Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Well-Loved, Well-Used and Homemade in Denmark
The art, the heirlooms, the jeweler’s castoff display case — everything in this family’s apartment has a story
Camilla Valsten, pictured, considers the apartment in Frederiksberg, Denmark, that she shares with her wife, Siri Eneström, and their two sons, Villum and Sander, to be creative, relaxed, child-friendly, and full of heirlooms and personality.
“We really treasure most of the things we have at home. We have many heirlooms and other things that were hard to get. For us, it is important to surround ourselves with things that we like, that we can use and that don’t get damaged with use,” Valsten says.
Expensive designer furniture and brand-name products, however, are not a priority. “It’s something I don’t care about. If we have designer furniture, it’s most likely something I’ve inherited from my grandmother or something we’ve kept because we think it’s beautiful and has a story. But I do not know very much about brand-name products. So if something is from a special or expensive brand, I actually get a little stressed out because then you have to be extra careful with it,” she says.
“We really treasure most of the things we have at home. We have many heirlooms and other things that were hard to get. For us, it is important to surround ourselves with things that we like, that we can use and that don’t get damaged with use,” Valsten says.
Expensive designer furniture and brand-name products, however, are not a priority. “It’s something I don’t care about. If we have designer furniture, it’s most likely something I’ve inherited from my grandmother or something we’ve kept because we think it’s beautiful and has a story. But I do not know very much about brand-name products. So if something is from a special or expensive brand, I actually get a little stressed out because then you have to be extra careful with it,” she says.
Valsten and Eneström find some pieces at flea markets and others, such as the picture with the red frame, in secondhand stores. The housing cooperative’s garbage room also has proved to be a good source for decor.
“Sometimes when we bring the garbage down, we find stuff that fits very well into our home. It’s funny that when visiting one of the neighbors, we might suddenly find ourselves drinking from our old glasses, which we had left in the garbage room, or vice versa,” Valsten says with a smile.
“Sometimes when we bring the garbage down, we find stuff that fits very well into our home. It’s funny that when visiting one of the neighbors, we might suddenly find ourselves drinking from our old glasses, which we had left in the garbage room, or vice versa,” Valsten says with a smile.
Not much in the apartment is new. “I’m not really into new things. Of course, a couch can be new, but I do not like buying new things, at least not furniture. I just like it when it’s old — that way it has some patina,” Valsten says.
Eneström inherited a vacation home on the northern coast of her native Sweden. That’s where the round coffee table came from. “The table was already in the house when her parents bought the holiday house 45 years ago. When we took it over, I varnished the table and shortened its legs because we thought it was too high. Then we took it home to Frederiksberg,” Valsten says.
User friendliness and child friendliness are also crucial. “We want furniture that doesn’t get damaged with use. We make much of the fact that it is also a home for our children. The mattress next to the couch in the living room is a comfy spot where you can just lie and read books. It’s important that it’s a home for all of us. Everything is mixed together. My things, Siri’s things and the children’s things are in every room,” she says.
Eneström inherited a vacation home on the northern coast of her native Sweden. That’s where the round coffee table came from. “The table was already in the house when her parents bought the holiday house 45 years ago. When we took it over, I varnished the table and shortened its legs because we thought it was too high. Then we took it home to Frederiksberg,” Valsten says.
User friendliness and child friendliness are also crucial. “We want furniture that doesn’t get damaged with use. We make much of the fact that it is also a home for our children. The mattress next to the couch in the living room is a comfy spot where you can just lie and read books. It’s important that it’s a home for all of us. Everything is mixed together. My things, Siri’s things and the children’s things are in every room,” she says.
As a rule, Eneström and Valsten don’t spend much money on decor because, among other things, “at flea markets, things are rarely very expensive,” Valsten says with a smile. She adds that she almost always ends up getting an even better price in the end because she’s good at haggling.
However, they are both willing to spend a lot more on handmade crafts than on furniture when they have the opportunity. “It does not have to be a special artist, but I like when artwork has a story and a personality. When you just do not have the money, you obviously have to make it yourself,” she says.
Eneström made the black piece with the star motif when she was 14, Villum created the book with the folded pages, and Valsten made the multicolored ceramic dots.
However, they are both willing to spend a lot more on handmade crafts than on furniture when they have the opportunity. “It does not have to be a special artist, but I like when artwork has a story and a personality. When you just do not have the money, you obviously have to make it yourself,” she says.
Eneström made the black piece with the star motif when she was 14, Villum created the book with the folded pages, and Valsten made the multicolored ceramic dots.
“I started doing ceramics 10 years ago with the local mothers’ group, for fun and because it was cozy, but I got caught up in it and actually started making things that I thought were nice. Now it’s grown into a pretty big interest of mine, and I just need to go to pottery class once a week,” Valsten says.
It is mainly Valsten who is in charge of the home decor, but Eneström always gets an opportunity to weigh in. “I’m the one who is interested in finding things and putting them together, but I always ask Siri. She usually agrees, and if she doesn’t, she says she’ll just get used to it. And then she almost always ends up thinking the result is cool,” Valsten says.
The family uses the dining table, which Valsten inherited from her grandmother, mostly when guests are visiting. It is quite practical because extra leaves can be added to make it “crazy big.”
The boxy lamp on the windowsill came from Valsten’s grandparents. “If you plug it in, [the lightbulbs] spin and light up. We call it the ‘disco lamp.’ My grandfather brought it home 50 years ago. When I was a child and went to see them, I always asked to turn it on because of its fun light. I’m so glad I’ve got it. We turn it on when we have people over,” Valsten says with a smile.
The boxy lamp on the windowsill came from Valsten’s grandparents. “If you plug it in, [the lightbulbs] spin and light up. We call it the ‘disco lamp.’ My grandfather brought it home 50 years ago. When I was a child and went to see them, I always asked to turn it on because of its fun light. I’m so glad I’ve got it. We turn it on when we have people over,” Valsten says with a smile.
The home is very tidy despite the mix-and-match items, the blend of styles and the emphasis on a lived-in, child-friendly space.
“Both Siri and I like that it’s neat. When you have so many things in the home, it can soon look messy, so it’s extra important to stay organized,” Valsten says.
“Both Siri and I like that it’s neat. When you have so many things in the home, it can soon look messy, so it’s extra important to stay organized,” Valsten says.
In addition to the ceramic dots on the wall, Valsten made a lot of bowls for the kitchen and filled an old display case in the dining room with her creations.
The couple found the display case as they were driving in their big old Volvo when Villum was little. Suddenly, Valsten caught sight of some men dragging the case from a jewelry store toward a container. She instinctively shouted, “Pull the car over now!” Valsten insisted that she needed to have it, despite Eneström’s objections that there was no place to stop the car. “We stopped and talked to the men, who told us that we could take it, as it was being thrown away.”
This story is part of the reason the display case is so dear to them today. “It’s just so great with a big car! All you have to do is pull the rear seats down and put it in the back,” Valsten says.
The couple found the display case as they were driving in their big old Volvo when Villum was little. Suddenly, Valsten caught sight of some men dragging the case from a jewelry store toward a container. She instinctively shouted, “Pull the car over now!” Valsten insisted that she needed to have it, despite Eneström’s objections that there was no place to stop the car. “We stopped and talked to the men, who told us that we could take it, as it was being thrown away.”
This story is part of the reason the display case is so dear to them today. “It’s just so great with a big car! All you have to do is pull the rear seats down and put it in the back,” Valsten says.
Valsten and Eneström have decorated their bedroom the same way as their two living rooms. “I like having something that not everyone has got, so we kept the rack that was in the corner when we moved in. The … lady who used to live here used to do exercises on it, but I painted it and now hang my clothes on it,” Valsten says.
“The bed is quite small, but we think it is nice to have floor space,” Valsten says.
The big painting over the bed is by artist Joanna Hanne Wermund, Valsten’s father’s girlfriend.
A friend and neighbor made the painting next to the window. “Once I went downstairs to see her and I saw the picture and said, ‘God, it looks like me.’ She told me that she hadn’t intended that, but still she may have had me in mind when she painted it. In any case, she gave it to me later, and I was very pleased,” she says.
The big painting over the bed is by artist Joanna Hanne Wermund, Valsten’s father’s girlfriend.
A friend and neighbor made the painting next to the window. “Once I went downstairs to see her and I saw the picture and said, ‘God, it looks like me.’ She told me that she hadn’t intended that, but still she may have had me in mind when she painted it. In any case, she gave it to me later, and I was very pleased,” she says.
A long, narrow hallway divides the apartment lengthwise. The two living rooms and master bedroom are on one side, and the kitchen, bathroom and two children’s rooms are on the other.
“The kitchen is quite small, so a lot of other people in the building have merged their kitchens with the little adjacent room. But Sander was on the way when we started considering this, so we needed that children’s room. We like it in here; it’s actually a pretty cozy room,” Valsten says.
The kitchen is full of stuff, which Valsten says adds charm. “There are also things that are not necessarily nice, and we have kept some things in here that the children made because they were made by them. There are new things, old things and there is room for everything.”
The kitchen is full of stuff, which Valsten says adds charm. “There are also things that are not necessarily nice, and we have kept some things in here that the children made because they were made by them. There are new things, old things and there is room for everything.”
The children’s rooms are at both ends of the apartment, one facing the master bedroom and the other opposite the living room. This sign reads “licorice pipes allowed,” in response to 11-year-old Villum’s love of pipes.
Like the rest of the home, Villum’s room demonstrates the family’s interest in old things, good stories and creativity. “They are both really fond of flea markets, just like me. For example, Villum is really into pipes. When he finds pipes at flea markets, he buys them, and he also makes pipes himself. He actually thinks it’s a bit silly to make pipes since he’s not allowed to smoke them. But he still sits there polishing them anyway,” Valsten says with a smile.
Villum is also passionate about acting and magic, which is reflected in the room. “I think it’s great that they like such creative things. Villum takes art classes and drew the framed pictures in the room himself,” Valsten says.
From magic and pipes to bones and skeletons: Six-year-old Sander’s room has more than a few pieces of scientific decor.
“Honestly, I cannot remember how it started, but Sander is very interested in where bones and other such things originate, and he wants to be an archaeologist,” Valsten says, adding that some of the bones were gifts, while others were found outdoors by Sander himself.
“Honestly, I cannot remember how it started, but Sander is very interested in where bones and other such things originate, and he wants to be an archaeologist,” Valsten says, adding that some of the bones were gifts, while others were found outdoors by Sander himself.
Valsten has always lived in old apartments and buildings, so it’s hard for her to imagine moving into a newer structure. “Of course, it’s a little annoying that the floors creak, but it also has its charm. I like old apartments and the style that comes with them. It’s also nice to think about how the previous residents lived here,” she says.
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Who lives here: Camilla Valsten, 43, who is studying to be a public health nurse; Siri Eneström, 58, who works at a nursery school; and their two sons, Villum, 11, and Sander, 6
Location: Frederiksberg, Denmark
Size: About 1,240 square feet (115 square meters); three bedrooms, one bathroom