We put our feet up and enjoy having a breather where we can allow ourselves to do whatever we want

When and why did you buy the summer house?

“It’s been in Gitte’s family since 2005, but they live in Spain most of the time, so it was gradually passed on to us. It’s been ours since 2017. I (Mikael, ed.) am a self-employed architect, and Gitte is an interior stylist, and we’ve personally overseen a very extensive renovation and expansion project, during which we’ve been extremely selective in our choice of materials—most of which are recycled. We’ve used some of what was in the original house, and then we’ve combined it with finds from the area and tips from locals who heard we were looking for building materials. Our latest find is some eight-inch beams from the Siamese Collection at the old town hall in Ebeltoft.”

What’s the first thing you do when you arrive?

“It actually starts before we arrive at the summer house, because we always prepare in advance and have bought everything we’ll need so we don’t have to step outside. We live in Egå, which is 35 kilometers away. We think it’s a pretty perfect distance—the drive is long enough that we feel like we’re really away when we’re away, but without having to drive for two hours. As we get closer and closer to the house, we can feel our heart rates slow down, and it’s a wonderful feeling. In the winter, we light the wood-burning stove, and in the summer, we open all the sliding doors and let the scents from the garden fill the house. Alberte Winding’s “Lyse nætter” is the house’s inner song, because it best describes what the house is all about.”

What are your rituals at the summer house?

“Somehow, we always end up out on the terrace, which overlooks a small lake. It’s as if it draws us all in, and you haven’t really settled in until you’ve been there. Before the renovation, the house wasn’t oriented that way, but it just makes sense that it sort of ‘faces’ the lake, the sun, and the horses in the field, which we also often visit with some carrots. It helps create this feeling that, even though we’re a 10-minute walk from the center of Ebeltoft, we’re out in the countryside, out in the greenery, where we have this rural idyll.”

> There’s time to get to know each other better; the conversations take on a different depth, and we hadn’t even expected that when we took it over

What do you allow yourselves to do at the summer house that you would otherwise never do in your daily lives?

“We probably live more by the principle of forgiveness rather than permission. We allow ourselves to be guided by our desires, which means we can sleep in, go to bed late, get up and watch the sunrise, sleep in different spots on the property and wake up in a new place, eat when we’re hungry, and all those kinds of things. It’s a well-worn term, but ‘anti-everyday life’ describes it really well. We put our feet up and enjoy having a breather where we can allow ourselves to do those kinds of things.”

What has surprised you most about owning a summer house?

“There’s time to get to know each other better; our conversations take on a different depth, and we hadn’t really expected that when we first took it over. I think it’s because time feels different here. We’re in a different gear here, without to-do lists or laundry.”

What’s the next thing you’d like to do at your summer house?

“We’ve actually agreed among ourselves to put all our ideas and projects on hold so we can enjoy the house as it is right now. But we do have plans for a small annex on the other side of the lake so we can accommodate even more overnight guests. In addition, we’re also planning to restore a large fire pit—which was there before the renovation—to its original state. We’ll need a shelter for it, so people can end their evenings by the fire once the sun has set behind the hill and spend the night there.”

What’s the best food to enjoy at the summer house?

“Anything that goes well with aioli. We love eating those kinds of Mediterranean-style finger foods on the terrace. When the sun sets in the southwest, it reflects off the lake and creates this shimmer up under the ceiling of the covered terrace, which enhances the Mediterranean atmosphere. Gitte is a vegetarian, so we also enjoy grilling lots of vegetables.”