My Houzz: An Inherited Scandi Home Gets a Contemporary Makeover
This family put their stamp on a childhood home, transforming it into a bright, airy and modern space
Helle Sindal
27 April 2018
When Diana Bønløkke and her boyfriend, Morten, took over the country estate where he grew up, they transformed the interior into a modern and practical home with space for family heirlooms, plants and just enough touches of colour.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Receptionist Diana Bønløkke, 33, agricultural worker Morten, 38, and their children, Elisabeth, 8, and Laura, 3
Location Near Aarhus, Denmark
Property A detached brick house built in 1929, with about 30 acres of farmland and 20 acres of beech forest
Size About 2,475 sq ft (230 sq m)
Price About £173,884 (1,500,000 Danish krone)
Architect Kirstine Reese
It took a while for Diana Bønløkke to settle in when she and her boyfriend, Morten, took over his parents’ country estate. “Now I feel the place belongs to us,” she says.
The house was built in 1929. The couple took it over in 2015 and fully renovated the interior, leaving only the exterior walls and tiled roof in their original forms.
Who lives here Receptionist Diana Bønløkke, 33, agricultural worker Morten, 38, and their children, Elisabeth, 8, and Laura, 3
Location Near Aarhus, Denmark
Property A detached brick house built in 1929, with about 30 acres of farmland and 20 acres of beech forest
Size About 2,475 sq ft (230 sq m)
Price About £173,884 (1,500,000 Danish krone)
Architect Kirstine Reese
It took a while for Diana Bønløkke to settle in when she and her boyfriend, Morten, took over his parents’ country estate. “Now I feel the place belongs to us,” she says.
The house was built in 1929. The couple took it over in 2015 and fully renovated the interior, leaving only the exterior walls and tiled roof in their original forms.
Diana had lots of ideas for the interior design of the house. An architect cousin helped them discover all of the home’s possibilities and organise the spaces, while Morten was in charge of the physical work, alongside a carpenter.
“A cousin with a sense of fashion and a good carpenter are a great combination when you’re renovating a house,” Diana says.
“A cousin with a sense of fashion and a good carpenter are a great combination when you’re renovating a house,” Diana says.
There used to be 14 rooms in the house, now there are 10. During the renovation, several spaces on the upper storey were merged and skylights were added into the slanted roof, so daylight comes pouring in.
Some windows, like this one in Elisabeth’s room, have storage space underneath.
The new floors are made of white oiled oak and there’s underfloor heating throughout the upper storey. A framed drawing of the original house is displayed on a picture ledge on the landing.
Chair, Søstrene Grene.
Some windows, like this one in Elisabeth’s room, have storage space underneath.
The new floors are made of white oiled oak and there’s underfloor heating throughout the upper storey. A framed drawing of the original house is displayed on a picture ledge on the landing.
Chair, Søstrene Grene.
The original staircase leading to the upper storey was very steep, so the couple had it replaced. The walls, ceiling and woodwork everywhere are painted white.
“That way, it’s easy to decorate the home and add colours,” Diana says. She’s especially fond of blue and green shades.
Old posters, which Diana’s sister rescued from being scrapped by the school where she works, can be seen around the house.
“That way, it’s easy to decorate the home and add colours,” Diana says. She’s especially fond of blue and green shades.
Old posters, which Diana’s sister rescued from being scrapped by the school where she works, can be seen around the house.
The ceiling in the attic is vaulted, with exposed beams. There’s a teak bed and a large wicker suitcase – the same one Diana’s boyfriend had used as a young man when he left his childhood home to start working.
“Morten’s parents wanted to get rid of it because they’d moved into a smaller house, so we were allowed to keep it. I like things that relate to family history,” Diana says.
“Morten’s parents wanted to get rid of it because they’d moved into a smaller house, so we were allowed to keep it. I like things that relate to family history,” Diana says.
Diana created an office space behind a low wall on the landing.
“Here, you can still follow the conversations in the house and are not hidden behind a closed door,” she says. There’s a filing cabinet from Ikea underneath the tabletop, and the organiser from Vitra holds a lot of odds and ends on the wall.
“Here, you can still follow the conversations in the house and are not hidden behind a closed door,” she says. There’s a filing cabinet from Ikea underneath the tabletop, and the organiser from Vitra holds a lot of odds and ends on the wall.
The girls each have their own room upstairs. Laura sleeps in a bed from Brio under a multitude of stars on the wall.
Elisabeth loves moving the furniture around in her room. The two Ikea cupboards fit under the sloping ceiling and skylight. The huge Sylvanian Families rabbit came from an exhibition and was found on DBA, a Danish classifieds site.
The teak writing desk in Elisabeth’s room was found in a second-hand shop. “It’s a really girlie piece of furniture, with a built-in mirror and plenty of drawers,” Diana says.
She explains that the butterfly images on the wall are the kind of things that have slipped into the house over time. The lamp on the desk is Verner Panton’s Flowerpot VP3 table lamp.
She explains that the butterfly images on the wall are the kind of things that have slipped into the house over time. The lamp on the desk is Verner Panton’s Flowerpot VP3 table lamp.
“Plants are good for softening up the interior, including the bathroom. That way, it’s not too white and sterile,” Diana says.
Especially notable among the bathroom plant life is the kokedama (or moss ball) that hangs from the towel ladder.
Bathroom fixtures, Svane Bad. Bamboo ladder, House Doctor.
Especially notable among the bathroom plant life is the kokedama (or moss ball) that hangs from the towel ladder.
Bathroom fixtures, Svane Bad. Bamboo ladder, House Doctor.
There’s a bathroom on each floor and one has a bath. The wall displays an old school poster of a watering hole, which Diana thinks fits the tub perfectly.
The same floor tiles were used in both bathrooms. The bluish colour was selected to contrast with the all-white surroundings.
Tiles, Flisegalleriet.
The same floor tiles were used in both bathrooms. The bluish colour was selected to contrast with the all-white surroundings.
Tiles, Flisegalleriet.
Diana enjoys repairing old stuff and adding some colour to soften up all the white in the house. “It’s easier to paint a piece of furniture than an entire wall, and it’s also easier to undo or change it,” she says.
The wardrobe in the hallway once belonged to Morten’s parents. It was found in the old barn and was almost thrown out when they moved in. However, Diana managed to save it, and today it’s used for storing the family’s outdoor clothes.
The ceiling light is an industrial lamp from Focus Lighting. “I have a thing for lamps. When I find one I like, I just have to have it!” Diana says. “I saw a similar lamp at a friend’s house, and, after searching online for a long time, I finally found one. I like the fact that it’s so simple. But the electrician swore at it when he was attaching it to the ceiling.”
The wardrobe in the hallway once belonged to Morten’s parents. It was found in the old barn and was almost thrown out when they moved in. However, Diana managed to save it, and today it’s used for storing the family’s outdoor clothes.
The ceiling light is an industrial lamp from Focus Lighting. “I have a thing for lamps. When I find one I like, I just have to have it!” Diana says. “I saw a similar lamp at a friend’s house, and, after searching online for a long time, I finally found one. I like the fact that it’s so simple. But the electrician swore at it when he was attaching it to the ceiling.”
“Having a large kitchen was important to us. It has to be like that on a country estate. We have a large family, and they all live nearby, so when there’s a birthday, the table is full of people,” Diana says.
The black dining table is surrounded by a mixture of seats: two Eames chairs, two Hay chairs and two recycled chairs. “It’s fun to mix different shapes,” Diana says.
The light over the dining table is a PH pendant – a gift from Morten’s parents.
The large-format tiles mean there are relatively few joints on the floor. The tiles’ sandy colour adds warmth.
Light fixtures over the kitchen island, Design By Us. Plant box, Ferm Living.
The black dining table is surrounded by a mixture of seats: two Eames chairs, two Hay chairs and two recycled chairs. “It’s fun to mix different shapes,” Diana says.
The light over the dining table is a PH pendant – a gift from Morten’s parents.
The large-format tiles mean there are relatively few joints on the floor. The tiles’ sandy colour adds warmth.
Light fixtures over the kitchen island, Design By Us. Plant box, Ferm Living.
The kitchen is white and handleless, and the extractor fan is built into a white box. “Extractor hoods are not so nice to look at, so it was good to get it slightly out of the way,” Diana says.
The worktop is made of white laminate, which, according to Diana, is practical and easy to keep clean. “You can spend all your money on expensive kitchen worktops, but here we chose to save a little bit,” she says.
Kitchen, Svane Køkkenet.
See 10 ways to introduce stylish wall lights into your kitchen
The worktop is made of white laminate, which, according to Diana, is practical and easy to keep clean. “You can spend all your money on expensive kitchen worktops, but here we chose to save a little bit,” she says.
Kitchen, Svane Køkkenet.
See 10 ways to introduce stylish wall lights into your kitchen
The kitchen island has a wood worktop. Diana insisted on bringing home the Hay bar stools, which she found at a factory outlet in Aarhus.
The kitchen wall features a large new window with the best view of the fields and the forest, which had previously been blocked by an oil tank. This window, like all the windows in the house, was replaced during the renovation.
The kitchen leads to the terrace, which the couple renovated over the summer.
The kitchen wall features a large new window with the best view of the fields and the forest, which had previously been blocked by an oil tank. This window, like all the windows in the house, was replaced during the renovation.
The kitchen leads to the terrace, which the couple renovated over the summer.
The bedroom has been divided into two sections: the bed area and a space for two large cupboards placed opposite each other to create a kind of walk-in wardrobe.
In order to emphasise the division, Diana attached a painted board to the back of the cupboard facing the bed. The wardrobes don’t reach all the way to the ceiling, so daylight is still able to fill the room.
Quilt, Hay.
In order to emphasise the division, Diana attached a painted board to the back of the cupboard facing the bed. The wardrobes don’t reach all the way to the ceiling, so daylight is still able to fill the room.
Quilt, Hay.
The table mirror is a Flip from Normann Copenhagen and can be turned 360 degrees. There’s room for jewellery and other odds and ends in the tray.
A staircase leads down to the annex, which was added before the couple moved in to house the large living room. The stairs were painted white and covered with tiles similar to the ones on the kitchen floor. A cactus in a basket and a plant on a small bamboo table provide some life and break up the straight lines.
Laura often draws at the low table, which they got from the school where Diana’s sister works. The teak sideboard is a piece of the estate’s original furniture. It was treated with oil and now takes pride of place in the living room of the next generation of the family. The shelving unit was purchased from Illums Bolighus. “I really like the lightness of these shelves. It provides a good contrast to the heavier-looking furniture,” Diana says.
On one of the shelves is an old lamp from Holmegaard with a Le Klint shade – an heirloom from Diana’s grandmother. The plants on the shelves all come from cuttings of a single plant.
On one of the shelves is an old lamp from Holmegaard with a Le Klint shade – an heirloom from Diana’s grandmother. The plants on the shelves all come from cuttings of a single plant.
The book collection on the trolley reveals that Diana’s boyfriend is a keen hunter. The pottery pieces are heirlooms from Diana’s paternal grandmother. They sit next to a Kubus candleholder. “I believe this can be found in all Danish homes,” Diana laughs.
Trolley, Normann Copenhagen.
Should you get rid of your coffee table?
Trolley, Normann Copenhagen.
Should you get rid of your coffee table?
The living room is mainly designed for relaxation. “We need to be able to fling ourselves onto the sofa, and there’s plenty of room for the children to play on the floor,” Diana says.
The large windows and terrace door face southeast and ensure plenty of daylight and lovely views over the gardens and the surrounding fields. The sofa is an old model from Ilva, and the couple want to replace it, preferably with a blue one. However, Diana doesn’t mind waiting until the kids are a bit older.
The Le Klint lamp on the wall and the armchair were found in second-hand shops. The embroidered cushion with grass motifs was made by Morten’s mother.
Morten’s parents still live in the neighbourhood. “They come here very often and have taken the transformation of their former home really well,” Diana says.
Franklin Chandelier Tribeca pendant light, Menu. Rug, Ferm Living.
Tell us…
What do you think of this renovated home? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
The large windows and terrace door face southeast and ensure plenty of daylight and lovely views over the gardens and the surrounding fields. The sofa is an old model from Ilva, and the couple want to replace it, preferably with a blue one. However, Diana doesn’t mind waiting until the kids are a bit older.
The Le Klint lamp on the wall and the armchair were found in second-hand shops. The embroidered cushion with grass motifs was made by Morten’s mother.
Morten’s parents still live in the neighbourhood. “They come here very often and have taken the transformation of their former home really well,” Diana says.
Franklin Chandelier Tribeca pendant light, Menu. Rug, Ferm Living.
Tell us…
What do you think of this renovated home? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
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I'm intrigued about the white oak floors. Are these brown oak that has been dyed then oiled or is it possible to actually get white oak? I thought all oak was brown. The floors are fantastic btw.
one of the nicest houses ever....perfect even!