Once a small fisherman’s cottage, the Vedbaek House has a prime location close to the city, forest and sea. The romantic exterior is kept, while the interior has been updated to a more contemporary, minimal space.
Less than an hour from Copenhagen this home on Denmark’s east coast is now home to one of the biggest names in contemporary Danish architecture, Norm Architects’ Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen.
Bjerre-Poulsen and his family had been living in the town for seven years when they fell in love with the small, run-down fisherman’s cottage that would become their home.
Built in 1911, the home was constructed from far-reaching inspiration; the exterior features a high roof line and wooden balconies derived from the Tyrolean influence at the time, while inside Art Deco wall panelling and neo-classical ornaments create an eclectic feel.
In addition, different owners throughout the years had each added new elements, creating what Bjerre-Poulsen describes a “patchwork” of styles. “We had to tear almost everything out inside and start all over,” he says, “only keeping the most beautiful and original details and ornaments”.
The unison of classic and contemporary continues with the new rounded stone staircase, preservation of the ornamental walls and a pared-back, masculine colour palette. The design also repurposes original elements in new ways, such as the herringbone flooring that is now integrated to the kitchen counter.