I'm so happy you enjoyed the Swedish summer cottage yesterday - someone on facebook even said they were keen to buy it, how fun would that be? We could all go to stay! Since the sun is still shining in Scandinavia I thought I'd stick with the summer cottage theme, and transport you to a wonderful, earthy cabin in Smidstrup, a small fishing village near Gilleleje (which I've had the pleasure of visiting many times by boat), just North of Copenhagen. The cabin belongs to Simone Polk Dahl, who's beautiful, golden Copenhagen apartment I featured not long ago. In the summer months, Simone and her family swap city life for this lovely oasis. I caught up with the artist and interior stylist to find out more about how it has become her haven during lockdown, where she sources her vintage furniture and what it's been like to swap life on the 5th floor for a small cabin by the sea.
When did you buy the house?
We bought the house four years ago.
Have you carried out any renovation work?
We have not done that much with it besides building a terrace and painting over the hemp wallpaper and the 80s lookalike wood ceilings.
Where do you find most of your furniture?
The majority of our furniture comes from the local flea markets up here. You can find some real treasures!
Do you look out for specific pieces?
Since it's a house from the sixties, I try to find pieces from the same period. Examples include our coffee table and the lounge chair by Bernt Pedersen which I picked up for 300 DKK (around €40) at a thrift store. The sofa is an old one which brought up here from our apartment - and is also a sixties piece by Erik Jøgensen.
How often do you visit your cabin?
We spend most weekends here and have staying here for the past five weeks during the Corona lockdown. We have really appreciated having a garden to relax in and the sea close by for a calm, cold dip.
It sounds like the perfect haven! Has your life changed during this period?
I was so happy living in a small space up here, that I really considered selling our apartment and moving to this little house permanently. When you live on the 5th floor, it's feels like paradise to be able to open the door and be outside. I have found myself getting quite nerdy about the garden too. I have a nightly check on all the flowers and trees to see if they've grown during the special spring season. I also learned to run up here and did so every second day without exception. Now it's back to the 5th floor only having a ton of stairs as my daily exercise!!
Thank you for sharing more about your life at this wonderful little house Simone! It's absolutely beautiful!
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Did you see the wall unit with all the shells? When I hold talks (or write books) about Scandinavian design I often refer to the way Scandinavians take a beautifully subtle approach to bringing the outside in. For example, when you live by the sea it can be tempting to go all out and add sea themed elements to your home such as fabrics with anchor or boat themes, 'gone fishing' signs etc, when actually all that's needed (in my mind at least) is shells or pebbles picked up during a stroll along the beach, a piece of driftwood on a table top or wildflowers plucked from the roadside.
Some great examples can also be found in this feature: 15 Coastal Living Ideas To Steal From A Breath-taking Danish Home.
Is there anything that stood out to you?
In case you missed it, you can take a peek inside Simone's beautiful Copenhagen apartment here. And find more inspiration on her fab instagram feed @polkenstudio.
Have a lovely day,
Niki
My thoughts are with what's happening in America right now. My Instagram will be blank today as part of #blackouttuesday in support of justice for people of colour and against racism.
Photography courtesy of Simone Polk Dahl - shared with kind permission.
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