Recently we’ve been admiring Nobis Hotel Copenhagen, a new hotel in a grand 1903 building that once housed the Royal Danish Conservatory of Music. In renovating it, renowned Swedish architect Gert WingÃ¥rdh and his team at WingÃ¥rdh Arkitekter maintained the shell (opulent molding, high ceilings, chevron-patterned floors) and added Swedish and Danish furniture, a palette of blues, greens, and grays; marble, and concrete. The result is “a masterclass in marrying old and new,” minimalist fittings in a maximalist interior. Here are ideas to take note of.
1. Embrace a maximalist shell.
Above: The exterior of the 1903 landmarked building. 18,000-square-foot building,  77 rooms, located between the Tivoli Gardens and the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek museum
2. Use unexpected materials.
Above: The concrete reception desk. Wingårdh was inspired by Le Corbusier’s Sainte Marie de La Tourette monastery in Lyon, France; the marble and concrete lobby and reception desk, with low lines and brutalist notes, is reminiscent of the concrete structure.
3. Don’t always add.
Above: For a minimalist-meets-maximalist interior, let ornate details stand on their own. The architects preserved many of the original architectural details, including a wood and marble staircase, and added little in the way of furniture and lighting to give it a grand but stripped-down look.
4. Consider color palettes.
Above: Use color to bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary. WingÃ¥rdh chose a “subtly elegant color scale that includes beautiful green accents” and shades of blue. Above: Painted in a palette of blues and greens, the 77 guest rooms feel alternately modern (here) and old-fashioned, like grand ballrooms (above).
5. Mix clean-lined furniture with old-world interiors.
Above: In the hotel, the traditional guest rooms provide a backdrop for furniture by Danish company Carl Hansen & Søn; unexpected shapes and wall-mounted boards add an artful, almost sculptural note. (Note the chevron-patterned floors.)
6. Go maximalist with materials.
Above: WingÃ¥rdh embraced the building’s grand, maximalist spirit in the guest baths, installing floor-to-ceiling Bardiglio Nuvolato marble walls and flooring. Using the same type of marble, and keeping fixtures modern and sparse, keeps the bath from feeling old-fashioned.
7. Make use of height.
Above: Black four-poster beds emphasize the historic building’s high ceilings and tall windows without adding visual clutter.
8. Be playful.
Above: Use furniture as an opportunity to be unexpected. Rounded shapes and dynamic built-ins, like this leather-topped desk-and-cabinet hybrid, add a particularly playful feel.
9. Remove rugs.
Above: The guest rooms are outfitted with small rugs by Swedish brand Kasthall, but otherwise, the wood floors are left bare for a clean, unfussy look.
10. Pared-down can feel decadent.
Above: A guest bath feels elegant despite its pared-down elements: a sculptural bath paired with a floor-mounted faucet and simple wooden stool.
11. Repeat similar motifs for a different effect.
Above: In one of the hotel’s meeting rooms, wide wooden boards—not marble—line the floor and walls for a Scandinavian, rather than glam, effect.
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