Simple Scandi style in this Danish apartment
In a quiet corner of bustling Vesterbro in Copenhagen, you’ll find Kristina’s apartment that she shares with her partner Thomas. Dating back to 1899, today it’s a lesson in simple, timeless Scandi style
At the heart of Copenhagen’s Vesterbro, the traffic is dense and city life is vibrant. Most of the apartments here lie side by side with their fronts facing the busy street. The apartment of Kristina Yndgaard and her partner Thomas, however, is located in a peaceful and quiet backyard, like a little oasis in the city’s midst.
It was a lucky find for the couple: at a reasonable 71sq m in size, the apartment, although built in 1899, didn’t need much doing to it, with a kitchen-dining-living room, bedroom, bathroom and study space, and – even better – its own balcony. Kristina and Thomas set about enhancing what was already there, adding new sections of panelling and simplifying spaces such as the kitchen.
“We liked the units that were fitted, so we just added wall units for extra storage,” says Kristina. Luckily, Thomas’ father is handy – he made the radiator cabinets and even the wooden-topped dining table using an Eilersen frame. “Thomas and I both agreed on keeping things simple in style and we like our walls white,” says Kristina.
Looking around the airy apartment, there’s a lovely mix of old and new, like the wall-hung antique display cabinet in the kitchen, which Kristina picked up for 100 kroner and revived with a coat of light grey paint. “I’m not a fan of strong colour,” she shares. “If I feel like incorporating a colour, then I might buy a pink plant pot or paint a mirror with a blue hue – something that is replaceable.”
It’s very different to the home Kristina grew up in, which she describes as “very colourful and playful”. Today, she loves timeless buys that show great craftsmanship. “It’s about pieces that last that aren’t too decorated or colourful,” she explains. Kristina believes that you should decorate “for your current stage of life,” though she admits to keeping a long list of things she dreams about buying or finding for her home. “I have a weakness for smaller things, such as lamps, pictures and pottery,” she smiles. It’s easy to understand why – Kristina works at The Poster Club, where many of the posters on the walls in her apartment are from, while she’s also founder of Bottega Lavanda, a pottery shop.
Her ceramic adventure began after a holiday to Puglia in southern Italy, where she noted the distinctive handmade pottery used in many local restaurants. She brought some home and found it was a beautiful fit for Nordic interiors. “My friends were incredibly enthusiastic about my ceramic finds, and Thomas convinced me to open my own online shop to sell the pottery. I was soon smitten by the idea of what I’d learn by starting my own company, and of the chance I’d get to sell the beautiful pottery on to others,” Kristina smiles.
Kristina's venture was certainly helped by the fact Kristina has a background in brand design, having studied at KEA (Copenhagen School of Design and Technology). At home, a long worktop bench means the couple have separate workspaces in their shared office. Kristina’s section is home to posters and pottery pieces. The tote bag on the wall is from SAIS Handmade.
There's plenty of light flowing in, with the couple's bedroom just as airy, even though it's small. The bed linen is from Juna, with lamps from Artemide. Kristina loves the simple Montana chest, of which she knows she’ll never tire.
Outside, Kristina loves that the balcony gives the apartment an extra room in summertime. The furniture is from Tine K Home.
