Nobody Does a Beach House Quite Like the Danes

Jette Egelund, owner of the famed kitchen brand Vipp, builds a summer home that is a master class in Scandinavian coastal living.

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Mandi Keighran

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Welcome to Beach Week, a celebration of the best place on earth.

In Denmark, summer homes are a way of life for many—and there’s much to be learned from the Danes about coastal living. Take, for example, the summerhouse of Jette Egelund, owner of Danish design brand Vipp, and her partner, conductor Mogens Dahl. It’s a study in embracing and responding to challenging coastal conditions to create a retreat that can be enjoyed all year round.

The getaway is located on the west coast of Zealand in Denmark. Jette’s son had recently built a summerhouse nearby, and Jette and Mogens appreciated the work of the architect, Mads Lund. "We felt we could have a good collaboration with him, rather than being a small client with a big company," Jette explains. "We started to talk with him about what we liked about my son’s house, as well as our own ideas for our summer home."

Sitting at the edge of a dramatic cliff on the west coast of Zealand, the holiday home overlooks the Storebælt, a strait of water between the main islands of Denmark. The couple worked with architect Mads Lund, creative director of Nordic Office of Architecture, to bring their vision to life, and the result is a pavilion-style home that offers a contemporary take on the traditional Danish summerhouse.

The home’s entrance is through a timber-clad passageway that leads to a guest annex, a utility shed, and the main house. Whilst traditional Danish summerhouses are often clad in dark timber, this contemporary interpretation uses a light, Canadian cedar cladding.

The holiday home is located on a dramatic site on the west coast of Zealand with spectacular views over the sea.

Jette and Mogens—who live in an apartment in Copenhagen—spent holidays in the area for three years, in a smaller, older summerhouse, before deciding to build their own home. "From the windows of our old summerhouse we could see this piece of land with a front row to the ocean," says Jette. "When it went on sale, we immediately knew that this was the location for our getaway from the city."

Over time, the Canadian cedar cladding will develop a silver patina, and the built form will blend into the landscape.

They demolished the old home on the site and began a collaborative design process with Lund to create their dream summer home. At its heart, the design responds to the site and its conditions—think extensive glazing that allows for ample sunlight throughout the year, multiple terraces sheltered from the coastal winds, and an orangery where the couple can enjoy the sunset.

Glass doors allow the dining area to open up to the terrace in the warmer months—and the scenery can still be enjoyed in cooler weather when the doors are closed.

The terraces are designed for eating and socializing outside while remaining protected from the coastal winds.

The 2,282-square-foot home is inspired by the layout of traditional Danish summerhouses, with three primary elements: a main house, a guest annex, and a utility shed. These spaces each have separate entrances, but they are united beneath the same roof and accessed through a timber-clad walkway. "The architectural vision is a lesson in proportions," says Lund. "It starts with the roof, under which everything unfolds."

The architect and clients collaborated closely with local timber workers to create the home’s roof structure and timber-clad passageway. "These details were expensive, but they add a level of quality," explains Jette.

The main house features a primary bedroom with a glazed wall overlooking the ocean; a second bedroom with bunk beds; a music room with a piano for Mogens; and a spacious, open-plan living/dining/kitchen area.

The self-contained guest annex was just as important to the brief, as it allows the couple to host guests while maintaining privacy. "It’s so much easier to have guests when they have their own space," says Jette.

"We chose to have a very big kitchen," says Jette. "I love it when people cook together." The kitchen is by Jette’s brand, Vipp, and its design was developed more than 14 years ago. The couple have the same kitchen in black in their Copenhagen apartment, but they decided that a warm gray color was better suited to the home’s coastal setting.

The primary bedroom—like the rest of the home—is defined by white-painted and natural timber cladding that lends the interiors a chic coastal vibe.

And, throughout, large spans of glass define the architecture. "Characteristic of summerhouses is the blend of the indoors and outdoors," explains Lund. "This feeling is supported by the many glass facades and doors. Only one window is installed in the house—otherwise, doors have been prioritized to create easy passage between the spaces."

The primary bedroom features a glass wall that looks out to the water. "It’s a fantastic thing," says Jette. "You wake up in the middle of the night, raise your head, and you can look out and see lights from ships and the Great Belt Bridge."

The summerhouse has expansive glazing to let light in throughout the year. "We wanted to have a lot of windows," says Jette. "If it was a summerhouse in the south of Spain or France, you would avoid the sun. Here in Denmark, though, we like the sun and the light. There are regulations about how much glazing you are allowed to have in a house, and we nearly had too much!"

The unglazed areas are clad primarily in Canadian cedar boards, for a twist on the traditional dark timber used to construct Danish summerhouses. The material harmonizes with the lush garden, which was designed in collaboration with the landscape architecture firm Yard. Organically shaped paving stones sit amidst wild grasses and native plants that complement the wild coastal setting.

An open-air shower located off the timber-clad walkway offers another way for the homeowners and their guests to connect with nature, and an easy way to rinse off after swimming.

This raw, natural palette continues inside with furnishings in warm, neutral tones—think beige, gray, and white—that complement the landscape. Unsurprisingly, Jette uses the space to showcase furnishings, lighting, and kitchen and bathroom systems from her own brand, Vipp—alongside richly textured art, family heirlooms, ceramics, and flea market finds.

The living area offers 180-degree views of the seascape. The soft, neutral palette complements the scenery.

A second bedroom in the main house is furnished with bunk beds to provide plenty of sleeping space for Jette’s family, including her five grandchildren, when they come to visit.

"I love the whole house, and being able to be in all the different niches. I can sit on the sofa and watch the sun set in the evening, enjoy the little corner with the piano, or be in the garden," says Jette. "We have made so many good memories here—and I am already preparing for the next party."