Interior design ideas: nordic but nice - in pictures

A log cabin surrounded by snow, the cawing of gulls over an ice-strewn sea, chestnuts sizzling on a wood-burning stove, and rosy-cheeked children crafting decorations out of twigs and stones. No, this is not an idealised version of Christmas cooked up by Carlsberg ad executives, but a peek inside the home of Danish fashion designer Stine Christa Engel Busk. →
Photograph: Birgitta W Drejer/Sisters Agency

Built in 1924 out of Norwegian timber, the house was originally two storeys; it was later sliced in two and the 84 sq m top floor replanted here – a small settlement of summer houses 500 metres from the sea north of Copenhagen. The tell-tale sign of its dissection is the high-beamed ceiling that has been painted Gucci brown and, together with the highly varnished wall beams and army-green doors, embraces the family in a cosy cocoon. → Photograph: Birgitta W Drejer/Sisters Agency

“Rather than being oppressive, I find these dark colours really calming,” Stine says. “Your eyes are drawn to the windows and at this time of year, when all you can see is the snow, you really feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere.” → Photograph: Birgitta W Drejer/Sisters Agency

Stine, founder of fashion brand Munderingskompagniet, and her husband, Henrik, bought the cabin four years ago when an idle Google search for timber summer houses turned into an almost instantaneous purchase. “I loved its authentic rusticity,” she says. “The smell of wood, and the horse hair stuffed between the timbers.” → Photograph: Birgitta W Drejer/Sisters Agency

The couple and their daughters, Nuka, five, and Savannha, nine, live in a Copenhagen apartment, but like many Danes they have a country bolthole. The two-bedroom cabin is decorated with a mix of unusual finds – mostly used and slightly battered pieces – and cosy cushions and throws. Photograph: Sisters Agency

There are Danish classics like an Arne Jacobsen Swan dining table surrounded by retro chairs salvaged from a dump, family hand-me-downs such as the stuffed kudu from Stine’s grandfather, and Asian artefacts, including a giant stone buddha that stands guard outside. “Chinese antiques are popular in Denmark because, in comparison to our light, elegant designs, they are rustic and solid. I find them very settling,” says Stine. → Photograph: Birgitta W Drejer/Sisters Agency

The cabin is freezing in the winter, but they get the original Morsø stove going as soon as they arrive and wear lots of jumpers. “We go for long walks along the beach – the girls find stones, shells, moss and pine cones to make into decorations for here and the apartment. It’s traditional in Denmark to make your own.” → Photograph: Birgitta W Drejer/Sisters Agency

The main event at Christmas is an evening meal on 24 December: the table is decorated with fir tree branches, berries and white flowers. Candles, and lots of them, are essential. But with naked flames, wooden walls, and decorations that could pass as kindling, it’s probably wise to ease up on the punch. Photograph: Birgitta W Drejer/Sisters Agency