WITH THE LANDSCAPE AS ARCHITECT
Mette and Lars Jørgensen have built a summerhouse close to the water’s edge on a secluded plot of land outside Faaborg on the Danish island of Funen where each room affords a view of the calm waters.
THE ARCHITECT-MADE HOUSE is flat and long, and opens towards the water via one long window section, which can be opened to make the house become one with nature. FROM THE KITCHEN AND DINING ROOM, only a grassy mound separates the house from the water. The family has a speedboat moored at a buoy outside the house, and often sails the Funen archipelago. The black-granite kitchen top is also used on the dining table, which the couple had custom made. Mette wanted a round table so everyone can better interact with each other. The lamp above the table is Ginger 60 from Marse/lampefeber and the dining chairs are from House Doctor.
At the end of a small road, right down at the water, lies a modern, oblong house in grey-mottled brick and with a flat roof. The silhouette of the house elegantly weaves into the flat landscape, where the tide from Faaborg Fjord has receded, leaving small lakes that reflect the orange and pink sunrise. You feel it instantly. The calm. The tranquility. This is Mette and Lars Jørgensen’s new summerhouse.
“We wanted a gathering point for family and friends, and we wanted it to be somewhere off the beaten track, that makes us feel like we’re getting away from it all. The house is not too far from the port and town, though, and while Lars enjoys going sailing and into town, I love sitting in the calm comfort of our home looking out at the water. This place allows us to do both,” says Mette.
The couple works on a daily basis to realise other people’s dream homes via the company Preben Jørgensen Huse, which Lars has taken over from his father, so they also had a very precise vision of the house they wanted to build.
“We’re a big family, so the summerhouse should be able to accommodate us all, without being too overwhelming. The landscape and layout dictated the shape of the house, and since we wanted to be able to see the water from every room, we made a long, flat house that opens up towards the calm water through a long window section spanning the house’s entire length. The windows can be opened completely, so the outside and inside merge into one,” explains Lars.
Although many might mistake the large house for an all-year house, the couple has introduced some elements to enhance the summerhouse feeling.
“We chose to use a lot of wood because it creates warmth and cosiness. The ceiling is made of wooden slats that run the length of the house, the wooden bed frames are carpenter-made, the kitchen, bathroom furniture and alcove are made of wood and the shelf unit between the dining room and the living room is also made of wood. Besides our choice of material, the idea was to create a large communal space so we can feel together wherever any one of us is in the house. Most doors have been replaced with sliding doors, and we have created a cosy alcove for the kids close to the open-plan kitchen,” explains Mette.
The open-plan kitchen is at the centre of the house, tying its two ends together – one end having two guest rooms and the other a large bedroom and bathroom for Mette and Lars. The couple chose the kitchen because it essentially serves as a furniture unit in the dining room.
“It’s unique and distinctive, yet timeless. Just like the house and its surroundings,” says the couple.
THE REFLECT KITCHEN is one of the newest designs from uno form and is designed by Søren Rose. The couple fell in love with its distinctive features with curvy fronts, and felt it matched the rest of the house, it having warm wood and black frames that resemble those of the windows. The tall cabinets for the refrigerator and storage are made of the same wood as the rest of the kitchen and extend into an alcove.
A WOODEN SHELF UNIT separates the living room from the dining room and is designed by the architect who made the house, Allan Lorenzen. The couple are really excited about this solution as it gives them the sense of separate rooms that still retain an openness. The living room features a plant/magazine holder from Hübsch, The Egg by Arne Jacobsen in black leather, a sofa from Boshop, coffee tables from Hay and the Caché floor lamp from Le Klint.
THE ALCOVE is the children’s cosy nook, where they can sit behind the closed door if they want to be alone or leave it open if they want to join the adults sitting in the living room right next to them. It also has room for the family of four to either sleep or watch movies on a large flatscreen, which hangs on the wall that cannot be seen in this picture.
THE LARGE BATHROOM AND BEDROOM is Mette’s and Lars’ sanctuary. The bed frame is made by a carpenter, the bathroom furniture is from HTH, the round mirror is made by a glazier, the large sink is from Catalano, the hanging flowerpot is from Eva Solo, the pouf and rug on the floor are from H&M Home and the wicker chair is from Hübsch. Behind the white wall, you will find a spacious shower cabinet on one side and a toilet on the other.
THE BATHTUB in Mette’s and Lars’ bedroom affords a view of the surrounding nature. The bathtub is called Toscana and is from Tørring VVS. The tap unit is from Vola, the mirror from Hübsch and the stool from Muubs.