Holiday haven This beach house has undergone a modern facelift

INSPIRED BY THE HUES OF THE SEA, KATRINE HAS GIVEN HER FAMILY’S 1960S BEACH COTTAGE A MODERN MAKEOVER

Katrine’s seaside cottage stands testament to the power of colour to transform the look and feel of a space. Built by her parents, the little home featured timber-panelled walls, brown and orange paint and chipboard built-in furniture, making it a true retro delight. When she rearranged the interior 15 years ago, the first thing Katrine did was paint all the walls and ceilings white, to give the home a minimalist, Nordic feel. She then chose black for the window and door frames. “I think it works extremely well as a contrast to the white walls and ceilings,” she explains. “The black windowsills turn the landscape outside the windows into works of art.” Floral curtains throughout were replaced by plain, striped textiles in soothing beige and elegant aqua shades. As for the exterior, brown paint was replaced with chic black. “At first my brother convinced us to paint it blue, but that was completely wrong,” says Katrine. “I painted it all black for a sharper look and for it to match the window frames.”

Now a summer getaway for its owner, her teenage children, her boyfriend and his children, and with an annexe for her mother, the cottage has become an institution in her family. “My dad and his sisters inherited a large plot of land next to the sea a few years before I was born,” Katrine says.“They divided the plot into three equally sized pieces and built a new house on the part that became my parents’ on a small hill to provide the house with exceptional views. I remember pictures of my heavily pregnant mum walking around cutting down trees and scrubs to prepare for the new cottage.”

Back then, Katrine’s mum Charlotte worked as an interior designer. She designed the cottage in collaboration with an architect colleague. A mere 90 square metres, it consisted of a main bedroom, a kids’ bedroom, a small bathroom, a living room with an open-plan kitchen and a terrace facing the sea. To save space and money, the couple chose to build their own furniture, from beds to a dining table, a daybed and wardrobes. “My parents spent all their money on building the house,” says Katrine. “They were young newlyweds and as they could not afford furniture, everything was custom-built in chipboard. It was all rather basic.” She has replaced much of the built-in furniture – which had become very dated – over the years, but made an exception for the daybed, which serves as an extra sofa, and has storage underneath for life jackets and a tent.

The interior received a recent refurbishment for an unusual reason. A few years ago, the cottage was subject to a burglary and two Børge Mogensen sofas, an armchair, a coffee table and a set of Arne Jacobsen ‘Ant’ dining chairs were stolen. “Naturally we were very upset but it gave us a chance to change the interior design,” says Katrine. Instead of two sofas in the living area, she opted for a single sofa to “free” the panoramic window from furniture. She also incorporated a large ottoman into the design. “Funnily enough, the floral fabric on the ottoman was my mum’s suggestion,” she says. “I would never have chosen it but she convinced me that it is important to bring colour and pattern into the room. And she was absolutely right. It works well and I am now crazy about the pattern and have had a lot of cushions made in the fabric for the daybed and sofa. The blue and green colours are perfect for a summer cottage by the sea.”

“my mum believed it was important to bring colour and pattern into the room” ~ KATRINE

“i’ve been collecting the GREEN corinna tableware for more than 15 years” ~ KATRINE

“I think a home is much more exciting if it CLEARLY reflects the people living there” ~ KATRINE

AWAY FROM IT ALL Every summer, interior decorator and stylist Katrine (pictured in the hammock, opposite) leaves the bustle of the city for her family’s seaside cottage, located an hour north-west of Copenhagen, Denmark. She inherited the home from her parents, who built it in 1967. Formerly a retro retreat featuring built-in chipboard furniture and brown paint, the cottage has been updated with a minimalist Nordic palette. In a corner of the living room (top left) is the only built-in piece of furniture that has been allowed to stay: it works as a sofa and sleeping space for guests. Hooks for baskets and bathrobes have been fitted in several places on the exterior boarding (top right). The tiny house is only 90 square metres and has been updated to include an annexe (above left) where Katrine’s teenage children and mother can stay and hang out. A large wooden dish (above right) is always placed on the outdoor table – this is so that kids and grown-ups alike can display the beautiful shells, pebbles and flowers they’ve picked up and collected from the beach. >

FIREPLACE The fireplace surround (left) was originally covered with yellow bricks. It has now been plastered and finished in a raw, unpolished grey look, which complements the home’s sophisticated palette. Katrine (pictured top left at the beach, soaking in the view) bought the ceramic ware from a local flea market.

LIVING ROOM The contrast of black and white (opposite) is softened by textiles in seaside colours. The floral ‘Carnival’ fabric in Green by Christopher Farr, available from No Chintz, ties everything together. The butterfly chair is lightweight and airy (try Muumuu Design) and the white sofa helps enhance the feeling of space (try Ikea’s ‘Norsborg’ 3-seat sofa in Finnsta White to get the look). The collection of small drawings hanging above the sofa is by artist Viktor IV. >

Curtains in striped fabric by Schumacher, from Tapet Cafe, conceal the kitchen cabinets (left & opposite). Originally, a chipboard unit painted bright orange with space for glasses and plates was mounted above the dining table. This has been removed and the room is lighter and more open. The black dining table is paired with classic ‘SE68’ chairs in Black designed by Egon Eiermann. A pair of ‘Pandulera’ pendant lamps in Petroleum from Eleanor Home add a pop of ocean blue above the table. The black Quooker tap at the sink is one of the latest additions to the home. “I should have invested in it years ago,” says Katrine. “It is very practical as well as space-saving – and it is also nice to look at.” >

DECK Katrine and her boyfriend Henrik (top left, in the white T-shirt) enjoy a morning coffee with Katrine’s brother Jannik (black T-shirt) and his wife Helene. The couple have their own summer cottage next door. KITCHEN The plate rack in the kitchen (top right) is from Katrine’s former home in Copenhagen. It served as a bookshelf in the kids’ room but now has found its place in the summer cottage. It stores ‘Corinna’ by Aluminia dishes and bowls the owner collects; she keeps an eye out for them at flea markets and can set a table for 20 people. “We often have a lot of people up here,” she says.

BATHROOM The bathroom (above) was renovated about 14 years ago. The concrete flooring was laid with white tiles and the shower cubicle was fitted with matching ones. Katrine made a cover for the Ikea bathroom unit and the shower curtain using fabrics from Jane Churchill.

MAIN BEDROOM Inspired by the home’s seaside location, Katrine chose a palette of whites and blues for the main bedroom (opposite & right). Bright white ‘Ofelia Vass’ bed linen from Ikea has been paired with cushions in aqua coloured linen made by Tapet Cafe, while the dreamcatcher and photographic art by Stuart McIntyre adorn the wall behind the bed in lieu of a headboard. The owner credits paint as a key contributor in the home’s style makeover. “It made a big difference when the timber walls and ceilings were painted white,” she explains. “Careful preparation was needed to turn the yellowed walls completely white. First of all, we cleaned the wood, then covered all knots with shellac, primed, and then added three coats of white paint.”

BEACH WALKWAY The summer cottage is located on a large plot that Katrine’s dad inherited in the 1960s. When her parents planned the cottage they were not allowed to build closer than 50 metres from the coast. The house was positioned on a small hill a few metres behind the coastal protection line in order to ensure the best views. The family visits the beach every day when they stay at the cottage. >