My Houzz: Stylish Hacks Add Character to a Scandi Bungalow
Upcycled pieces have been mixed with family heirlooms to give this pared-back home an individual look
Benedikte Lundberg
28 February 2018
Louise Otto and boyfriend Morten wanted to give their son, Malte, a childhood in the countryside, so after five years in Copenhagen, they moved to a bunglalow in Eastern Jutland. To give their new home a personal touch, Louise mixed inherited vintage teak furniture with second-hand pieces upcycled to fit with her minimal Scandi aesthetic.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Louise Otto, who runs design blog livingonabudget.dk and works as a sales and marketing assistant for an IT company, her boyfriend, Morten, their 3-year-old son, Malte, and their two dogs
Location A small town outside Skanderborg, Denmark
Property A bungalow
Size About 1,400 sq ft (130 sq m)
Who lives here Louise Otto, who runs design blog livingonabudget.dk and works as a sales and marketing assistant for an IT company, her boyfriend, Morten, their 3-year-old son, Malte, and their two dogs
Location A small town outside Skanderborg, Denmark
Property A bungalow
Size About 1,400 sq ft (130 sq m)
“When we were living in Amager [the island on which Copenhagen is partially situated], we agreed that Malte was not going to grow up in the city. There’s nothing wrong with that, but we both grew up in the countryside, so it was the obvious thing to do,” says Louise. So the two Jutlanders left Copenhagen, returned home and found the perfect bungalow.
As the house had already been refurbished before the family moved in, they didn’t need to renovate inside. “But outside we tore everything down and started from scratch. There was an old garden with a rotten patio, so we removed the whole patio and built a new one around the house,” Louise says.
The trees on the property were also rotting, so they cut virtually all of them down, and also laid a new lawn, brought in fresh plants and hedges, and built a carport on the driveway.
See 9 of our favourite Ikea hacks
The trees on the property were also rotting, so they cut virtually all of them down, and also laid a new lawn, brought in fresh plants and hedges, and built a carport on the driveway.
See 9 of our favourite Ikea hacks
Gardening and nature mean a lot to Louise, which is why she and Morten chose to settle in the countryside. “I’m a great lover of the outdoors, and enjoy working in the garden and sitting outside to eat. We have a 3-year-old boy who loves to play and run outside when he gets home from kindergarten,” she says.
Louise also finds nature to be a great source of inspiration for décor and her creative DIY projects, which she happily shares on her blog.
“I find inspiration in many places. It may be going for a stroll or looking at the trees in the forest, where, for example, I might find branches to take home and make into something new or just put in vases,” she says.
Louise also finds nature to be a great source of inspiration for décor and her creative DIY projects, which she happily shares on her blog.
“I find inspiration in many places. It may be going for a stroll or looking at the trees in the forest, where, for example, I might find branches to take home and make into something new or just put in vases,” she says.
Louise built the terrace sofa out of pallets. It makes for a rustic and relaxed atmosphere.
However, there are few plants inside the house. “I don’t have a lot of green stuff inside, because we’re surrounded by nature outside. So instead I allow myself a bit of nature in the house through the use of brown tones – leafless branches in vases and quite a lot of teak wood furniture,” she says.
Wood has become one of Louise’s favourite materials, and teak in particular can be found in virtually every room. “I’ve become a big fan of wood. All the teak furniture means a lot to me, because I inherited it from my grandparents,” she says.
The kitchen is in black, white and grey tones and was relatively new when Louise and Morten moved in, so they’ve not really done anything to it. “The house was renovated in 2011 and the kitchen was completely standard and actually really nice, but this doesn’t mean we’d have chosen it,” she says.
Louise has added her own personal touch to this room with the glossy white metro tiles on the back wall and an industrial pendant light above the island.
Industrial lamp, Fuhr Home.
Louise has added her own personal touch to this room with the glossy white metro tiles on the back wall and an industrial pendant light above the island.
Industrial lamp, Fuhr Home.
In addition to the teak, Louise uses lighting, cushions, blankets and abstract images on the walls to add cosiness to the rooms.
Instagram is one of her most important sources of inspiration for DIY and decorating, and she’s even purchased several pieces of furniture from interior design profiles.
Instagram is one of her most important sources of inspiration for DIY and decorating, and she’s even purchased several pieces of furniture from interior design profiles.
One of them is this old cabinet, originally from a dentist’s office. “These cabinets are not cheap, so it was a big investment for me, but I know I’m going to keep it forever,” she says.
But not all of the items that look like investment pieces really are. Louise’s creative thinking and flair for making cheap furniture look luxurious and alluring is visible in every room of the house.
But not all of the items that look like investment pieces really are. Louise’s creative thinking and flair for making cheap furniture look luxurious and alluring is visible in every room of the house.
“All these DIY projects are things that I would have done anyway, even if I didn’t have the blog. I love making something cheap look stylish and beautiful. That’s what I understand as personal style in your home – the idea that you can make your own things,” Louise says.
The old wardrobe (seen in the previous photo) in the main living room was originally bare bleached wood, but Louise painted it black to match the rest of the décor.
“I’m very much into black, grey and white. Sometimes I try to add some colour, but then after two weeks I get rid of it again,” she says with a laugh.
Posters, I Love My Type.
The old wardrobe (seen in the previous photo) in the main living room was originally bare bleached wood, but Louise painted it black to match the rest of the décor.
“I’m very much into black, grey and white. Sometimes I try to add some colour, but then after two weeks I get rid of it again,” she says with a laugh.
Posters, I Love My Type.
In the second living room, there’s an old gym locker that Louise refurbished and modernised. “The locker was originally brown and yellow when I bought it from a sales page on Facebook. I used chalk paint and wax to create a rough, uneven surface with a beautiful interplay of shades,” she says.
Furniture and decorations made or restored by Louise can be found in each room. The wainscotting in this photo was one of her DIY projects.
A simple ladder painted black makes a smart spot to hang clothes or drape a blanket and takes up very little room.
Louise reupholstered the headboard herself in smart grey fabric.
Posters, Moodings.
Declutter your wardrobe today – 7 items to ditch right now
Louise reupholstered the headboard herself in smart grey fabric.
Posters, Moodings.
Declutter your wardrobe today – 7 items to ditch right now
The minimalist décor continues into the bathroom, which Louise has softened up with plants, towels, wood and light.
However, these cosy elements are often not allowed to stay very long. “I quickly get tired of having the same things, so I frequently swap them,” Louise says. “It doesn’t need to be a big change – it might just be a single poster or a few cushions to create some movement,”
The room where the couple spend the most time is their office, as Louise worked from home until recently and Morten still does.
“It’s a bright space with windows on both sides, so you have a view of the forest and over the road and the fields,” Louise says. This makes the room her favourite place in the house.
She created the space-saving, wall-to-wall desk herself.
Office chair, Ikea.
She created the space-saving, wall-to-wall desk herself.
Office chair, Ikea.
Even though the house is finished, the family still have many projects in mind. “Hopefully, an upper floor will be added soon. That was always the idea when we bought the house, as it was too small from the beginning,” Louise says. “We also plan to open the kitchen up to the terrace with a sliding door.”
Tell us…
What do you think of this family home? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
Tell us…
What do you think of this family home? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
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A bit too monochromatic. Needs more timber and greenery at least.
LoVe!