Light and balance work with nature and a slow lifestyle at this idyllic holiday house in Denmark
meet & greet
Rikke Moldrup Rasmussen (Slow fashion and home textile company owner), Flemming Moldrup (writer and TV presenter), his daughter Yoko, 14, and her son Gilbert, 25, and daughter Molly, 18.
the property
Three-bedroom ’50s holiday cottage, Ellinge Lyng, Denmark.
It’s all about simplicity in Ellinge Lyng, 100km west of Copenhagen. “Meet my little woodhouse in my childhood area, in one of the most beautiful bays in Denmark,” says Rikke Moldrup Rasmussen, founder of the slow living brand Moshi Moshi Mind. It’s a classic cottage-style summerhouse common to Denmark that’s painted black, with a host of white windows looking off to surrounding pine trees.
Her beloved holiday house is situated in a region blessed with 35km of beaches and is positioned to catch the sunset every summer evening. It’s a picturesque landscape rich in plantings of heather, pine and reeds.
Rikke, who has been in the 55sqm house since 2019, says the property was built in the early ’50s, renovated in the ’60s, and features two bedrooms and a bathroom and a 2100sqm garden. The former tool shed was transformed into a kitchen in 2007, as well as the addition of an outdoor bedroom and a shelter.
It’s a cosy, intimate place. “There is a wood-burning stove indoors, a fireplace under the half-roof on the terrace and a fireplace in the shelter at the bottom of the garden,” says Rikke.
“I own a slow-living brand where we inspire women to live less complicated, through self-care and comfort. It’s a sustainable way to live for humans and nature,” she says. “Here is where I recharge and get inspiration. I combine my work in Copenhagen with this simple life close to nature. I use it for weekends and holidays. I paddle, swim, make bonfires and observe nature – enjoying the simplicity and slowing down.”
It’s a lifestyle that infuses the house with a humble, resilient and poetic soul, where everything is necessary and nothing is too much. “Everything is here to be used and lived in. I treasure my things, but if something breaks there are no tears,” says the designer.
Rikke has put all her skills into making this home a very special place: “The design and interior of the house reflect my Nordic roots and passion for items with a history,” she says. “I collect and often buy vintage ceramics and interior decor.
Being surrounded by designs in her daily life, Rikke’s homes often stay the same with a few simple things. “It’s very ‘Rikke decorated’,” she jokes. “People who know me, know my styling and use of simple, natural materials and colours.”
Her judicious use of colours in the house reflect the outdoors. “I have painted and decorated the house by myself, with the colours matching the surrounding nature,” she tells. “I have been inspired by the landscape, the blue sky, the green lane, pines and a traditional black-and-white exterior.”
It’s a house that’s filled with personal items as well as treasures found at flea markets. “I love the bed in place of a sofa in the living room, there’s room for all of us and, on a cold or rainy day, we can sleep in front of the fire. There are windows all over, so you are able to feel outside when inside,” she says.
“I love our bedroom, especially in the morning. The first one to wake up makes coffee, then serves it in bed. We sit and look out into the garden to watch the wildlife. I got the big window put in after we bought the house just so we could look out and enjoy watching what’s happening in the garden. I also love that the room is painted blue.”
It’s here Rikke enjoys the simple life with her husband Flemming, in fact, the cottage is where he wrote his book on bonfire-making, Bogen om Bal (Book of Fire). It’s also a very popular place with their kids and friends.
“This is our getaway from the city,” she concludes.
“It’s a safe harbour.”
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