{"id":18134,"date":"2023-01-10T09:30:21","date_gmt":"2023-01-10T08:30:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homesandantiques.com\/?p=38925"},"modified":"2023-01-10T10:36:59","modified_gmt":"2023-01-10T09:36:59","slug":"a-holiday-villa-overlooking-the-north-sea","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/rss_feed\/a-holiday-villa-overlooking-the-north-sea\/","title":{"rendered":"A holiday villa overlooking the North Sea"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By kirstylyons\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 10 January 2023 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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While most people take holidays to escape their day jobs, it would seem the original owner of Niels Henrik Hansen\u2019s house was never off duty. A wealthy shipping merchant, he not only chose to build his summer residence within sight of the coast, but he also insisted on high attic windows from which he could keep an eye on his business far out at sea.<\/p>\n

At some point after the building\u2019s completion in 1907, his fortunes must have failed because despite his diligence, the house was sold off and turned into an old people\u2019s home. By the early 1990s, when Niels Henrik first spotted it, the property had been boarded up and abandoned.<\/p>\n

Surrounded by extensive parkland with a lake, the building became a favourite landmark on his regular running route through the woods around Hornbaek, a fashionable seaside resort an hour north of Copenhagen. Intrigued by what he glimpsed through the trees, Niels Henrik leapt at the chance to take a look around when, one morning in 1993, he spotted a \u2018For Sale\u2019 sign.<\/p>\n

Although clearly in a sad state of repair, the quirky architectural style<\/a>, unusual roofline, verandas, balconies and high attic windows won Niels Henrik over instantly. But beyond the grand exterior, the interior had been stripped of all charm: the once-elegant, high-ceilinged rooms had been unsympathetically divided, their walls covered with gloss paint, the wooden floors hidden under lino.<\/p>\n

It was clearly going to be a huge project, but Niels Henrik was undaunted and he moved in and got to work on the basics. However, it wasn\u2019t until he met his wife, Christina Thorb\u00f8ll, the co-owner of stylish interiors and accessories company Oi Soi Oi<\/a>, that the project really took off. \u2018We both have children from our previous marriages,\u2019 she says, \u2018and it was clear the house would be perfect for our family of seven.\u2019<\/p>\n

Together, the couple spent five years working their way through the space, room by room, thoughtfully bringing the neglected building back to life: original wainscots, stucco and panelled doors were restored to their former glory. Windows, walls, ceilings, doors and panelling were painted white, \u2018in the best summer-residence tradition.\u2019 Linoleum flooring was pulled up to reveal the beautiful floorboards hidden underneath. Now cleaned and sanded, the wood floors are the perfect foil to the kilims and rugs that the couple have chosen to use throughout their home.<\/p>\n

\u2018We didn\u2019t stick to a specific look in our interior design,\u2019 says Christina, explaining that they preferred to mix various styles together, \u2018in order to live with the things we like.\u2019 For Niels Henrik that means antiques<\/a>. \u2018He\u2019s passionate about old things,\u2019 says Christina. \u2018He usually finds his treasures at auction<\/a> and in flea markets. He likes restoring the things he finds \u2013 the chandeliers and the old ship in the window of the conservatory<\/a>.\u2019<\/p>\n

Christina\u2019s aesthetic is more contemporary and she particularly admires classic Danish designs, such as the 1950s Arne Vodder recliner in the sitting room. Both like to pair their antique and vintage furniture with ethnic pieces, which are either gathered on their travels or sourced as part of Christina\u2019s interiors business.<\/p>\n

Together they have created a very personal look that is an elegant blend of Scandi simplicity with tribal pattern and colour. \u2018I call it Nordic exotic,\u2019 says Christina, explaining how the clean lines and neutral tones<\/a> are the perfect backdrop for the colourful, decorative designs she has collected from places such as Vietnam and India. As well as being beautiful, their possessions have great sentimental value, says Christina, which she feels is essential in order to create a sense of \u2018harmony, cosiness and comfort.\u2019<\/p>\n

Cosiness, or hygge, as it is in its Danish form, is something all Danes strive for in the run up to Christmas<\/a>, and Niels Henrik and Christina are no exception. From early December there is a small Christmas tree in the sitting room and they collect cones, moss and larch branches from the grounds around the house. \u2018I prefer nature\u2019s own decorations rather than a roar of vivid colour. I want it to be beautiful in all its fairy-tale simplicity,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n

One of her favourite traditions involves the arrival of a second, much larger tree on Christmas Eve. \u2018We go to a local farm and cut it down. It\u2019s always far too big,\u2019 she laughs, \u2018but decorating it keeps the children busy.\u2019 While the younger generation deal with the tree, the adults prepare a roast duck, which is eaten on Christmas Eve.<\/p>\n

In all likelihood, Christina and Niels Henrik are playing out the same traditions as the first family who lived in the house over a hundred years ago.<\/p>\n