White wonder
The stark palette and bare branches that decorate this Danish home echo the beautiful winter wonderland that exists beyond its walls
Antiques and ephemera are joined by real candles and paper decorations in this pared-back Copenhagen home
Henrik Hemmingsen’s home is the perfect place
to hunker down for the holidays, thanks to its cool Scandinavian airiness and festive flourishes. As the store manager of Copenhagen-based interiors boutique Fil de Fer, Henrik has honed a clear sense of style over the years: a mix of the modern and classic, with a colour scheme inspired by the landscape surrounding his cottage in the Danish town of Skælskør, where he has lived with his girlfriend for the past 14 years.
The interior of the house is crisp and white, but there’s an oldworld dose of Christmas spirit here, too. Displays of antiques and ephemera – wooden letters, cricket balls, musical instruments and vintage toys – are arranged on tables and windowsills and in cosy corners. The overall aesthetic eschews sparkle in favour of rustic charm. ‘I’m drawn to the understated and the everyday,’ says Henrik, ‘ but work to a palette of brown and grey – it creates a refined, almost puritanical look against the white walls.’
A sparse elder stands in place of a traditional Christmas fir; like the trees in the woodland outside, it has shaken off its leaves for winter. Its branches are dressed with candles and simple wooden ornaments, including lettering salvaged from a bookshop, and tiny stars, drums and sledges, all hung from leather cord. Locally grown red Pigeon apples decorate the base and the gifts that are piled around it are wrapped simply in brown paper and string.
The open-plan home is ideal for festive gatherings and Henrik’s two children (now adults) often visit at this time of year. ‘My favourite memories of Christmas are of when they were young,’ he says. ‘There is something very special about Christmas and children.’ The frenetic excitement of those days has passed, but Henrik continues to enjoy a family dinner on the big day, which takes place on Christmas Eve around a table decorated with rosehips and pinecones. ‘ We have a traditional meal, which is usually roasted duck with apples and prunes or an old recipe passed down by my partner’s grandmother – roasted rib of pork and red cabbage with orange, cinnamon and cranberries. For me, Christmas is about closeness,’ he says. ‘It’s about spending time with loved ones – that’s what we share here.’ fildefercph.com
THE INTERIOR OF HENRIK’S DANISH COTTAGE IS CRISP AND WHITE, BUT THERE’S AN OLD-WORLD DOSE OF CHRISTMAS SPIRIT HERE, TOO