Share a family Christmas at this Danish home that’s been lovingly restored

Fearless renovators Maja and Kristian turned a property with two apartments into their dream family home.

Happily settled in their ‘forever’ home, Maja and Kristian Porsgaard Rosasco weren’t planning on another move, but then they fell in love with an old house when it went on the market in their neighbourhood of Espergærde, Denmark. Built in the 1900s, the thatched house was originally the summer residence of a ballet master named Hans Beck. It had been converted into two apartments and even had a kitchen fitted in the hallway, but the couple had fallen hard and even the odd layout wasn’t enough to put them off. Project people through and through, they bought the house and embarked on their fourth renovation together.

“It had so many beautiful details and possibilities,” recalls Maja. “It was pure country idyll, with a thatched roof and stables.” The property comprised of the main house, which had been extended several times over the years to total 422 sq m. It took about a year for the couple to transform the house into the beautiful, functional home they wanted, which included replacing rotten beams and building a porch.

“It was quite a wild transformation when we knocked down walls to turn the two dwellings into one. Suddenly, we had four living rooms instead of two!” says Maja. The living rooms inside flow from one to the other, with the kitchen at the end. However, several stages of extension work meant they were inconsistent in their style. To create more uniformity, the couple sanded the floors throughout and painted all the ceilings and woodwork white. The walls have been decorated in a series of complementary neutrals.

The purpose of each space isn’t fixed, and Maja and Kristian often move the furniture around to see how it changes the flow of the house. Speaking of furniture, they were keen for its style to fit the house and its atmosphere. “We didn’t think it should be too modern, but at the same time it shouldn’t be too dated and boring, so we’ve tried to find a good mix of old and new,” explains Maja. “We go for classic, timeless furniture and always buy second-hand whenever possible.”

The living room isn’t original to the 120-year-old house, but a later addition. Its dual aspect means it’s always light and bright, so the rustic wood flooring, sisal rug and tobacco-leather Børge Mogensen armchairs are needed to make it feel cosy. The sofas are from Sofakompagniet and the plinth coffee tables are from Menu.

The kitchen cabinets were carpenter-built in the early 1990s to fit the room perfectly. As both the carcases and doors were in good condition, Maja simply painted the doors in grey-green, a shade that appears throughout the house, giving the interior cohesion.

By painting the end of the long hallway in a rust colour, Maja has made the space feel warm and welcoming. Giving the huge wardrobe (which is used for coat and shoe storage) a lick of the same colour makes it less intrusive. The kilim from CarpetVista adds more mellow colour and highlights the beauty of the dark oak parquet floor.

Maja and Kristian’s bedroom has dusty grey-greens on the walls, curtains and bed linen, giving this room a naturally cosy feel and toning beautifully with the wooden flooring. The simple curtains are from H&M Home and the bed is from Idémøbler.

The family are really looking forward to Christmas. “I remember just after we had first viewed the house and saying what a great place it would be to celebrate Christmas!” says Maja. “The rooms really invite candles and fires in the fireplaces. And there’s space for a big Christmas tree in the middle.” Her decorations are simple, natural and tonal, inspired by the house’s setting, which is truly magical at this time of year.

Words & photography: Lene Samsø/House of Pictures.