Colour tips and Inspiration from a Danish Interior Stylist's Home

A new dawn, a new day... and a whole new month! Let's kick off with some colour! What struck me most about the Danish home of Charlotte Kruse is her home office - a hot topic these days, and this one is very inspiring indeed! But there are some other corners of her home I love too - not least because they include some wonderful pastel hues. I caught up with the interior stylist in Herning, central Denmark, to find out more about her home, sources of inspiration and favourite online stores. 

What do you do for a living? 

I have my own company Studio Decor where I style and take pictures for interior and lifestyle companies. And I also teach small business owners and instagrammers how to style beautiful pictures. 

Who do you live with? 

I live with my boyfriend and our two dogs (Pomeranians) in a small house. 

The arch was added last week - what a lovely addition, I love the soft feel it adds to the space. The white opal glass pendant* is by Louis Poulsen. 

Your house has lovely high ceilings, when was it built, and can you tell us more about the size and layout? 

Our house is from 1926. It's 87 m2 (935 f2) and we also have a workshop that's 27 m2 (290 f2). It consists of a kitchen, living room, dining room, a master bedroom and a second bedroom which I use as a study - it's where I run my business from. 

I love that your home is so colourful, can you tell us more about the tones in your home?

I absolutely love colour and use it as much as I can in my home. Colours make me happy and give the room a special feeling. I really like pastel colours, rose and other warm tones. I love to play around with colour, mix my own (the colour in the kitchen is a mix of leftover paint) and see how the rooms turn out. For the most part, I love the result - if I don't, I'll just try again!

Would you say it's unusual for a Dane to have lots of colour in their home? 

Over the past few years, colourful homes have become more and more popular in Denmark, especially on instagram! We want our homes to be as full of life and personality as we are! 

What colours have you applied to the walls in your home? 

Bedroom: Green Harmony from Jotun Lady

Kitchen: a home-made blend of NCS s2010-Y50R and NCS S3020-Y70R (I used a little more of the latter). 

Living room: Hummus from Jotun Lady

Do you have any tips for anyone looking to apply more colour to their home?

If you'd like to add more colour to your home, opt for toned down hues. They are softer and add a pleasant feeling to the room.

 

You have lots of art in your home, where do you. buy your prints? 

Most of my prints are from instagram collaborations - they are from Desenio and Juniqe. I also have bought some from Permild-Rosengreen and Little Detroit. 

Can you share three styling tips? 

1. Give your home a whole new feel by adding colour

2. Always be on the lookout for cool inter items in thrift stores or Facebook marketplace. You can buy a lot of unique items for a little less! 

3. Use plants and fresh flowers in your home. They bring joy to the room and create a nice atmosphere. 

The patchwork curtains seen above are taking the Danish interior world by storm right now. They are made in Denmark by Arvestykke. I also spy a little wooden stool* just like the ones I have by my bed and vases by Ljungby. 

What are your three favourite online shops? 

Luxo Living, Fabrek and Sakura Copenhagen. 

Where do you do you find inspiration?

I like these instagram, including these Danish accounts: @mariaharmuth, @christinedelmar, @trinesblend and @danicachloedk - but also look a lot on Pinterest! 

Thank you so much for telling us more about your home and sharing all your styling tips, shops and sources of inspiration! 

***

If you'd like to see more snapshots of Charlotte's home and find out about her courses, hop on over to @decorstudiodk or Decor Studio. 

For a total colour fest today, you might also like: 

A fabulous Danish home in a plethora of colours

Home tour: how to add colour the Danish way

Lessons to learn from a colourful yet calm Norwegian home

Do you use lots off colour in your home, or do you prefer neutral tones? I'd love to know!

I'll be back tomorrow with a tour of a wonderful home in Finland, watch this space! 

Niki

Styling and photography: Charlotte Kruse / Decor Studio

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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

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A Vibrant Aarhus Home - Sustainably Decorated, Danish Style

I love Scandinavian homes with tones of earthy green, grey or chestnut accents. But every now and then a Danish home pops up with vibrant hues which catch the light and brighten up my feed. They are like a happy breath of fresh air! Tanja Gotthardsen's apartment in Aarhus is one of those. Her interior is full of wonderful vintage finds and colourful art, and accessories against a backdrop of luminescent blue and pink. I wrote to Tanja to find out more about her lovely Aarhus home and was excited to discover that there's more than to the apartment than meets the eye. Tanja is a huge advocate for sustainability. The Dane runs a consultancy business which helps sustainable brands and businesses communicate their efforts and her home is testimony to her commitment to using sustainable brands. Read on to find out more!

How do you work with brands?

At the mom moment, so many businesses are greenwashing, rather than doing the actual work. I strive to help make the honest, ethical and environmentally responsible brands stand out from the crowd. I also hold public talks, panel debates and run a consumer oriented blog, where we discuss subjects such as material innovation and human rights - subjects that are also touched upon on my instagram. 

How does your own home decor reflect your ambition?

My decor is primarily made up of second hand finds which I've collected over the years having visited everything from flea markets and thrift shops to more curated vintage boutiques. I also have a few more recent purchases from sustainable brands that I've worked with. 

Are there any particular Scandinavian home decor brands you would recommend? 

For sustainably made furniture, I would look towards TAKT CPH and Make Nordic. Their furniture and materials are certified sustainable, and they put a lot of effort into ensuring pieces that will last a lifetime. Our couch is from Make Nordic. 

For softer elements, such as cushions, throws and bedding, I would suggest Mumutane (socio-economic), Ordinary Things (organic and socially responsible) and Aiayu (organic and socially responsible). 

For vintage / secondhand I would keep an eye on Curated CPH for art prints and The Basement for furniture, lamps and vases. 

The wall colours in your home are so beautiful - is the paint also from a sustainable brand?

The paint I've used is what we call in danish 'naturmaling' - it's a chalk-based paint without any harsh additives. It's made locally by Linoliebutikken - run by a couple who have developed the chalk-paint over the decades. They use the most beautiful pigments in their paints, and it makes the walls extremely vibrant and changeable throughout the day.  

    

Do you have any tips on how to decorate our homes in a more sustainable way?  

Absolutely. My best tip is to remember that the most sustainable item, is the one you already own. Use as much as you can of what you already have. When you want to purchase something new, be honest and ask yourself: "how much will I actually use and treasure this?" After that, start asking questions about how sustainable it is. Many brands postulate sustainability but can't elaborate. Ask them how they ensure it is environmentally friendly and ethically made. You may initially find it difficult to discern the trustworthiness of their answers, but the very act of asking the question will in itself push for change. 

If you wish to learn more, we're am entire community of sustainability advocates that can teach you how to dig deeper. 

Follow Tanja's instagram @tanjagotthardsen for more info! 

What a beautiful home! - The colours, the furniture, the accessories, everything!

Thank you so much to Tanja for sharing these pictures and talking about how to create a more sustainable home - the Danish way. Truly inspiring! 

My first stop is that paint shop! 

I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below. 

How about kicking off the week with a tour of more delightful Aarhus homes? 

An artful and relaxed home in Denmark (with great art!)

A magnificent Danish home with a touch of hygge

A charming Danish home with a fabulous pink bathroom

Wishing you aa wonderful start to the week! See you Wednesday*

Niki

Photography: Tanja Gotthardsen - shared with kind permission

*I'll be posting three days a week over the summer in order to wind down and spend a little more time with family (Monday, Wednesday and Friday)

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An Eclectic Home In The Heart Of Copenhagen

It's Friday friends! The weekend calls for something, don't you think? And today, I'm chatting to Ann Poulsen, a Dane who's passionate about DIY, sustainability and making her home feel as personal as possible. Velkommen to her beautiful Copenhagen apartment, decorated in a sea of colours, and adorned with art, vintage items and lovely, unique touches. 

Where do you live?

I live in an apartment in Copenhagen in an area called Island Brygge. 

Who do you share your home with? 

My boyfriend, Tim. He moved in a few months ago which explains why I haven't mentioned him in the renovating process on my instagram :)

What do you do for a living? 

I study Danish at Copenhagen University and also work in Langsamt, a store with a focus on sustainability. 

What is important to you when decorating your home? 

To design a space that feels like home and where I want to spend a lot of my time. Our home is our base. I feel best when things are tidy and I'm not surrounded by too much clutter. But it's also important to me that my home feels lived in. I also like my personality to shine through. I love to be creative and create a personal home where the decor is mainly made up of recycled and vintage finds. 

I love the tiles in your kitchen - where are they from? 

I bought them from a shop here in Copenhagen called Alverdens Fliser. I've always loved the herringbone pattern but there were so many colours to choose from! In the end I want for the beautiful blue and I've never regretted it! 

Your home is a wonderful, eclectic mix of colour and pieces - where do you find your inspiration from? 

I feel very inspired when I walk around secondhand shops. It always feels like I'm stepping back in time and it's fun to see the various trends from the past - I find the mix interesting. I also get a lot of inspiration from Pinterest and Instagram. 

 

Can you tell us a little about the colours you've chosen? 

In my bedroom I've chosen a mineral paint called Dusty Rose from Jotun Lady. It gives the room a raw, beautiful look and changes depending fin how the light hits it. In my kitchen, I've used Modern Beige from Jotun Lady. And in my living room, I've applied the yellow Gullhår from Jotun Lady. The green is from Bech & Jørgensen (colour code: 2014-N048). 

You have a lot of art on your walls - where do you buy it from?  

I like to buy posters from the exhibitions I have been to - it gives them a little history and art galleries always sell the finest art! I also buy a lot online. 

Did you make the piece in your bedroom (to the left) yourself? 

Yes! I made it around a year ago. It's quite easy to make with PU-foam, a canvas and the colour of your choice! 

Finally, what do you love most about your home? 

I love that it feels like home to both Tim and I. It's liberating to know I can decorate it however I like, and completely in my style. I don't think I will ever finish renovating - it's a never-ending project! 

Now that Tim's moved in, do you think he'll want to have a say in the decorating? 

No, not at all actually - he couldn't care less! He's really great as he never complains about the mess I make when I'm renovating either - and it can go for on for weeks! 

Thank you so much for telling us about your home Ann! 

You can see more snapshots and follow Ann's latest home decorating projects here. 

I love all the tones Ann's picked for her home - especially the blue tiles in the kitchen - refreshingly unique!  

Is there anything that stood out to you?

How about a few other Danish homes to enjoy over the weekend? Here are some of my favourites: 

Welcome inside the home of a Danish interior design consultant

On trend ceilings, art and books galore in a Danish home

A dreamy Danish home full of arts, books and design

Well folks, that's it from me this week. I hope you've enjoyed all the inspiration! Thank you so much for all your comments, I love reading each and every one of them - they're part of what makes this space a great community of fellow Scandic-design lovers! 

Trevlig helg!

Niki

Photography: Ann Poulsen

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The cool home of a Danish architect

It's Friday, the sun's shining and things are hotting up here in Malmö! Hope they are where you are too?! Just over the bridge in Denmark is this oh so cool Danish home belonging to architect Friederike Faller. Friedericke and his family have decorated the space with muted tones and made maximum use of every square inch (check out the high storage in the hall, kitchen, sitting room and dining room and the desks in the bedroom). I also love the way Mikkel Adsbol has photographed it  - the angles, the light. A perfect home tour for a Friday don't you think?!

Home: Friedericke Faller. Photographer: Mikkel Adsbol (with kind permission). Boligliv. Via Decordots with thanks. 

Anything that stands out to you?

I love the rope ladder on the bunk bed - my girls have been asking for a slide on theirs (Hahaha. No). But actually this could be a great alternative. Incidentally if you're looking for a spring / summer wardrobe for your little ones this weekend, Smallable are giving away 20 Petit Bateau outfits, 16 Finger in the nose and 5 Imps and Elves outfits in an amazing Grand Prize Draw throughout April. I'm all over it!

Back to the all important home tour - if you loved this Danish home, you might also like to check out these spaces: a Danish oasis in Cannes, the beautiful home of a Danish designer, and since it's the weekend, a pretty Danish home by the sea. *Sigh*, I could live in all of these, couldn't you?

For those of you with a bare wall at home - I love the scalloped walls shown in this post from Weekday Carnival, also master of the Geometric wall. Bare walls no longer!

And a quick reminder, don't forget to enter the give-away to win the t-shirt soft bed linen, tomorrow's the last day! I'll be back Sunday with the give-away winner announcement and a rare Sunday post (with a fabulous home tour I might add!). So see you then and have a wonderful Friday / Saturday!

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