Frederikke Stolbjerg has stumbled into a whole new world - from teaching at a local school to creating beautiful homes. In 2017, Frederikke, her husband Anders, and their three kids found a house that felt just right, setting off a passion for renovating and designing in a way that doesn’t interfere with the 1950s DNA of this architectural pearl. In Vedbæk, located just north of Copenhagen, Frederikke put her heart and soul into every corner, picking interior pieces that are not just aesthetically pleasing, but also practical for a family of five (Bitten and Wilma too!). Despite facing the challenges that come with a preserved home, their unwavering commitment has turned this piece of architectural history into a space brimming with love, resilience, and the joy of being a family.

Can you share the story of how you found the house in 2017 and what sparked your
interest in doing a complete renovation?

In 2017 we decided to look for a new house, as we ran a design brand from home at the time and as the brand fortunately grew and we took on more employees, and the need for bigger facilities followed. Our biggest wish was to be able to continue working from home to unite our lives with our children and a time consuming business. So we started looking for a house with room for both our family and business. The search started out in Vanløse where we lived at the time but without any luck. When we tried expanding the search radius this house immediately caught my eyes. I knew that Anders would fall head over heels for this and as I sent him the listing in a text I added that it obviously wasn’t an option since it was too far away. Few days later we went to look at the house. We were realistic and knew that it wasn’t the right one for us and we really just needed to have this confirmed. But as you might have guessed the moment we pulled into the driveway we both knew that this was going to be our house. 

Can you describe the process of bringing a house from the 1950s,
worthy of preservation up to date?

Renovating a preserved house like this has been a long and circumstantial process. We had to learn about the history and origin of this house and the time it was built to truly comprehend the time typicality of every single detail. We replaced the old windows for some more environmentally friendly ones by carefully removing the old ones but keeping the original wooden frames, sanding them down, repainting them and routing/milling (what’s the correct word here?) the frame to fit a thicker window. You can’t just choose the easy way out even though that would have been both cheaper and faster.In the beginning we feared putting our own stamp on this house and we felt like we violated it by decorating with modern furniture. But now we understand that a house, no matter the age and style should be dynamic and evolve through time.

What have you found challenging or rewarding in modernizing your house?
(ex: making room for the entire family while still preserving the architecture and
your thoughts on the origins to which this house was built?)

A house like this is from a completely different period of time and will not be able to 100% match the needs
of a family today, where for instance our children’s rooms are really small. But in some way I like the
thought of accepting and live by the terms set here. In return you are given so many aesthetic options and opportunities and we feel we are so close to having created the perfect setting for us.

What atmospheric feeling did you aim to create in yourhome during the renovation process?

Simple, structured and cozy. These have been our decorating keywords. It is as if this is what the house
invites and it’s our job to unite the architecture with the interior. I don’t mean that we should only have
1950’s furniture but it would be nonpareil to decorate a house like this in a romantic style.
We believe that we have reached a clean purity and calm that we thrive in.

What inspired you to go from teaching to interior design? Can you tell us a bit about the ups and downs of being self-employed and working in a field that is also your hobby?

My interest and love for architecture and interior design came with age but I never really considered myself a creative being and I never really believed that my “eye” for it could turn into a living. It’s been a slow process that started during a long holiday with my family. Upon return I quit my position as a teacher and started designing fashion accessories. I slowly began to find ease in the fact that people actually liked my designs and were willing to pay for them as well. But as the years went by I could feel my interest recede as my interest for architecture and interior grew. When my husband Anders and I were a part of the tv-show Nybyggerne in 2022 things took off. I felt this immense energy and even though we didn’t sleep during the show I was in this hyper state every day because I just loved what we were doing. When the show aired people started contacting me. They wanted to book me for interior decorating tasks. I hesitated at first because I felt like I wasn’t good enough but as the inquiries increased started accepting and went to work. When I see my work and visions come to life and I see that it makes a difference and is valued by my clients - it’s the best feeling ever. 

How would you describe 'the feeling of home' now that
you have created the home of your dreams?

A home to me is ironically not defined by a specific place or setting. Home is where my family is.
I moved a lot as a child. Maybe that’s why I feel like this. To me the feeling of home is where I
can really breathe, lean back, let loose and put my feet up.

What made you go for two MAGMA sofas for this beautiful space, and how do you feel they connect with the house and the rest of your interior?

We chose the two MAGMA sofas because their form accommodates the DNA of this house. The MAGMA design is structured and solid complimenting the curved shape and this bouclé fabric that invites warmth and ease. I really like that. I’m not into corner couches nor chaises even though I love the functionality that they offer. These two MAGMAs both offer a place to rest and recharge but also a place where we like to seat our guests. I love when practicality and aesthetics emerge really. The bright colors and the texture go really well with the rest of our interior and compliment the cold and harsh concrete and the warmth from the wood all over.

What specific elements of your Vedbæk neighborhood do you cherish the most?

It became so clear to me when we moved to Vedbæk how much I had missed being surrounded by nature. The beach is so close and we spend most of the summers there. The whole town gathers at the beach when the kids are off from school and we eat pizza and just have a great time there with everyone else. Vedbæk is also surrounded by forest and meadows. Especially the forest holds a special place with me, it’s where I go to recharge. Now I can’t imagine living a place without nature so close by.

Finally, we ask you to finish these sentences:

A trend I will never relive is… neon colors!

When I’m home alone… I will put my feet up on the sofa and call my girlfriends.

My next interior purchase will be… another sofa from Formel A. This one will go perfectly in my oldest son’s room that we are doing a make over on right now.

A perfect Sunday to me is… a day where we sleep in and eat breakfast together as a family. Then to start and finish a project of some sort gives me the feeling of having accomplished something. Then a walk in the forest and sofa snuggles watching a great movie.I feel the most relaxed when… I’m home tucked in under a warm blanket on my sofa well aware that everyone in my family are well.