Charming Details In a Danish Allotment Cottage

'God morgen' as they say in Danish! How was your weekend? I read that today is referred to as 'blue Monday' - considered by some the saddest day of the year. Apparently, it's down to a number of factors including bad weather (check), long nights (check) and of course this year, a certain word beginning with C! Well, not on my watch friends, because we're going to be wrapped in a warm bubble of 'glæde' as we tour a charming kolonihavehus (allotment cottage) in the Danish countryside! It may be pared-back - but it's also full of warmth thanks to the carefully selected vintage furniture - as well as the small, joyful details which give this little space, a big heart! Welcome to Danish knitwear designer and interior stylist Gaia Brandt's world!

Are you familiar with the 'kolinihave' concept? These little Scandinavian cottages are built on allotments - and were originally designed to provide shelter in between toiling the soil. These days, they have become a picturesque summer holiday retreat for many city dwellers. I've shared more details about this type of Scandinavian housing here. 

Usually, there are tight restrictions on how many days a year you can stay - and the water is turned off between Autumn and springtime. But come summertime, these little cottage communities come alive and provide a perfect summer oasis! 

As with most Scandinavian summer cottages, the look here is simple, with a focus on bringing the outdoors in. 

Look closely though, and you'll spot lots of wonderful details - a unique pot here, a wall-mounted dolls house there, and lots of mobiles, which draw the eye upwards. 

A simple Danish rag rug helps to protect the wood floor in the kitchen. 

Playing with over-sized items helps to bring the living room area alive! 

Could that be a TV behind the sheet? 

An otherwise disused corner of the room has been transformed into a display area for a vintage collection of hearts, dried flowers and other ornaments. 

On warm summers day, the doors are thrown open so Gaia and her children can flit between the outdoors and inside. 

I bet many a strong coffee has been enjoyed right here!  

So lovely, don't you think? 

I can practically feel the warmth on my skin from the pictures (taken by Gaia's sister Kira Brandt - a talented photographer - for Danish magazine Boligliv. 

I'm also finding this tour so inspiring for the tiny cabin Per and I are planning to build this year (more to follow very soon!). 

Did you get any ideas for your own home? 

I forgot to mention that Gaia is a real dab hand at DIY / crafts. Check out her styling work for magazines here and see pictures of her latest home over on her instagram feed. 

And - for more inspiration to brighten up the start of your week, you might like to check out: 

A charming little allotment cottage in Malmö

A danish artist's relaxed allotment cottage

An idyllic Swedish 'kolonistuga' 

Blue Monday? What blue Monday! 

Niki

Photography: Kira Brandt / styling Gaia Brandt for Boligliv - shared withy kind permission. 

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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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A Delightful Home Where Swedish and Danish Style Comes Together

Denmark closed for business last night (more of which at the end of the post), driving everyone to the safe haven of their homes for the next fortnight. Swede Ulrika Horn has retired to her home in Helsingør, Denmark where she lives in a 1950's 'murmestervilla' with her Danish husband and their two daughters. The pair bought the house back in 2008 and have been renovating it ever since. Today it's finally ready and the family enjoy a home full of treasured vintage and antique finds as well as some more modern pieces. The super mysigt (cosy) home combines rustic, industrial and bohemian charm and a place where Swedish and danish style can come together in perfect harmony! I especially love the 'garden room' which the use from late spring when they're not in the garden taking in the views over the Öresund strait. Enjoy the tour! 

Remember that garden room I was talking about in the introduction? Here it is (it's like stepping into Summer!):  

Such a charming home!

I especially love the chequered floor in the hallway and the garden room - so pretty! 

Is there anything that stood out to you?

You can see more of Ulrika's home on her instagram @a_nordic_story. Word on the street is that they recently bought a summer cottage in Sweden - I can't wait to follow the progress! 

Other Danish country homes to love: 

A pretty danish home decorated on a shoe string budget

A Copenhagen home full of vintage finds and plants

The home and Studio of a Danish Carpenter 

I also promised to come back to my comment about Denmark on shut down. I don't really want to talk too much about the Corona Virus here as I see this as a positive bubble in which to escape each day. But it would have been weird to feature a Danish home today and not mention it. 

So, just to share my thoughts - my heart goes out to those currently affected. I'm a little worried of course, as we should be, and I'm certainly washing my hands A LOT and taking responsibility wherever possible. I'm also following the news and following the advice of the Swedish government.  For now, we're still going about our business but they've banned large events and gatherings of over 500 people, which makes total sense. I wouldn't be surprised if they take stronger measures very soon, and this would be welcomed. But I haven't gone out and bought 200 loo rolls just yet. I'm not actually sure where I'd put them?! 

What are your sentiments? Are you concerned? It would be interesting to hear what's happening in your country. 

Niki

Photography: Ulrika / @a_nordic_story

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The cool Copenhagen home of a typographer

It's been ages since I showed a Danish home. I don't know why as I absolutely lovely the Danish style and I'm lucky enough to live just over the bridge from Copenhagen - one of the coolest cities in the world (in my eyes anyway?)! This three room apartment in the Nørrebro a cool quarter of the Danish capital belongs to Kathrine Højriis and Thomas Bærnholdt, owners of positive poster company I Love My Type. The furniture has been selected simply because they love it, and the walls are adorned with an array of wonderful prints including some of their own.

Photographs: Birgitta Wolfgang Drejer. Femina. Thank you to Coco Lapine Design for the inspiration.  

Fabulous home don't you think?

When I wrote to Kathrine yesterday to ask permission to show her home, Thomas answered straight away: ' I just told Kathrine about your mail and she's very happy that you want to share our home and says 'hello' from across our shared office desk'.

I thought it was such a lovely reply - not only does it sound like a wonderful work environment but the response also represents the positive energy instilled in the ethos behind I Love My Type. The ILMT webshop is a self proclaimed- cool typographical poster universe with posters that will inspire you to make a different to others and benefit fully from what life has to offer. You can even get personalised posters made! I'm on it!

Thank you Kathrine and Thomas for sharing your beautiful home.

Other Danish apartments I absolutely love include the home of a Danish architect, a Danish oasis in Cannes and the home of a Danish stylist. if you do one thing this morning - pour yourself a latte and drool over these!

Have a lovely day!

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Welcome Inside The Home of a Danish Interior Consultant

Why hello there, or 'hej' (pronounced 'hi' in Danish - which makes it pretty easy for us English speaking guys!). Today, I'm whisking you away to Odder, a small town in central Jutland, Denmark, which Cecilie Kovsted and her fiancé Magnus have made their home. Cecilie works an interior consultant at Tapetforum and as a sales employee at ARoS Aarhus Art Museum. Little wonder her home - which she frequently shows on her instagram feed @interiorunivers - is a real feast for the eyes. The duo have filled their 79 m2 (850 f2) apartment with ceramics, colourful prints and 'loppemarked' (flea market) finds -inspired by Cecilie's childhood home. Pour yourself a Danish-style extra strong 'kaffe', pull up a chair, and enjoy the tour! 

"I am in the process of changing our decor and I am trying to focus more on warm colours, Japanese ceramics and prints that match my 'theme'." - Cecilie. 

"Art means a lot to me, and as you can probably see, we have a lot of it in our home! Most of the prints are flea market finds or bought from interior design shops. I look for unique prints. I particularly love prints from Galerie Maeght and even visited their little shop in Paris - which I can highly recommend!" - Cecilie. 

Such an inspiring home - especially the art! 

You often see the same prints time and time again in homes, but I loved how Cecilie had sought more original art, particularly in her home office. 

Feeling curious, I scoured her instagram feed to glean some of the sources she's used for glassware, ceramics, prints and other decor:

Cecilie's Danish Interior Shopping Black Book

Kræss Store (glassware, ceramics, art etc!)

Atelier Mathilde Vesterskov

Le Klint (lighting)

Louisiana Museum Shop

ARoS Art Museum Shop

Since my family and I are actually heading to Denmark today (WHOOPEE! I'm SO excited as we haven't been since the whole - whisper it, pandemic began - follow along on my instagram stories if you'd like to see a little of Hornbæk!), I thought it would be apt to go all out Danish today. Here are a few other homes I love:

Malene and Jeppe's Home With Lots of Dots

A Vibrant Aarhus Home

An elegant Danish home in the heart of Copenhagen

And while we're on the topic of 'great Dane' style and design, I'll be stopping by tomorrow with an extra post to share some pictures I took near our summer cottage of some beautiful Danish glassware and one of my favorite Swedish summer drinks! See you then! 

Niki

Photography: Cecilie Kovsted

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