The personal home

Troldtekt villa in Hjortshoej
Photo: Helene Høyer Mikkelsen, architect MAA

A house close to nature and built using materials you might find in a country cottage were two of the family’s priorities for their new home. The result is a charming property in Hjortshøj Denmark with many wood surfaces that age beautifully complemented by materials such as concrete floors and Troldtekt ceilings. In the kitchen at the heart of house, marble has also been used.


Daylight also shapes the rooms, with lines running through the home opening up towards the garden, while the skylight in the kitchen and the all-dominating glass area overlooking the garden allow natural light to flood in.

A strong connection between home and nature

Despite its location in a new residential district, there is a strong connection between the interior and exterior environments, a key attraction being the woods in the garden to the rear. The door to the garden is often left open, with the area beneath the overhang creating an extra room. Here, Troldtekt on the ceilings connects the living room with the covered outdoor veranda to create a strong sense of coherence.

Architect Rasmus Bak from Baks Arkitekter says that acoustics were also an important priority for the family and Troldtekt’s textural surface complements the overall design. “We chose large-scale formats with a random brickwork style to create a calm and integrated surface.”

Rasmus Bak also says that the work which has gone into the details – the materials, the light and the spatial relations – is what brings everything together to create a very personal family home based on a human scale and one to cherish.