Pernille and Jakob have created their own little family paradise away from the city

How did your love for the summer house lifestyle begin?

:box[title="Her bor",layout="aside",body='Jakob og Pernille sammen med Aya og Cleo. De bor til dagligt i en villalejlighed i Vanløse, og sommerhuset er derfor blevet deres fristed. Det er vigtigt for dem, at sommerhuset ikke er det samme som derhjemme - her skal man kunne mærke og se forskel og komme helt ned i gear. Det er familiens første sommerhus, og alle de små og store renoveringsprojekter er med til at gøre det til en endnu mere spændende rejse. Du kan følge deres sommerhusprofil på Instagram under navnet @husetpaaodden Familien elsker lokalmiljøet i området. Især Odden Fisk, Birkemosegård og den lokale Kaffebar i Havnebyen er et hit for familien. Oplev Pernille og Jakobs sommerhus her'] At first, I didn’t quite see the appeal of yet another place we’d have to take care of, but luckily, Jakob had long dreamed of a place where we could have a little more grass (and sand, for that matter) under our feet. Even though it sounds like a cliché, the pandemic changed my perspective on what it means to be at home. My longing for a change of scenery, fresh air, and—not least—a change of atmosphere really pulled at me, and when we saw the house, I had no doubt that this was something we had to do. We made an offer the very same day we went to see it.

What’s the best part about being at the summer house?

I enjoy pottering around and decorating the house, and I love the walk to the beach. It’s absolutely fantastic to watch my kids riding their bikes on the little paths without having to worry about a car coming barreling down the road. We swing on the swings and collect pebbles, toast marshmallows, and tackle little projects. We cook good food and have a cozy time—that’s one of the best parts. Our big dining table, where we eat all our meals, is definitely my favorite thing up here. This is where we celebrate birthdays, draw pictures, play games, and drink red wine with friends. It’s the heart of the house. Up here, there’s a completely different kind of peace and quiet. It surprises me that I can feel it so strongly.

How have you put your personal touch on the summer house?

Since we took over the house, we’ve done quite a bit to make it as personal and cozy as possible. We tore down the upper cabinets in the kitchen, painted the cabinet doors, installed a new range hood, and ripped up the carpet so we can now see the original hardwood floors. And then, of course, there are all the little knick-knacks. I love great thrift store finds, and I resell quite a few things myself on Instagram, so of course the house is also filled with lovely finds that give it a more personal touch. We’ve set up a swing set and a sandbox and made a hideout under the bottom bunk of the bunk bed, so our girls feel at home, too. It’s important that it feels personal to all of us, because this is where we’re going to make those great memories.

> For us, it’s important that we can share our summer house with others who appreciate the same things we do. We’re not into those big, run-of-the-mill summer houses with huge hot tubs and pool tables. For us, a sense of community, coziness, and personality are the most important aspects of the summer house.

Which of your renovation projects is your favorite?

We’re looking forward to expanding the patio, and hopefully we’ll get to do that this summer. One of the things we’re really happy about is that we power-washed the old brick wall in the living room, so it now has a completely raw look. It suits the house well and complements the rest of the decor nicely. We took on a pretty big project where we built a fire pit in the garden. We hauled large, heavy beach stones back to the house. It took quite a few trips to the beach, but it’s cozy to sit by the fire now and look down at the stones we picked out ourselves. So it was worth all the hard work and effort. We’ve also hauled a lot of heavy furniture to the recycling center or passed it on to other new vacation home owners in the area—we think it’s important to reuse whenever possible. It was great to see a couple of new vacation home owners haul away our massive old sofa, which they planned to use in their outdoor lounge area. It’s great to know that things get a new lease on life this way and bring joy to others.

How did you go from being brand-new vacation home owners to sharing your home on Landfolk?

We were drawn to the fact that the vacation homes are handpicked for being cozy and personal. It’s about having a sense of who will be staying in your second home. For us, it’s important that we can share our vacation home with others who appreciate the same things we do. We’re not into those big, cookie-cutter vacation homes with huge hot tubs and pool tables. For us, a sense of community, coziness, and personality are the most important aspects of a vacation home.

> It’s important that it feels personal for all of us, because this is where we’re going to create those great memories.

What matters most to you about sharing your vacation home on Landfolk?

I’ve realized that I actually find it quite cozy to get everything ready for guests. Everything from a bouquet of fresh flowers to chatting with guests before they arrive. They’re looking forward to staying at our house, enjoying the peace and nature—and that joy rubs off on us. It’s wonderful that there are people who appreciate the house just as much as we do.

What makes the area around your vacation home special?

We’ve visited our friends quite a bit in Odden, and we completely fell in love with the unspoiled and slightly rugged environment, where nothing is polished for the sake of tourists, but instead things stand weather-beaten and somewhat tucked away along the road. Because it’s a somewhat undiscovered part of “vacation home Denmark,” it gives us the feeling of having the place all to ourselves up here.

What are your favorite spots in the local area?

One of our favorite spots is Havnebyens Kaffebar, because it’s run by passionate people who’ve built up this little café in an area where everything is a bit of a gamble. The kiosk selling specialty items, cheeses, and wines—also located in Havnebyen—is worth a visit. At Birkemosegård, you can buy the most delicious organic vegetables and meat, so you can treat your family to a wonderful meal. Of course, there’s also Odden Fisk at the harbor. And yes, it’s no secret that we’re foodies, so that definitely influences our recommendations.