THE SMALL CROOKED HOUSE THAT OFFERS HOSPITALITY AND A FOCUS ON THE ESSENTIAL

Design couple Yasmin Edgecombe and Alessandro Sarfatti have moved from large, luxurious settings to a small town house with odd angles in central Copenhagen. Here, the two have created a home where family reigns supreme and where the surroundings must radiate respect and passion.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Alessandro and Yasmin in the heart of the house. The Sunflower Wall Clock above them is designed by George Nelson for Vitra. THIS PAGE: the conservatory, which is an extension of the kitchen and where the family converges. This is where they talk, eat, play, work and so on. The sculptural pot is an old Indian water jar purchased at Rabens Saloner.

THE PINK SLOW CHAIR by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec for Vitra is one of the only things in the home that Yasmin and Alessandro could not agree on. Alessandro does not like the colour pink. Otherwise, they have agreed on everything from the Dinesen floor boards to the colours of the wall, furnishing, lighting, spatial planning, etc. The conservatory has access to a small garden where the youngest children can play and where their oldest daughter has her own small annex. OPPOSITE PAGE: From the garden, Yasmin and Alessandro have created a straight line through the house to the street to ensure natural light streams through the home. The lamp was designed by Gino Sarfatti in 1951 and is currently made by Astep.

A stone’s throw from the hectic transport hub of Trianglen in the Østerbro neighbourhood of Copenhagen lies a small street filled with small, crooked houses. Here, the neighbourhood kids play together, and if you are out of flour or sugar, you just knock on your neighbour’s door. The cosmopolitan couple Yasmin Edgecombe and Alessandro Sarfatti have recently settled in this small, local oasis with their four children. Yasmin is of Danish, English and Caribbean descent and works with interior design, architecture and art direction from her company Yoye. Alessandro is the third generation of a famous Italian lighting family, his grandfather, Gino Sarfatti, having established the lighting company Arteluce, his father, Riccardo Sarfatti, the company Luceplan, and today, Alessandro carries on this proud legacy in his own company, Astep. The industrious couple has recently renovated a small, house with incongruous angles from scratch, and the result draws a nuanced picture of the two cosmopolites, their families and the values they pursue – both privately and in their work life.

“Our house turned out just as we wanted it. Furnishing, spatial planning, toilets, tiles, bathrooms, walls. We have created everything from scratch, so we really feel that this is our house,” explains Alessandro, and Yasmine picks up:

“We enjoy making projects and beautiful things together. We have fun, and we agree on almost everything. On our wedding day, we went to the Tate in London. We were looking at a wall with 50 paintings, and for fun we asked each other to pick two favourite paintings each. Of the many paintings, we ended up choosing the exact same two,” she says.

Besides taste, the couple shares a special love of beautiful objects with a story. The way these objects are displayed in their home says something about their different cultural backgrounds and their relationship with family and friends.

“I feel that our home holds some nuances that differ from the Nordic style of interior design. We have more details, more things, and we display them. In the Nordic design tradition, you conceal things, to make the design more minimalist,” explains Yasmin. Alessandro continues: “When I look at Denmark, everyone has the same furniture and everyone dresses alike. Furniture and clothes are always of a high quality and always very beautiful, but also very homogenous. With my Italian background, I feel that we bring a bit more diversity into our home and life,” says Alessandro. He has a philosophy that good products have a soul, and that they give voice to those who have made them.

“It was by no means love at first sight when we initially saw the house. We came from something much bigger, and suddenly we had this small, completely crooked house on our hands. Still, we were able to envisage how it could become a great place to live, and now that it is done, I absolutely adore it. It is extremely cosy and our children love it,” say the design couple.

THIS PAGE: the living room has been made into a cosy nook, with the original door from the hallway to the living room having been boarded up to create the sense of a calm corner with space for contemplation. THE CONSERVATORY is connected to the kitchen via the two open windows and the garden. The large, light space is the home’s meeting place, whereas the smaller rooms in the house are little oases for those seeking more privacy. The dining table by Jasper Morrison is from the Japanese company Maruni. The benches are designed by Yasmin. OPPOSITE PAGE: the lamp above the table was designed by Alessandro’s grandfather Gino Sarfatti in 1950. This is an updated version with improved LED technology developed by Astep. The table displays the iconic Georg Jensen jug by Henning Koppel together with small personal objects.

OPPOSITE PAGE: a metal and glass shelf unit displays an array of white porcelain. Yasmin originally displayed all kinds of things, but quickly realised that it looked messy in the large open space. She therefore made the rule that anything can be placed on the shelf unit as long as it is white. THE KITCHEN from Boffi is clean and simple but with distinct details such as the larger space between the drawers that makes the kitchen unique. Lamps from Michael Anastassiades, a private friend of the couple, hang from the ceiling. IN THE CORNER OF THE LIVING ROOM stand three sculptural elements that at once complement and challenge each other. The work to the left is by Gianfranco Pardi, the floor lamp is by Gino Sarfatti and the work to the right is by Kaja Skytte.

OPPOSITE PAGE: the sculptural staircase is designed by Yasmin and ties the four floors of the house together. THIS PAGE: lighting plays an important role in how the house is perceived, and Yasmin and Alessandro have been very conscious about integrating both natural and artificial lighting in the house. To ensure natural lighting, the couple has broken down walls throughout the house and created straight lines that allow the light to flow through the house both vertically and horizontally. IN THE BATHROOM, Yasmin has used tiles from File Under Pop and the tap unit is designed by Citterio for Axor. THREE OF THE FOUR CHILDREN live on the first floor, where a light hallway connects both the rooms and the individual floors. THE CHILDREN’S BATHROOM has both a bathtub and an excellent view. The white sink is from Agape, the lamp is from Astep and the brass tap units are from Axor.

UNDERNEATH THE ROOF, Yasmin and Alessandro have made their own little cave of a bedroom, into which natural lighting flows from both sides. When night falls, the room is illuminated by W Cinquanta Suspension by Cittoriano Viganò for Astep. YASMIN HAS DESIGNED AND CUSTOM-MADE ALL THE CABINETS FOR THE CROOKED HOUSE. The table lamp is by Gino Sarfatti and is made by Astep. THROUGHOUT THE HOME, you can find little traces of Yasmin and Alessandro’s life and family history. To the left, you can see a watercolour by Alessandro’s mother and to the right a drawing by Yasmin’s mother. THE BATHROOM is sophisticatedly laid out with a sink from Agape and tap units from Axor. The wall tiles are by Patricia Urquiola for Mutina.