Thomas Dinesen doesn’t shy from tradition. He’s the fourth-generation owner of Dinesen, a Danish company that has been specializing in custom wood floors since 1898. In 2004, Thomas and his wife, Heidi, bought a historic Danish longhouse in southern Jutland with the intention of returning it to its former glory. They called on architect Jørgen Overby, a seasoned restorer, to help them reclaim the home’s original character, which, as the architect explains, had been lost over time due to unfortunate interventions. The interior was updated for a “historic minimalism” look, as the owners say. Here’s a look.
N.B.: The house is the former residence of the Dinesen family and is being converted into the Dinesen Country Home, which will be an exclusive guest house for the company.
Photography courtesy of Dinesen.
Above: The 240-square-meter (about 2,600-square-foot) house is a traditional southern Jutland longhouse (Sønderjysk gård), a type of 18th- and 19th-century farmhouse characterized by a thatched roof with the longest side aligned to the street. It was constructed in 1880, just 18 years before Dinesen was founded.
Above: The kitchen was designed by Jørgen Overby’s studio, which worked with a local carpenter on cabinetry; the appliances are from Smeg.
Above: Tolomeo Clip Spot Lights run along the brass kitchen rail, illuminating a backsplash of handmade ceramic tile and countertop of Dinesen Douglas fir.
Above: The custom dining table is made from Dinesen Douglas planks. Overhead illumination is provided by Tobias Grau Oh China Lights; the oil painting is by Jens Birkemose.
Above: The floors throughout the house are from Dinesen’s Douglas Collection, Douglas fir treated with lye and white floor soap. Dinesen floor planks are known for being usually wide and long; these are 12 inches wide and up to 26 feet long. The round sculpture is by German woodcutter Michael Moosmann-Pfaff in Douglas fir.,
Above: A custom Douglas fir bench. Overby updated the windows and floors of the building to simplify the exterior and modernize the interior. The ceiling beams are original to the house, painted pale green.
Above: The house is warmed thanks to radiant heating; historically, residents traditionally spent their time in the only heated room in the house (the living room, called the
Döns, heated by a freestanding wood stove).
Above: A living space on the main floor is decorated with modern furniture and textiles. The new door to the outside is double-paned glass reinforced with metal.
Above: One of the two alcove bedrooms features a black quilt and two paper pendant lights (for something similar you can source Ikea’s Varmluft Shade on Amazon).
Above: A Børge Mogensen Spanish Chair and sculptures collected by the owners.
Above: The second bedroom features a custom headboard and a Thomas Pedersen Stingray Rocker.
Above: The headboard is made of Douglas fir with an integrated shelf and desk. Tolomeo lights make another appearance, this time they’re Wall Spot Lights.
,
Above: The downstairs bathroom door is painted in tonal off-white with a high-gloss finish.,
Above: The bathroom design mimics the look of the kitchen, with the same handmade tiles, wood counters, and brass pulls.
Above: A small office space off one of the bedrooms has a vintage secretary desk, a vintage armchair, and a Bestlite BL 6 Wall Light.
Above: An outdoor table made of Dinesen Douglas fir.
Above: The gravel driveway to the Dinesen house.
Above: A bucolic scene in the Danish countryside.
Above: The house from the rear, with a yard extending into surrounding grasses and forest.
For more from Dinesen, see our posts:
- The Uncluttered Life in London
- Steal This Look: A Star Chef’s Scandi Kitchen
- Kitchen of the Week: A Culinary Space in Copenhagen by Garde Hvalsøe
- Kitchen of the Week: The Dinesen Wood Kitchen
- Steal This Look: A London Bathroom Clad in Dinesen Wood
N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on August 11, 2017.
