Houzz Tours
My Houzz: A Danish Couple Bring a Bit of Home to Los Angeles
Investment furniture pieces from Denmark add a classic Scandinavian touch to this California house
Danish couple Kristoffer and Gudrun Kosloff moved to Los Angeles 10 years ago to live out their American dream. Yet it was only after they moved all their Danish belongings across the Atlantic that the city began to truly feel like home. Up to that point, their interiors had been filled mainly with flea market finds, Ikea staples and a few designer pieces like the luxury sofa in their living room.
“To have our own furniture, old family silverware, pictures and other family heirlooms means the world to us,” Kristoffer says. “To have a connection to Denmark — which will always be our home — that’s what creates that extra feeling of home comfort. Even though it was a costly affair to have our things sent here, it has absolutely been worth it.”
“To have our own furniture, old family silverware, pictures and other family heirlooms means the world to us,” Kristoffer says. “To have a connection to Denmark — which will always be our home — that’s what creates that extra feeling of home comfort. Even though it was a costly affair to have our things sent here, it has absolutely been worth it.”
“Because of the great weather and the many location opportunities, Los Angeles is perfect for basically all types of photos,” Kristoffer says. “There is amazing nature with beaches, mountains and desert, all nearby. Since Gudrun and I have always been crazy about palm trees and sunshine, L.A. was the obvious choice for us both when we decided to leave Denmark.”
The home’s huge terrace allows the couple to enjoy the endless Los Angeles sun. “We’ll probably never get tired of the view,” Gudrun says. “The sky is constantly changing, and to sit out here or even just inside and have this view, even from within the house, with windows all over, we’ll never get tired of that.”
The rental of the couple and their 6-year-old son, Oskar, is surrounded by mountains in the family-friendly neighborhood of Sherman Oaks. They previously lived in the slightly more buzzing West Hollywood, but the older Oskar got, the less necessary it became to have a sea of restaurants and cafes just around the corner.
“This area is perfect for us in terms of Oskar’s school, and it is also only a half-hour drive to the beach in Malibu and 15 minutes to Beverly Hills,” Gudrun says.
“This area is perfect for us in terms of Oskar’s school, and it is also only a half-hour drive to the beach in Malibu and 15 minutes to Beverly Hills,” Gudrun says.
The house had already been completely renovated when Gudrun and Kristoffer first looked at it, and it was love at first sight.
“[T]he owner really kept quality in mind, and the fact that the floors are actually real wood, that the stove is a full-on Ferrari model [that is, a Bertazzoni stove painted at the Ferrari factory] and that the kitchen and bathroom are made of materials that genuinely look like something we would’ve picked ourselves definitely played a large role when we signed the rental contract,” Kristoffer says.
“[T]he owner really kept quality in mind, and the fact that the floors are actually real wood, that the stove is a full-on Ferrari model [that is, a Bertazzoni stove painted at the Ferrari factory] and that the kitchen and bathroom are made of materials that genuinely look like something we would’ve picked ourselves definitely played a large role when we signed the rental contract,” Kristoffer says.
The large woven coffee table is one of the items that was shipped from Denmark. “Already at a young age we were both very conscious of interior design, and as a result many of our Danish pieces are quite a few years old by now,” Gudrun says. “We’ve always preferred saving up for something classic that we know we’ll enjoy for years, and I can’t imagine us ever getting rid of this table.”
The large open-plan kitchen and living room are a natural focal point of the house, both for everyday use and when there are guests.
The large open-plan kitchen and living room are a natural focal point of the house, both for everyday use and when there are guests.
Even though the sun shines all year round in California, the built-in fireplace is wonderfully cozy, especially in the fall and winter months. Behind the sofa, a console table is decorated with coffee table books and a meticulously selected collection of treasures and flowers.
“I am obsessed with coziness and little trinkets, while Kristoffer leans more towards minimalist features, so sometimes we need to compromise,” Gudrun says. “But in general we’ve managed to find a balance that suits both of us.”
“I am obsessed with coziness and little trinkets, while Kristoffer leans more towards minimalist features, so sometimes we need to compromise,” Gudrun says. “But in general we’ve managed to find a balance that suits both of us.”
Around the corner from the fireplace hang three spray-painted skateboards — Gudrun and Kristoffer’s newest acquisition. They found the work, which contrasts nicely with the hallway’s otherwise very simple and light style, at the newly opened Broad Museum in downtown Los Angeles.
The kitchen has a built-in eating nook, which Gudrun has softened with bench pillows. The table is from Ikea, while the bar stools are from the Danish design shop Paustian.
The stunning secretary desk originally belonged to Kristoffer’s great-grandfather. The dining chairs have stuck with the couple for many years, originally purchased in a high-end design store in Denmark.
The colorful artwork was painted by one of Gudrun and Kristoffer’s favorite Danish artists, Sunny Asemota, and the black console table with drawers was created by the design duo R&Y Augousti and bought at Barneys New York. “It made quite the financial dent,” Gudrun says, “but again, it’s a piece we’ll keep forever.”
The colorful artwork was painted by one of Gudrun and Kristoffer’s favorite Danish artists, Sunny Asemota, and the black console table with drawers was created by the design duo R&Y Augousti and bought at Barneys New York. “It made quite the financial dent,” Gudrun says, “but again, it’s a piece we’ll keep forever.”
This old typewriter, which Kristoffer found on eBay, nicely complements the other items in the secretary desk. “We have a lot of heirlooms in the form of trinkets, pictures and other little treasures from my grandparents and great-grandparents, and when displayed they give off a homey feel,” he says.
Photos and some of their son’s masterpieces decorate the hallway leading to Gudrun and Kristoffer’s bedroom.
The master bedroom has enough space for a little bit of everything. The fan chair in the corner was initially a prop for a photo shoot, until it was taken home and given a coat of spray paint.
The bedroom opens up to a fantastic view of the San Fernando Valley. The gold-painted mannequin head came from Kristoffer’s grandfather, who was a hairdresser, and the hand-beaten, metal-plated Indian dresser was one of Gudrun and Kristoffer’s first furniture acquisitions in Los Angeles.
The couple also shipped their book collection over from Denmark, and it’s now housed in simple, functional Ikea shelving.
Oskar also has a beautiful view from his bedroom. Like the master bedroom, the room has direct access to the terrace, which has a grass area big enough for kicking a ball around or doing cartwheels. The rest is concrete, perfect for skateboarding and biking.
Gudrun and Kristoffer made sure to focus on giving Oskar enough room to unfold in his own space. “I’ve tried to organize it so that it’s possible to clean up quickly, so everything has its place on various shelves and boxes throughout the room — but most of the time there are toys all over the place.” Gudrun says.
The couple fell for the owners’ minimalist style, especially in the kitchen and bathroom. The bathroom pieces are from Restoration Hardware.
Gudrun has a soft spot for stars, so star-shaped lamps can be seen throughout the house. Kristoffer found the majority of them on Vintage Marquee Lights. The small camera was his grandfather’s. “I think it’s nice to have something on display that was once his but at the same time relates to my career today.”
This teak piece is an old drinks cabinet from Lysberg, Hansen & Therp, and for many years it stood in Kristoffer’s grandmother’s home. Today it’s in his office and stores, among other things, his impressive stash of Danish licorice.
Oskar’s creations can be found throughout the house, exhibited like any other artwork. Here’s a “piece” he made in kindergarten, displayed proudly in the home office. The lamp is from Ikea.
Oskar’s drum set also holds pride of place in Kristoffer’s study and gives it a little extra rock ’n’ roll vibe. “For some reason Oskar loves to hang out in here and it’s really fun,” Kristoffer says, “even though it comes with a bit of noise when he chooses to really let it all out on the drum set.”
One wall features an impressive selection of fashion magazines from all over the world, so the couple can stay up to date. The metal holders are from Kristoffer’s old office in Denmark. Such magazines are found throughout the house, a reflection of a life filled with fashion and design.
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.
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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
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Kristoffer Kosloff, 43; wife Gudrun, 40; and their son, Oskar, 6
More on the owners: Kristoffer is the owner of Filter Management, a management agency for photographers, art directors and stylists that produces photo shoots for Danish and international clients. Gudrun works as a makeup artist for fashion magazines, celebrities and the fashion industry.
Location: Sherman Oaks neighborhood of Los Angeles
Size: 2,150 square feet (200 square meters)
The couple made the decision to move to Los Angeles in 2005, after Kristoffer opened his photography management company in Copenhagen. The company quickly became an established name in the Danish fashion world, which encouraged Kristoffer to try his hand on an international scale. Today he has clients from all over the world, from high-end fashion brands and magazines to players in the medical and auto industries.