Architects Masahiro and Mette blended Scandi and Japanese styles to create their contemporary summerhouse
Scandi style meets refined Japanese design at Masahiro and Mette’s Danish summerhouse, where life moves to a more natural rhythm
Omasahirour lives in the city are so busy, we needed a tranquil place to relax,’ says Japanese-born
Katsume of the beautifully black zen-style retreat he built with his Danish wife Mette Fredskild. Both architects, the couple spend the working week in their Copenhagen apartment; the rest of the time, they can be found here, enjoying simpler pursuits such as gardening and fishing. ‘It’s a summerhouse, so we didn’t need to make it fancy,’ says Masahiro. ‘We could just focus on the essentials.’
Set in Kulhuse, an hour’s drive outside the Danish capital, the tree-filled plot borders a graveyard and the reflective waters of Ise Fjord. When the couple bought the land in 2016, it came with an old house, which they lived in for a year before deciding to pull it down. ‘We learned a lot about the area in that time,’ says Masahiro. ‘The wind direction, where the daylight comes in – that all determined the design of the building.’
Despite having two architects on board, the plans took time to perfect. ‘I made sketches, Mette gave feedback, then I made changes,’ says Masahiro. One detail that didn’t need amendments was the exterior cladding. ‘We chose charred wood,’ says Masahiro. ‘It’s a common material in Japan – fishermen use it on their houses as it’s resistant to salty water.’ Mounted at irregular intervals, it gives the angular facade a raw functionality in keeping with the rugged landscape.
It’s a dramatic first impression, one that morphs into a feeling of zen as you enter via a hallway complete with pebble floor – heated, of course. A highly practical space, on either side laundry equipment and storage are concealed behind sliding screens made from a rich indigo textile decorated with Sashiko, a form of ancient Japanese utilitarian stitching. At the centre of the room is a table topped with a washbasin. ‘In old cities, you’d find a well in the courtyard, so I created a place where you can meet around water,’ says Masahiro.
This tactile entryway divides the public and private spaces. To one side are the monastic bedrooms, simply furnished with carpet and futons, as well as a shower room and WC. In the opposite direction, a double-height volume allows the couple and guests to be together in one space. Sparsely furnished, it’s anchored by the kitchen, which combines Ikea units within a bespoke framework finished in microcement.
Three walls of sliding glass doors bathe the space in views and light, from sun up to sundown. ‘The lines change with the movement of the sun and give you an awareness of time slowly passing,’ says Masahiro. ‘We were inspired by the Japanese essay In Praise of Shadows [by Junichiro Tanizaki], which is about respecting darkness, lightness – the contrast. As the book says, without shadows there would be no beauty.’
“This house was our third design option, but it’s not a compromise – we achieved a good result”
LIVING AREA
The exterior louvres cast linear shadows on the transparent curtain, which filters harsh light without darkening the room. Kevi office chair, Twentytwentyone. Try Chesneys for a woodburning stove. Connox’s Hay loop stand table is similar
HALLWAY
Pebble flooring adds a tactile touch. ‘It’s nice to walk on and reminds us that we’re near the beach,’ says Masahiro.
Marble-mosaics.com has pebble floor tiles. Hanging coil mosquito burner, Suzuki Morihisa Workshop
SHOWER ROOM
Rustic wooden accessories bring warmth to the dark, cave-like space, which is cast in concrete and treated with microcement.
Find a second-hand milking stool on ebay. Microcement, Topciment