Steal This Look: A Characterful Kitchen in Copenhagen

Imagine cooking dinner in a kitchen perched at the top of a centuries-old building in Copenhagen:
crooked beams overhead, worn floorboards underfoot, and in the middle of it all, a sleek run of
sculptural green cabinets that look like they wandered in from an art gallery. That’s the charm
of this characterful Copenhagen kitchen popularized by Remodelista: it’s equal parts history,
color experiment, and family headquarters, wrapped into one compact space.

This kitchen proves you don’t need an enormous footprint or a full gut renovation to create a
high-impact, Scandinavian-inspired space. By mixing modern cabinet fronts, a smart green-and-wood
palette, and small but intentional design gestures, the owners transformed a quirky old apartment
into a kitchen that feels both contemporary and deeply rooted in place. The good news? You can
steal this look almost anywhere, from a city condo to a modest suburban house.

The Story Behind a Characterful Copenhagen Kitchen

Old bones, new soul

The apartment sits high in a 17th-century building, with sloped ceilings, slim windows, and the
kind of architectural wonkiness you only get from centuries of life. Instead of hiding the age,
the design leans into it. The walls and ceilings stay calm and pale, while the kitchen units
themselves do the talking: a bold block of colored cabinetry that visually anchors the room and
makes the odd angles feel intentional rather than awkward.

This contrast between “quiet shell” and “confident insert” is a classic Scandinavian move. U.S.
design magazines often highlight Nordic homes where the envelope remains simplewhitewashed
walls, lime-plastered surfaces, bare floorswhile the furniture and cabinetry bring personality
through color and material. It’s a clever way to respect original architecture while getting a
fresh, modern kitchen that actually functions for everyday life.

Artful cabinets as a focal point

In the Copenhagen kitchen, cabinet fronts designed by Belgian studio Muller Van Severen for the
Danish brand Reform turn the lower run into a sculptural object rather than a standard row of
boxes. Think of it as installing a piece of functional art: clean lines, integrated handles, and
a matte, color-saturated finish that reads more like a design statement than “just cabinets.”

This approachpairing simple Ikea-style carcasses with custom or upgraded frontshas become a
go-to move on U.S. design sites, too. It keeps the budget sane but frees you to experiment with
color, texture, and unusual proportions that standard catalogs don’t offer.

Key Design Moves You Can Steal

1. Go for sculptural green cabinets

One of the defining features of this kitchen is its deep, characterful green cabinetry. Green
has been having a long, well-deserved moment in American kitchens, from inky forest tones to
soft sage. Publications like Elle Decor and The Spruce are filled with examples of green
cabinets paired with white walls, wood accents, and brass hardware for a grounded yet lively
look.

To steal the vibe:

• Choose a nuanced green. Look for an olive, bottle, or sage green with a bit of gray in it so it feels sophisticated, not neon.
• Keep the uppers light or open. In the Copenhagen kitchen, most of the visual weight sits in the lowers. Open shelves or minimal upper cabinets keep the space airy.
• Embrace flat or Shaker fronts. Clean lines help the color shine and fit the Scandinavian feel.

2. Balance color with warm wood and pale walls

The kitchen’s floors and adjacent furnishings bring in warm wood: a mellow, honeyed tone that
plays beautifully with the cool green cabinets. Meanwhile, the walls and ceiling stay bright and
light, reflecting every bit of available daylight. This triogreen, wood, and whiteshows up
repeatedly in Scandinavian kitchen inspiration galleries from both Nordic brands and U.S.
design platforms, because it quietly nails “cozy but modern.”

If your home already has wood floors, you’re halfway there. If not, you can introduce the same
warmth with a wood-topped table, oak bar stools, or a simple butcher-block island.

3. Use brass as jewelry, not armor

Brass hardware and fixtures add a soft, golden glow that works especially well with green
cabinetry. Rather than covering everything in brass, this kitchen uses it sparingly: a tap here,
a handle there, a light fixture in the corner. U.S. sources consistently recommend this
“jewelry, not armor” approach so the metal accents feel special instead of overwhelming.

For a similar effect, pick one or two brass elements:

• Simple bar pulls or knobs on the base cabinets.
• A single statement faucet in unlacquered or brushed brass.
• A pendant lamp or wall sconce with a warm metal shade.

4. Layer open shelving and everyday objects

Another stealable detail: compact open shelving instead of a long wall of bulky upper cabinets.
In the Copenhagen kitchen, everyday objectsplates, glasses, olive oil, a well-loved moka
potbecome part of the décor. This is echoed in many Scandinavian and U.S. kitchens where open
shelves create a relaxed, “we actually live here” mood.

To make open shelves feel intentional rather than chaotic:

• Group items by color or materialwhite ceramics together, clear glasses together, cookbooks in one stack.
• Keep ugly packaging in baskets, canisters, or closed cabinets below.
• Leave some breathing room; negative space is part of the design.

5. Plan a flexible, Copenhagen-scale layout

This kitchen is not massive, yet it feels generous because the layout is ruthlessly efficient:
one strong run of cabinets, integrated appliances, and a dining table doing triple duty as prep
space, homework station, and social hub. Houzz’s Scandinavian kitchen galleries show similar
layouts in small apartments and narrow row houses, where smart storage and clear sight lines
matter more than square footage.

In your own home, look for ways to tighten the working zone, keep tall elements to one side, and
allow as much open floor as possible for circulation and kids underfoot.

How to Recreate the Look on Any Budget

Cabinets: from Ikea hacks to custom fronts

You don’t need a bespoke Danish carpenter to get close to this look. Many homeowners start with
off-the-shelf cabinet boxes from big-box stores or Ikea and then:

• Add higher-end, flat or Shaker fronts in MDF or oak.
• Paint existing doors in a similar deep green.
• Swap out standard hardware for minimal brass pulls.

If your budget is tight, prioritize:

1. Color. A well-chosen paint color can totally transform basic cabinets.
2. Handles. Replacing generic knobs with simple brass pulls instantly elevates the room.
3. Lighting. A single good pendant or sculptural sconce can make the whole space feel curated.

Countertops and backsplash

The Copenhagen kitchen leans toward quiet, light-reflective surfacesthink pale stone, composite
quartz, or even solid-surface counters. A simple backsplash in white tile or subtle stone lets
the cabinets stay the star.

Ideas that echo both Scandinavian and U.S. trend reports:

• Square or subway tiles with light grout for a timeless, almost rustic feel.
• Large-format slabs for a cleaner, modern look (easier to wipe down, too).
• Short “splash ledges” or stone upstands instead of full-height tile if you like things minimal.

Furniture, textiles, and art

The “characterful” part rarely comes from cabinets alone. A simple wooden table, iconic Danish
or mid-century chairs, and a mix of linen textiles go a long way. Add a small rug in a forgiving
pattern, a framed print, or a pinned-up child’s drawing, and suddenly the space feels lived in
and lovedjust like the Copenhagen original.

To stay in the Scandinavian lane:

• Choose natural fibers (linen, cotton, wool) in muted tones.
• Mix one or two design classics (a wishbone chair, a bentwood stool) with simple, affordable pieces.
• Keep clutter edited, but don’t aim for showroom perfection; a few stacks of cookbooks and everyday dishes add warmth.

Living with a Characterful Copenhagen-Style Kitchen

Maintenance and durability

Green cabinets with a matte finish can hide fingerprints better than high-gloss white, but
they still benefit from a durable paint or lacquer. Many homeowners opt for scrubbable,
high-quality paint and seal the most vulnerable edges. Brass hardware will patinate over time;
if you’re not into that “living finish,” look for lacquered or brushed brass alternatives that
stay more consistent.

Function for real families

The inspiration kitchen belongs to a family with young children, which means it has to handle
cereal spills, late-night pasta, and sticky little hands. Open shelves keep daily items within
easy reach, while most of the visual and storage weight lives below counter height. This
approach translates well to busy U.S. households, too: keep heavier storage low, and reserve
eye-level areas for the things you actually enjoy looking at.

Add a few family-friendly details:

• A bench or low stool where kids can sit and “help” stir or chop.
• Deep drawers for plastic containers, lunch boxes, and snacks.
• One sacrificial wall or panel painted in chalkboard paint for notes and doodles.

Experience-Focused Insights: What This Look Teaches Us

Beyond pretty pictures, a characterful Copenhagen-style kitchen offers a handful of practical
lessons that homeowners frequently report after living with similar spaces for a few years.

Lesson 1: Color can be calming, not chaotic

Many people hesitate to choose green cabinets because they worry the color will feel loud or
dated. In practice, when the hue is muted and the rest of the palette is restrained, green ends
up feeling surprisingly calming. Homeowners who’ve gone this route often say the color helps
them feel more groundedespecially on dark winter mornings when the kitchen is lit by lamps and
pendants rather than sunlight. The room feels like a warm cocoon instead of a stark, white box.

Lesson 2: Open shelving changes daily habits

Living with open shelves tends to nudge people toward slightly better daily tidiness. When
dishes and ingredients are visible, you’re more likely to put them back in roughly the same spot
and less likely to hoard chipped mugs you never use. At the same time, open shelving makes it
easier for guests to help themselvesno more “Which cabinet has the glasses?”which aligns
beautifully with the Scandinavian emphasis on casual hospitality.

Of course, open shelves do collect dust. Most people who love them learn to treat a quick weekly
wipe-down as part of the routine, no more annoying than vacuuming or cleaning the cooktop. The
visual payoff often outweighs the extra five minutes of cleaning.

Lesson 3: A small kitchen can feel like a social room

Copenhagen-style kitchens often blur the line between kitchen and living space. The table might
double as a desk, a board-game zone, or a spot for late-night tea with friends. Homeowners who
adopt this model in compact American homes frequently report that their kitchen becomes the most
used, most loved room in the housenot because it’s big, but because it’s designed around human
behavior instead of appliance showmanship.

That’s one of the most powerful takeaways from the Remodelista kitchen: build the room around
how you actually live. If you rarely bake, you don’t need a giant island. If you constantly host
friends, prioritize comfortable seating and good lighting over extra cabinets.

Lesson 4: Imperfection adds character

In older European apartments, nothing is perfectly straight: floors slope, walls wave, beams
dip. Instead of fighting those quirks, the Copenhagen kitchen design embraces them. The modern
cabinetry creates a clean reference line, while everything else is allowed to be a bit wonky and
human. Homeowners who take cues from this approach often end up more relaxed about minor dings,
visible brushstrokes, or slightly uneven tilesthey become part of the story.

When applied to a newer home, this can mean deliberately allowing a mix of finishes and
textures: a slightly rustic table with sleek cabinets, a handmade tile with a few irregular
edges, or a vintage chair with a scuffed leg. The result feels layered and personal rather than
“just installed.”

Lesson 5: A kitchen can reflect both place and personality

Finally, this Copenhagen kitchen is deeply rooted in its city: it pulls from Nordic light,
Danish design traditions, and the owners’ own creative backgrounds. When Americans borrow the
look, the most successful spaces aren’t carbon copies; they’re local translations. Think:
green cabinets and brass hardware, yes, but maybe your art is by a local maker, your pottery is
from a weekend market, and your kitchen table has been in your family for years.

The magic of “steal this look” is not in duplicating every single itemit’s in adopting the
principles: a strong, sculptural cabinet color; a balanced mix of light walls and warm wood;
thoughtful, minimal hardware and lighting; and just enough imperfection to keep things human.
Whether you live in a Brooklyn walk-up, a Texas bungalow, or a Pacific Northwest townhouse, you
can channel the character of that Copenhagen kitchen and make it entirely your own.

Conclusion

The characterful Copenhagen kitchen showcased by Remodelista isn’t just another pretty image for
your inspiration board. It’s a practical blueprint for creating a warm, modern, Scandinavian-style
kitchen in any home: lean into color, keep the shell simple, layer in wood and brass, and let
your everyday life become part of the décor. Steal the look, yesbut more importantly, steal the
attitude that design should be both beautiful and deeply lived in.