Inspiration #51: Special Edition – Denmark home entry style
Happy Friday! It’s been a busy summer over at #L2HQ getting the dining room finished, speaking at conferences, attending others, traveling for work and meetings, and sneaking in a vacation. That last bit is where today’s inspiration comes in. You see, this past Sunday I got back from 10 heavenly days in Denmark and I wanted to share some of the residential inspiration I saw while there. This is just the tip of the iceberg and I promise you’ll see more over time. Enjoy today’s look at Danish home entry styles (and all of the hygge) and let me know what you think in the comments section!
This is the latest in a weekly post of residential architecture inspiration. If you want to see past weeks, you can go here. If you want to see them curated on my pinterest (sometimes before they even hit the blog), go here.
So I guess I should clarify – my trip took me to a lot of Denmark, but also a day trip to Lund and Malmo. The latter of which is where this gorgeous entry can be found, in the historic part of town known as Gamla Staden to be specific. A lot of homes in Denmark and Sweden front the streets like this in various sizes, and as you’ll see in the rest of the blog, many times that means looking directly into a dining room, kitchen, or living space. While the culture of these countries seems to be a bit more lax about that privacy, they do still create privacy and shade with plantings. And can we talk about that red door pop? Ultimate home entry style points.
This is technically an example of rear home entry style in the heart of Copenhagen. This house (mansion?) sits just off the running path that surrounds Peblinge So. For being in the middle of a bustling downtown, the same natural privacy mentioned above creates an idyllic backyard that seems to transport you back in time.
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This modern home entry style (front door around the corner) becomes more prevalent in the wharf and dock districts as much of Denmark has been reclaiming their harbor areas for residential use. Because so much of the harbor has been turned into solid surface due to historical industry use, many of the residences in this area feature rooftop gardens or private outdoor spaces – and this one is no different!
This home entry style can be found in Lund, where many of the homes in the old residential area west of the botanical garden boast flowering bushes, quaint stoops, and beautiful clay roofs.
I found this beautiful facade while walking around a residential area waiting for a dinner reservation in Copenhagen. While this is likely multiple flats, all of the homes in this area just east of Frederiksberg Castle had shared front garden space for relaxing and enjoying the beautiful end of summer weather. While this home entry style is more austere, I promise you that the casual and cozy approach to Danish living was evident in many of the front living and garden spaces.
Yes, please! I was lucky enough to experience this cozy piece of Danish wonder firsthand while on my trip. I booked this summer cabin through Airbnb while on my driving tour through the west of Denmark headed north to Skagen and upon arriving *immediately* contacted the host to see if I could stay an additional night. I was due for a mental and physical travel break and, as you can see, the home entry style is so welcoming and inviting – how could I not?! It’s also worth noting that many of the roofs outside of Copenhagen look like this. They are either fully thatched or have a corrugated metal base upon which grasses and mosses then flourish, providing extra insulation.
Last but not least is an abundance of beautiful home entry style types in Aalborg. I happened upon this street when I was headed From Kjul to Aarhus and stopped for coffee in Aalborg – a benefit of being present and taking time for unplanned exploration. The handful of streets like this were part of the older section of town and now so narrow that they had been deemed safe only for pedestrian and bicycle traffic – perfect in a pedestrian-oriented country! There’s something so aesthetically pleasing about the variations in roof and facade size, in color and material type.
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