A Cozy Family Home in Copenhagen

When Kate Imogen Wood and her husband first looked at this house on the outskirts of Copenhagen, it wasn’t exactly charming. Despite dating to the 1800s, the house had been stripped of all the original details. Think: a black-and-lime-green color scheme, cheap laminate floors, and plastic doors. But they had a vision and managed to fix it up for their growing family. Here’s a look at the home they share with their two cute boys…

KITCHEN

Ask og Eng, which “combines their own cabinet and drawer fronts with Ikea carcasses to keep the budget under control.” Curtains: made by Kate and hung from an aged brass pole for a more charming, cottage-style feel,” similar. Kitchen island countertop: Corian in “Sand.” Bar stools (in previous photo): Trævarefabrikernes, similar. Grasscloth panel on wall (in previous photo): Biri Tapet, similar.

On intergenerational living: Our neighborhood has a lot of older people. Our kids actually thought that our downstairs neighbors were related to us because they feel so much like grandparents. We meet in the garden and have a coffee together. I know that there is a bit of noise from our kids, but they’ve never complained. I think it helps that they know us so well. They’ve followed the kids as they’ve grown up, so when there is noise, they know exactly who is making it.

Kitchen: Ask og Eng.

On the renovation: The house has been modified many times with really cheap materials and in the eighties, it was actually derelict, with boarded up windows. We moved in while our renovation was still underway. There wasn’t even a staircase; we had a ladder to get upstairs.

Dining table: handmade, similar. High chairs: Stokke. Chairs: Hans Wegner. Pendant light: Atelier Vime, similar. Polka dot vase: Klay Copenhagen. Wall color: “School House White” by Farrow & Ball.

On printed photos: There are companies that print your photos so they look like Polaroids. Every year, my husband prints loads of photos and updates the bulletin board. It’s really nice to have the memories from the previous year to look at. 

On a cohesive color palette: I find true white too harsh. So, we painted our walls with off whites and soft tones. The floors are cement downstairs and wood upstairs, but we used a stain on the wood so that it’d be a similar color to the cement. It helps create a sense of flow. We wanted all the rooms to blend seamlessly, which helps make the space feel larger.

OLDER SON’S BEDROOM

Moon light: Smallable. Lofted bed: Oliver Furniture.

On a kid-friendly room: The lofted bed with the play area underneath works so well. My son’s toys are down there, but you can close it off with a little curtain and hide the mess. Our kids’ rooms are right off the dining area, so they’re always visible; we wanted them to feel like kids’ rooms, but still work with the house.

Lofted bed: Oliver Furniture. Paper overhead light: Hay.

On raising kids in Copenhagen: We love raising our kids here. Kids in Denmark are not rushed to grow up. They don’t start school until age six, so it’s pure play from age one, when they enter daycare, until they begin school. [Ed. note: Here’s a post on raising kids in Copenhagen.]

YOUNGER SON’S BEDROOM

Crib: StokkeBaby. Dresser: Oliver Furniture. Banner: Etsy.

On children’s interests: Our oldest is six and is really into this Danish game called stick ball, which is like dodgeball. Our younger son, three, is massively into ambulances, fire engines, and buses. One of his daycare teachers is married to an ambulance driver, so they brought in the ambulance and the kids got to climb in. It was the best day of his life.

Crib: StokkeBaby. Dresser: Oliver Furniture.

On multilingual kids: My husband and I are both English and from the same town. We’re glad they feel so at home in Denmark, but we want them to feel English, too. So, they go to a school where they’ll study both English and Danish. 

UPSTAIRS LIVING SPACE

Rug: vintage hand-stitched Moroccan rug, which “brings a touch of purple.” Sectional: Ikea, with Bemz linen covers. Armchair: vintage, similar.

On family traditions: On the weekends, we like to have a carpet picnic and watch a movie with the boys. They can get in their pajamas and stay up late — they love it.

On upping the warmth factor: When we do home swaps, people often say our house is very cozy. Here’s what we do: lots of lamps with low wattage bulbs and dimmers. I bring in textures with textiles — like wall hangings or carpets — and that softens things. For bedding, I avoid anything that feels too pristine. Then, lastly, add plants! 

Armchair: vintage, similar. Wall-mounted unit: “I made it with a curtain to hide all the clutter and brass handles for a vintage touch.” Rug: vintage hand-stitched Moroccan rug, similar.

On home swapping: When we travel, we use Behomm, which is for home swapping among creatives and design lovers. We’ve been doing it for years and we’ve had great experiences. Everyone is so careful and considerate. We try to find people who have similar aged kids so they’ll have toys — our kids are always super excited to see what’s there.

PRIMARY BEDROOM

Bed: Custom, “it was hand-crafted, to my design, by a local carpenter.” School chair used as nightstand: vintage, similar. Rug: vintage, similar.

On not having a bedroom door: When we moved in, the bedroom door was so poorly made, we ripped it out, thinking we’d put in a much nicer one eventually. But with the sloping ceiling it’s a bit tricky to deal with. Living without a door, we liked the light coming through and the feeling of space. Now, we don’t want to add one.

Dresser: Frama.

On moments of respite: We don’t spend much time upstairs during daytime, but it’s lovely and calm to come up here at the end of the day once we’ve put the kids to bed. We also have a little balcony, so in the summer we sit out there with the kids and watch the airplanes or look at the stars.

BATHROOM

Bathtub: Copenhagen Bath. Floor tiles: Fired Earth.

On a beloved feature: Usually apartments in Denmark have such tiny bathrooms, almost like a little closet. We lived like that for several years in various places. But when we saw this house, we realized we could fit a bathtub! It’s quite rare to get a tub in Copenhagen. So, we invested in that and also put in sub-floor heating. It’s so nice during long, Danish winters.

Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful home, Kate.

P.S. Many more house tours, and what it’s like to parent in Denmark.

(Photos by Nana Hagel.)