THOMAS LYKKE, designer

Co-founder and creative director of multidisciplinary design studio OEO, Lykke lives in a top-floor apartment of an 1890s building in Copenhagen’s Østerbro neighbourhood with his wife Christa and daughter

‘Objects on display add warmth to the space. Some are chosen for their beauty; others I use every day’

■ The layout of the kitchen is based around the two sets of double doors that open onto the balcony [which the family added when they moved in two years ago]. There is a door either side of the island and during the summer, when it’s light until 11pm, we have them open and it feels magical.

■ I designed the Lykke Kitchen for Garde Hvalsøe. It’s modular, which makes it more flexible – not everyone can have a huge kitchen craned into their apartment – and made from oak, a hard wood that ages well.

■ As a contrast, the worktops are Italian Pietra Grey marble. You have to be careful not to spill vinegar or lemon juice on them, but I think there is a beauty in the marble’s fragility. The island is raised off the ground on a stainless steel plinth so it looks like it’s floating and stops the block of wood feeling too chunky. The shadow gaps between the drawers emphasise their craftsmanship.

■ To me, it’s important that a kitchen is functional so the diagonal ‘Déchirer’ floor tiles by Patricia Urquiola for Mutina were chosen for durability. It’s also important that it’s timeless: the house dates from 1896 and I wanted the kitchen to feel a natural part of it.

■ I like to have objects on display because they add warmth to the space. Some are chosen for their beauty; others I use every day. I’ve travelled a lot in Japan so there are pieces from there, including a tea caddy made by Takahiro Yagi, a sixth-generation maker in Kyoto, whose company is called Kaikado. My plates, bowls and cups are by Lov I Listed, a Bornholm ceramicist who I got to know when I was designing Kadeau restaurant in Copenhagen. oeo.dk; gardehvalsoe.dk