Quirky and Eclectic Interior
Location: Mols, Denmark
Creative styling consultant: Tracy Nors
Photographer: Jesper Nors
A Farm with a Garden
“We were looking for a home with a beautiful garden and with outbuildings large enough to develop into a gallery space and a vintage shop. We stumbled upon our farm by chance whilst driving through the Danish tourist area of Mols Bjerge” Tracy
It is a traditional four winged Danish farm where the main house is from 1913. It is owned by Tracy and Jesper Nors both artists/designers living with their son Indigo and two cats.
The couple spent the first year converting barns to house the business and it was not until much later that they turned their attention to the main house.
80's Time Warp and Signs of Life
When they moved in, the house was stuck in an 80’s time warp, with salmon pink walls, grey and white bathroom with sapeale doors and red plastic handles, dated grey carpets and woodchip everywhere.
“It was a great pity that much of the original fittings and features had been replaced and even worse, that the modernization had taken place in the 80’s ! Fortunately some of the original doors remained; some we found in the barns, others we had to replace using salvage yards to source appropriate materials. Under the carpets we discovered the original floorboards – they where pretty intact if a little worm eaten but this adds to the look and charm,” says Tracy. “The worst thing for me would be to live in a brand new house. I find them soulless and sterile. I like my home to show signs of life and history”
The couple describes their style as very eclectic which reflects their personalities.
“A house to me should say something about the people who live there; it should be individual and somehow unique” says Tracy. Jesper adds: “I also think there should be signs of life, you should be able to see that people occupy the spaces.”
Humour, Charm and Naïvety
Looking around the couple has a wealth of interesting paraphernalia, often with elements of humour or a naïve charm, bordering on kitsch, for example, in the kitchen they have framed up a series of 1950’s
knitting patterns.
“They’re just so funny and charming with their ridiculous poses and typical colours from that time; I laugh whenever I look at them and they’ve been a real talking point with visitors." Tracy
The couple can not imagine a house full of matching things or designed items that many other people have. They find it enjoyable to recycle items and make bits of furniture and artwork themselves. Tracy has created a ‘one off’ lamp, which is an art piece in its own right. 
She has taken a traditional brass lamp and wrapped it in vintage fabric. The shade was reconstructed with 1950s magazine cut-outs, netting and hand sewn details. The trims were made from price tags stained with tea.
“I love it,” says Tracy, “It makes me smile. My own artwork often utilizes recycled materials. It is partly a backlash against a throwaway society but the inherent narratives in used materials also play a great part in my work”
Our Art is for Our Enjoyment
The artworks on the walls are a mixture of their own photographs and paintings, items they have swapped with other artists and flee market finds.
“When we buy art, we buy items we like or items that intrigue us, we worry very little about name, price, return on investment and what other people may think. The art in our house is meant for us and our enjoyment,” says Jesper.
A Blank Canvas Approach
The couples decorating approach is to keep the walls light and add colour through the use of artwork, textiles and furniture.
“It is a blank canvas approach which makes it easy to change the look of the interior,” says Tracy. “It makes it easy to add or remove items and to let the interior evolve with you”
Recycling a Kitchen
“The kitchen has been one of greatest achievements” says the couple. “It was crowded with too many units, cork tiles on the floor, wood chip on the walls and melamine surfaces”
The couple decided to work with what they had and recycle the kitchen. Some units where moved to an adjacent space creating a utility; this freed up wall space where they placed freestanding furniture. The remaining units where given new wood worktops and new handles and they installed a traditional looking porcelain sink.
“Our biggest expense was actually the Smeg oven and the antique bench”
They have achieved a traditional Scandinavian look by using wood cladding on the walls and rough cement skimming. The top of the cladding is finished with a double wood trim and it is this attention to detail that makes the cladding look like it is actually original to the house.
“The kitchen works as an ‘all room’ where our son Indigo can play and friends sit and talk whilst I cook,” says Tracy. ‘In this way, the room really works for us."
The lasting impression of the home is one of personality, it is quirky and celebrates the alternative, with discarded or humble finds often displayed as precious or valuable.