The summer home is located on the west coast of Zeeland in Denmark. Egelund’s son had also recently built a summer house nearby, and Egelund and Dahl appreciated the work of the architect, Mads Lund. “We felt we could have a good collaboration with him, rather than being a small client with a big company,” Egelund explains. “We started to talk with him about what we liked about my son’s house, as well as our own ideas for our summer home.”
The entrance to the home is through a timber-clad passageway that leads to a guest annexe, a utility shed, and the main house. Whilst traditional Danish summer houses are often clad in dark timber, this contemporary interpretation of the typology inverts expectation by using a light Canadian cedar cladding—most expressively in this walkway.
The entrance to the home is through a timber-clad passageway, which connects the different spaces, which are all under one roof. Over time, the Canadian cedar timber cladding will develop a silver patina and the built form will dissolve further into the landscape.
Glass doors enclose the dining area so that it can be opened up to the terrace in warmer months, and the seascape is still a part of the interior in the cooler weather when the doors are closed.
A second bedroom in the main house is furnished with bunk beds, offering plenty of sleeping space for Egelund’s family, including her five grandchildren, when they come to visit.
The view was pivotal in the design, and the living area features 180-degree views that bring the spectacular seascape into the interior. The soft, neutral palette complements the seascape.
An outdoor shower set in the timber-clad walkway offers another way for the homeowners and their guests to connect with nature, and an easy way to rinse off after swimming.
The architect and clients collaborated closely with local timber workers to create the finely crafted details of the roof structure and timber-clad passageway that encloses and connects the three distinct spaces. “These details were expensive, but they add a level of quality,” explains Egelund.
“We chose to have a very big kitchen,” says Egelund. “I love it when people cook together.” The kitchen is by Egelund’s brand Vipp, and is a design that was developed more than 14 years ago. The couple have the same kitchen in black in their Copenhagen apartment but decided that the warm gray color was better suited to the coastal setting of the summer house.
The master bedroom—like the rest of the home—is defined by white-painted and natural timber cladding that lends the home a chic coastal vibe.
Bespoke cabinetry in the bedroom is painted the same color as the walls, so it recedes.
Across the main room, a bench lines the wall from the dining room through the living room, providing seating or display.
A walnut backsplash has integrated shelves for display. The counter is limestone.
The use of green mosaic tiles in the bathroom is a "polite homage" to the balcony's original green mosaic floor tiles.
Cleanly fitted shelving, closets, and storage line the entry wall into the bedroom.
Split over three floors, the home comprises: a living room and bathroom at entrance level, impressive top floor master bedroom boasting expansive views south and a kitchen-diner, washroom–utility room and subterranean study/guest bedroom located on the lower ground floor. All spaces have been meticulously detailed, making the most of readily available materials.
The focus of the renovation was the kitchen, where the textures of tiles and brickwork play backdrop to considered, bespoke carpentry.
The Cesca chair is a design dating from 1968, and is ubiquitous in Mediterranean decor.
“They are quite cute and very wild,” Leah says of her three kids. The hot tub and surrounding deck were the starting points for the exterior remodel, with the transformed outdoor space incorporating numerous areas for the children to play and explore.
“We love the hot tub, and usually try to jump in it every afternoon,” says Leah. “In the warmer months, we don’t heat it, and the kids use it as a post-beach pool and love to play in it for hours.”
The couple's bathroom.
Another sleeping area features double bunk beds.
The 225-square-foot primary ensuite features a wall of sliding glass doors that connect the space to the lush backyard.
A Trufa wall lamp from David Pompa hangs at the bedside of the master bedroom.
The grid-like bathroom joinery was designed for plants to grow in between.
Oak timber veneer cladding frames the master bedroom's sleeping corner.
Both renovated bathrooms are outfitted with new Heath Cermics tile.
The renovated dining area is clad with the house's original cedar panels, which were re-milled.
The 1,400-square-foot house could not be expanded beyond its original footprint, but the owners appreciated its relative modesty in choosing not to add a second story.
The new master bedroom includes a bay window protruding outward from the original facade, making a window seat that frames a view of shore pines and the dunes.
The remodeled kitchen offers a whole corner of glass, and continues as a backsplash beneath the new cabinetry.
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