Aalborg Houzz Tour: New York Meets Nordic in Denmark
A New York-style apartment meets meticulous Scandi decor for a match made in design heaven
Photos by Camilla Skøtt
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Carla Sofie Molge, 25, an Instagrammer and blogger who also solves interior design problems through her own company, Molge Decor; and her boyfriend, Jonas, 24,
who is in the military. Jonas is away on weekdays, giving Molge time to change the decor up as she likes.
Location: In the center of Aalborg, Denmark, with a view of the city and shops just around the corner. The couple has been renting the apartment for two years.
Size: About 840 square feet (78 square metres)
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Carla Sofie Molge, 25, an Instagrammer and blogger who also solves interior design problems through her own company, Molge Decor; and her boyfriend, Jonas, 24,
who is in the military. Jonas is away on weekdays, giving Molge time to change the decor up as she likes.
Location: In the center of Aalborg, Denmark, with a view of the city and shops just around the corner. The couple has been renting the apartment for two years.
Size: About 840 square feet (78 square metres)
The living area and recently renovated open-plan kitchen form the apartment’s main living space. The home also comprises a bedroom, balcony, hallway and bathroom, but this living area was what drew the pair to this apartment.
Finding the right home was a challenge because most of the rental apartments in the city were built with a more traditional layout, with the kitchen in a separate room.
“We were lucky to find this apartment because I’m very picky about these things. Our home should be cosy with a big kitchen and attention paid to detail – and that’s what we’ve got here. It has a large living area and a New York atmosphere about it, which we fell head over heels for,” Molge says.
“We were lucky to find this apartment because I’m very picky about these things. Our home should be cosy with a big kitchen and attention paid to detail – and that’s what we’ve got here. It has a large living area and a New York atmosphere about it, which we fell head over heels for,” Molge says.
“I fell for this big room because we can cook here while chatting and doing other things.”
The couple have lived here for two years, but the new Ikea kitchen was installed just two days before this photo shoot. Although it’s a rented apartment, Molge was able to select a kitchen to match the rest of the decor, and she’s really happy with the result.
“I am immensely fond of two things in this home: the raw brick wall in the bedroom, because it reminds me of a nice New York apartment, and our new kitchen, because it’s bright and inviting,” Molge says. “We chose a simple white kitchen with a twist – in the form of the beautiful subway tiles and the raw, appealing countertop with a cement look, which was made with material from Top Ciment, [a] micro cement manufacturer. It gives the kitchen an industrial, raw look which the architectural wall lamps also help emphasise.”
Mirror: Tinytiny; curtains: Ikea
Mirror: Tinytiny; curtains: Ikea
“Previously we had overhead cabinets, but they took up way too much space and made everything seem too compact, so we chose to install a long shelf instead,” she says. “It can hold some of the trinkets I can’t do without, because they make my kitchen personal and cosy. This also kept us from having to use up countertop space just for them.
“After all, it isn’t the largest kitchen. By choosing a drawer system instead of cabinets, we got back the space that wall units would have given us. In fact, with this kitchen, we have much more storage space, although you wouldn’t say so by looking at it.” She also uses a display cabinet and a pair of shelves for storage.
Display cabinet: Ikea
“After all, it isn’t the largest kitchen. By choosing a drawer system instead of cabinets, we got back the space that wall units would have given us. In fact, with this kitchen, we have much more storage space, although you wouldn’t say so by looking at it.” She also uses a display cabinet and a pair of shelves for storage.
Display cabinet: Ikea
Molge uses Instagram and her blog on a daily basis as outlets for her interior design ideas – and if you ask her, she’ll say she never runs out. Her love of decoration goes back to her childhood. Her parents had a cosy old restaurant, which was where she first learned what good decor could do for a room.
Couch: Ilva; living room table: custom made by the craftsman who also made the table in the kitchen
Couch: Ilva; living room table: custom made by the craftsman who also made the table in the kitchen
Even though she grew up in the countryside, she doesn’t want to move back. So, this apartment with its large windows facing city life and busy streets is just right – even if it is only rented and there are a few things she would change if she could. That she now has her new kitchen doesn’t mean her next wishes for the home are going to be more modest.
Chandelier: Mobil 5 by Pholc; mirror: House Doctor
Chandelier: Mobil 5 by Pholc; mirror: House Doctor
Chair: Menu
“One of the things that is going to happen next here is that I’ll get new curtains for the big windows facing the street. Then I’d love to have micro cement on my floor in the bathroom, just like on the kitchen countertop and on the small living room table, which I’m very happy with.”
Coating the bathroom floor with micro cement requires permission from the landlord. The next time he comes by, they’ll talk about the bathroom renovation.
Coating the bathroom floor with micro cement requires permission from the landlord. The next time he comes by, they’ll talk about the bathroom renovation.
And when there are no major renovations on the go, there are always smaller projects. Molge often moves trinkets around, hangs new things on the wall or replaces a table or a chair here and there.
She got the ladder pictured here from her mother, who lives just around the corner.
Towels: Bloomingville
She got the ladder pictured here from her mother, who lives just around the corner.
Towels: Bloomingville
“I can’t replace the big things in the same way though. I take care of them and keep them for a long time, but I can easily change the smaller things up with my mood or with the seasons. I’ve painted my walls three different colours so far, for example, changing them every time the seasons change,” she says.
Bedding: H & M Home; pillows: are by Ellos, Lene Bjerre and Bloomingville
Bedding: H & M Home; pillows: are by Ellos, Lene Bjerre and Bloomingville
She finds most of her things in stores in Aalborg and online. She also refurbishes used furniture, and she and her boyfriend like looking for small things in Gothenburg, in Sweden, where there are a lot of items they can’t find in Danish shops. As long as the style is Nordic and it isn’t too colourful, it suits her taste.
Lamp: an old work lamp from Bauhaus; mirror: Tinytiny
Lamp: an old work lamp from Bauhaus; mirror: Tinytiny
“I would describe my style as Nordic, simple and cosy, and although I like to follow trends, I go against them a lot too. I mix my decor with old things, so my home doesn’t get too mainstream. I love pillows, velvet and linen in muted colours, and I’m obsessed with coat hangers,” she says.
Bench: Jysk
Bench: Jysk
“I think that too many colours get in the way, and when I’ve tried to decorate with strong colours, I ended up getting tired of them really soon. It just doesn’t work here, so I stick to the dusty tones that I love.”
TELL US
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
TELL US
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join in the conversation.
The 25-year-old design blogger even managed to persuade the landlord to change the kitchen so it would match the room’s overall design.