Johanne Landbo on summer house memories, the importance of our surroundings, and the art of living simply

In early 2022, Johanne Landbo and her small family made a major life change. They sold their townhouse in Copenhagen, their car, and most of their belongings, and moved to Barcelona. After living in Copenhagen for a couple of years, Johanne—who works as a model—still didn’t really feel at home. So she, her boyfriend Lukas, and their young daughter Magda decided to take some time off.

“It was a huge relief to try something new, get off the hamster wheel, and downsize in terms of square meters and possessions in a new country,” Johanne says. “I’m from Thy and Lukas is from Copenhagen, so we’ve always known that we’d settle in one of those two places when the time came. After moving to Barcelona, we’ve just enjoyed being here and being free from a house and debt. But… One day, of course, the absolute coolest house in the best location right on the water came up for sale in Thy. I’ve always dreamed of living right on the water, and now this opportunity even came at a price where we could get it relatively cheaply. So we made an offer on the house and went back to Thy to see it.”

Even though it might have been a little early to buy a house again—eight months after selling their townhouse—they didn’t want to let this chance slip by. “An opportunity like this only comes once, and since we won’t be in Spain forever, it’s nice to know that our own little adventure by the water is waiting for us. We’ll be staying in Spain for another year or so, though, while the house back home is being renovated.”

> …to open the doors to the garden, let the kids run out into the overgrown garden, sit down with a cup of coffee, put on Jonah Blacksmith on the record player, and soak up the peace and quiet. And I sure as hell learned how to crochet.

There will also be time for quick trips to Denmark before then, though. The family took one of those trips recently while staying at Kalle and Martine’s beautifully decorated summer house in Asnæs.

The Ingredients for a Magical Summer House Vacation

So what makes a summer house vacation magical? When Johanne Landbo talks about their stay at Kalle and Martine’s summer house, wonderful memories come to the forefront:

“My best memories from this vacation have to be opening the doors to the garden, letting the kids run out into the overgrown garden, sitting down with a cup of coffee, putting on Jonah Blacksmith on the record player, and soaking up the peace and quiet. And I actually learned how to crochet. That says a lot about how little we did, but how much we enjoyed it. That’s how summer house vacations should be—everything and nothing should happen,” she says.

> My surroundings mean everything to me. The spaces I’m in need to invite me to relax, enjoy life, and feel inspired. I can’t do that with cluttered countertops, lots of stuff, or dark rooms. Maybe it’s different for others.

But there are also certain elements she looks for when searching for a lovely vacation home to spend her vacation in.

“When we’re on vacation, I really appreciate having enough space to gather the family in the vacation home, that it’s in a lovely location, but also that the interior design appeals to me. Because the visual appeal and atmosphere of the vacation home contribute a lot to the vacation experience for me.”

“So when I’m looking for a vacation home to spend my vacation in, the way the vacation home looks often becomes a deciding factor. The vibe the vacation home gives me. There’s a big difference between privately owned vacation homes with personal touches, memories, and treasures collected over time, and standard corporate rental properties, which are typically furnished with sterile materials designed to withstand use by many guests. I’ll always prefer private vacation homes—without a doubt!”

It’s important to her that the surroundings feel special—that they contribute something.

> The visual elements and the atmosphere in the vacation home contribute a lot to the vacation experience for me

“Surroundings mean everything to me. The spaces I’m in need to invite me to relax, enjoy life, and feel inspired. I can’t do that with cluttered countertops, lots of stuff, or dark rooms. Maybe it’s different for others. I rely heavily on my senses, so for me, it’s more about the choice of materials, light, and atmosphere rather than things and clutter that make me happy. For example, the vacation home we rented has wood paneling on the inside. The bare wooden walls give the room a sense of warmth and tranquility and evoke the feeling of being in the forest.”

“When it comes to design and interior decor, anything goes,” says Johanne. “It can create a mood and a feeling. Whether the space is filled with textiles and soft rugs on the floor that you want to lie down on, or whether the room invites creativity with art on the walls, reclaimed surfaces, and playful materials on display.”

Living More Simply

For Johanne Landbo, one’s surroundings aren’t just an expression of a particular aesthetic direction or taste. It’s also very much about lifestyle. “For me, a simple lifestyle means, for example, surrounding yourself with few things—that is, not being surrounded by all kinds of kitchen appliances, but using a knife, a cutting board, kneading with your hands, cooking from scratch, brewing your coffee on the stove, and so on. You simplify your lifestyle, have fewer choices, and experience less stress,” she explains.

> These days, there are often so many distractions and so much multitasking that we take in so many impressions and actually forget the very basics: breathing and simply being present… We also only own four plates, four sets of knives, one cutting board, one measuring cup, and so on. It’s a bit like living in a motorhome.

“To give an example, the owners of the summer house had placed a record player in the center of the dining room, which encouraged you to put on a record. In a way, it simplifies your music choices—you listen to one record after another and don’t zap around on Spotify among thousands of songs. Down here in Spain, we don’t have a dishwasher, and it can actually be quite mindful to stand there with dishes in your hands and focus solely on washing them.”

“These days, there are often so many distractions and so much multitasking that we take in so many impressions and actually forget the very basics: breathing and simply being present. I think ‘simple living’ can help with that. We also only own four plates, four sets of knives, one cutting board, one measuring cup, and so on. It’s a bit like living in an RV. For half a year, I’ve been using a water bottle as a vase and have only had two towels, so it’s also a bit spartan, haha. But honestly, it’s incredibly educational. You learn just how little you can actually get by with!”

A Passion for Upcycling and “Must-Haves”

On her Instagram profiles, you can clearly sense Johanne Landbo’s passion for interior design and for spotting beautiful materials, artistic details, and atmospheric designs in her surroundings—and for her, part of that passion for interior design and aesthetics is also about the history and sustainability of upcycling.

> On the other hand, it’s important not to just grab everything you can, even if it’s secondhand. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a whole flea market in your own home, and then everything gets lost in the mix and suddenly isn’t so unique anymore.