My Houzz: A Small Flat Does Scandi Style With a Bohemian Twist
Not a fan of the all-white trend? This moody-hued home is the perfect antidote, as these before and after shots show
With black floors, gold-patterned ceilings and not a single piece of classic designer furniture, Daniélle Bertelsen’s apartment is the exact opposite of most homes in the Vesterbro district of Copenhagen, Denmark. Interiors in this trendy neighbourhood usually tend towards bright white Nordic cool, a look Bertelsen isn’t too fond of. “I almost get the creeps when I find myself in an all-white apartment,” she says. “I think it’s impersonal, cold and not very cosy.”
With her dislike of all-white, it makes sense that Bertelsen and her boyfriend, Patrick, have decorated their three-room apartment in deep, moody tones.
“It simply makes me so happy to be surrounded by colour, and I love dark tones especially, as for me they create cosiness and atmosphere. They also give the place more character – there’s much more soul in dark colours,” Bertelsen says. She describes her home as “bohemian”.
“It simply makes me so happy to be surrounded by colour, and I love dark tones especially, as for me they create cosiness and atmosphere. They also give the place more character – there’s much more soul in dark colours,” Bertelsen says. She describes her home as “bohemian”.
When the couple bought the apartment three years ago, it looked like most others in Copenhagen, with light-coloured floorboards, white walls and white ceilings. So they got to work with a colourful palette.
“I thought we could renovate it in a year, but it ended up taking two years, because once you get started, there’s no end,” Bertelsen says. “Once we’d painted the walls, we also had to paint the window frames. When we’d painted the window frames, we could see that the wall sockets also needed fixing…”
“I thought we could renovate it in a year, but it ended up taking two years, because once you get started, there’s no end,” Bertelsen says. “Once we’d painted the walls, we also had to paint the window frames. When we’d painted the window frames, we could see that the wall sockets also needed fixing…”
There’s more consistency in style and atmosphere from room to room than in many homes. This is another reason why Bertelsen’s home stands out so much.
“I often notice that people who want to create a home that’s different are a bit scared to go all the way, since they think it’s too crazy. I’ve learned that it has to be consistent, so it’s better to do a little too much than a little too little,” she says.
“I often notice that people who want to create a home that’s different are a bit scared to go all the way, since they think it’s too crazy. I’ve learned that it has to be consistent, so it’s better to do a little too much than a little too little,” she says.
Half-measures, Bertelsen notes, are rarely good enough. Painting an accent wall in a white-walled home, for example, doesn’t do enough to create warmth in her opinion – it often ends up just looking messy.
“You should either go all out or leave it as it is. This is also how I felt about these floors. A lot of people think you shouldn’t touch floors and ceilings, but I believe it’s necessary in order to create a unified [design],” she says.
“You should either go all out or leave it as it is. This is also how I felt about these floors. A lot of people think you shouldn’t touch floors and ceilings, but I believe it’s necessary in order to create a unified [design],” she says.
She adds that she is also privileged to have a boyfriend who’s not very interested in interior decoration and who rarely protests against her unique style. “He does sometimes think my ideas sound outrageous when I present them, but once I do it, he’s usually fine with it,” she says.
In fact, Bertelsen thinks Patrick would now find it difficult to live in a white space. At least, he was skeptical when Bertelsen recently proposed a white décor feature. “But we don’t do white. We don’t like white, do we?” he protested. “No, we don’t,” she says, smiling.
Bertelsen gets the inspiration for her particular style from many different places. When an idea develops, it has to be tested. “It often becomes very experimental. I just do it and then redo it if I don’t like the result.”
In fact, Bertelsen thinks Patrick would now find it difficult to live in a white space. At least, he was skeptical when Bertelsen recently proposed a white décor feature. “But we don’t do white. We don’t like white, do we?” he protested. “No, we don’t,” she says, smiling.
Bertelsen gets the inspiration for her particular style from many different places. When an idea develops, it has to be tested. “It often becomes very experimental. I just do it and then redo it if I don’t like the result.”
One of the most unique aspects of the apartment is the living room ceiling. “If I’d kept the ceilings white, it wouldn’t have been complete. You would have thought, ‘OK, this is where she ran out of ideas,’” Bertelsen says.
At first she considered painting a pattern all the way around the ceiling. She was inspired by patterned floors with stencils. “I started doing that, but quite quickly I could see that it would be too boring to just have [the pattern] on the edges.”
At first she considered painting a pattern all the way around the ceiling. She was inspired by patterned floors with stencils. “I started doing that, but quite quickly I could see that it would be too boring to just have [the pattern] on the edges.”
So she decided it would be better to cover the entire ceiling with the golden pattern. However, one out of every five stencils is faded, because a totally uniform pattern would have been too nice. “I feel it shouldn’t be too nice; it should not be too correct,” she says.
Although the slow stencilling process almost made Bertelsen want to give up halfway through, she eventually repeated the pattern more than 400 times to create the final design.
Although the slow stencilling process almost made Bertelsen want to give up halfway through, she eventually repeated the pattern more than 400 times to create the final design.
Having brand-name items is not a priority. As long as she likes something, it doesn’t matter whether it’s an old recycled piece, a cheap item from Ikea or an expensive designer product. “I don’t think I actually own a single piece of designer furniture,” she says.
The coffee table in the living room is made up of suitcases, which Bertelsen bought from an antiques shop called Tante Tuli, in the Amager district. The shop had once belonged to her aunt. They it stores DVDs, a sewing machine and sewing equipment.
The stereotypical bohemian home is less tidy and more casual than Bertelsen’s apartment.
“Even though I like to surround myself with lots of very different things – new and old, expensive and cheap – I don’t like it to look too untidy. But as soon as things are grouped together well, I can cope with it, so that’s the solution,” she says.
“Even though I like to surround myself with lots of very different things – new and old, expensive and cheap – I don’t like it to look too untidy. But as soon as things are grouped together well, I can cope with it, so that’s the solution,” she says.
Bertelsen gets inspiration in a variety of places. One is London-based interior designer Abigail Ahern, who, she says, “has a weakness for the dark and, at times, a bit of a crazy style with animals and plants”.
Another source of inspiration is the Italian firm Dimore Studio. “Among other things, they’ve decorated an apartment in Milan that’s open to the public. They play a lot on the contrast between old worn items and new furniture in powerful colours. It’s super-cool,” Bertelsen says.
The final influence is closer to home: the interiors shop Rue Verte. “This shop in the centre of Copenhagen features French bohemian style, which I love, with plenty of gold, brass, velour and raw contrasts,” Bertelsen says.
Another source of inspiration is the Italian firm Dimore Studio. “Among other things, they’ve decorated an apartment in Milan that’s open to the public. They play a lot on the contrast between old worn items and new furniture in powerful colours. It’s super-cool,” Bertelsen says.
The final influence is closer to home: the interiors shop Rue Verte. “This shop in the centre of Copenhagen features French bohemian style, which I love, with plenty of gold, brass, velour and raw contrasts,” Bertelsen says.
Any walls Bertelsen didn’t paint a deep colour she covered in wallpaper. “I found the papers in different places. I often looked on the internet until I found what I wanted and could afford, since wallpaper is often extremely expensive.”
The most spectacular wallpaper in the apartment is on the longer dining room wall. Bertelsen initially dreamed of papering this wall with a huge image of a lion, but that would have cost about £4,096 (35,000 Danish krone). So in the end she chose the flamingo-inspired fantasy bird, which cost about £350 (3,000 Danish krone) from an online poster store.
Source wall coverings in the Houzz Shop
The most spectacular wallpaper in the apartment is on the longer dining room wall. Bertelsen initially dreamed of papering this wall with a huge image of a lion, but that would have cost about £4,096 (35,000 Danish krone). So in the end she chose the flamingo-inspired fantasy bird, which cost about £350 (3,000 Danish krone) from an online poster store.
Source wall coverings in the Houzz Shop
Before Like the rest of the apartment, the bedroom had been chalky white with light-coloured floorboards when the couple moved in.
Now, colour makes its presence felt in the bedroom as well. “The most important thing is that I can look at something that isn’t white when I lie in bed,” Bertelsen says.
That’s why the ceiling in the bedroom is painted in gold and black and decorated with old playbills and artist Bjørn Wiinblad posters. “I love Bjørn Wiinblad and really wanted to repaper the ceiling with a large wallpaper spread I’d found that depicts a large circus [designed by Wiinblad]. But it would have cost an arm and a leg, so instead I came up with this solution,” she says.
The rack on the wall, which the couple use for hanging clothes, is an old hat rack from a train.
That’s why the ceiling in the bedroom is painted in gold and black and decorated with old playbills and artist Bjørn Wiinblad posters. “I love Bjørn Wiinblad and really wanted to repaper the ceiling with a large wallpaper spread I’d found that depicts a large circus [designed by Wiinblad]. But it would have cost an arm and a leg, so instead I came up with this solution,” she says.
The rack on the wall, which the couple use for hanging clothes, is an old hat rack from a train.
The bedroom is the only space in the home with a white floor. “I generally like the fact that the rooms flow into each other and make up a whole together with the floor. But because the bedroom floor is on a slightly different level, there’s a natural division anyway,” Bertelsen says. “I also think it’s quite convenient that the bedroom is defined as separate from the rest of the apartment. That way, it’s like a tiny cave in here, and I like that.”
Before The hall was also white, bland and unoriginal when the couple moved in.
In this photo, you can see the entrance door (on the left) opposite the door to the kitchen.
In this photo, you can see the entrance door (on the left) opposite the door to the kitchen.
As in the rest of the home, Bertelsen made room for dark shades here.
“I spackled the walls with a product called Kabe. It’s a kind of coloured plaster. Then I sprayed it with a certain type of varnish to get a glossier surface,” she says. She notes that the darker colours also bring out the glossiness of the frames.
“I spackled the walls with a product called Kabe. It’s a kind of coloured plaster. Then I sprayed it with a certain type of varnish to get a glossier surface,” she says. She notes that the darker colours also bring out the glossiness of the frames.
Not only did Bertelsen update the space itself, she also painted the washing machine a deep purple. “The only challenge was that I couldn’t see the programme settings, which is why I’ve written them in with a black marker,” she laughs.
Before “The bathroom was our first project, so as we got more experienced and the other rooms were finished, I thought, ‘Oh, now all of a sudden the bathroom doesn’t seem so great,’” Bertelsen says.
The white toilet, among other things, still hurts Bertelsen’s eyes. She wants to replace it with a black or steel one.
The white toilet, among other things, still hurts Bertelsen’s eyes. She wants to replace it with a black or steel one.
The brass sink is from Morocco. A friend of Bertelsen’s had bought it online, but realised it didn’t go well with her décor when it arrived. However, it fit Bertelsen’s bathroom perfectly.
The kitchen, which is next to the bathroom, has probably gone through the biggest transformation.
Before “When we moved in, there was a white kitchen from Svane Køkkenet, with the wall cupboards and base units and all the usual items. I put it on DBA [a Danish classified ads site], saying that anybody willing to come and remove it could have it for free. Fortunately, someone was happy to come get it,” Bertelsen says.
Not confident about fitting a kitchen yourself? Find kitchen fitters in your area
Not confident about fitting a kitchen yourself? Find kitchen fitters in your area
Despite the fact that Danish kitchens tend to be in shades of white, fixtures in other colours were not terribly expensive.
“The steel surfaces and elements, as well as the oven, are from Ikea, and the worktop was made at a metal workshop,” Bertelsen says. “We have almost no storage space and everybody wonders where we keep our stuff, because there is only a dishwasher, one cupboard for food, one for plates and glasses, a few small shelves and a broom cupboard. That’s it,” she says.
Pendant light, created by the couple themselves using several old lamps.
“The steel surfaces and elements, as well as the oven, are from Ikea, and the worktop was made at a metal workshop,” Bertelsen says. “We have almost no storage space and everybody wonders where we keep our stuff, because there is only a dishwasher, one cupboard for food, one for plates and glasses, a few small shelves and a broom cupboard. That’s it,” she says.
Pendant light, created by the couple themselves using several old lamps.
Bertelsen, too, was concerned that the kitchen would seem cluttered with this set-up, so she decided to keep only the kitchenware and utensils there was room for – the rest were thrown out.
“We have everything we need. Often when things are kept in cupboards, they just gather dust, but when you only have what we have here, you use everything all the time, so that works very well,” she says.
“We have everything we need. Often when things are kept in cupboards, they just gather dust, but when you only have what we have here, you use everything all the time, so that works very well,” she says.
The apartment had hardly taken its final shape before Bertelsen started missing decorating challenges. So the couple decided to sell the home in order to start a new project.
“What’s amazing is that the buyers want to take over the apartment as a concept, so they will keep the colourful décor and have even bought some of the furniture,” Bertelsen says. “We’re moving into a larger apartment in Amager, which is completely white with nicely planed wooden floors, so there will be a lot to tackle…”
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“What’s amazing is that the buyers want to take over the apartment as a concept, so they will keep the colourful décor and have even bought some of the furniture,” Bertelsen says. “We’re moving into a larger apartment in Amager, which is completely white with nicely planed wooden floors, so there will be a lot to tackle…”
Check out easy ways to make (and keep) your home ready for potential buyers
Tell us…
What do you think of this small apartment? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Who lives here Daniélle Bertelsen, 38, who runs Interiorwise, a blog and interior design firm, which works with private homes, shops and hotels, her boyfriend, Patrick, 28, and their daughter, Ludovica, 6 months
Location Vesterbro, Copenhagen, Denmark
Size One bedroom and one bathroom; 969 sq ft (90 sq m).