't possess: she can bake (see her daily recipes here) and knit (visit her shop for pretty patterns and yarn). Liking the sound of Dorte's world? Let's take a peek at some perfectly imperfect snapshots.

Oh, how I loved this tour - from the children in the kitchen to the balls of yarn in a basket and a curled-up cat on the sofa - this is one, relaxed and cosy home.

Did anything stand out to you?

You can see more lovely pics of Dorte's home over at @dortebak.dk and www.dortebak.dk. And if like me, you're not a knitter but keen to learn, keep an eye out for her 2021 workshops here.

That aside, I have to confess, I have a lot to do this week. Starting with a column for a very exciting new UK magazine called Simply Scandi (launching in Jan). I've also got a ton of photoshoots coming up which I need props for (but that's just fun!) and I'm also kicking off a small side business with a very talented friend of mine (more news to follow soon!!), all the while stopping here each day (although, of course, that's just a pleasure!).

Oh, and don't even mention Christmas shopping. I haven't done a scrap, have you? I think that's why I avoided any mention of the C word in today's post! Hope you didn't mind.

And did I mention Per's teaching from home again? He has set up a massive white board in our dining area. I just went down to make myself a cup of tea and he was working on a complicated maths equation with his class and said: "Maybe my wife can solve this?" - I was out of there in a flash!

What's your working from home situation like these days?

I hope this home tour has given you a little bit of a breather from the mid-week chaos. In case you're after a few more Danish tours today, you'll love:

A dreamy Copenhagen home full of art, books and design

A Danish ceramicist's house by the sea

A danish family's inviting cabin

Ha det så bra!

Niki

Photography: Dorte Bak shared with kind permission

FILED UNDER: danish home white

Trend Alert: 5 Holly Jolly Christmas Danish Homes

Colours have been creeping into danish homes for a while now - so it makes sense that the Danish Christmas should be bursting with colour too. This is nothing new of course. Danes have been using their vibrant red and white flag as a tree decoration for hundreds of years. But there's something a little different about this Christmas - and it's all about the chintz! Think branches dripping with hand painted baubles in a riot of fuchsia, turquoise, silver and gold and green, and fun shaped ornaments featuring toadstools, snowmen, paper flowers and even avocados and skulls! Bright coloured candles with a twist (literally) and light up the darkness and there's glitter, plenty of glitter. Oh, and there's something else you should know, tinsel is back too. Naturally, the Danes carry it off beautifully with their innate sense of style, the bright colours popping against a backdrop of white, earthy pink and blue. Ready to feel inspired by a holly jolly Christmas - Danish style? Here are 5 homes that have captured my heart (snapped by Another Studio).

1. Louise over at Mor Till Mernee is never one to shy away from colour in her home (albeit in a wonderful subtle way) - and her beautiful tree, covered in toadstools, snowman, hearts, baubles and the Danish flag, is a fine example!

2. The Danish home of @papirkalas, purveyor of paper rosette garlands, is full of Christmas cheer. Think tinsel and alder tree branches adorned with shiny hand painted baubles, toadstools, bells and paper flowers in a riot of colours - against a serene white backdrop.

Candle carousels have been popular in Scandinavia since World War II. Artilleriet sells a similar musical candle ornament with chiming bells!

There's the tinsel folks. And in true Danish style, it looks fab!

Check out the finer details of her baubles and you'll spot hand painted glittery details too.

3. In Sofie Boisen's early 20th century home it's colours a go-go with bright red candles, pastel coloured tree ornaments and a sprig of mistletoe against a dusty pink and blue backdrop.

Whoever said all Scandinavians are minimalists?

Colourful glassware, Hay twist candles and a timeless Skultuna candleholder help the Christmas table to shine.

4. Ida (@midtimeller) has gone for a Christmas tree with twist in her lovely danish home. These trees are not to everyone's taste, but there's something about the imperfection that intrigues me - plus they're perfect for small spaces. This one is looking resplendent with its bright coloured ornaments that catch the light.

It wouldn't be Christmas without a wreath hanging from a glass cabinet door (see Helen's home) and I love Ida's tiny candle wreath!

5. In Tove's apartment in Frederiksborg, Copenhagen it's all about the pastels (check out her pale blue floor!) - and the tree is full of turquoise, fuchsia, yellow and pink touches.

I love the casually draped stars too!

Zoom in on Sofie's advent candle below and you'll spy a fabulous array of Christmas ornaments including avocado, rainbow and even a skull!

What do you reckon? Could you imagine adding a little chintz to your home this Christmas?

In the words of Burl Ives, it really does bring a 'holly jolly' feel, and when styled like the Danes, it doesn't need to be over the top either.

I have to say, my kids would love it! They've got their eye on a tin of caviar, glittered unicorns, pink balloon pup and even a fun French set including a baguette, croissant and bottle of red! I quite fancy a set of the Hay twist candles (for the more daring among us, there's also these glittery candles on clips).

Looking for more Christmas decorating ideas this weekend?

Check out the Christmas archive - it's full of 'jul' themed home tours, Christmas decorating ideas and cosy log cabins.

Speaking of which we had a light snow fall in Malmö yesterday, you can imagine our excitement!

It was perfectly timed with a birthday in the house on Sunday - MINE!!! I'm looking forward to cosying up with family and even doing a little cross-country skiing with friends - wish me luck, I'll need it!

I hope you have some fun plans for the weekend too - stay warm and cosy!

Niki

Photography: Another Studio / @anotherstudio, shared with kind permission.

First picture from the home of Sidsel Garsdal.

FILED UNDER: Christmas Christmas decorations danish home

A Wonderful Copenhagen Home Full of Soul

What a week! I feel like we've seen so many different styles - from a rustic Georgian townhouse in London to a magnificent Swedish pool villa and a cosy candlelit cabin deep in the heart of the snowy Norwegian fjords! And not to forget, my bike trip across town to capture Helen Struresson's sitting room, styled two different ways (don't miss the code for the 20% off at Bemz!). It was hard to find something to top such an inspiring week - but I might just have the ticket! Today friends, we're off to Denmark, and the home of interior designer Susanne Rutzou.

It was love at first sight when Susanne first discovered her 1930s apartment in Østerbro. The apartment felt like a woodland clearing in the heart of Copenhagen thanks to the light pouring through the French teak-framed doors and the large windows which overlook a park - so nature is never far away. Designed by architect Vilhelm Lauritzen, the villa was previously owned by Søren Garde, founder of Garde Hvalsøe - a Danish company making bespoke, handcrafted cabinetry - and the handcrafted elm wood kitchen, bathroom, and walk-in wardrobe remain today. Susanne has layered the home with family heirlooms, items picked up on travels, books and art - as well as some of her own designs - to give the house a warm and relaxed soul.

I was actually meant to visit this home last year as part of an organised tour by Garde Halvsøe but unfortunately couldn't make it - I'm still gutted! Fortunately, the lovely Freya August of Scandinavian Standard, who was also part of the tour, snapped these pictures and gave me kind permission to share them today. Ready to take a peek inside?