Bare it all A stripped-back take on Scandi style speaks volumes in this Copenhagen home

Honest materials and a fresh, stripped-back take on Scandinavian style speak volumes in this architect-owned Copenhagen apartment

Standing in the doorway to this apartment in Copenhagen’s Frederiksberg district, architects Justine Bell and Jonas Djernes, co-founders of the studio Djernes & Bell, were presented with a daunting challenge. The apartment’s wooden floors were hidden beneath many coats of varnish, the kitchen was a vision in linoleum – untouched since the 1970s – and every wall was covered in outdated wallpaper. Others may have thought twice about taking on this much work, but for Justine and Jonas it was the perfect opportunity to put their personal design ethos into practice. The duo compare themselves to archaeologists, painstakingly uncovering the layers of history and then celebrating them in contemporary ways. After studying this building’s original floorplan, they discovered that an internal wall had been removed. ‘Many would choose to embrace the maximised space, but I think it’s a shame when you change the layouts of these historic houses too much,’ says Justine. She and Jonas replaced the divide with one made of Russian pine plywood – sitting in the exact same position as the old wall: sectioning the dining area from what is now the library, it is a thoroughly modern nod to the past. In some of the rooms, wallpaper has been peeled away to reveal the original plaster, while in the main living area a border of plywood has been added where the couple discovered the imprint of original panelling.

Much of the furniture is bespoke, simply because the exacting pair struggled to find pieces that fulfilled all of their needs. The steel-covered dining table is a prime example: ‘It had to work for us, our little son and for when friends visited, so it couldn’t be too delicate. We also needed it to naturally suit the room’s proportions,’ explains Justine. She and Jonas were equally meticulous about their home’s material palette, which she describes as ‘clean and honest’. It consists of untreated wood and copper details, as well as accents of stone, which include bathroom tiles hand-picked during a visit to a quarry in Broughton Moor, England.

Function and attention to detail is high on this couple’s list of considerations, but so too is longevity. ‘We always choose things that will become characterised by time and patinated,’ says Justine. ‘That’s what makes things interesting.’ djernesbell.com

Photography MIKKEL TJELLESEN Living room The ‘Mayor’ sofa by Arne Jacobsen and ‘Formakami’ pendant light by Jaime Hayon are both from &Tradition. A lithograph by Per Kirkeby hangs above, beside a mask found at a market in owner Justine’s homeland of South Africa. The coffee table is a slab of marble propped up on bricks, while the vintage kelim was purchased at auction house Bruun Rasmussen. In the corner, a ‘209’ chair by Gebrüder Thonet Vienna is draped in sheepskin (above)

Portrait Owners Jonas Djernes and Justine Bell Dining room Topped with hot-rolled steel, the table was designed by Justine and Jonas and produced by CPH Steel. A ‘Radiohus VL45’ pendant light by Vilhelm Lauritzen for Louis Poulsen hangs above. The painting is by Romanian artist Ion Vacareanu View to library One of Justine’s own artworks is placed over the sofa – a design by Hans J Wegner for Getama at Twentytwentyone – and the mobile hanging above is by Flensted