My Houzz: Updated Midcentury Home With Scandinavian Charm
Modern classic furnishings and indoor-outdoor design are highlights of this Danish family’s renovated Bay Area Eichler
Rikke, pictured here with French bulldog Jack-Jack, immediately fell in love with the iconic architectural features of the home.
“It is so close to the style of houses we grew up with in Denmark. An Eichler had everything we miss about the houses over there, such as large windows allowing natural daylight into the house, a floor plan with no wasted space, and a feeling of being apart but still together,” she says. “It is a glass house, and we can basically see each other through the house. We wanted a house where we used every single square foot every day.”
“It is so close to the style of houses we grew up with in Denmark. An Eichler had everything we miss about the houses over there, such as large windows allowing natural daylight into the house, a floor plan with no wasted space, and a feeling of being apart but still together,” she says. “It is a glass house, and we can basically see each other through the house. We wanted a house where we used every single square foot every day.”
Before: The existing kitchen had an odd layout and didn’t include a full-size refrigerator. “There was an undercounter fridge and freezer in the island. Because of its built-in freezer, it could not even contain a gallon of milk,” Rikke says. “I’m not sure how the previous homeowners used the kitchen. It was a bit puzzling.” Also, the range had no hood. And at the far end of the kitchen, an extra-long bar area made accessing the garage a tight squeeze.
After: The couple replaced the glossy maroon cabinets to give the kitchen a lighter and brighter Scandinavian aesthetic. They also wanted the flow to be more functional and added an extra-wide island with cabinetry on both sides to become a work surface for the kids and to encourage daily conversations, Rikke says. “It divides the house in two, leaving the back area as a dining area…. Before, the dining table had to be towards the backyard, leaving the living room area so much smaller,” she says. “We are smiling about this solution every day!” Electrical outlets in the island pop up and then tuck away when not in use.
Rikke had budget-friendly cabinets from Ikea installed, along with quartz countertops and a glossy white faceted subway tile backsplash. The couple added a full-size refrigerator and a stainless steel Zephyr range hood, moving the placement of the stove to the right of the window. The existing window was replaced with one-eighth-inch reeded glass for privacy.
Rikke had budget-friendly cabinets from Ikea installed, along with quartz countertops and a glossy white faceted subway tile backsplash. The couple added a full-size refrigerator and a stainless steel Zephyr range hood, moving the placement of the stove to the right of the window. The existing window was replaced with one-eighth-inch reeded glass for privacy.
The island is central in the house and serves as a family hub. “My son likes to bake bread; my daughter, macarons. The island lets our family be together, and our three kids can do homework on the island,” Rikke says. “The iconic Eichler-style layout lets us feel we are together as a family even though we may not be in the same room.”
During the kitchen renovation, they added a wine fridge. “My husband and I have a Friday tradition. When I get home from taekwondo with the kids, my husband has a drink ready for me,” Rikke says. Anders enjoys making cocktails, and the Fraise Sauvage (Wild Strawberry) is a refreshing summer favorite. “He’ll make a fresh strawberry syrup, and our little lime tree in the atrium will hopefully provide limes for mojitos soon,” she adds.
Vase on island: Bjørn Wiinblad
During the kitchen renovation, they added a wine fridge. “My husband and I have a Friday tradition. When I get home from taekwondo with the kids, my husband has a drink ready for me,” Rikke says. Anders enjoys making cocktails, and the Fraise Sauvage (Wild Strawberry) is a refreshing summer favorite. “He’ll make a fresh strawberry syrup, and our little lime tree in the atrium will hopefully provide limes for mojitos soon,” she adds.
Vase on island: Bjørn Wiinblad
Anders and Rikke removed the existing linoleum floors and polished the concrete floors underneath., which had radiant heat. “People would say they don’t like seeing the cracks and imperfections, but I like seeing the scars of the original floor. It shows the history of the house. I think it’s charming that we can see the history and life of the house,” Rikke says. “By not adding tiles, wood or rugs, there is no barrier to absorb or delay the floor heat when we use it during the winter.”
The leather PK22 chairs on the left were designed by the late Danish designer Poul Kjærholm.
Boat-shape Spinal dining table designed by Paul Leroy: Paustian; floor lamp: Gubi; monkey: Kay Böjesen; pillow: By Nord Copenhagen
The leather PK22 chairs on the left were designed by the late Danish designer Poul Kjærholm.
Boat-shape Spinal dining table designed by Paul Leroy: Paustian; floor lamp: Gubi; monkey: Kay Böjesen; pillow: By Nord Copenhagen
The vintage leather-and-wood chest with brass details is from Rikke’s grandparents. It came from an old church in Mogenstrup, Denmark, and stored inside are birthday decorations including balloons and Danish flags. “Each kid got a silver flag when they were born, with their name engraved in the base with their birthday. Danish tradition is to celebrate your birthday with flags as decorations,” Rikke says.
The original mahogany walls were stained, waxed and polished by hand. “It was such a satisfying job to see how the walls came to life again! Funny enough, we hated those wooden panels just 10 years ago, but we love them in this house,” Rikke says. “They warm up the concrete floors, and with all the natural daylight we have, the mahogany doesn’t make the house feel darker, but instead warmer.”
Poster: Therapy; Dot pillow: Wendt Design; speaker: Sonos; Panthella table lamp designed by Verner Panton: Louis Poulsen
The original mahogany walls were stained, waxed and polished by hand. “It was such a satisfying job to see how the walls came to life again! Funny enough, we hated those wooden panels just 10 years ago, but we love them in this house,” Rikke says. “They warm up the concrete floors, and with all the natural daylight we have, the mahogany doesn’t make the house feel darker, but instead warmer.”
Poster: Therapy; Dot pillow: Wendt Design; speaker: Sonos; Panthella table lamp designed by Verner Panton: Louis Poulsen
The Eames chairs and leaning shelves, which display various modern Scandinavian design items, were purchased in Denmark. “Our ladder shelves can stand alone or up against each other and create an airy feeling,” Rikke says.
Pendant lamp designed by Poul Henningsen: Louis Poulsen via Design Within Reach; Tripp Trap chair: Stokke; Rosalinde tiered stand: Bjørn Wiinblad; Juicy Salif citrus squeezer designed by Philippe Starck: Alessi; candleholders: Kähler and by Lassen
Pendant lamp designed by Poul Henningsen: Louis Poulsen via Design Within Reach; Tripp Trap chair: Stokke; Rosalinde tiered stand: Bjørn Wiinblad; Juicy Salif citrus squeezer designed by Philippe Starck: Alessi; candleholders: Kähler and by Lassen
Anders refers to this area, anchored by Hans Wegner’s iconic Ox chair, as his “man corner.” The space also features a modern bar cart and a diverse library, including Tintin and Calvin and Hobbes comics, and books on food, furniture and design. “My husband loves this chair and his cocktail-mixing equipment,” Rikke says.
Block cart: Normann Copenhagen; Random bookshelf: MDF Italia; floor lamp designed by Arne Jacobsen: Louis Poulsen via Design Within Reach
Browse midcentury modern chairs
Block cart: Normann Copenhagen; Random bookshelf: MDF Italia; floor lamp designed by Arne Jacobsen: Louis Poulsen via Design Within Reach
Browse midcentury modern chairs
All the windows and sliding doors in the house had to be replaced. “It was a long and challenging process since all the window panels are custom-made. We re-established the floor-to-ceiling window panels towards the backyard and got rid of a weird wooden panel that was there before,” Rikke says.
The family uses the wood-burning fireplace in the winter. “It gives a cozy feeling,” she says.
The family uses the wood-burning fireplace in the winter. “It gives a cozy feeling,” she says.
The couple painted their tongue-and-groove ceiling in a cool gray. “Half of the ceilings still had the original stained look,” Rikke says, and half were painted white. “Because of earlier water damage from leaks in the roof, there were a lot of traces from that all over.”
The pendant lights are original, and the homeowners added dimmable track lighting to their ceiling beam. Rikke calls the Panton chair their “pit stop” seat since it’s positioned between the living room and the kitchen.
Wine refrigerator: Marvel; DLM table: Hay
The pendant lights are original, and the homeowners added dimmable track lighting to their ceiling beam. Rikke calls the Panton chair their “pit stop” seat since it’s positioned between the living room and the kitchen.
Wine refrigerator: Marvel; DLM table: Hay
Before: The front door opens into the atrium. Existing concrete pads had awkward and inconvenient spacing. “The atrium was impossible to use for anything since it had a pattern of concrete squares with a giant gap in between, so you would either trip on those gaps when walking or get annoyed that you couldn’t place two chairs next to each other without being too far from each other,” Rikke says.
After: An ipe wood deck replaced the awkward concrete pads in September 2016. “We had the deck installed in full length with no visible screws to create a connection to the inside mahogany panels,” Rikke says. She then treated the wood with oil to protect it from the sun and plans to treat it again before the winter. “The wood has a nice red glow,” the homeowner adds. Rikke wanted preserve the indoor-outdoor flow for which Eichler homes are known. “The atrium is our favorite outdoor room but used to just be a room you walked through,” Rikke says.
The windows facing the street were replaced with one-eighth-inch reeded glass for privacy.
The Mona Lisa reproduction is printed on individual panels through Dutch design company IXXI.
Original beanbag in brown: Fatboy. Shop for outdoor beanbag chairs
The windows facing the street were replaced with one-eighth-inch reeded glass for privacy.
The Mona Lisa reproduction is printed on individual panels through Dutch design company IXXI.
Original beanbag in brown: Fatboy. Shop for outdoor beanbag chairs
Before: The couple disliked the plantings and concrete pads.
After: “We love the atrium and use it all day long and evenings too. It has the morning sun, it has shade in the afternoon during warm days, there is no wind, and it’s more private than the backyard,” Rikke says. “We wanted to transform it into a second living room and have had many large parties out there — sit-downs with long tables. It’s a nice place to enjoy a drink with friends after a long, busy week.” Planted in the square planter is a lime tree that Anders uses for his cocktails.
A collection of cactus in Modernica’s Case Study plant stands decorates a corner of the atrium.
Browse outdoor pots and planters
Browse outdoor pots and planters
This home office area is opposite the bed in the master bedroom. On top of the midcentury teak desk is a classic Louis Poulsen table lamp. “It’s been so satisfying as a homeowner to add our own Scandinavian touch to our home,” Rikke says.
Seen through the master bedroom window is a backyard trampoline that was in storage for years while the family rented. Existing raised beds with overgrown plants were removed to make room for the trampoline.
Daughter Ida’s room features the Thomas Pedersen-designed Stingray rocker. Drawers under the bed provide storage in each child’s bedroom.
Ida takes care of Kiwi, the family’s skinny pig (a hairless guinea pig), whose adventures are chronicled online at Diary of a Skinny Pig. “Her name is Kiwi because it’s just a little bit fuzzy,” Rikke says. “The plus side of raising her is she doesn’t shed.” Ida is currently knitting a skirt for Kiwi.
Basil’s bedroom has a small closet and an industrial-style work cabinet for extra storage. His Legos are neatly organized in oversize storage bricks.
Get ideas for taming the Lego chaos
Get ideas for taming the Lego chaos
Gudrun Fiona displays her stuffed animals on open shelves by her twin-size bed. A ledge below the clerestory window holds an impressive Pez collection.
More open shelves keep favorite books within reach.
“The washing machines that came with the house were huge and almost blocked a door to one of the kids’ rooms,” Rikke says. The couple replaced the appliances with ones from a European manufacturer. Rikke built a custom wooden frame for them that conceals the rear wiring. The top serves as a place to fold clothes.
In the backyard, Rikke cleaned up the overgrown plantings to give the space a more minimalistic feel befitting the interior of the house. An existing large raised bed made way for the kids’ beloved trampoline.
In the garage, the couple removed oddly placed cabinets and had a wall of Ikea cabinets installed to improve storage and create room for a dojang, a space for the kids to practice taekwondo. All three children participate in the sport, and Basil competes at the national level. “All the kicking and punching and practicing can be kept in the garage — and we use it as our private gym too,” Rikke says.
“We love that the kids hang out with their friends at our house. In that way, we get to know their friends better too, and we like the energy it creates,” Rikke says. “We love to have guests over, and almost every weekend, we get our social batteries charged. Using the house in full is so satisfying, and it’s fantastic that this long renovation process is over and we fully can enjoy the complete result.”
Outside, the couple repainted the exterior in the original palette, removed overgrown plants and refined the existing landscape design. Architectural elements characteristic of Eichler homes include the exposed rafters that support a gabled roof sheathed in tongue-and-groove paneling.
Rikke and Anders love that their neighborhood is very international. “Our neighbors include families from Germany, Venezuela, Finland and Israel,” Rikke says. “It feels very authentic, and the neighborhood gives a feeling of care and protection. There’s even a yearly Eichler street party, and there’s a prize for best landscape.”
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Rikke and Anders love that their neighborhood is very international. “Our neighbors include families from Germany, Venezuela, Finland and Israel,” Rikke says. “It feels very authentic, and the neighborhood gives a feeling of care and protection. There’s even a yearly Eichler street party, and there’s a prize for best landscape.”
See more photos of this home
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
Who lives here: Anders and Rikke Hein Truelsen; daughters Ida, 14, and Gudrun Fiona, 7; son Basil, 12; and pets Jack-Jack, a French bulldog, and Kiwi, a skinny pig
Location: Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose, California
Size: 1,666 square feet (155 square meters); four bedrooms, two bathrooms
Lumpy linoleum floors and an awkward kitchen layout marked Anders and Rikke Hein Truelsen’s 1952 home in San Jose, California. The couple started their updates the minute they got the keys. Rikke, owner of Scandinavian Home Designs, an interior decorating and staging business, says, “I had everything planned out. We knew that the house had good bones, but we had to do a lot to make the house warm and welcoming in our Scandinavian eyes.”
The Danish family moved to the United States in 2011 and was renting in nearby Mountain View with their three kids in April 2016, when they bought the home designed by developer-builder Joseph Eichler. “We called the house the ‘James Bond house’ because of the walls,” which are paneled in mahogany, Rikke says. They spent three months renovating the kitchen, refinishing the concrete floors, replacing windows and personalizing the open layout with their own modern furnishings.
Range: Viking; range hood: Zephyr; dishwasher: Bosch; refrigerator: GE Monogram; faceted subway tiles: Tile Fantastic; cabinets: Ikea; Form bar stools: Normann Copenhagen; salt and sugar cellar: Nigella Lawson