Just up the Øresund Strait from the Danish design capital of Copenhagen, the quiet coastal town of Rungsted is home to a lesser-known jewel of modernist design history. Perched atop a rocky shoreline, a two story villa, built from the infrastructure of an old tennis court that preceded it, has been lovingly restored to its midcentury glory. Constructed in 1962, the home was brought to life by the legendary midcentury designer Poul Kjærholm and his wife, architect Hanne Kjærholm. Embodying the distinct design philosophies of its creators, the newly restored Kjærholm Residence is a testament to the timelessness of their modernist principles.
The mission of bringing the home back to its 1960s condition has been carried out over the last decade by an expert on the matter: the couple’s son, Thomas. While modernizing the kitchen in a manner consistent with the original design, Thomas has otherwise resisted the urge to introduce contemporary elements. “Nothing else has been changed or will be,” says Thomas, who has instead opted to salvage much of the original furniture and maintain the home’s authentic mid century aesthetic.
Hanne Kjærholm’s architectural vision for the home drew inspiration from traditional Japanese housing, as is evidenced by the careful consideration of natural light, proportion, and connection to the environment. An assemblage of simple, open plan volumes, the home’s interior is bathed in natural light with most rooms containing views that extend across the Danish coastline to the shores of Sweden.
As the architect of the interior, Poul designed furniture pieces specifically for each room, ensuring that each element served a functional purpose while working within the home’s architectural language. In addition to built-in seating and storage, many of Kjærholm’s iconic pieces, like the PK54 table, PK61 coffee table, and PK31 sofa, were all conceived within the walls of this residence. “In fact,” Thomas notes, “everything that he designed between 1957 and 1962 was designed for our home.” These bespoke creations, with their clean lines and sophisticated materiality, establish the home’s interior as a living showcase of Poul’s innovative approach to design.
“As evidenced by the calm and beautiful spaces they created inside and out, I think their styles complement each other very well,” says Thomas of his late parents. “My mother’s architectural style is clean and uncluttered, and that set the stage, so to speak, to highlight the beauty of the furniture my father designed.” His favorite space, the eastern-facing living and dining room, “is bathed in light at all times of the day” and can be enjoyed from an assemblage of PK31 sofas.
The furniture created by Poul Kjærholm for this home represents some of his most celebrated work. Today, these designs are produced by Fritz Hansen, the renowned Danish furniture manufacturer that has continued to bring Kjærholm’s creations to the world since taking over production in 1982. This collaboration ensures that the elegance and innovation of Poul’s designs are accessible to architects and design enthusiasts globally, while maintaining the integrity of his original vision.
Thomas and his sister, Krestine, work closely alongside Fritz Hansen, managing the archive and reconciling how best to produce Poul’s mid century designs using the manufacturing technology available today. Through Thomas’s careful stewardship of their family home and close collaboration with Fritz Hansen on the continued production of his father’s designs, the legacy of this talented couple will go on to inspire not only later generations of the Kjaerholm family, but also the world of architecture and design at large.
