Little Pink House: A Creative Couple's Classic-with-a-Twist Home in Denmark

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Most people, it seems, move from city to country, in search of quiet, more space, more nature. But not long ago, Jesper and Vibeke Panduro did a reverse commute, so to speak, moving from the Danish countryside to a trim, salmon-colored house in the harbor city of Aalborg. They renovated the 1928 house with their trademark eye, leaving as much original detailing as possible (molded ceilings, marble windowsills), adding washes of pastel to the walls, and filling the rooms, sparingly, with standout Scandinavian designs. The results are some of the freshest-looking, unexpected interiors we’ve seen: no surprise; this is the couple, after all, behind the family-run Danish housewares brand Skagerak, a longtime Remodelista favorite.

Take a look inside and see what you think.

Photography courtesy of Skagerak.

the charming panduro household, seen from outside. &#8\2\20;the exterior of 17 — Above: The charming Panduro household, seen from outside. “The exterior of the house is still the same,” the couple says; they left the reddish-pink exterior as they found it. “In the beginning we thought it was a little crazy, but as time has gone by we have learned to love it,” they say. They had a vision for the gardens: “We had help from a gardener to recreate an English-inspired garden. We are still working on it today.”

the inside, however, was another story. &#8\2\20;it needed a thoughtful upd 18 — Above: The inside, however, was another story. “It needed a thoughtful update,” the couple says. “Walls, ceilings and floors were carefully restored, and new windows, kitchen, and bathrooms installed. The basement was excavated and is now living standard.”

The couple kept original details where they could, and added their own quietly bold choices—pastel walls included. “We wanted to give the house the same character on the inside as well as the outside, and we worked closely together with a master painter to find the right colors and tones,” they say. A dark blue entryway (not shown) gives way to lighter, fairy-tale hues: blues and a pale pink that echo the exterior of the house. “We love the view throughout the living rooms, where you get the picture of all the pastels at the same time.” The paints throughout were sourced from Danish brands: Nordsjo and Kabe Copenhagen.

(“After finishing the house, the master painter nominated their work to compete nationwide with other renovations—and our colorful house and the master painter won,” the couple adds.)

a few skagerak designs are in the mix of furnishings, like the reykjavik d 19 — Above: A few Skagerak designs are in the mix of furnishings, like the Reykjavik Daybed by Included Middle, which fits nicely within the color-blocked rooms.

(In the US, Skagerak wares are available via these retailers, via the brand’s Stateside wholesaler, Objects by Camilla Vest.)

the sitting area, with original floors and ceiling. &#8\2\20;the wooden che 20 — Above: The sitting area, with original floors and ceiling. “The wooden chess floors are the original from when the house was built,” the Panduros say. “There are some repairs that tell stories of the former inhabitants. After we moved in, an old man wrote us a letter, together with pictures of how the house looked when he grew up in it. There’s a round wooden repair that he knew had been used as a bell to call the servants from below.”

Now, tall wainscoting—more formal and traditional—mixes with clean-lined Scandinavian designs and leafy plants.

in another corner, a sheepskin is slung over a wegner pp\2\25 flag halyard chai 21 — Above: In another corner, a sheepskin is slung over a Wegner PP225 Flag Halyard Chair. The radiators are also original.

The Skagerak ethos carries over into the couple’s own space. Named for the Skagerrak strait (two r’s) that runs between Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, the company is “similar to the strait: forever the same—unchangeable—yet always on the move and presented in new ways… constantly mixing state-of-the-art ideas and methods with longstanding knowhow and virtues deeply embedded in the Nordic culture,” the couple writes on the outfit’s website.

in the kitchen, a cork board wall displays the family calendar and a few favori 22 — Above: In the kitchen, a cork board wall displays the family calendar and a few favorite snapshots.

&#8\2\20;when choosing the kitchen countertop, we knew that it had to be ma 23 — Above: “When choosing the kitchen countertop, we knew that it had to be marble,” the couple explains. “There are original marble windowsills with different colors throughout the house. We visited a local supplier and fell in love with the green Verde Guatemala marble countertop. A bold choice, but also one of the choices we are most pleased with.”

The couple opted for an unexpected pairing alongside: a custom, locally made brass sink.

a tray corrals a few kitchen essentials, including a petite terra cotta edge su 24 — Above: A tray corrals a few kitchen essentials, including a petite terra cotta Edge Sugar Bowl, designed by Copenhagen-based design duo Stilleben, and a vase full of utensils. (For a look at a few of the company’s kitchen storage offerings, see The New Nordic Essentials: Sturdy Kitchen Goods from Denmark.)

a sunny dining nook provides ample room for the family to gather—as well 25 — Above: A sunny dining nook provides ample room for the family to gather—as well as storage, tucked underneath. The tile flooring is new, from Original Style, “the classical English producer of Victorian tiles.”

jesper and vibeke, in the dining room. 26 — Above: Jesper and Vibeke, in the dining room.

Take a look at a few more favorite houses in Denmark:

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