Page 48 - Ideal Home - UK (April 2020)

Welcome to my home

THE PROPERTY
A three-bedroom
apartment in Aarhus,
Denmark, bought in 2014.

“ It started as

a single wall here
and there, then
a whole room,
Lene Kesselhahn, until, gradually,
an interior designer, colour took
(lenekesselhahn.dk) over the whole
lives here.
apartment! ”

hen Lene Kesselhahn moved into

her garishly painted lavender blue
apartment 15 years ago, she did what
W we all do – she hastily bought some
white emulsion and painted every room. ‘I probably
wouldn’t do that now,’ she says. ‘I’ve become much
bolder and more adventurous in my colour choices.
Take a quick tour... Today, I would probably keep some of that lavender blue
– it could have been beautiful with the right colours.’
Walking through Lene’s single-level apartment now,

you’ll discover a joyous mix of colours, from soft grey-
green and duck-egg, to cheery grass green and denim
KITCHEN blue. ‘There was no grand plan,’ says Lene, ‘and I didn’t
paint the apartment all at once. It has developed slowly,
and the walls have had many different shades on them

BEDROOM over the years. It started as a single wall here and there,
then a whole room, until, gradually, colour took over the
whole apartment! I go for colours that feel good and
BEDROOM
create the right mood for both body and soul.'
Despite the spectrum of colours she has used, however,
Lene has a clear favourite. ‘I love indigo,’ she says. ‘Each
BEDROOM time I see something in that shade, I have to bring it
home, whether it’s a teapot, a lamp, or the tiles I’ve used
on my desk. But, in principle, all colours are welcome here!
‘I’m always curious to discover what various colours

DINING ROOM look like together, and I enjoy playing with different
combinations. I’m also constantly inspired by what
I see around me. Right now, for example, I’m looking
out of my window and I can see an olive-green tile on
the roof opposite. Another time, it might be the blue-
LIVING ROOM grey tones in the morning haze over a green field.
Whenever colours catch my eye like that, it sparks

inspiration in me and I immediately start thinking,
“where can I use those in my house?”’

46 APRIL 2020 | IDEALHOME.CO.UK