franskur stíll í Danmörku

With their love for Provence Rikke and George have created a replica of a southern French house with picturesque charm in Scandinavia.

 If you have fallen in love with southern Frances sunburnt stone houses, the aroma of lavender fields and the mild climate, it can be hard to say goodbye. It was also for Rikke and George Trad when they moved back to Denmark in 1998 after living several years in the Luberon area of ​​Provence.

But it was not a final goodbye , right after their return the couple took on a small, worn house, complete with a workshop of 25 square meters, in a beautiful natural setting outside Hørsholm north of Copenhagen. Soon the big barn on the site was made into the lifestyle shop Luberon - filled with old furniture, porcelain, tile, beds, iron bathtubs and other old french things.

The living room is open into the kitchen to the left. A beautiful mix of different styles, origin and age affects the living room. The couch and industrial light contributes to the raw and pure expression.

The house originating from 1910 was 200 square meters with associated land and a 700 sqm large, old apple plantation. The couple rented the property until 2004, when they were able to buy the house. They already had the sketches to a French-inspired house ready on the drawing board, and rebuilding could finally begin.

Rikke and Georges cooperated with artisans and architects from both France and Denmark, and the neighbors have been able to witnessthe houses transformation from an ordinary Danish house into a 250 square meter impressive French habitat.

Recycling

The hall has been given an old, wide double door and the cabinet is made of old windows.

   Spanish meets French and Danish

The Spanish fireplace was in the house when they took it over, and radiates a cosy warmth.

Careful decisions

Rikke and George never compromise when it comes to renovation. If during the year and a half renovation there was something Danish craftsmen could not do, they simply imported French craftsmen. Likewise, the materials in the house were carefully selected on the many trips to Provence.

The kitchen cabinetry is from palisander wood which Rikke has stained to a dark brown, almost black color along with the ceiling beams. The worktop in marble has rough, unpolished edges. A worn cutting board and an old salttub help to provide the right atmosphere.

From idea to reality

- Before we started, we had an entire folder of photos we had taken over the years of different house types, small details like grilles and windows, stone and color, says Rikke.

- If you compromise with yourself, you often end up with being disappointed. We think it's fun to follow the ideas completely until they are implemented.

This old lock with porcelain grip is similar to the originals used in France.

A Madonna statue and candlestick in a wall niche create a nice atmosphere

The living room is in the old part of the house - here with openings into the garden room, which is attached. To the right the stairs open up to the first floor. The large cast iron candlestick is from Luberon.

The couple used wrought iron as shielding for handrails with widely spaced slats.

Rikke has taken pictures of various handrails by the Mediterranean, and has gotten a French blacksmith to make them.

The pompous floor candlestick creates a historic ambience in the living room.The sofa is made by the blacksmith from Rikkes drawings. Mattresses and pillows are covered with suede, and the table is from the 1800s

The shower wall reminiscent of a wall from an old French castle with embrasures. Through the opening comes the most beautiful light into the shower. The bathtub is 200 years old, hand beaten in iron and re-enameled.

Great, old lamps in the bathroom give a softer feel to the room

An unconventional piece of furniture as vanity unit provides a unique and personal style.

The distinctive French iron bed in the bedroom is a trademark of Luberon. Vanessa's crib matches of course the parent´s. Jieldé lamp is an original factory lamp from the 1500s.

The park-like garden around the house is filled with iron beds, floral centerpieces and garden furniture just waiting to be fixed up so they can move into Danish homes and spread the charming southern French atmosphere.

The decor in the family home is French, raw and rustic with a mix of French antiques, Spanish castle chairs, cabinets from the 1800s, factory lamps from the 1950s, and a wealth of church-candlesticks and prism chandeliers as soft counterparts to the raw building style.

When Rikke and George lived in southern France ten years ago, they came across some 200 year old iron beds which they thought were absolutely brilliant.

- We brought ten of them home and sold them within one month. Already then we realized that we had found something we were very excited for, and that our countrymen clearly also enjoyed, says Rikke.

It also became the start of the couples joint company Luberon, which sells French antiques and solves special tasks in interior decorating in French style.

Epilogue

- We have collected all the materials in France to get the overall impression as authentic as possible. There are no two oak planks in the kitchen or first floor that are the same. The floor tiles in the rest of the house are marble or sandstone with fossils, and the roof is covered with 200 year old French rooftile, says Rikke.

The couple still have a few projects to complete in the big house, but Rikke and George are still very happy with the result so far.

credit: bligpluss.no

Foto: Birgitta Wolfgang Drejer/Sisters agency

posted by: Malue Drejer Agency