A mid-century summer house in a Danish artists’ colony gets a suitably creative, sympathetic makeover
Light is said to be an artist’s best friend, so when an artists’ colony was built beside a small Danish lake in the 1950s, sunlight was the god it worshipped. Panoramic windows with views of nature and soaring interiors became the presiding design features, and the homes attracted creative residents of all stripes, from painters and writers to opera singers.
These days, the Malerlandsbyen neighbourhood outside Vekso, about 20km north-west of Copenhagen, houses a more diverse crowd – including, for the last four years, Milan Obaidi, an associate professor at the University of Oslo, and physician and psychiatrist Clas Winding. By the time the couple bought their lake house, which lies on a slope facing the water, it had endured several rounds of renovations that had robbed it of many of the charms envisioned by its architect, Ib Kofod-Larsen, a prominent name in the mid-century Danish Modern set.
“It was an outdated house when we bought it, but with a lot of potential,” Milan recalls. “Extensions had been made in both the ’70s and ’80s with materials from the different time periods, so it did not connect in style at all.
“We knew we were going to rebuild, but wanted to stay here a bit before we got started, to get to know the house. We thought it was a shame to just tear it down and build a new one because it has so much history. So we chose to collaborate with Kim Pretzmann Olesen from Nordpil Architects.” Clas says they have tried to remain true to the materials popular in the era in which the house was built – “natural stone, lots of wood and linoleum”.
The show-stopper of the renovations is a sun-soaked extension in which the kitchen now stands, alongside an orangery – a traditional style of conservatory in Northern Europe. Between the orangery – a lifelong dream for the couple – and a greenhouse in the garden, the property boasts more than 100 potted plants.
“We are partly self-sufficient – it’s fun to grow flowers and vegetables ourselves that can otherwise be difficult to get hold of,” Milan says. “We have artichokes, figs, pomegranates, a lot of fruit trees like apricot and peach, and seven truffle trees in the backyard. In addition, we also have a number of exotic and unique flowers such as real Hawaiian flowers and desert roses.”
The kitchen was custom-made to the couple’s specifications, with a emphasis on tactile surfaces, pale wood and open shelving. “We have a lot of beautiful teak wood dishes and fine ceramics, and I think it’s a shame to have it hidden away in cupboards where you cannot enjoy it. And you also use it more when it comes to the fore,” Milan says.
The kitchen designers were also tasked with creating a stunning acoustic ceiling above the living area and adding storage through the rest of the home.
A large, sculptural fireplace now floats between the kitchen and dining area. Its surround doubles as extra seating for guests, perfectly positioned so they can chat to their hosts while meals are prepared.
The result of the renovations is an open-plan home that’s welcoming to both humans and the sun – a feature that the original creative minds of the ’50s would surely approve of.
“It all just fits together now,” Milan says. “The morning sun enters the orangery and the evening sun sets behind the lake, which can be seen from the panoramic windows at the dining table. We love being surrounded by nature.”
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