By Hanna Nova Beatrice
A modern vision
A FLAT ROOF, yellow bricks and a dark-brown wooden patio are some of the unique features that catch the eye at the property of Kim Grenaa, a creative consultant and founder of fashion magazine Dansk. The house, in the calm Copenhagen suburb of Hjortekær, was built in 1963 by Danish architect Holger Tangaa Hansen, and combines nostalgia with a modern feel. Functionality, innovative materials and light-filled rooms are some of the architect’s trademarks. “It has a very Danish feel to it, but with some Palm Springs influences thrown in,” says Grenaa.
Grenaa bought the house from the couple that had owned it since it was first built, which meant many of the original features were still intact. “You could really feel the previous owners loved the house; they had looked after it really well,” he says. “We have renovated and updated the house, staying true to the original thoughts. I have always been in love with Danish design and over the past decades I have collected design and art. In a way the house sums up all the places I’ve been living in up until now.”
Your house almost feels like a film set, with interiors matching the architecture. What’s your view on interior design?
“For me fashion is something playful and fun, an opportunity to play with different looks and different sides of your personality. But I have the opposite feeling in regard to interiors and how I decorate my home. It’s something long lasting. I have almost always had the same taste – compared to my taste in fashion it doesn’t change – and so my furniture has been with me for a long time. I bought my dining table for 30 euros when I was 20 years old.”
What attracted you to your house and the suburban area where it’s situated?
“For the last 15 years I have had a summer house on the north coast of Zealand, and an apartment in the middle of Copenhagen. One place has been for leisure, and the other one for everyday life. But my boyfriend Morten and I realised that it was time to combine the two. This was actually the first house we went to see and we bought it the day after the viewing.”
How do you use the house?
“We relax, work, exercise, have friends staying over and thr
