4 Ways to Modernize a Home's Old Bones (See: This Light-Filled Flat in Copenhagen)

Hampton Williams Hofer
Updated

Located on the top floor of a centuries-old townhouse in the quiet heart of Copenhagen, interior designer Caroline Feiffer’s home is a bright, woody naturalist’s dream. When she initially saw the space—one long room with a slanted roof and exposed beams, a half-wall by the bedroom and a loft above the kitchen—it was in a cluttered state. But she recognized a great opportunity, particularly in the tall ceilings and abundant light. "The light is aggressive during summertime, but as we are in Northern Europe we truly value this time since we have such a short period with sunlight," she says. "So, no need to temper the light rest of the year." Drawing on her Scandinavian heritage (and quite a lot of off-white paint), Feiffer designed the home to include a mix of old and new concepts, contrasts in style and form, but most of all, balance.

You might find her in the open kitchen, whipping up green dishes or churning her specialty ice cream and looking out toward an antique market dining table that’s getting more beautiful with age. Above her is a second-floor atelier, built in the loft by her woodworker husband Steffan, which provides excellent aerial views of the rooms below. Every element of the 860-square-foot home is purposeful. “Details are important,” she says. “Sometimes it really takes patience [to get them right], but it’s absolutely worth the wait.” These are the four design mantras that led her overhaul of the apartment.

“Preserve the beauty of what’s around you.”

Feiffer, who derives inspiration from her frequent travels, remains loyal to the influence of the Danish capital she calls home. Her apartment is situated in the heart of old Copenhagen and neighbors Christiansborg, the Danish palace and government building (the third of its name, which has stood on the same plot for 850 years). “You can almost feel the great history here just by observing the architecture and landscape,” Feiffer says. It's an incredibly serene location, so inside she keeps things minimal, uncluttered, and natural. But from certain angles, the space feels like a step into the past, as if you're walking over a stone bridge above a Copenhagen canal rather than in a home far above it.

The kitchen is where designer Caroline Feiffer spends quite a lot of time in her home in Old Copenhagen. At top right, a glimpse of the lofted office. The height of the ceilings makes for a feeling of airy spaciousness, as well as a connectivity between the rooms.

“Surround yourself with things that nourish your mindset.”

Home is a place to recharge, and no one finds serenity amid a bombardment of colors and textures and clutter. To achieve simplicity, Feiffer is super-selective when decorating, dividing potential accents up into two categories: “need to have” and “nice to have.” (Items that fall into the latter category most likely don't make the cut.) Steffan added a custom bookshelf to the half-wall by the bedroom, in order to maximize storage beside the funky sloping wall and make room for the couple to show off objects they love. Nearby, a Wassily chair by Marcel Breuer combines raw craft linen and strict steel bones, demonstrating the beauty in contrast. "Every piece needs to contribute a strong visual identity," Feiffer says.

“You don’t need to live without color.”

Feiffer likes to start with bright neutrals (off-white paint, light wood tones) and then add in contrasting accents. Geometric patterns in black and white, for example, can balance out all the earthiness. And while her own palette lacks bright colors, she isn't against them entirely: “I find that natural materials like wood, jute, linen, and stone are great for creating warmth and contrast—even painted surfaces in warm colors can create some depth in an overly bright white room.”

A Light-Filled Copenhagen Apartment with Old Bones and a Youthful Spirit

A large table by the kitchen is where the Feiffers spend the majority of their time: “It’s the center of our home. We have dinners here, co-work here, and have creative conversations here—with plenty of ceiling height for debate.” Bamboo roller shades soften the bright light just enough. Dining chairs are original Meribel chairs designed by Charlotte Perriand.
Feiffer is serious about lamps. Pictured here is a swan-shaped floor lamp by Danish Mads Caprani, made in wood with a Le Klint shade.
Feiffer is serious about lamps. Pictured here is a swan-shaped floor lamp by Danish Mads Caprani, made in wood with a Le Klint shade.
Stacks of cream porcelain by HAY sit with glazed clay plates and a variety of antique bowls collected from the Feiffers’ travels.
Stacks of cream porcelain by HAY sit with glazed clay plates and a variety of antique bowls collected from the Feiffers’ travels.
Natural light is what drew Feiffer to the flat in the first place—well, that and the general calm of the historic neighborhood—before she even walked in the door. “We saw the potential just walking by the sunny sidewalks of the canal,” she says.
Natural light is what drew Feiffer to the flat in the first place—well, that and the general calm of the historic neighborhood—before she even walked in the door. “We saw the potential just walking by the sunny sidewalks of the canal,” she says.
The kitchen is where designer Caroline Feiffer spends quite a lot of time in her historic flat in the quiet center of Old Copenhagen. At top right, a glimpse of a lofted nook her husband Steffan turned into an office. The height of the ceilings makes for a feeling of airy spaciousness throughout the small floor plan, as well as a connectivity between the rooms.
An Akari light fixture provides light atop an antique wood round table in the bedroom, all in front of one of the slanted wood beams that she painted white (they run all along one wall of every room in the apartment, adding character but also making the layout more complex).
An Akari light fixture provides light atop an antique wood round table in the bedroom, all in front of one of the slanted wood beams that she painted white (they run all along one wall of every room in the apartment, adding character but also making the layout more complex).
An antique Danish lamp by the ceramist Palshus (with a new linen shade—perhaps the easiest way to update an antique lighting fixture) sits atop a more modern bedside table made by Steffan. Everything in the room is intentional, useful, and uncluttered: In the bedside table sits a small box with a silk eye mask and essential oils, the book Feiffer is currently reading, and a garden flower.
A look into the living room shows the whitewashed, angled wooden beams that create spectacular visual lines (and the need for a custom built-in bookshelf) over the home. A bench the Feiffers also designed sits behind a white linen sofa by Italian Gervasoni, at once a display area and a place to sit if needed. The lamp is a rare woven raffia lamp from the 1980s.
Small spaces, Feiffer says, are easier to personalize. Featured here is a small oil painting by Danish artist Mathias Malling Mortensen—a high-impact piece in a diminutive dimension.
Small spaces, Feiffer says, are easier to personalize. Featured here is a small oil painting by Danish artist Mathias Malling Mortensen—a high-impact piece in a diminutive dimension.
A close-up of the shelves built by Steffan shows more organic tones and simplicity: an antique black-and-white ceramic pitcher, vases, bowls, a scented candle, and an Ilse Crawford for Georg Jensen silver jar—plus books, of course.
A close-up of the shelves built by Steffan shows more organic tones and simplicity: an antique black-and-white ceramic pitcher, vases, bowls, a scented candle, and an Ilse Crawford for Georg Jensen silver jar—plus books, of course.
The view from her office looking down exemplifies the openness of the home. “I feel humbled that I get to live in such ancient and beautiful surroundings, and I deeply respect the preservation of this architecture.”
The view from her office looking down exemplifies the openness of the home. “I feel humbled that I get to live in such ancient and beautiful surroundings, and I deeply respect the preservation of this architecture.”
Feiffer in her beloved Breuer chair. "Your personality quickly shines through in a loft apartment with one big room only. So surround yourself with what you truly need and value, because you don't have space for unnecessary objects," says the designer.
Feiffer in her beloved Breuer chair. "Your personality quickly shines through in a loft apartment with one big room only. So surround yourself with what you truly need and value, because you don't have space for unnecessary objects," says the designer.

“Have a thing with lights.”

Sun- and moonlight flood in at stunning angles across the bed, the dining table, and the office floor in Feiffer's home—the bright streams in every room are what drew her to the flat in the first place. She also appreciates a good lamp, however: “The light bulb in itself is extremely important,” she says, and not just for controlling the light in a room. The way it filters through a lampshade—be it paper, linen, silk, or anything else; mounted high or low—is part of the overall scheme, too. “When I see a good lamp I am not in doubt," Feiffer says. "A great contrast between base and shade, color, and material—really it all adds up to balance and harmony."