Danish interior inspiration and growing into design classics

If you ever spend time in different people's homes in Denmark, you start to feel mild deja-vu as the same lights, chairs and ornaments start to appear over and over.

Danes with the means are socialised to buy design classics for their homes, from the Kay Bojesen Ape to Louis Poulson floorlights.

I have never really had the patience to save up and invest seriously in bonafide Danish design, cheap thrills at the British Heart Foundation furniture shop are more my style, but I'm seeing more and more young Danes on Instagram weave design classics into their homes but add enough individual touches that they don't look like a design hotel.

One of my current favourites is Sophie Juul Jensen, whose Instagram feed is full of Wegner wishbone chairs alongside Ikea stainless steel shelving, art prints in mediterranean blues and lemons in bowls everywhere:

JEG ER SÅ GLAD! TAK @lyrumrammer #matisse 💙💙💙💙

A photo posted by Sarah Juul Jensen (@s_jjensen) on Aug 28, 2015 at 9:05am PDT

friday flowers

A photo posted by Sarah Juul Jensen (@s_jjensen) on Sep 4, 2015 at 8:39am PDT

Alvar Aalto

A photo posted by Sarah Juul Jensen (@s_jjensen) on Aug 6, 2015 at 2:26pm PDT

😴😴😴

A photo posted by Sarah Juul Jensen (@s_jjensen) on May 7, 2015 at 2:05pm PDT

I also LOVE Marie Jedig, a blogger, model and Sienna Miller lookalike who just happens to live in a classic Copenhagen apartment full of design:

Bedroom seating #poulkjærholm #fritzhansen #pk22 #flos

A photo posted by MARIE STELLA WIBE JEDIG (@mariejedig) on Jul 1, 2016 at 7:24am PDT

New apartment pictures on the blog

A photo posted by MARIE STELLA WIBE JEDIG (@mariejedig) on Jun 15, 2016 at 10:36am PDT

I've been putting more thought into what I have and quality and quantity, and taking a cue from this persuasive Anna Dorfman post from a few years ago, I'm actually starting to see the appeal of owning things for their design value and picking items with your future self in mind.

And my future self definitely wants to live in a house full of design classics. Time to get saving.

Snaps + Rye - Danish eating in West London

I unsuspectingly stumbled across the West London Danish restaurant Snaps+Rye this weekend while trying to find a tube station. Attracted by the Danish signs, I wandered in to take a look and got talking to the very friendly manager/owner, who totally humoured me when I asked if they sell remoulade (addictive, Danish, neon yellow tartar sauce). They make their own, of course.
I had eaten *quite* recently but figured it would be rude not to have a cup of coffee. And some apple cake:



And then I saw a chef walk through the cafe with a tray of ryebread covered in some sort of delicious salmon. Cured salmon with fennel pollen and akvavit to be precise. Some found its way to my table....



I only tried two things, but they were delicious and well presented and I got to eat them in an atmosphere of superlative Danish-ness; the shop even has the distinctive door handles and light switches you see in Danish public buildings. It was quite dear for the amount of food, but even that is authentically Danish!

Looking at the coverage Snaps+Rye has had, it seems they are already actively promoting the Danish way to West-Londoners, even holding a Skt Hans aften party to celebrate Mid-Summer last month as well as lots of other events. I definitely want to come back to an evening event and get a feel for whether the food and venue can move from cafe to restaurant. Thanks Snaps+Rye for tempting me to add an extra meal to my day and sending me off with free liquorice for me and my ex-pat mum!