“The Interiors Secrets I Learned in the World’s Coolest Design City”
Writer Sangeeta Kocharekar takes us inside a European city where interiors, style, and architecture set the global standard.
I just spent a week in Copenhagen, and it gave me so much interiors inspiration that I'm eager to bring back home to my apartment in Sydney.
Ahead of my trip, I spent hours browsing Airbnb to find a home I thought would be well-designed. I finally settled on a light-filled, one-bedder apartment in the neighbourhood of Nørrebro, a 15-minute walk from the city centre. It had light hardwood floors, art displayed everywhere and a mix-and-match but intentional approach to its furniture. I couldn’t have asked for a better apartment for my stay.
I spent the week Lime-biking around the city, visiting stylish restaurants and cafés like Delphine, Atelier September and Palazzo Diner, shopping at outdoor markets (if Veras Market’s on when you’re there, go!) and mentally noting all the styling ideas I was getting along the way.
What I realised is that the Danes aren’t afraid of using colour or playfulness, but always in a tasteful way. They make the mundane fun, like a ceramic banana paperweight I saw on a bookshelf at my Airbnb or the single toothbrush holders at the HAY flagship store. Of course, there was a lot of the blond wood furniture, minimalism and practical touches the Scandi's are known for.
So while I didn’t witness a baby in a pram left outside a venue like I’d wanted to, I did see enough styling inspiration to last me years. These are some of the design highlights.
Mix and match dining chairs
I’d seen mix and match dining chairs in Australia, but living with them at my Airbnb really made me want to try it at home. The apartment had a dining table with four blond wood chairs and two wicker and metal seats at either end, and a woven armchair in the corner. The eclectic styling elevated the room from catalogue-like to lived-in, yet still cohesive. It gave the room personality and a sense of history.
Never use the 'Big Light'
You probably know the TikTok trending sound that goes “I don’t have many rules for my house but I do have one, and that is that we never, ever, ever, ever use the big light.” This is certainly true for Danish indoor spaces. If the “big light” is used, it’s usually wrapped in a Japanese paper lamp to diffuse it. Every home and shop had endless choices for lamps. And the cafés had candles lit even at 9am. Lighting, I learnt at The Happiness Museum, is an important part of ‘hygge’, the Danish concept of cosiness.
Get creative with art
Creative displays of art aren't exactly unique to the Danes, but I appreciated all the different types I saw in homes and restaurants. Restaurants Delphine and Palazzo had big murals on their walls. Café Grums had one on its ceiling. My Airbnb had a framed poster of an exhibition at Denmark’s coastal Louisiana Art Museum. Atelier September had white and blue porcelain plates nailed into the wall. It was clear they displayed what they loved, not just what was trending.
Play with texture
Again, not exclusive to the Danes, but they’re masters at playing with different textures. A bouclé sofa on a shaggy rug, facing a metal chair. Café Kismet had polished concrete floors, exposed brick walls and industrial metal accents. It was all cosy-looking and soft-feeling but always practical for moving around in and fitting the space. It’s all about creating a multi-sensory experience that makes a room feel inviting and warm.
Have fun
Finally, the last thing I noticed was that Danes don’t seem to take their design too seriously. You could almost feel the fun they would’ve had putting together a room – moving things around, adding and removing things or moving them around until they achieved their desired final look. My time in Copenhagen has ended, but my own fun of home interiors tweaking has just begun.
Get Hygge at Home
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