Denmark Houzz Tour: A Minimalist Dream By The Water
These architects' house is "a piece of furniture in its own right," and its ocean views the centrepiece
Because the house is built on a steep slope, it’s very different when viewed from the water or from inside: The apparently one-story house turns into a three-story structure with high ceilings and amazing ocean views from every room.
“Many people are surprised when they come inside and suddenly find that it consists of three stories directly overlooking the water,” Eva says.
The couple are both architects and designed the home themselves. The iterative panoramic view was no accident: it was one of the basic tenets of the home’s design. Or as they tell us almost in unison, “The view was the main priority!”
“Many people are surprised when they come inside and suddenly find that it consists of three stories directly overlooking the water,” Eva says.
The couple are both architects and designed the home themselves. The iterative panoramic view was no accident: it was one of the basic tenets of the home’s design. Or as they tell us almost in unison, “The view was the main priority!”
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Eva and Bo Frederiksen. The couple’s two daughters also use the house at times. Here, they’re pictured with their youngest daughter, Lin. Eva, Bo and Lin are architects who run the family firm, Frederiksen Architects.
Location: Egernsund, on the Flensborg Fjord, in Southern Jutland, in the south of Denmark.
Size: About 2,475 square feet (230 square metres)
Kitchen and bathroom design: Multiform
Who lives here: Eva and Bo Frederiksen. The couple’s two daughters also use the house at times. Here, they’re pictured with their youngest daughter, Lin. Eva, Bo and Lin are architects who run the family firm, Frederiksen Architects.
Location: Egernsund, on the Flensborg Fjord, in Southern Jutland, in the south of Denmark.
Size: About 2,475 square feet (230 square metres)
Kitchen and bathroom design: Multiform
From the moment you enter the house, you are drawn to the light and the view of the water that breaks through the large windows that make up the entire south side of the house. There’s no risk of missing the breathtaking ocean view from any room or story.
The choice of materials is another notable motif that runs through the home: ceilings and walls in rustic concrete, oak window frames and light oak boards for the floors. Like the centrality of the view, the choice of materials was a conscious decision – and the two features, materials and view, were closely related.
“It was important for us to make the surrounding natural scenery part of the house. We have done this through the materials, among other things: The grey concrete surface is a fantastic match to the blue-grey colour of the sea, just as the light oak floors play off of the sand on the beach,” Bo says.
“It was important for us to make the surrounding natural scenery part of the house. We have done this through the materials, among other things: The grey concrete surface is a fantastic match to the blue-grey colour of the sea, just as the light oak floors play off of the sand on the beach,” Bo says.
Spanning the entire width of the house and boasting an 11-foot (3.25-metre) ceiling, the top floor is by far the largest space in the house. It also acts as the heart of the home. Here, the kitchen and living room are connected by a spacious dining area in the middle.
Its feel is dominated by the room’s position, hovering about 107.6 feet (10 meters) above the surface of the water. “From the living room, you see nothing but water. Not that I’ve sailed much, but I imagine it’s a bit like the feeling you get here, as if you were on a cruise ship,” Eva says.
Its feel is dominated by the room’s position, hovering about 107.6 feet (10 meters) above the surface of the water. “From the living room, you see nothing but water. Not that I’ve sailed much, but I imagine it’s a bit like the feeling you get here, as if you were on a cruise ship,” Eva says.
The living room is made up of a single long sofa, from which one can enjoy the view, the fireplace and the room itself.
Many will undoubtedly balk at the exceptionally minimalist decor – and no, the tidy look isn’t just for the photographer’s sake. Not over-furnishing is one of the architects’ central philosophies. “We don’t like to stuff too much in. It’s crucial for us to have space around things so that the view is allowed to fill the space and be the center of attention. In other words, it’s a ‘knick-knack-free’ zone,” Eva says with a laugh. Bo expresses it more philosophically, saying that there is no reason to over-furnish when “the house is a piece of furniture in its own right.”
Many will undoubtedly balk at the exceptionally minimalist decor – and no, the tidy look isn’t just for the photographer’s sake. Not over-furnishing is one of the architects’ central philosophies. “We don’t like to stuff too much in. It’s crucial for us to have space around things so that the view is allowed to fill the space and be the center of attention. In other words, it’s a ‘knick-knack-free’ zone,” Eva says with a laugh. Bo expresses it more philosophically, saying that there is no reason to over-furnish when “the house is a piece of furniture in its own right.”
This is also how he describes the kitchen, which is likewise at its best when there aren’t too many disruptive elements in the way. The Multiform kitchen is characterised by clean lines like the rest of the home, but its colour scheme stands out within the otherwise bright tones of the large, open space. “It is very minimalist, but we think it’s important to have a dark kitchen that can serve as a contrast to the bright concrete and oak,” Eva says.
Look at the house from the side, as in this drawing, and it’s clear that it consists of a cube built into a slope. With a width and depth of about 29½ by 33 feet (9 x 10 metres) and a height of about 29½ feet (9 metres), the house is almost perfectly dice-shaped.
The three floors of this “cube” are connected by one of the home’s most remarkable features: a long staircase that cuts through the entire building in a straight line, almost like a jetty leading from raised “docks” to the water.
“It starts as the path from the street, moving through the house and continuing on the other side all the way down to the beach and jetty,” Bo says. The visual axis is interrupted only by the home’s main entrance, which is offset by a few meters; it’s the only thing that stops the whole from being a straight line.
The stairs’ oak steps, which cut through the middle and lower floors, also connect to the material motifs of the home.
The stairs’ oak steps, which cut through the middle and lower floors, also connect to the material motifs of the home.
This office is on the middle floor. It features a sofa and book corner at one end and a window seat on the other, overlooking the water.
The window seat is an example of the thoughtful attention to detail that went into the home’s design – and also made the process extra time-consuming for the architects.
The window seat is an example of the thoughtful attention to detail that went into the home’s design – and also made the process extra time-consuming for the architects.
“It actually surprised me how much work the project required, because every room is different and there were so many details to make decisions about. We did nearly the same number of drawings for this house that we would for a building of 5,000 to 6,000 square metres [54,000 - 65,000 square feet],” Bo says.
The two lower floors have slightly lower ceilings than the top floor, at about 8 feet (2.5 metres) each, as opposed to the 11-foot (3.25-metre) ceiling on the top floor. “We definitely made that choice to make the bedrooms more intimate,” Eva says.
The two lower floors have slightly lower ceilings than the top floor, at about 8 feet (2.5 metres) each, as opposed to the 11-foot (3.25-metre) ceiling on the top floor. “We definitely made that choice to make the bedrooms more intimate,” Eva says.
The bedroom on the bottom floor has direct access to the broad terrace and overlooks the waves.
On this floor, the architects gave free rein to their love of raw concrete, even in the flooring. On the other hand, the look is broken up by the light-blue painted wall behind the bed, which separates the sleeping area from the wardrobe.
“We worked on the idea of just leaving all the concrete structures that were cast in situ untouched, that is, cast on site in their natural colour. But we gave non-load-bearing walls, such as the screen wall in the bedroom, a different colour,” Bo says.
“We worked on the idea of just leaving all the concrete structures that were cast in situ untouched, that is, cast on site in their natural colour. But we gave non-load-bearing walls, such as the screen wall in the bedroom, a different colour,” Bo says.
Behind the blue wall in the bedroom is a walk-in closet which, like the rest of the house, has the appearance of having been left unfurnished.
“On the other hand, we have a number of built-in closets in other places, allowing us to keep the open areas tidy and thus maintain the minimalist expression,” says Eva.
“On the other hand, we have a number of built-in closets in other places, allowing us to keep the open areas tidy and thus maintain the minimalist expression,” says Eva.
Like the kitchen, the bathrooms feature materials that contrast with the light concrete and oak. But unlike the kitchen’s deep greys and blacks, the contrast in the bathrooms comes from snow-white Corian finishes. Corian is considered to promote cleanliness and hygiene, so it’s a good fit in the bathroom.
“In this bathroom, it was also important that the white features serve as a kind of furniture,” she says. The bathroom offers an unobstructed view of the water, yet it is shielded from the potentially prying eyes of passersby.
“In this bathroom, it was also important that the white features serve as a kind of furniture,” she says. The bathroom offers an unobstructed view of the water, yet it is shielded from the potentially prying eyes of passersby.
Eva says that the home feels surprisingly warm despite the preponderance of relatively cold concrete. The same is true of the terrace facing the water.
“We had thought the terrace would be windy, but it isn’t at all. Thanks to the two concrete wings, it is shielded and very quiet,” she says.
“We had thought the terrace would be windy, but it isn’t at all. Thanks to the two concrete wings, it is shielded and very quiet,” she says.
The family has so far mainly used the house as a holiday home, living in their apartment in Copenhagen, where they work, most of the time. But for Eva and Bo, this pattern will probably be reversed over time.
“We’re in our late 60s and imagine living in the house for longer and longer periods in the year. We are happier with it than we had imagined because of the area and nature – and the view continues to be just fantastic,” Eva says.
“We’re in our late 60s and imagine living in the house for longer and longer periods in the year. We are happier with it than we had imagined because of the area and nature – and the view continues to be just fantastic,” Eva says.
Tell us
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What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, save the story, and join in the conversation.
“Seen from the street, it’s very modest,” says Eva Frederiksen, who lives in the house with her husband, Bo.