Style & Decor Blog

It’s hard to believe that a month has passed since I was in Copenhagen… Where did June go?!?  I’m still sorting through my snaps from my Adventures in IKEAland, and came across these shots of the unbelievably beautiful (and incredibly romantic) Rosenborg Castle.

Situated in the middle of the King’s Gardens, which itself lies in the heart of Copenhagen, Rosenborg was built by Denmark’s King Christian IV (the founder of much of Copenhagen as we know it) as a country summerhouse in the early 1600s. Not a bad pile of bricks to call a cottage, eh?

One of my friends commented on how the building reminded him of Amsterdam, and there’s a reason for that: the castle’s built in the Dutch Renaissance style that was all the rage in the early 17th century, and informed a lot of Danish architecture of the period that still stands today.

Rosenborg now houses the Danish crown jewels, which although breathtaking, take a back seat, as far as I’m concerned, to the architecture…

  I mean, check out the woven-cane-patterned mullions on this window… The attention to detail is mind-blowing!

There’s barely a stretch of 10 feet across Rosenborg’s facade that doesn’t fascinate with an intriguing little gem, including this weather-beaten bronze bust, constantly keeping a baleful eye on visitors.

Sometimes a picture just speaks for itself.

A brilliant azure sky, soft pink rhododendrons (they grow like weeds throughout Copenhagen!), and the vivid cyan of a tarnished bronze statue conspire to form a lasting impression in the King’s Gardens at the heart of Copenhagen.

The King’s Gardens, Copenhagen

I don’t think anything could prepare me for the experience of dining at a waterside cafe in Nyhavn. A harbour canal in Copenhagen (the name “Nyhavn” literally translates into “New Harbour”) that’s dotted with moored old sailing ships, it’s possibly the most atmospheric place in the Danish capital. It’s along this canal that world-famous fairytale writer, Hans Christian Anderson, lived for a time; but now it’s packed with posh eateries and antique shops.

Most of the houses along the canal are more than 300 years old, and have been restored in breathtaking colours (some of which actually reminded me of the new Hacienda Style palette from Pittsburgh Paints that I mentioned last week). A feast for the eyes! 

One of the sweetest surprises of dining on the canal? Once the evening chill sets in, restaurant staff provided us with blankets so that we could remain outdoors. Naturally, they were IKEA.

What a thoughtful idea for your next al fresco soiree! 

Here I am modeling the latest in Nyhavn evening wraps with the fab Olivia Stren. (Thanks to Canadian Living’s Karen Kirk for providing the shot!)

Irma 67-by-51″ fleece throw blanket, $4, IKEA

I’m really loving the new Edland collection at IKEA, and 99% of that love affair lies in the lower half of each piece – those cabriole legs are such an elegant detail, providing a light, graceful contrast to the otherwise imposing stained pine. I’d love to pair the dressing table with a prettily-printed skirted Parsons chair… It could even double as a home office workstation… 

Edland dressing table, $249

Edland bedside table, $129

What I’m most pumped about, though, is my exclusive preview of the new IKEA PS Collection next week… Tomorrow, I leave for Almhult, Sweden (the worldwide base of operations for IKEA!), to interview the delightful Wiebke Braasch, a designer behind two of the products in the exciting new line. Can’t wait to see what she’s cooked up for us this time, as her resume for IKEA includes the popular Skimra lampshades (the ones with that you can switch out in any number of colours)…

And the Vano easy chair…

Following that, I’m off to Copenhagen to soak up Danish design in its natural habitat… So crazy cited!

I’ll be blogging throughout my trip, so stayed tuned over the next week for some Scandinavian sweetness…

My style-sleuthing is leading me to Copenhagen this summer and I came across these crazy Danish digs…

Hotel Fox is situated in the heart of the Danish capital, and touts itself as “the world’s most exciting and creative lifestyle hotel”. Designed by 21 international artists from the fields of graphic design, urban art and illustration, Hotel Fox is a gallery of 61 no-two-alike rooms of sheer, wacked-out whimsy… 

My fave room is the “King’s Court 1″, designed by Birgit Amadori of Germany. A little bit fairy tale, a little bit Manga, it’s spare but strangely sumptuous at the same time. I’m also a sucker for great blue-and-white combos. And the Medusa on the walls is so very Versace!

Andreas Mindt’s startling “Highlights” room breathes life into the stark simplicity of an achromatic scheme with flowing lines and a real sense of motion. Not a room you’d want to be in after a dizzying night of partying, though.

Brisbane design collective Rinzen, conceived the “Dryads” room as a playful little fantasy-land. The raised bed is intended to suggest “walking into the heart of the forest”, surrounded by trees and fallen foliage. 

Light, bright and refreshingly bonkers! I wonder what it would be like in person…

Check out the other 58 rooms here!

All images courtesy of Hotel Fox

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