My Houzz: From Biker Hideout to Naturally Beautiful Home
Rustic touches from nature embellish the white-and-wood palette in this remodeled house in Denmark
Helle Sindal
December 5, 2018
This brick home in Horsens, Denmark, was built in 1926 as a residence for employees of the nearby state penitentiary. Fast-forward the better part of a century, and ownership passed through the hands of the notorious Bandidos biker gang, which clashed with the Hells Angels in the Great Nordic Biker War that rocked Scandinavia in the 1990s. By 2009, subsequent owners had torn down nearly the entire interior and begun a long renovation that current owners Janni Mellemgaard Hansen and Peter Dahl Nielsen have continued. Among other things, the couple created a beautiful garden where there had been only weeds and a large motorcycle parking lot.
Their love of nature extends to their Christmas decor, with dried flowers, spruce cuttings in Mason jars or branches artfully decorated with baubles in nearly every room. These decorations likely will endure long after the holiday season: The owners want to enjoy natural beauty inside until life blossoms in their garden again in the spring.
Their love of nature extends to their Christmas decor, with dried flowers, spruce cuttings in Mason jars or branches artfully decorated with baubles in nearly every room. These decorations likely will endure long after the holiday season: The owners want to enjoy natural beauty inside until life blossoms in their garden again in the spring.
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Janni Mellemgaard Hansen, a teacher at an independent Catholic school, and her boyfriend, Peter Dahl Nielsen, who teaches at a tutoring school, and their three cats
Location: Horsens, Denmark, about 30 miles southwest of Aarhus
Size: 1,830 square feet (170 square meters), including the basement
The couple’s home is on just over a quarter of an acre in the old working-class district. In addition to a large garden, the property has a greenhouse, detached conservatory, shed and garage.
Janni knows all the hardware stores in Horsens like the back of her hand. Over the past five years, she and Peter have painted, plastered and grouted the house, landscaped the garden and built a greenhouse, shed and garage. “We got professional help for the roof, but otherwise we did most of it ourselves,” Janni says.
Find a roofer in the Houzz pro directory
Who lives here: Janni Mellemgaard Hansen, a teacher at an independent Catholic school, and her boyfriend, Peter Dahl Nielsen, who teaches at a tutoring school, and their three cats
Location: Horsens, Denmark, about 30 miles southwest of Aarhus
Size: 1,830 square feet (170 square meters), including the basement
The couple’s home is on just over a quarter of an acre in the old working-class district. In addition to a large garden, the property has a greenhouse, detached conservatory, shed and garage.
Janni knows all the hardware stores in Horsens like the back of her hand. Over the past five years, she and Peter have painted, plastered and grouted the house, landscaped the garden and built a greenhouse, shed and garage. “We got professional help for the roof, but otherwise we did most of it ourselves,” Janni says.
Find a roofer in the Houzz pro directory
Janni, pictured, and Peter share an interest in decor. “It’s a good project to work on together — you get to know each other better. I’m good at visualizing the final results, while Peter has become more and more skilled as a handyman. When we first met, my toolbox was bigger, but that’s no longer the case,” she says.
The home’s white walls and floors make for a bright and welcoming atmosphere. The couple sanded the exposed beams throughout the house, including in this entryway, but otherwise left them alone for a raw, rustic contrast to the light interiors.
Some of Bjørn Wiinblad’s Four Seasons plates hang on the hallway wall. “My grandmother used to collect the small ones, so I developed a love for them early on,” Janni says.
It’s not just hardware stores that Janni and Peter frequented throughout the renovation. They also are avid flea market shoppers. Janni describes their interior style as retro with a touch of new. “Many of our things are heirlooms from my family and flea market finds,” she says. “I prefer things with a story. I grew up on a farm where there was room to keep heirlooms from generations past. These things were then passed on to me, so it took quite a few trailer loads to get them here.”
Ornaments decorate the branches hanging from the ceiling. It looks like classic Christmas decor, but Janni sees it as seasonal decoration that livens up the space during the dark Scandinavian winters.
Some of Bjørn Wiinblad’s Four Seasons plates hang on the hallway wall. “My grandmother used to collect the small ones, so I developed a love for them early on,” Janni says.
It’s not just hardware stores that Janni and Peter frequented throughout the renovation. They also are avid flea market shoppers. Janni describes their interior style as retro with a touch of new. “Many of our things are heirlooms from my family and flea market finds,” she says. “I prefer things with a story. I grew up on a farm where there was room to keep heirlooms from generations past. These things were then passed on to me, so it took quite a few trailer loads to get them here.”
Ornaments decorate the branches hanging from the ceiling. It looks like classic Christmas decor, but Janni sees it as seasonal decoration that livens up the space during the dark Scandinavian winters.
Two small spruces from Janni’s father’s Christmas tree farm decorate the hallway. She cleaned the soil off the roots and washed and brushed them into shape before putting them in two old Mason jars. Janni plans to replant them after winter.
The wooden beer and soda crates are flea market finds. They serve as shelves and cover the bottom half of a door in the living room.
“There are two exits to the terrace, and we chose to block one with crates. It is an easy solution that provides space for books, pictures and plants while still allowing us to enjoy the daylight and the view,” Janni says.
The star on the glass door is from the annual Christmas market at the Horsens State Prison.
“There are two exits to the terrace, and we chose to block one with crates. It is an easy solution that provides space for books, pictures and plants while still allowing us to enjoy the daylight and the view,” Janni says.
The star on the glass door is from the annual Christmas market at the Horsens State Prison.
The Christmas tree is a spruce and also comes from Janni’s dad’s farm. “We have the Christmas tree up for the whole of December — it’s so cozy,” she says. “The last couple of years, we didn’t have many Christmas decorations up because we were renovating the house. So this year, I am enjoying it even more.”
The candleholders are from Rosendahl’s Karen Blixen’s Christmas collection, inspired by the Danish author of Out of Africa.
A Visit to ‘Out of Africa’ Author’s Stunning Danish Manor
Find Christmas tree toppers in the Houzz Shop
The candleholders are from Rosendahl’s Karen Blixen’s Christmas collection, inspired by the Danish author of Out of Africa.
A Visit to ‘Out of Africa’ Author’s Stunning Danish Manor
Find Christmas tree toppers in the Houzz Shop
The Christmas tree sits in water. The couple kept it in the sunroom for a while before setting it up so that it would acclimatize to the indoor environment.
How to Care for a Freshly Cut Christmas Tree
How to Care for a Freshly Cut Christmas Tree
Advent wreaths are traditional in Scandinavia. One candle is lit the fourth Sunday before Christmas, then two the following week and so on, with all four candles shining brightly on the Sunday before Christmas.
This natural Advent wreath is from last year. It’s embellished with pine cones and new candles.
Shop for candles on Houzz
This natural Advent wreath is from last year. It’s embellished with pine cones and new candles.
Shop for candles on Houzz
The couple love to cook and make meals from scratch every day, so the gas stove and the range hood are important parts of their kitchen. The countertop and the sink are sturdy granite.
Your Guide to 15 Popular Kitchen Countertop Materials
Your Guide to 15 Popular Kitchen Countertop Materials
The kitchen-dining room had already been renovated when Janni and Peter moved in. They removed a few large cabinets to get more light in the room.
The table is set with Ballerina china by Bing & Grøndahl. “It was my grandmother’s, but it was never on display when we were kids. Now it’s visible on a sideboard, and we set the table with it on special occasions,” Janni says.
She decorated the table with pine cones and dried Dutch garlic from the garden. The garlic is easy to cut when dry and keeps well, so the bouquet grows from year to year.
The candleholders are from a “trunk sale,” where wares are sold from the trunks of cars in a parking lot. “We were there almost every Sunday when we moved in. We love hunting around flea markets — it’s something fun to do together,” Janni says.
She decorated the table with pine cones and dried Dutch garlic from the garden. The garlic is easy to cut when dry and keeps well, so the bouquet grows from year to year.
The candleholders are from a “trunk sale,” where wares are sold from the trunks of cars in a parking lot. “We were there almost every Sunday when we moved in. We love hunting around flea markets — it’s something fun to do together,” Janni says.
The blue cloth napkins are decorated with baby’s breath and a ribbon. Peter collects Laguiole cutlery, which balances the otherwise dainty table setting. The pieces of raw wood that hold the place cards add another rustic touch.
Browse napkins by color
Browse napkins by color
The Aduro wood-burning stove in the large open-plan living room and kitchen seems to float on the chimney. It is used year-round. “We chose to place it quite high up, so you look right into the fire. There is glass on the sides, again to make more of it visible and make it cozier,” Janni says.
The stove comes with an app that monitors the temperature and sends a notification when more wood is needed, among other things. The firewood for this and a second stove in the basement comes from Janni’s father’s nursery.
The stove comes with an app that monitors the temperature and sends a notification when more wood is needed, among other things. The firewood for this and a second stove in the basement comes from Janni’s father’s nursery.
The huge mirror is the first thing guests notice when they enter the living room. It came from a manor house and was for sale on DBA, a Danish classifieds site. “We picked it up with a giant trailer. This is just the perfect place for it,” Janni says. The couple’s nephews and nieces love to dance in front of it.
The old radio is fully functioning. It features a drinks cabinet on one side and a turntable on the other. Janni and Peter found it at a flea market when they were on vacation. They agreed that Peter would try to make it work and that Janni would clean it. “Peter finished in half an hour — I took 20 hours,” Janni says.
The footstool is another flea market find. The couple reupholstered it with fabric from Kvadrat. The sofa is from Sofakompagniet.
“The coffee table is a drop-leaf table,” she says. “We just shortened the legs so it fits like a coffee table.”
Find an upholsterer on Houzz to help with your project
The old radio is fully functioning. It features a drinks cabinet on one side and a turntable on the other. Janni and Peter found it at a flea market when they were on vacation. They agreed that Peter would try to make it work and that Janni would clean it. “Peter finished in half an hour — I took 20 hours,” Janni says.
The footstool is another flea market find. The couple reupholstered it with fabric from Kvadrat. The sofa is from Sofakompagniet.
“The coffee table is a drop-leaf table,” she says. “We just shortened the legs so it fits like a coffee table.”
Find an upholsterer on Houzz to help with your project
“The house dates from 1926 and deserves some features that match its age,” Janni says. They found this old sink on DBA. The faucets provide hot and cold water despite the fact that they’re both marked “hot.”
The lichen-covered branch was conceived as winter decor, but the couple may just keep it there all year.
The lichen-covered branch was conceived as winter decor, but the couple may just keep it there all year.
On the wall along the stairs hang pictures of the family and of trips and other important events in the couple’s life. “It’s nice to walk past them several times a day,” Janni says.
The ceiling on the landing opens all the way up to the roof ridge. “You have a beautiful view from here, so we set up a place where you can sit and enjoy it,” she says.
The ceiling on the landing opens all the way up to the roof ridge. “You have a beautiful view from here, so we set up a place where you can sit and enjoy it,” she says.
In the bedroom window hangs a “snowstorm” Janni made out of wooden beads and beaded snowflakes suspended on golden strings.
The simple decor gives the bedroom a romantic look. Janni tied spruce branches and baby’s breath on a ring from a hobby shop and added a candleholder clip.
The guest room is dominated by a white dresser Janni inherited from her great-grandfather. The vase on the right comes from Nuuk in Greenland, where she did her student teaching. A picture of a walrus decorates the wall. The old beer and soda crates are flea market finds, and the guitar is standing ready for when Janni starts learning how to play.
The old armoire came from Janni’s childhood neighbors’ farm, where she spent lots of time as a kid. It got white paint and new Anne Black knobs. The ceiling fixture was once a heat lamp for calves and piglets. The Nisse — a creature similar to a Christmas elf — and archive boxes are from flea markets.
A cozy fleece-and-leather rug grounds the office area. The painted table has a protective varnish. An old screw organizer stores office supplies. The chair and lamp are refurbished flea market finds. Janni made the pennant.
The detached 140-square-foot conservatory extends the outdoor season by a couple of months. Janni and Peter love to relax here, as do their three cats. The garden chairs came from an online auction website and were refinished to suit the room’s romantic feel.
The couple built the base and the floor of this Vitavia Sirius conservatory. “Unfortunately we’ve been quite unlucky with storms, so this is our third greenhouse of this kind,” Janni says.
The couple built the base and the floor of this Vitavia Sirius conservatory. “Unfortunately we’ve been quite unlucky with storms, so this is our third greenhouse of this kind,” Janni says.
Janni and Peter enjoy hot chocolate and homemade cake here on cold days. Candles, blankets and pillows provide warmth. Peter made the oak table out of wood from Janni’s father’s farm.
Along the conservatory’s ceiling hangs a larch branch, which Janni decorated with beads, snowflakes and small, white folded-paper stars. “The decor is homemade and easy to replace if the sun turns it yellowish and ugly over time,” she says. The branch is suspended with steel wire and transparent fishing line.
The couple also built a 97-square-foot greenhouse out of old bricks and 21 old windows. “It required a lot of prep work, advice and tons of research,” Janni says. The materials came from DBA, and the windows were taken from the rectory in Janni’s hometown of Thyregod, Denmark.
“The windows start almost at ground level, and the greenhouse floor is below the outdoor soil level. [About 35 inches] below ground level, there is no frost, so our summer flowers can overwinter here,” Janni says. “Part of the paint chipped off accidentally, but it was a blessing in disguise because we love the worn look.”
Over winter, the empty plant boxes are covered with larch planks and used for ornamental purposes or as benches. Mason jars with small trees and stars add a festive touch.
“The windows start almost at ground level, and the greenhouse floor is below the outdoor soil level. [About 35 inches] below ground level, there is no frost, so our summer flowers can overwinter here,” Janni says. “Part of the paint chipped off accidentally, but it was a blessing in disguise because we love the worn look.”
Over winter, the empty plant boxes are covered with larch planks and used for ornamental purposes or as benches. Mason jars with small trees and stars add a festive touch.
In the garden, vintage enamelware hangs on an old door from Janni’s father’s farm. Janni varies its contents through the year: She puts wild daffodils here early on, displays flowers in the summer and nurtures cuttings toward autumn so that they can be replanted later.
The milk churn also is from her dad’s farm.
The milk churn also is from her dad’s farm.
The couple store tools in the garden shed. They put up a lot of twinkle lights in the garden, some of which are remote-controlled.
The wreath on the door and the larch branch with pine cones are further examples of the natural winter decor that Janni likes to surround herself with. “I grew up in the countryside with a lot of nature around me, so the garden is important to me, as are winter decorations that can last until March, when the garden comes alive again.”
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More on Houzz
Read about other homes around the world
Get professional decorating help
Shop for outdoor string lights
The wreath on the door and the larch branch with pine cones are further examples of the natural winter decor that Janni likes to surround herself with. “I grew up in the countryside with a lot of nature around me, so the garden is important to me, as are winter decorations that can last until March, when the garden comes alive again.”
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
More on Houzz
Read about other homes around the world
Get professional decorating help
Shop for outdoor string lights
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Very whimsical......its always special when you complete the labour of love yourself and get to look back at what your hard work can accomplish (as hubby and I do). It's just something that comes and that you just don't get when you hire people to do it for you. It's really what makes a house a home. These two have lots to be proud of with all of their great efforts.
Beautiful home and story.
Feel free to visit my store for some exquisite handmade Moroccan rugs that compliment Scandi-Boho interiors with their abstract geometric shapes and minimalist energy
https://bohoconvention.com
Our Beni Ourain rug is Mari's lovely Swedish home