Home is much more than a physical place filled with physical objects. It is our sanctuary – a space where we can truly be ourselves and that embraces all facets of life. Our homes are where life is lived – good and bad.
Like a work of art, home is always in motion; a personal canvas that evolves over time. The organic process a home undergoes reflects our human journey through life. Over the years, we have had the honour of being invited inside the homes of some remarkable creative individuals who have spoken to us about life’s journey and the role that their home has played in it.
Isis-Colombe Combréas, Paris
CLOSE TO HOME
In the 14th arrondissement of Paris, right on the border to Montparnasse, lies the home of Isis-Colombe Combréas, the founder of MilK Magazine. Isis’ objective when starting MilK was to offer a modern journey into the world of childhood, or as she so succinctly puts it, “to depict the art of family living.”
Spread over three floors, Isis’ home is truly a melting pot of classic and modern design: high ceilings, wide panels and pristine cornices reference the archetypal image of pre-war Parisian architecture, while a pewter-blue resin covers all of the flooring and a network of newly-added metal beams spread throughout the rooms, linking them all together. “The metal beams play a functional role by allowing us to redistribute the spaces and restructure the original floorplan from the 30’s,” Isis explains. “It also introduces an unexpected and modern element into the space. I like to mix modern design with brutalist and vintage pieces.”
Therein lies the magic of this unique Parisian apartment – although it is filled with bold, beautiful design elements, it is all done with a sense of ease and joy. When asked what makes a home, Isis’ answer is simple: “family memories, pieces from our travels and the nonchalant presence of our cat.”
Read the full Home Story here
Kristina Line, Copenhagen
JUST ADD WATER
Architect Kristina Line, who originally hails from Norway, resides in a small boathouse in a quirky, almost hidden area of Copenhagen that is situated right by the waterfront of the city’s busy Harbour area. Having designed and renovated the home from scratch together with her architect partner Anton, the couple’s home is filled with wood detailing, natural materials and soft shapes.
From the living room, which is also her favourite spot in the home, Kristina can look out onto the water while the afternoon sun filters through the curtains: "Me and Anton both grew up close to the water and have always had a dream of living by the water again". She explains that their entire home is bathed in a magical, glowing light just before the sun sets over the Copenhagen skyline. "Home to me is a place where I can feel comfortable, protected and disconnect from the world outside. It is a place for calmness, warmth and serenity. It also functions as a base for my everyday adventures, and it is a place where I feel inspired. Here, I can create. Most importantly, home is a place to invite friends and family and neighbours over to share a good meal, make memories and plans for the future".
Read the full Home Story here
Linda Ring, Stockholm
BREAD HOUSE
In a 1940’s funkis house overlooking the water in the borough of Stora Essingen, a small island in the centre of Stockholm, resides the multi-talented creative, Linda Ring. Linda is a freelance creative who works as a photographer and interior stylist, and has added a somewhat unconventional title to her resume, namely that of Bread Artist. Linda engraves beautiful, whimsical faces into dough, that once baked, resemble pieces of art that could be taken straight out of the Hellenic era of an art gallery.
Linda’s home, much like her bread art, is an extension of her artistic inclinations and is filled with vintage finds, unique details and classic Swedish design elements: “I wish I were one of those people who could say that their home is just where their family is. Even though that’s partly true – they are the most important part of my home – I’m too much of an aestheticist to not care what my home looks like. I feel physically unwell in unpleasant environments – but on the other hand, every second spent in a beautiful environment is a delight for me. It doesn’t have to be luxurious, but there should be nice materials, thoughtful details and a sense of soul. It takes time and effort to create a harmonious home, but it’s worth it.”
“It doesn’t have to be luxurious, but there should be nice materials, thoughtful details and a sense of soul. It takes time and effort to create a harmonious home, but it’s worth it.”
Linda Ring, Bread Artist
Read the full Home Story here
Julie Daoust Baker, Toronto
A SCANDINAVIAN SENSIBILITY
As one half of the team behind the lifestyle shop and gallery, Mjölk, in Toronto, Canada, Juli Daoust Baker views her work as an extension of her home – a position made easier by the fact that it’s situated right above her workplace. Inside, light colours, natural materials and thoughtful details combine to create a serene oasis with a distinctly Scandinavian and Japanese design aesthetic.
When at home, the family spends most of its time gathered around the kitchen table, a room that – like much of their home – is brimming with light-coloured oak, leafy greenery and a curated selection of antiques and curio. “I am a homebody and I find that my nervous system is easily overstimulated,” Juli tells us, “so the elements I require in my home are access to natural light, my family and a calm, quiet atmosphere – even though this is a constant battle with pets and kids. We committed to pieces we knew we wanted for the long run, classics in natural materials like white oak and natural leather – pieces that would show patina as they age and tell the story of our family.”
Read the full Home Story here
Kethevane Cellard, Paris
FAMILY TREE
In the Parisian suburb Arcueil lies a house initially intended as a woodshop when it was built over a century ago. Now, the industrial loft-style house with exposed red brick, large skylight windows and steel beams is the home of artist Kethevane Cellard. After a visit, we feel that to understand Kethevane’s one-of-a-kind home, one must first understand her art.
As it often is, art is never straightforward, and Kethevane explains that there are days where inspiration seems far away. However, emerging into deep thought as she reads, takes notes, sketches in her notebook and draws, ideas eventually come. In her workroom, which is also the living room, hangs a large pinboard. To visualise where to go next and which forms to bring to life, Kethevane always pins everything onto it. Once it is decided what to continue working on, Kethevane begins to shade her new forms patiently using fountain pens or carefully carve them in wood with gouges.
When asked what home means to her, Kethevane leans back and quietly reflects before answering: “Home to me is a place where I can find peace and rest. But it should also be a place to welcome friends. Both are equally important to my sense of home. Home is also where my ever-evolving art collection is. Even though I have never had a big budget to buy art, the pieces I own are either exchanged or bought from other artists. My collection is a mix of prints, a few originals, some ceramics and works on paper. The way I have arranged them in my home is subjective; they just feel right together, like they are in conversation with one another.”
Read the full Home Story here
Mikkel Dahlstrøm, Copenhagen
LESS IS MORE
Ever since photographer and aesthete Mikkel Dahlstrøm moved to Copenhagen in 2019, he has worked on transforming his new build flat in Sfinxen, a modern skyscraper, into a cosy and charming home with room for him and his partner, Frederik, to relax and unwind.
For many people, big city living equals a tiny living space, and Mikkel's flat is a stunning example of how to live both aesthetically and functionally in a limited space: “I think the key to small living is being highly selective. If something new comes in, something else has to go. Things have to work and be practical here, but they also have to look good. That's why I decorate my surroundings in a relatively minimalist way, so that it always looks fairly tidy.”
Even if you practise ’small living’, cosiness is something that Mikkel believes you should always consider in your interior design plans, regardless of how you live: “For many years I had forgotten about cosiness and was only concerned with everything looking great. But today I know that, first and foremost, my home has to be a place where I can relax and find the tranquillity that allows me to generate new ideas and continue to develop creatively.”
“For many years I had forgotten about cosiness and was only concerned with everything looking great. But today I know that, first and foremost, my home has to be a place where I can relax and find the tranquillity that allows me to generate new ideas and continue to develop creatively.”
Mikkel Dahlstrøm, Photographer & Aesthete
Read the full Home Story here