Simple, rustic shapes, hand-thrown pottery and furniture improvised from time-worn timber create a low-key, modern country home, here’s how to get the look
1. Be inspired by the environment
Take cues for your home’s colour palette from the surrounding landscape. If you have a really spectacular view, keep your interiors clean and simple to avoid detracting from it. Sleek window treatments will also help maximise the outlook.
2. Shop vintage and look for items with character.
Seek out the items you need at op-shops, estate sales, demolition yards and on Trade Me, as you’ll end up with beautiful, timeless treasures at a fraction of the price of new furniture. Keep an eye out for handmade furniture, mid-century ceramics and interesting coloured glass.
3. Create a neutral base
To avoid your home feeling like a jumble sale, offset your collection of mismatched vintage furnishings with modern white walls, handleless cabinetry and simple light fittings. This will also allow your furniture and textiles to stand out and be appreciated.
4. Reuse and upcycle
Before you throw anything away, from old furniture and fittings to timber and tiles, take a fresh look and ask yourself if it could be fashioned into something else or simply painted to modernise it for your new space. Holding onto pieces of the past adds warmth and soul to new interiors.
5. If you can’t afford it, or can’t find it – trying making it
If you’ve got the time, making your own pieces of furniture – such as the outdoor kitchen Morgen and Mille put together – is very satisfying. There are plenty of online tutorials, or ask a skilled friend to show you how. Once you’ve got the bug, DIY can be completely addictive.
6. Maximise outdoor living
Create multiple zones in your outdoor spaces to give you more reasons to spend time outside. Set up an outdoor food preparation and cooking space, arrange a dining area (preferably with some form of shelter) and look for inviting spots of shade or sun where a simple table and chair would look good. By doing this, you’ll greatly increase the liveable area of your home.
See more of the rural home in Denmark below
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The couple chose fibre cement cladding that looks like wood for a low-maintenance exterior.
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This corner sofa was chosen for its simple form so it doesn’t take up too much space or detract from the view of the neighbouring cornfields. The two old suitcases that act as a coffee table (with built-in storage) were found secondhand, as was the vintage rocking chair.
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A white kitset kitchen blends into the home’s neutral background, allowing the real centrepiece – an upcycled dining table – to take centre stage. The table was built using timber salvaged from the old house and the chairs are vintage.
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The display cupboard was also built using reclaimed materials.
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There had been an outdoor shower at Mille’s childhood home and she was determined that her new abode would have one, too. It also doubles as a handy dog-washing area.
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The homemade seating in the annexe can be pushed together to make a double bed for guests. The dining table was made out of an old barn door from Morten’s childhood home and placed on legs from IKEA.
Words by: Rikke Graff Juel. Photography by: Christina Kayser Onsgaard/Living Inside.
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