Welcome to my home

Søren Rose, a product and furniture designer and his wife Mette, a psychologist and journalist, live here with children Frida, 13, Mila, nine, and Silas, seven.

THE PROPERTY

A one-bedroom penthouse within a

Athree-storey 1920s house in Hellerup, Copenhagen, bought in 2000.

“When we first started, it was just one big open space – a gloomy, dark attic with just four windows”

fter travelling for work and living in nine places over 12 years, Søren and Mette Rose and their three children returned to their 1920s house in Hellerup, Copenhagen, and saw it with fresh eyes. Finding it dark and dated, they decided to radically renovate, starting with the top floor. By converting the 120sq m space into a flat, they can live in it while they tackle the rest.

‘We wanted to create a beautiful, honest space that would outlive us,’ says Søren, founder of furniture design house Søren Rose Studio (sorenrose.com). ‘We wanted to enhance the light, and each time I stood on the scaffolding I discovered a new view to the sea, the park and over beautiful gardens. So, we ended up removing the entire roof and installing 23 double-height Velux windows, which have given the whole floor a completely different, more spacious feeling.’

Previously one large space, the beams were raised and a wall built to split it into a kitchen-diner and seating area, plus sleeping space and bathroom. ‘The only hiccup was when the carpenter found rot in four of the structural beams,’ says Søren. ‘But we were lucky, as the insurance covered the cost.’ The finish includes underfloor heating beneath bleached oak flooring, Sonos speakers in the ceilings and a lighting scheme. The renovation took six months rather than the expected three, since the roof terrace wasn’t planned from the start. ‘If you spot an opportunity, you can adapt things as you go along to make it work without changing the overall brushstrokes,’ says Søren.

Inside, the backdrop is simple – plain white walls and exposed brick – with impact from designer furniture and stand-out artwork and lamps. ‘In most countries functionality is valued higher than aesthetics, but here in Denmark both need to hang together,’ says Søren. ‘I like original interiors with designs that are minimal, well crafted, raw but refined. When the rest of the house is finished, this floor could be an amazing master suite, studio or home cinema. We’ve had 12 years of moving around, so it’ll be great to have the next 12 in one place.’