Houzz Tour: A Minimalist Dream By The Water
These architects designed their family vacation home around breathtaking views of the Baltic Sea
At first glance, the Frederiksen family’s villa on the Flensborg Fjord in Denmark seems by no means impressive or, for that matter, particularly large. With its facade in the classic dark brick from local brickmakers Egernsund Tegl, this house can withstand the sometimes harsh wind and other weather conditions of the coast. The facade also allows it to fit into the landscape of Egernsund in more than one way: The area is historically known for its brick production.
Because the house is built on a steep slope, it’s very different when viewed from the water or from inside: The apparently one-story house turns into a three-story structure with high ceilings and amazing ocean views from every room.
“Many people are surprised when they come inside and suddenly find that it consists of three stories directly overlooking the water,” Eva says.
The couple are both architects and designed the home themselves. The panoramic view was no accident: it was one of the basic tenets of the home’s design. Or as they tell us almost in unison, “The view was the main priority!”
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“Many people are surprised when they come inside and suddenly find that it consists of three stories directly overlooking the water,” Eva says.
The couple are both architects and designed the home themselves. The panoramic view was no accident: it was one of the basic tenets of the home’s design. Or as they tell us almost in unison, “The view was the main priority!”
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The couple are pictured here with their youngest daughter, Lin, also an architect at the family firm.
From the moment you enter the house, you are drawn to the light and the view of the water that breaks through the large windows that make up the entire south side of the house. There’s no risk of missing the breathtaking views of the Baltic Sea from any room.
The choice of materials is another notable motif that runs through the home: ceilings and walls in rustic concrete, oak window frames and light oak boards for the floors. Like the centrality of the view, the choice of materials was a conscious decision, And the two features, materials and view, were closely related.
“It was important for us to make the surrounding natural scenery part of the house. We have done this through the materials, among other things: The gray concrete surface is a fantastic match to the blue-gray color of the sea, just as the light oak floors play off the sand on the beach,” Bo says.
“It was important for us to make the surrounding natural scenery part of the house. We have done this through the materials, among other things: The gray concrete surface is a fantastic match to the blue-gray color of the sea, just as the light oak floors play off the sand on the beach,” Bo says.
Spanning the width of the house and boasting an 11-foot ceiling, the top floor is by far the largest space in the house. It also acts as the heart of the home. Here, the kitchen and living room are connected by a spacious dining area in the middle.
Its feel is dominated by the room’s position, hovering about 108 feet above the surface of the water. “From the living room, you see nothing but water. Not that I’ve sailed much, but I imagine it’s a bit like the feeling you get here, as if you were on a cruise ship,” Eva says.
Its feel is dominated by the room’s position, hovering about 108 feet above the surface of the water. “From the living room, you see nothing but water. Not that I’ve sailed much, but I imagine it’s a bit like the feeling you get here, as if you were on a cruise ship,” Eva says.
The living room is made up of a single long sofa, from which one can enjoy the view, the fireplace and the room itself.
Many will undoubtedly balk at the exceptionally minimalist decor — and no, the clean look isn’t just for the photographer’s sake. Avoiding overfurnishing is one of the architects’ central philosophies. “We don’t like to stuff too much in. It’s crucial for us to have space around things so that the view is allowed to fill the space and be the center of attention. In other words, it’s a ‘knick-knack-free’ zone,” Eva says with a laugh. Bo expresses it more philosophically, saying that there is no reason to overfurnish when “the house is a piece of furniture in its own right.”
Many will undoubtedly balk at the exceptionally minimalist decor — and no, the clean look isn’t just for the photographer’s sake. Avoiding overfurnishing is one of the architects’ central philosophies. “We don’t like to stuff too much in. It’s crucial for us to have space around things so that the view is allowed to fill the space and be the center of attention. In other words, it’s a ‘knick-knack-free’ zone,” Eva says with a laugh. Bo expresses it more philosophically, saying that there is no reason to overfurnish when “the house is a piece of furniture in its own right.”
This is also how he describes the kitchen, which is likewise at its best when there aren’t too many disruptive elements in the way. The kitchen is characterised by clean lines like the rest of the home, but its colour scheme stands out within the otherwise bright tones of the large, open space. “It is very minimalist, but we think it’s important to have a dark kitchen that can serve as a contrast to the bright concrete and oak,” Eva says.
Look at the house from the side, as in this drawing, and it’s clear that it consists of a cube built into a slope. With a width and depth of about 29½ by 33 feet and a height of about 29½ feet, the house is almost perfectly dice shaped.
The three floors of this “cube” are connected by one of the home’s most remarkable features: a long staircase that cuts through the entire building in a straight line, almost like a jetty leading from raised “docks” to the water.
“It starts as the path from the street, moving through the house and continuing on the other side all the way down to the beach and jetty,” Bo says. The visual axis is interrupted only by the home’s main entrance, which is offset by a few meters; it’s the only thing that stops the whole from being a straight line.
The stairs’ oak steps, which cut through the middle and lower floors, also connect to the material motifs of the home.
The stairs’ oak steps, which cut through the middle and lower floors, also connect to the material motifs of the home.
This office is on the middle floor. It features a sofa and book corner at one end and a window seat on the other, overlooking the water.
The window seat is an example of the thoughtful attention to detail that went into the home’s design – and also made the process extra time-consuming for the architects.
“It actually surprised me how much work the project required, because every room is different and there were so many details to make decisions about. We did nearly the same number of drawings for this house that we would for a building of” 54,000 - 65,000 square feet, Bo says.
The two lower floors have slightly lower ceilings than the top floor, at about 8 feet, as opposed to the 11-foot ceiling on the top floor. “We definitely made that choice to make the bedrooms more intimate,” Eva says.
The two lower floors have slightly lower ceilings than the top floor, at about 8 feet, as opposed to the 11-foot ceiling on the top floor. “We definitely made that choice to make the bedrooms more intimate,” Eva says.
The bedroom on the bottom floor has direct access to the broad terrace and overlooks the waves.
On this floor, the architects gave free rein to their love of raw concrete, even in the flooring. On the other hand, the look is broken up by the light-blue painted wall behind the bed, which separates the sleeping area from the wardrobe.
“We worked on the idea of just leaving all the concrete structures that were cast in situ untouched, that is, cast on site in their natural color. But we gave non-load-bearing walls, such as the screen wall in the bedroom, a different color,” Bo says.
“We worked on the idea of just leaving all the concrete structures that were cast in situ untouched, that is, cast on site in their natural color. But we gave non-load-bearing walls, such as the screen wall in the bedroom, a different color,” Bo says.
Behind the blue wall in the bedroom is a walk-in closet which, like the rest of the house, has the appearance of having been left unfurnished.
“On the other hand, we have a number of built-in closets in other places, allowing us to keep the open areas tidy and thus maintain the minimalist expression,” Eva says.
“On the other hand, we have a number of built-in closets in other places, allowing us to keep the open areas tidy and thus maintain the minimalist expression,” Eva says.
Like the kitchen, the bathrooms feature materials that contrast with the light concrete and oak. But unlike the kitchen’s deep greys and blacks, the contrast in the bathrooms comes from snow-white Corian finishes.
“In this bathroom, it was also important that the white features serve as a kind of furniture,” she says. The bathroom offers an unobstructed view of the water, yet it is shielded from the eyes of passersby.
Eva says that the home feels surprisingly warm despite the preponderance of relatively cold concrete. The same is true of the terrace facing the water.
“We had thought the terrace would be windy, but it isn’t at all. Thanks to the two concrete wings, it is shielded and very quiet,” she says.
“We had thought the terrace would be windy, but it isn’t at all. Thanks to the two concrete wings, it is shielded and very quiet,” she says.
The family has so far mainly used the house as a vacation home, as they live in their apartment in Copenhagen, where they work, most of the time. But for Eva and Bo, this pattern will probably be reversed over time.
“We’re in our late 60s and imagine living in the house for longer and longer periods in the year. We are happier with it than we had imagined because of the area and nature – and the view continues to be just fantastic,” Eva says.
Read more:
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What did you think about this home?
“We’re in our late 60s and imagine living in the house for longer and longer periods in the year. We are happier with it than we had imagined because of the area and nature – and the view continues to be just fantastic,” Eva says.
Read more:
Simple Ways to Create a Calming Minimalist Garden
7 White Kitchens That Mix It Up With Accents
Tell us:
What did you think about this home?
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Who lives here: Architects Eva and Bo Frederiksen of Frederiksen Architects. The couple’s two daughters also use the house.
Location: Egernsund, on the Flensborg Fjord, in Southern Jutland, in the south of Denmark
Size: About 2,475 square feet (230 square meters)
Kitchen and bathroom design: Multiform
Year built: 2017
“Seen from the street, it’s very modest,” says Eva Frederiksen, who lives in the house with her husband, Bo.