some interiors
are stylish and beautiful. Others make you feel like you want to pull up a chair and stay forever. But the real magic occurs when a combination of these factors hits just the right note to create a space that truly embodies the word ‘home’. Jewellery designer Ivona Bruun prides herself on being the instigator of such alchemy. ‘My family is the core of everything to me,’ she admits. ‘Get that right and everything else fits into place. That’s why the home is so important. I want it to be a place where we all feel happy, comfortable and enjoy living. But, of course, it also needs to look amazing.’ She laughs when considering the commitment she feels to her four walls. ‘I love my home so much, it’s often hard to get me out of it. I can spend hours moving furniture around, experimenting with accessories, adding flowers and art. Building a lovely, welcoming home is my absolute passion.’
Ivona has pulled off a stellar job. This Danish apartment oozes charm and personality with its stunning traditional features and enormous rooms, each one adorned with carefully chosen items of beauty. Ivona’s starting point is always a neutral palette, and so it was fortuitous that, when the family moved here four years ago, the apartment had been painted white from end to end.
‘It was the perfect backdrop – lots of space and a blank canvas,’ she says. ‘It didn’t need any major renovations, just our own stamp put on it. I love simplicity and I’ll always prefer a minimalistic style, even in the way I dress. My typical colours of choice are white, black, grey and beige. I’d never opt for brights like yellow, red or orange. My husband is obsessed with art and there are times when I will concede on colour because he wants to introduce something different. He recently bought an amazing turquoise print, which is magnificent.’
It’s Ivona’s ability to merge beautiful period features (the ornate dining room ceiling and herringbone wooden flooring) with vintage accessories, designer classics and contemporary trinkets that adds up to a sense of A* style. Each element has been carefully selected to blend together in a seamless flow of gorgeousness.
‘When I shop for the home,’ she says, ‘I look and I look and then I look some more. If I see something I like, it takes me two days to consider it – I need to really picture in my head how it will work in the room. I’m not what you’d call an “impulse shopper”!’ Ivona loves to scout around markets, keeping an eye out for unusual one-offs, and she raves about the excellence of Copenhagen’s interiors stores. ‘I used to live in New York, and design is great there, but Denmark is the place for really innovative styles.’
When it comes to choosing her favourite spot in the apartment, Ivona returns again to her family values. Although originally from Slovakia, she embraces the Danish penchant for entertaining at home, and it’s not unusual for her to have up to 30 guests around that big dining table. ‘I love to cook from scratch, especially Italian food,’ she says. ‘We invite our friends, and there are always lots of children gathered here. Now that spring has arrived and the days are longer, we might move out to the terrace for drinks. But you’ll generally find me in the kitchen, cooking big pots of food. I am happiest there, preparing the meals and then moving into the dining room to socialise.’
As the weather improves and thoughts turn towards holidays, Ivona and her husband, Ulrich, have a Moroccan road trip planned. ‘There is nothing he enjoys more than driving,’ says Ivona. ‘He is happiest behind the wheel and I am content to be a passenger and enjoy the passing scenery. But, even so, the best part of going away is when it’s time to come back home.’
See Ivona’s jewellery at imjewel.com