Copenhagen Pencil Factory Sharpened Up

A former pencil factory has been sharpened up by a couple with a passion for design, art, and music. Owner of the Danish design company Vipp, Jette Egelund, welcome us inside her 340m2 Copenhagen home that enjoys a vast roof terrace and garden overlooking the Copenhagen canal from the industrial area of Islands Brygge.

THE AREA
Islands Brygge is an old industrial harbor area in Copenhagen. Today it is a mix of modern private housing, offices, and industry. An inspiring environment surrounded by traditional manufacturing workshops, steel workshop, Copenhagen Furniture carpentry, an old bike workshop, galleries, and band rehearsal rooms. From the grand roof terrace added to the building in 2016, Jette and Mogens have view to Copenhagen Canal where Jette every morning jumps into ‘Havnebadet’, a bathing establishment by Bjarke Ingels Group. Jette is a frequent visitor both during summer and winter. Also, in eyesight is the headquarters of Vipp, that Jette co-owns with two children.

THE APARTMENT
340m2 are divided over two floors. The ground floor boasts a grand open space combining living room, kitchen, and dining area; only one large bedroom in open connection to the bathroom; an office; and biblioteque filled with musical nodes. First floor consists of an open space living room with fireplace where grand sliding window doors give access to a 320m2 roof terrace and conservatory.

Arcgency, a Danish Architecture practice withstood the renovation of the apartment adding the first floor and terrace structure to the existing flat roof. A broad staircase in steel connects first and second floor and keeps the industrial vibe of this former Viking pencil factory alive. As a nod to its industrial history, the freight elevator, iron doors and pillars reach the high ceiling keep the industrial vibe intact.

THE INTERIOR
The interior reflects the owners’ interest in design, art, and classical music. The owners hired interior designer, Julie Mølsgaard to sharpen up the interior and find the right spot for a vast art and furniture collection. Modern design furniture, antiquities, art pieces, and family heirloom enter a harmonious mix and convey a homey atmosphere. The open space apartment has big windows, bright walls, and enough room to gather the whole family. Jette Egelund is the daughter of Vipp founder, Holger Nielsen, and growing up and working with long lasting industrial design, you will not find many fashionable period items here. Instead, she picks quality over trends when it comes to interior. She favors the everlasting products from Danish and foreign designers.

THE KITCHEN
“It’s a pleasure to live with products from your own company. I find it a privilege to test-drive our own products”. The black steel kitchen from Vipp stands in heavy contrast to the wooden floors from Dinesen and the light oak table and chairs also from Vipp.

“I often imagine what my father would say, if he saw me cooking in a Vipp kitchen. In his lifetime, a variation of bins was the product line. Today we are ranging from a hook to a hotel concept and from a soap dish to a modular sofa system.”

Type of home: A two-story, 340m2 apartment that is part of the old, restored Viking Pencil factory.
Where: Copenhagen Apartment, Islands Brygge
Year built: The building is from around 1930. In 2016, the apartment was renovated to its current state.
Architect: Arcgency
Interior design: Julie Mølsgaard