Home tour | Soft minimalism on a Copenhagen waterfront |

Today we’re heading over to Copenhagen for a peek inside a family home that’s just undergone a top-to-bottom transformation thanks to the ever-inspiring team at Norm Architects. Overlooking a marina just north of the city centre, it’s a very minimalist house – probably one of the most minimalist I’ve ever featured, in fact – and it almost has an art gallery feel to it. But it doesn’t look at all stark thanks to warm, tactile materials and a very clever use of natural light.

The house is an early modernist structure, but its clean lines were largely overshadowed by stucco. Norm therefore decided to strip this and any other unnecessary details away, revealing the building’s full potential and showcasing its streamlined character.

Inside, the bespoke interior creates a calm refuge where the family can retreat after a busy day. Materials and scale have been carefully considered, and original features have either been reconstructed or reinterpreted in a way that suits modern needs. For example, the rickety old staircase has been replaced with a faithful copy, and the floors are classic herringbone parquet in keeping with the building’s age. The mullioned windows, meanwhile, have been swapped for larger ones that share the same modernist traits but let in more light and maximise the sweeping views.

What’s more, the impact of design on mood and wellbeing has been placed at the forefront of the renovation, as Norm partner Sofie Thorning explains:

“Besides emphasising the modernist characteristics in the choice of windows, the detailing on the doors and the overall geometry, we wanted to bring our take on soft minimalism into play through homely details, soft elements and tactile surfaces. This way we subtract all the unnecessary clutter, while making sure that the sparse interior won’t ever feel empty or cold.”

The house’s internal layout has been rejigged to ensure natural flow and connection between the various spaces. At its core is a beautiful kitchen that serves as a central axis, while the living room has been divided into zones tailored to different activities. The main sofas (Norm’s ‘Offset’ design for Menu) are arranged for sociable gatherings and family interaction, while the cushioned bench by the window is ideal for quiet time spent reading or just gazing out over the water.

There’s another bespoke bench in the entry hall, together with floor-to-ceiling cupboards that provide plenty of storage. The large stone floor tiles here create a cave-like sensation, acting as a transition between the bustle of the outside world and the serenity inside the house.

Throughout, the colours and materials have been chosen to give a sense of balance and cohesion. The Grigio Belliemi stone of the kitchen island is echoed in the living room fireplace, in coffee tables and in bathroom tiles, and the walls are covered with textured St. Leo paint that brings a hint of nature into the house. There’s also a wonderful interplay between light and dark, warmth and coolth, with smooth grey marble alongside richly grained oak and moody corridors leading to bright corners filled with sunshine.

The tactility and softness continue in the bedrooms, where curtains stretch across entire walls, creating a cosy atmosphere that’s conducive to rest and relaxation while also improving the acoustics. The furniture is kept simple, but there are statement pieces in the form of iconic Arne Jacobsen ‘Egg’ chairs, whose body-cradling curves only add to the cocooning feel, and sculptural wooden side tables. Again, cleverly integrated storage keeps clutter at bay and ensures there are no sleep-disrupting distractions.