Aarhus Houzz Tour: Bright White Scandi Cool in Denmark
Only its blue door survived this home's transformation from "ugliest house on the street" to Nordic haven
In 2014, Astrid Larsen and her husband got the keys to what they had nicknamed “the ugliest house on the street” when they first saw it. However, they had a plan to transform this villa in Aarhus, Denmark into their dream home, and for two years they put all of their efforts into the project. Today, its blue front door – the only thing that hasn’t changed – leads to a bright and cosy Scandinavian interior that showcases clean lines, herringbone floors and Danish design classics.
When the family bought the then-red-brick villa almost four years ago, they hadn’t really fallen head over heels for it. Dating from 1957, it wasn’t their dream 1920s home. However, both its location and the view of Aarhus it offered were incomparable, and the pair weren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves. They spent the next two years renovating the house from top to bottom.
They tore down everything but the outer walls and the front door. Still, they say the huge revamp didn’t take that much bravery: They had a plan all along.
Today the house is known as “the white house with a blue door.” The front door is blue on the inside too, and the deep, dark colour breaks up the otherwise bright entrance hall.
The wainscotting brings in some of the feel of the grand decor and airiness of 1920s houses. The couple made it themselves, like nearly everything else in the home. They got professional help only for the staircase.
“We are pretty much do-it-yourself types and have in fact done everything on our own,” Astrid says. “However, we luckily also had valuable help from Henrik’s father, who is a retired bricklayer. He was a huge help and we wouldn’t have got through the project without him.”
The wainscotting brings in some of the feel of the grand decor and airiness of 1920s houses. The couple made it themselves, like nearly everything else in the home. They got professional help only for the staircase.
“We are pretty much do-it-yourself types and have in fact done everything on our own,” Astrid says. “However, we luckily also had valuable help from Henrik’s father, who is a retired bricklayer. He was a huge help and we wouldn’t have got through the project without him.”
The entryway leads directly into the heart of the house. The large living room incorporates the dining area, while a set of French doors leads to the kitchen.
The style is both Nordic and simple, featuring lots of Danish design and warm colours. “We think it’s great,” Astrid says. “It’s important for us to feel at home and to have enough space for family and friends here. We both come from big families, so it’s innate in both of us that there should always be room for everyone – and then some.”
The style is both Nordic and simple, featuring lots of Danish design and warm colours. “We think it’s great,” Astrid says. “It’s important for us to feel at home and to have enough space for family and friends here. We both come from big families, so it’s innate in both of us that there should always be room for everyone – and then some.”
A few months ago, the couple replaced their large rectangular dining table with a round one. “The long table worked really well, but we wanted to create more air and space in the living room, and the round table let us do that”, Astrid says. “We really like that when we have guests, everyone can see each other.”
Henrik built the bookcase during his paternity leave. The idea was that the bookcase should bring some life into the living room and therefore act as a kind of work of art. “I think we’ve really succeeded,” Astrid says. “There is a travel section, a cooking section, a children’s section, an interior design section and an autobiography section, to name just a few. This way, each part of the bookcase has its own story.”
The bay window is Astrid’s favourite spot. She can see every corner of the house from here, including the firewood niche in the kitchen, the new staircase in the entryway and the light coming in through the big windows.
The French door behind the dining table leads to the terrace, where the family often enjoy their morning coffee in the summer. The lamp is Mulecular by House Doctor.
The French door behind the dining table leads to the terrace, where the family often enjoy their morning coffee in the summer. The lamp is Mulecular by House Doctor.
Both Henrik and Astrid come up with decor ideas. Astrid is a sales consultant at design firm House Doctor and Henrik is a real estate agent, so they both “bear the scars of their work,” as she puts it. “I see opportunities and new ideas everywhere. It really didn’t take us long to come up with the right style: I grew up in a house that had a similar style, and we feel at home right away in this kind of interior.”
Originally the pair had wanted the kitchen to be open to the dining room. However, when they created a space for the French doors – which they love – the doorway wasn’t large enough to make the kitchen truly open. Instead, they added an island with built-in seating, which turned out to be the perfect solution for them.
“We cook on separate sides, so we can see each other. But as Henrik says so often, he’s probably just sitting on a bar stool and watching me while I’m cooking.”
To one side of the kitchen island hangs a painting that has great sentimental value for both of them. It was painted by Astrid’s mother and in a way, it tied Henrik and Astrid together long before they met. “On our first date, Henrik saw the painting and asked if I knew the painter,” Astrid says. “I told him that it was my talented mother and asked him why he was asking. He replied that it reminded him of an artist he knew in his childhood – an old man with white hair, who he would often spot painting in his studio and at the Nybøl watermill. That man actually knew me well: It was Viggo Kragh Hansen, my great-grandmother’s brother, who was also my mother’s muse and the reason she paints. It was a bit of a surprise for both of us. We agreed that it was probably meant to be, and we named our firstborn Viggo.”
To one side of the kitchen island hangs a painting that has great sentimental value for both of them. It was painted by Astrid’s mother and in a way, it tied Henrik and Astrid together long before they met. “On our first date, Henrik saw the painting and asked if I knew the painter,” Astrid says. “I told him that it was my talented mother and asked him why he was asking. He replied that it reminded him of an artist he knew in his childhood – an old man with white hair, who he would often spot painting in his studio and at the Nybøl watermill. That man actually knew me well: It was Viggo Kragh Hansen, my great-grandmother’s brother, who was also my mother’s muse and the reason she paints. It was a bit of a surprise for both of us. We agreed that it was probably meant to be, and we named our firstborn Viggo.”
On the other side of the island is the wood-burning stove. It was placed here simply because this is where the original chimney was located. “I really wanted to have a fireplace or wood-burning stove. Even though we do not use it much, we think that it fits into the room very well aesthetically,” she says.
The flooring on this storey is all herringbone. It didn’t take much discussion. “We think it’s the most beautiful floor you can have,” Astrid says. “It fits perfectly into the style we want and livens up the room in a way that other floors do not.”
You don’t have to look hard to spot greenery throughout the home. Nature means everything to the 31-year-old sales consultant. “If a room does not have any plants or flowers, it’s not really alive,” Astrid says. “The greenery helps create life in the space. We ordered these beautiful bouquets on Posy.dk. I would sooner use money on this subscription than on food: We get a new bouquet delivered to our door every Friday, and it is absolutely fantastic.”
Upstairs, a small hallway leads to the master bedroom, Viggo’s room and the bathroom. It’s not very big, so the couple wanted to make it as bright as possible. They installed a Velux skylight and painted the whole thing white. Only a single, blue work of art interrupts the dominant white.
“We love bright rooms and see the paneling as a work of art in itself,” Astrid says. “So we did not think there needed to be much more than the beams, paneling and a single picture.”
“We love bright rooms and see the paneling as a work of art in itself,” Astrid says. “So we did not think there needed to be much more than the beams, paneling and a single picture.”
Viggo’s room is also bright and friendly. There isn’t much furniture. “He is still so young that he has no opinion on the decor, so for now creating a calm atmosphere was the most important thing,” Astrid says.
“When he grows up, the room will of course need different decor, as the bed will have to be longer and there will have to be more space for his toys and clothes. But we’ll deal with that project when the time comes,” she says.
Viggo’s bed is an original Juno/Lilleper bed from 1973, which Astrid found on Danish classified site dba.dk, and refurbished. “I love that it has a story. It became a project for my maternity leave and I think it’s been so nice.”
On the shelves next to the changing table are a few well-chosen figurines. “Viggo doesn’t need more in his room right now, so I’m enjoying being able to make the decisions. I know well that it’s only a matter of time before a giant racetrack will be sitting on a light-green soccer-themed rug which will go with the soccer posters and clothes he’ll surely have”, Astrid says.
Astrid and Henrik also agreed on the bathroom design. It had to be bright, large and easy to clean. “We went for large surfaces, green plants and a sense of airiness, so there is room for the whole family in the morning,” she says. For the same reason, they also installed two sinks. “We had dreamed of being able to spit out our toothpaste without hitting each other’s necks. It also suits the big mirror well, and, luckily, there was plenty of room.”
The shower is finished in the same tiles as the rest of the bathroom.
Just like the rest of the house, the couple’s bedroom is a quiet spot with a focus on contemporary and classic decor. The black door contrasts the walls, breaking up the space. “We did not want to decorate in the ‘old’ style – just a classic style – and we think the black door helps in this respect,” Astrid says.
Astrid says that they chose the long heavy curtains for the bedroom because they fit the room so well. “And maybe because I did not have any in the living room. Next time I decorate a bedroom, they will have to be even heavier and made of dark velour. It gives the room character and a sense of luxury, even if it’s ‘just’ a bedroom.”
She won’t have to wait long. “We are such do-it-yourself people that we have just put the house up for sale, as we want to move on to another project. We think we did very well in achieving our goal with our first house here, but we would like to come even closer to our dream of big rooms for our big families. We want to renovate again, but this time with more workers because now we have Viggo and therefore different priorities. But the style will be the same, just with some new ideas and more square footage.”
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She won’t have to wait long. “We are such do-it-yourself people that we have just put the house up for sale, as we want to move on to another project. We think we did very well in achieving our goal with our first house here, but we would like to come even closer to our dream of big rooms for our big families. We want to renovate again, but this time with more workers because now we have Viggo and therefore different priorities. But the style will be the same, just with some new ideas and more square footage.”
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.
Who lives here: Astrid Larsen, a sales consultant for the House Doctor Group; real estate agent Henrik Larsen; their 18-month-old son, Viggo; and their dog, Svendsen
Location: Åbyhøj, Aarhus, Denmark
Size: About 2,260 square feet (210 square metres)