Located on a calm street near the beach, far from the hustle and bustle in downtown Copenhagen, the small redbrick house seemed like a perfect spot for designer Kristina Dam and pop musician Ketil Duckert to raise their two children, Vera, 12, and Nord, 7. Or, at least, it would be after the renovation they had planned.
Inspired by the minimalist aesthetic and natural materials inherent in Japanese and midcentury design, the couple embarked on a two-year renovation and ground-floor addition that radically changed the home’s character. Clad with dark, vertical wood siding punctuated by large windows overlooking a contemporary garden, the newly added space houses an open great room that the entire family enjoys.
White walls and warm Douglas fir flooring create a calming canvas for stone, metal, leather, wool and other organic, often textural materials that enliven the neutral palette. “It’s a combination of honest, beautifully handcrafted materials,” Dam describes. “Working with color as a designer can be overwhelming at times, so I wanted a really calm feeling when I’m home.”
As the brand and design director at Kristina Dam Studio and Broste Copenhagen, Dam is constantly on the watch for new ideas, taking particular inspiration from Japanese culture, Bauhaus furnishings and iconic midcentury designers such as Mies van Der Rohe. Her resulting prototypes often find their way home, where they live alongside an eclectic mix of pieces they have assembled over the years.
An oval-shaped wooden wall sculpture she designed, for example, energizes a low-hung gallery wall that includes painting and photography in the great room. There, an earthy-hued rug with a contemporary pattern anchors a curvy brown-and-white-striped sofa alongside a mix of contemporary chairs and mismatched accent tables. “It’s so easy to go out and buy furnishings from the same designer or era, but to create a truly personal home, you need to select each piece one by one,” she explains.
Small pieces of handmade pottery line the sleek open shelving in the newly expanded kitchen, its linear white IKEA cabinetry accented by complementary white Corian countertops and a handmade Japanese ceramic tile backsplash. Paired with a blue side table that Dam designed, a plush leather sofa offers guests a comfortable spot to chat with the hosts while they prepare dinner.
While they appreciate every space in the newly revitalized abode, Dam especially loves the open, light-filled dining room overlooking the garden. There, a large plastic globe chandelier appears to float over a black metal pedestal table with a crisp white marble top. Mismatched chairs and a built-in window seat complete the scene. “When we open up the windows, it feels like we’re outside,” she notes. “It’s a wonderful spot.”
Indeed, the space glows like a candle when night falls. If you listen closely enough, it also hums, a result of the regular jam sessions Duckert enjoys with fellow musicians in a newly renovated, lower-level music room chock full of his instruments. Dam shares “We love and appreciate this place every day.”
Photography by Christina Kayser O.
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