My Danish Houzz: Extreme Minimalism in an All-White Home
This blogger deals with a constant riot of pattern and colour at work, so she made her home a monochrome sanctuary
Kasper Iversen
8 April 2018
As a fashion stylist, blogger and former fashion editor, Maiken Winther has spent years obsessing over the latest trends in colours, decor and the colourful collections of various designers.
Counter-intuitively, this is why her own home in Nørrebro, in central Copenhagen, Denmark, is practically colourless. “When you work so intensely and for so many hours in fashion every single day, constantly travel abroad and see shows and presentations, and even style and create things yourself, your head is constantly bombarded with an insane amount of impressions,” says Winther. “So when I get home, I can’t really handle any more colours. The more white, industrial and clean it is, the better. Everything in my home is like that.”
Counter-intuitively, this is why her own home in Nørrebro, in central Copenhagen, Denmark, is practically colourless. “When you work so intensely and for so many hours in fashion every single day, constantly travel abroad and see shows and presentations, and even style and create things yourself, your head is constantly bombarded with an insane amount of impressions,” says Winther. “So when I get home, I can’t really handle any more colours. The more white, industrial and clean it is, the better. Everything in my home is like that.”
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Maiken Winther, 38, stylist and the woman behind the fashion and beauty blog Nouvelle.dk
Size: 70 square metres
Location: Nørrebro, Copenhagen, Denmark
Who lives here: Maiken Winther, 38, stylist and the woman behind the fashion and beauty blog Nouvelle.dk
Size: 70 square metres
Location: Nørrebro, Copenhagen, Denmark
Winther’s home is extremely minimalist. Some might think that it looks empty and that there is plenty of room for more furniture. However, this emptiness was a deliberate choice, so that the apartment would not feel too packed or cluttered.
“Things should be useful, but most importantly, they must be easy on the eye. They should be beautiful and nice. This is crucial when I buy things. It is not so important whether it’s a trend or in fashion. I just want to put something together that I think looks great.”
“Things should be useful, but most importantly, they must be easy on the eye. They should be beautiful and nice. This is crucial when I buy things. It is not so important whether it’s a trend or in fashion. I just want to put something together that I think looks great.”
White, white, white: there is no doubt it’s Winther’s favourite colour for the home, but in the middle of the very bright living room stands a single dark-blue piece: the couch.
“The only reason I, unfortunately, do not own the white version is that I know myself,” says Winther. “I spend many hours sitting on my couch because I often work at home – and I love chocolate. Chocolate and a white couch aren’t a good combination. Even if it’s important for me that things are beautiful to look at, it is also important to be able to exist in the home that I have created for myself,” says Winther.
“And the coffee table is actually an element I want to do more with; it’s not even intended to be used as a coffee table.“
“The only reason I, unfortunately, do not own the white version is that I know myself,” says Winther. “I spend many hours sitting on my couch because I often work at home – and I love chocolate. Chocolate and a white couch aren’t a good combination. Even if it’s important for me that things are beautiful to look at, it is also important to be able to exist in the home that I have created for myself,” says Winther.
“And the coffee table is actually an element I want to do more with; it’s not even intended to be used as a coffee table.“
The few pieces of furniture and decor that have found their way into the space have been carefully selected.
“I never go to Illums Bolighus [a Danish design store] and think, ‘I should buy something now.’ I find out about something interesting first, and then hunt it down,” says Winther.
She loves to look for inspiration in interior design magazines, though she also finds it frustrating that many of the things in these magazines either haven’t come onto the market yet or are difficult to obtain.
“I never go to Illums Bolighus [a Danish design store] and think, ‘I should buy something now.’ I find out about something interesting first, and then hunt it down,” says Winther.
She loves to look for inspiration in interior design magazines, though she also finds it frustrating that many of the things in these magazines either haven’t come onto the market yet or are difficult to obtain.
“I also have stuff from Ikea,” she says. “It just can’t be avoided. But I would really like to not own any of the mainstream things that everyone else has. If I were rich and famous, I would only own off-beat things. They wouldn’t have to be vintage – they could be new as long as they were not overly accessible.”
Winther travels extensively for work, so she frequently comes across weird and wonderful things she’d love to decorate her home with. “But you just can’t take a couch home from Paris or an old lamp from San Francisco. After all, your suitcase is already filled with shoes,” she says, laughing.
Winther travels extensively for work, so she frequently comes across weird and wonderful things she’d love to decorate her home with. “But you just can’t take a couch home from Paris or an old lamp from San Francisco. After all, your suitcase is already filled with shoes,” she says, laughing.
Perhaps the most spectacular item in her home is this three-dimensional work by artist Zenia Kirkegaard from Artéleri. “My popcorn,” as Winther calls it.
“I’m absolutely crazy about it! For many years, I had nothing on the wall, because it quickly becomes too, ‘Here we have an adult living in a real home.’ But when I saw this work of art online, I was really excited and wrote to the artist that same evening that I just needed to have it,” she says.
The piece consists of foam rubber mounted on a heavy wooden board. “It is both large and loud, but on the other hand it also blends perfectly into the room,” she says.
“I’m absolutely crazy about it! For many years, I had nothing on the wall, because it quickly becomes too, ‘Here we have an adult living in a real home.’ But when I saw this work of art online, I was really excited and wrote to the artist that same evening that I just needed to have it,” she says.
The piece consists of foam rubber mounted on a heavy wooden board. “It is both large and loud, but on the other hand it also blends perfectly into the room,” she says.
The Serif TV from Samsung was designed by the brothers Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec. It gets its name from the fact that, from the side, it looks like a capital ‘I’ in a serif font.
“It’s nice to look at even when it is turned off, and that is extremely important to me,” says Winther.
“It’s nice to look at even when it is turned off, and that is extremely important to me,” says Winther.
Although Winther sticks to bright white in decor, she is also a big fan of dark colours, especially black, when it comes to her outfits. However, both preferences are driven by the same philosophy.
“I have a very rigorous, practical – some would say boring – and manly style. About 80 per cent of my wardrobe is black or dark navy because, just as I want the apartment to be easy and quiet, I also don’t want to have to mess about deciding what colours I’m going to wear.”
“I have a very rigorous, practical – some would say boring – and manly style. About 80 per cent of my wardrobe is black or dark navy because, just as I want the apartment to be easy and quiet, I also don’t want to have to mess about deciding what colours I’m going to wear.”
Yet, in Winther’s view, there is still a lot of clutter in the home. “I am a minimalist at heart and feel that I live in a minimalist way. But I don’t really, because the place is filled with objects, junk, and gizmos,” she says.
This is one example of a space she finds cluttered. “For me there is a lot happening in this corner, where there is just a bottle of lotion and a book,” she says, referring to the small table beside the bed. “But in another sense, it looks very minimalist because it’s so bright and sticks to one colour scheme.”
In the kitchen, likewise, one sees only a few cooking utensils and ingredients. “But if I had enough cupboard space I’d hide everything away there, though I would probably get a little tired of having to rummage deep through the cupboard all the time,” she says.
Generally, the fashion stylist quickly has her fill of anything that stands out too much. “Flowers are the hardest things for me to buy because they can easily become too girly. I have had some Lyngby vases for many years, but now they have become so popular that they are almost too much. It’s much easier with just white candles.”
She bought the three-legged Ant chairs at an auction a few years ago. “It’s not often that I shop this way, because it’s simply too nerve-racking, whether you’ll win the bid or not,” she says.
“I dream of covering my whole bathroom with white tiles from top to bottom. I also tend to only buy white beauty products.“
The 70-square-metre apartment consists of two very small apartments that have been merged. Although Winther would like more space, she is so fond of the neighbourhood and her quiet white oasis that she will be very unlikely to move in the near future.
“At some point I’ll want to move, but they’ll have to build something like this,” she says, laughing.
Tell us
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like the story, save your favourite images and join in the conversation.
More
Check out last week’s Houzz Tour: Grand Church Reinvented as Showstopping Family Home
“At some point I’ll want to move, but they’ll have to build something like this,” she says, laughing.
Tell us
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to like the story, save your favourite images and join in the conversation.
More
Check out last week’s Houzz Tour: Grand Church Reinvented as Showstopping Family Home
Related Stories
Houzz Tours
France Houzz: A New Island Home With an Old Soul
Check out this young family's welcoming and characterful French island home on Île d’Yeu, which embraces local style
Full Story
Houzz Tours
Germany Houzz: A Small Cabin Transformed Into a Forest Retreat
In this secluded area in the Taunus mountains of Germany, a family enjoys their weekends in 29 square metres of space
Full Story
Houzz TV
London Houzz: Tour a Contemporary Loft in an Old Victorian School
Watch and read how a design firm updated this light and airy apartment in an old block with sleek style and warm touches
Full Story
Garden Design
Spain Garden Tour: A Mediterranean Makeover With Colour & Texture
Once neglected, this naturalistic garden is now a series of outdoor rooms with idyllic spots to swim, dine and relax
Full Story
Houzz Tours
Berlin Houzz: A Touch of Japanese Forest Bathing in a German Home
Beloved memories of Japan come to life with the renovation of this 120-square-metre apartment in Berlin, Germany
Full Story
Houzz Tours
London Houzz: Daring Colour & Texture Transform a Victorian Home
By Kate Burt
The busy owners of this terrace sought help to design outside their decor comfort zone – the result is a cool classic
Full Story
Houzz Tours
Germany Houzz: Creating Summer & Winter Homes in a Converted Barn
One barn, two homes – see how architects designed separate zones for summer and winter living in an old country barn
Full Story
Houzz Tours
Before & After: Finding the Perfect Pink in a Barcelona Kitchen
Barely-there pink acts as a warm neutral in a new open-plan Spanish kitchen, replacing dark cabinets and drab finishes
Full Story
Houzz Tours
Before & After: Colour Blocking & Pattern Nod to Nature in Rome
Move and upsize or stay and renovate? This young family chose the latter in their small Italian apartment – here's why
Full Story
Houzz Tours
Barcelona Houzz: Style, Sustainability and Pattern in a Tiny Flat
Part-renovation, part-restoration, the owners of this Spanish apartment balanced historical style with forward thinking
Full Story
What a lovely home. The minimalism in the kitchen gives it a really calm and inviting feel.
No-one is neutral about this - there seems to be a significant divide between those praising the monastic austerity, and those discomfited by it. I entirely understand her reasoning, but agree that if it really needs to be so extreme to counteract he working life, then maybe the job is TOO stressful ? I love being in plain, serene, uncluttered spaces, but have to admit to being unable to achieve that in my own home. Tidy and clean I can manage. Minimalist is currently a step too far. I like blended and harmonious, and probably wouldn't enjoy the clinical whiteness of this after a while.
Definitely no clutter here!