BTS style secrets of our Vol 21 Spring cover home

Put a spring in your step as we get ready for a lighter, brighter time of year, when nature becomes the main source of inspiration for our homes – inside and out

I'm so ready for spring – hopefully it will stop raining! In the meantime, I've been busying myself with our new Vol 21 Spring issue, which is giving me all the feels of the season. Take Christina and Thomas' Danish summerhouse, where light and texture, raw materials and earthy colours combine for a truly relaxing retreat. The dining room was the obvious choice for our cover, thanks to its light scheme and texture hits – but there's plenty more to love about this space. 

1 Christina's texture combinations

The couple's self-build summerhouse, on the Danish island of Bornholm, combines materials effortlessly. “I’ve stuck to wooden furniture and used colours that are either very light or earthy in tone that reflect nature. They blend with the view through the big windows. For the same reason, we don’t have much on the walls – the materials themselves, wood or concrete, already have texture, and the windows act like living, ever-changing paintings,” Christina explains.

2 That open-plan space

There's one-room where relaxing, entertaining and cooking take place, but even though this is a sizeable space, Christina's used furniture and clever divides (like the sleeping nook for the couple's daughter) to keep the look cosy. By choosing soft, pale colours, even the super-sized sofa and large dining table don't dominate.

3 The sense of light and space

One of Christina's favourite things is waking up to the view from the bedroom, where she can see the sun filtering through tall trees on the sloping rocky terrain typical of the island. The floor-to-ceiling windows and doors provide plenty of natural light. Behind the sliding pocket door is one of the house's two bathrooms.

4 The way the bathroom reflects its surroundings

The bathroom, with its concrete floor (like the rest of the house) and Italian sandstone tiles, echoes the natural view perfectly. But this bathroom also leads out directly onto the terrace, offering birdsong and fresh air for the morning shower.

5 That outside room within the garden

The large wooden terrace in front of the house is a living space within itself, with multiple dining areas, cosy corners and a sofa space. Christina has continued her style outside, choosing pieces in the same natural Scandi vibe as inside, with wicker baskets and plenty of pots to soften the look. From every angle the house is architecturally cohesive, with a beautiful mix of contrasting materials that meet harmoniously. From the back of the house, there’s an opening in the wind wall to the west-facing terrace.

Words & styling: Rikke Graff Juel. Photography: Anitta Behrendt.