Danish Houzz Tour: Romance Abounds in a Renovated Heritage Farm
This 19th-century country house just outside Odense, Denmark, has been renovated in phases over the years. Its interior is now completely modern, but still respects the history of the building. The decor is the perfect mix of old and new and lends the home a warm, personal touch.
Local lore has it that earlier in the home’s history neither the entire upper floor nor the ritzy living rooms were used. It was so cold in the house that, according to legend, three siblings who once lived there used to change in the kitchen and sleep all together in a single room.
Fortunately, this is no longer the case. The previous owners had added good heating and extra insulation, and Dreymann’s family are now able to use all of the rooms.
Dreymann and her husband bought the farm 11 years ago. By then, it was no longer used for agricultural production. “No animals are kept in the stables anymore, and today, only a few cats and a dog live in the main house,” she says.
The renovation was a group effort. “My husband, Casper, can do almost everything himself, and he renovated this house with the help of good friends,” says Dreymann . “He renovated the whole of the first and second floors with one friend, though the basics had already been done by the time we bought the house. We changed the tiles in the entryway, hallway and bathroom, and we also plastered and painted all of the walls and ceilings. The staircases, wooden floors and kitchen cabinet doors were painted too.”
“After moving in, it took four years until we were happy with the look of the house,” says Dreymann.
Though her husband was the one who renovated the bones of the house, the interior decor was Dreymann’s work.
Though her husband was the one who renovated the bones of the house, the interior decor was Dreymann’s work.
“Our house changes a lot,” says Dreymann. “I really enjoy spending time at home. I’m the type of person who changes their mind all the time. I change my decor because I think there should always be something going on. I always get new ideas that I want to try out. If I want to hang shelves on a wall or replace a sink, we just do it.”
Dreymann likes to use recycled items. She also really relates to the things she has, and often breathes new life into them by moving them around or repainting them. She sells the things she can’t reuse or revamp.
Expensive or brand-name items have never been very important to Dreymann. It is rather the feeling that an item or piece of furniture evokes that determines whether it is going to be a part of her home.
“I have a bond with my things and I like most of them. Even a small, cheap dish from a sale can mean a lot to me, because price does not determine what I like,” she says. “We mix bargains and expensive things at home, and I love coming across nice finds that don’t cost a lot. Things don’t have to be by a chic designer. This makes it easier for me to change things up.”
Dreymann collected the porcelain and ceramic dishes in the photo over many years.
“I have a bond with my things and I like most of them. Even a small, cheap dish from a sale can mean a lot to me, because price does not determine what I like,” she says. “We mix bargains and expensive things at home, and I love coming across nice finds that don’t cost a lot. Things don’t have to be by a chic designer. This makes it easier for me to change things up.”
Dreymann collected the porcelain and ceramic dishes in the photo over many years.
The dining table is from the couple’s holiday home, while the sideboard is an old workbench, which they found in one of the barns.
Dreymann’s handy husband also enjoys building some of the furniture and decor items in the home.
Dreymann’s handy husband also enjoys building some of the furniture and decor items in the home.
He built this serving table himself out of old boards, for example.
He made this display cabinet out of some old boards and windows that had been lying in one of the barns.
The couple painted this JKE Design kitchen when they moved in.
The furniture they built lends a special cosiness to the kitchen, Dreymann’s favourite room in the house.
Dreymann made the artwork herself, with Indian stamps.
Dreymann made the artwork herself, with Indian stamps.
Dreymann believes in cooking at home and loves being here to prepare dinner, make vegetable and herb arrangements or drink a cup of coffee at the kitchen table.
“It’s just so open, bright, warm and lovely here, and the ceilings are so high. I always enjoy myself here, and we always eat in the kitchen,” says Dreymann.
Next to the dining area is a small living room, which opens out to the garden and the large conservatory – another part of the house built by Dreymann’s husband and his friend.
The family spends lots of time here in spring and autumn.
The family stays at a holiday home by the sea in the summer, so the conservatory lets them ease into the colder months, and spend more of the year nearly outdoors.
Now, after 11 years at the same address, Dreymann is finally able to look around and be satisfied, feeling that she and her husband have achieved what they dreamed about in this the house.
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Want more great design? Take a look at last week’s Danish Houzz Tour: DIY and Secondhand Delights in Creative’s Home
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like the story, save your favourite images and join the conversation.
More
Want more great design? Take a look at last week’s Danish Houzz Tour: DIY and Secondhand Delights in Creative’s Home
Who lives here: Lisbeth Dreymann, 42, her husband Casper, 44, and their daughters, Karoline, 15, and Mathilde, 12.
Location: Over Holluf, a few miles outside Odense, Denmark.
Size: The 400-square-metre house stands on a 6,000-square-metre site.
Year built: 1887