The Copenhagen Home of an Interior Stylist and Vintage Store Owner

Hej hej! It's been a long while since I've hopped on a train over the bridge to Copenhagen - a visit is definitely in order soon. In the meantime, I hope you'll join me on a virtual trip to the Danish capital today and a tour of Freya Asgersdatter's beautiful home. Freya is a freelance interior stylist and founder of an online vintage interior shop - and evidence of her natural eye for decorating and skill at sourcing lovely second-hand pieces can been seen throughout her apartment.  The backdrop has been kept distinctly neutral, with a hint of light beige on doors, architraves and the wall of the open-plan dining / sitting room. This subtle colour palette allows the furniture, art and lighting to shine. Ready to take a look around?  

A mix and match vintage dining set rests in front of built-in shelving and a covered radiator (designed and made by Mette Steensig). The wall mounted shelving is from We Do Wood.

The lone piece of art is from framer Kristine Bendsten. 

Freya has opted for the Bodarp kitchen from ikea. I was actually looking at this just the other day for our own home. The dark green creates a great contrast against the white tiles and walls. The work surface has been specifically made for the space by Nicolai Bjørnstrup. 

Here you take a closer glimpse at the radiator cover. I love the way it's also provided space beside it for shelving. The radiators in our house are ancient and really ugly so my head is now buzzing with ideas. I wonder if Per's ears are burning! Could you imagine covering the radiators in your house like this? 

The VL45 glass pendant over the dining table is a Louis Poulsen design and below you can spot another radiator cover by Mette - this time creating space to display items over. 

A Valerie Objects hanging lamp makes a statement in the sitting room over a vintage sofa. 

The TV has been sandwiched between picture shelves to create a display and ensure it doesn't take centre stage in the room. In the opposite corner (below) Frama shelves provide space for books, magazine and knick knacks. 

Freya picked up the vintage chest-of-drawers in her bedroom at Boho Habits in Copenhagen. The picture is from Freya's own store. 

To create a unique home, you don't always need to make hug statements. In the bedroom, simple striped fabric has been used to create a curtain to hide items in the wardrobe and a quilted bedspread brings a touch of nostalgia to the space. 

Such a lovely, cohesive home where everything seems to come together so effortlessly! 

It's making me want to head to Copenhagen for some vintage shopping - I wonder how much I can carry back on the train? 

I'm very curious to hear your thoughts on the vintage items, art, kitchen and radiator covers! 

In the meantime, here are a few other lovely Copenhagen homes to browse: 

Books, art and golden tones in a Copenhagen home

Sedsel's serene oasis in the heart of the Danish capital

A Copenhagen family home full of design treasures

Warm tones and texture in an elegant Copenhagen apartment

And of course, you can see more of Freya's own home here. 

Happy mid-week friends, see you Friday! 

Niki

Photography courtesy of Freya Asgersdatter, shared with kind permission

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Travel Diaries: Design Hotel Villa Copenhagen

Unpaid Press trip*: 

Living a short hop over the famous Öresund bridge from the Danish capital city, I'm used to day trips to Copenhagen - but staying the night is something of a major luxury! Especially when it involves a design hotel (you know me!). Housed in the century-old former Danish post and telegraph office, the magnificent Villa Copenhagen is a short hop from the central station - making it easily accessible from the airport - and wait for it, Malmö! Hooray! When Per and I were invited to visit on a press trip a while back, we had grand plans for the weekend, but once inside the lobby, these quickly fell by the wayside in favour of seem R&R. Think incredible architecture, drool worthy interior design and a rooftop lap pool (warmed with the excess heat from the hotel's cooling system). Read on to discover more about our stay at Denmark's latest 'conscious luxury' design hotel - maybe you'll be the next to visit?

Step inside the hotel and the frenetic sounds of the city fall away as you're transported into another world. Designed by Danish archive Eva Harlou, the former courtyard, has been transformed into a lobby under a magnificent glass dome, and serves as a reception (although there is also an option to check-in remotely which comes in handy in the current climate) and a gathering place for tourists and Danes alike. A perfect setting from which to start my stay - and await Per with a glass of Prosecco!

Unless travelling alone, I'm a little sceptical about eating in hotel restaurants - mainly because I feel I should be out discovering one of the city's many haunts. But KONTRAST, the in-house brasserie has a street entrance, giving the feel of an independent restaurant. Plus, executive chef Tore Gustafsson and his team have pulled out all the stops. The dishes take inspiration from the southern gastronomic world of Europe and North Africa and made using local ingredients (including some from the hotel's own hidden garden). True to Danish stye, the presentation, explosion of flavours and wine selection of our taster menu were absolutely impeccable - as was the 'masked' service! 

It also helped that the setting was beautiful too - combining the historic decadence of the building with the rawness of nearby neighbourhood of Vesterbro.

The interior design has been a strong talking-point since the hotel opened on 1st July, 2020 - not least because of the fabulous and sustainable Earth Suite - so I was falling over myself to get to our room (nothing to do with the Prosecco, I promise!). 

The hotel had appointed several design and architecture firms to ensure that the interior design matched the magnificent grandeur of the Neo-baroque facade. With 390 rooms to decorate, I can imagine this was no easy feat, but it quickly became clear to me, they had achieved that and more!  

With views out over Tivoli Gardens, we may have been in the heart of a vibrant city, but our room was a picture of calm and serenity - and somewhere I could imagine actually living! It was beautiful. 

The rooms are blessed with high ceilings, herringbone floors and a calming muted colour scheme. Danish decadence at its finest! 

For the design, interior design firm Universal Design Studio took inspiration from grand Copenhagen residences and the work of Danish painter Vilhelm Hammershøi to create spaces that combine the past and the present. Natural materials, custom-designed furniture, smooth marble surfaces and touches of brass help to bring the rooms to life - and sent my design heart a flutter! 

After a trip to the hotel lap pool and a stint in the sauna, we returned to the room to find the bathroom stocked with hand soap, hand moisturiser and shampoo and conditioner from the SKOG - calm of the boreal forest - collection by Skandinavisk. Per was especially happy - it's been his favourite ever since our weekend at a friend's cabin in the woods. And he's not even the preening type! 

We woke up - incredibly well rested - to a sunny Autumn morning in Copenhagen and after enjoying the hotel breakfast (who doesn't love an omelette bar and a strong danish coffee? - But if a buffet breakfast isn't your thing, I noticed the hotel also has a wonderful in-house bakery) we headed out for a wander through the streets of the Danish capital before making our way back to Malmö by train. 

All-in-all, a heavenly stay in Copenhagen! 

If you could also use a little 'conscious luxury' and like the idea of surrounding yourself with fabulous Danish design - Villa Copenhagen is waiting for you! 

Definitely one for the travel files, for when we're free to roam again. 

Oh, and if you feel like splashing out, everyone is talking about the Suites. Next time, perhaps! 

Niki

All photographs by me except the first one which is by Stine Christiansen

*Disclosure: Villa Copenhagen covered our hotel expenses as part of a press trip, however I was not paid to write this piece and was under no obligation to feature the hotel on any of my channels. As always, I only ever write about interiors I love and think you will too. 

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A Touch of Calm: Alisan’s Serene Copenhagen Home

Ready for a midweek breather? This pared-back Copenhagen apartment offers just the respite you might be looking for. Home to Alisan—a Londoner who moved to the Danish capital with her husband and their baby daughter two and a half years ago—this space exudes warmth and calm. I've had the pleasure of meeting Alisan a few times; she is as lovely inside as she is outwardly, and it’s no surprise her home reflects that same beauty.

Located in vibrant Vesterbro, the family’s two-bedroom rental comes with its own creative limitations, meaning they've had to embrace some inventive solutions, like command strips! Still, with its warm natural materials, curated lighting, and mix-and-match furnishings, this oasis feels so welcoming and tranquil in the heart of Copenhagen.

Here are some snapshots of Alisan's home, along with her reflections on creating this haven.

"Being an architect, I love classic, timeless design, so over the years  I've tried to build a collection of pieces I love - mainly in natural materials so they don't date as much. The goal is that they can easily fit anywhere in future homes."

"I love plants, they're a great way to add texture, colour and height to spaces, especially here as our ceilings are so high. We actually moved our cacti here with us from London and now they're huge!"

"I haven't shown much of our baby girl's room as her crib is in our bedroom. We have kept the room neutral and added fun pops of colour. We moved from London with this IKEA daybed and it's been used so much over the years. Firstly as a sofa, then a guest room bed, and now as a spare bed for sleepy parents doing shifts when needed!"

Isn’t it a lovely tour? I think it’s the simplicity of the decor that makes everything feel so naturally “in place.” Calm personified—just what I crave amidst my not-so-calm mind! And seeing her little baby girl brought me right back to when my own girls were small (they’re now 16 and 14—how does time fly by so fast?).

Did Alisan’s home resonate with you, too? Are there any details that caught your eye? If so, I’d love for you to share in the comments! And if you're curious about where any of the pieces are from, feel free to ask—I’ll do my best to help.

You can see more corners of Alisan's home over at @livingroomdanishly. 

And here are a few other Copenhagen homes to enjoy today: 

The Copenhagen home of a stylist and vintage store owner

A stationary designer's lovely Copenhagen home

Sidsel's elegant Copenhagen home with a snoozing dog

Stor kram (or 'klem' as they say in Danish). 

Niki

Photography courtesy of @livingroomdanishly, shared with kind permission. 

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A Stationery Designer's Lovely Copenhagen Home

If you've been following My Scandinavian Home for many years (I know some of you've been stopping by since I started this blog in 2011 - thank you!), you'll know that I love to shake things up a little and try to share inspiration for all Scandi tastes and styles - whether large or small (or even on wheels), light or dark and sometimes even a pop of colour! Even if the home tour doesn't fit your specifications, I like to think you can get inspiration from anywhere, and if you look closely, there's always something new and intriguing to take away with you. 

In Signe Birkving Bertelsen's Copenhagen home, there's one particular DIY idea that's really captured my imagination (and of course there's some incredible architecture and interior design at play too)! But first, allow me to introduce you. 

Signe lives with her husband and two children Karl and Esther in the Danish capital and is co-founder of the danish stationery brand Notem Studio. Simple with a clean, minimalist finish, Signe's home is dotted with interesting furniture and ornaments, which she constantly moves around. As with every home, some are more important to her than others - and the beautiful stool from West Africa (made from a single piece of wood), the AeroPress coffee maker and Akari lamp are listed as ones she'd never part with! 

Nora and Laura of Our Food Stories were there to capture these pictures. 

Welcome to Signe's world! 

This is the piece I was talking about!

And this is the stool from West Africa which Signe would never part with. I can see why, how about you? 

I think my favourite corner is in the bedroom with the iconic wishbone chair, sheepskin and reading lamp. The picture also gives you a closer look at the beautiful wooden floor - something which so many old Copenhagen apartments are blessed with! 

Is there anything that stood out to you about Signe's apartment? You can read the full interview and see more pictures of her home here. 

Would you like to take a peek inside a few other Copenhagen homes today? Here are some I love: 

A cosy Danish loft 

A Copenhagen home full of books and vintage design treasures

Great Dane style in Copenhagen

The Copenhagen home of a vintage store owner 

And one final question - what piece of furniture or accessory in your home would you never part with? 

Niki

PS for some reason the mail out for Fridays post wouldn't work, you can find it here in case you missed the new autumn update in my sitting room. I hope it the mail out will work today - fingers crossed! If you'd like to receive my posts straight to your inbox, don't forget to subscribe further down this page. 

Have a great start to the week, see you Wednesday!

Photography: Laura Muthesius & Nora Eisermann

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