Kitchen of the Week: Restoring 1870s Charm in a Copenhagen Kitchen, Delft Tiles and All

Danish architects Mathias Mentze and Alexander Ottenstein of Mentze Ottenstein maintain a practice rooted in research with a special sentimentality toward historic architecture. Which is why they were enlisted in the renovation and restoration of a large, 275-square-meter apartment in Copenhagen’s Frederiksstaden neighborhood. The building was developed by historic architect Ferdinand Meldahl in the late 19th century in harmony with the surrounding buildings: it faces the famed Marmorkirken (The Marble Church, a rococo-era church also known as Frederik’s Church) and is just near the Amalienborg Palace.

The client, a young woman looking for a home base in Copenhagen, was keen on restoring the original 1870s charm of the apartment. The apartment had been redone in the 1990s with design choices reflective of that era and was designated as a listed building around that time. The architects explain: “When a building is listed in Denmark, it takes effect from the moment the decision is made, including all the non-original details that have been added over the years. This was a challenge as we wanted to bring it back to its original glory, and not how it was changed and damaged up until the 1990s.” Mentze Ottenstein proceeded with extensive research on both Ferdinand Meldhal and on the specific apartment within the building compound. Working with a historic building in Copenhagen required a close dialog with The Danish Agency for Culture responsible for listed buildings. “Everything had to be designed and discussed again and again.”

Photography by David Stjernholm for Mentze Ottenstein.

Above: The ceiling lights are minimal; for something similar, see the Thomas Hoof THPG Minimal Ceiling Socket Porcelain White.

Restoring the apartment was a process of uncovering: revealing original pine plank flooring and stripping back 150-years-worth of paint to original plasterwork details. The kitchen is quintessential Danish elegance and was an opportunity to balance the historic with modernity. “The kitchen had been through a lot of changes, so it was the room with almost nothing to build upon. There was no record of how the original kitchen would have looked like,” explains Mathias. The kitchen is kitted with a custom range surround, custom cabinetry and furniture and a wall of Delft tiles. “The design became a re-imagination of how a kitchen in this kind of apartment might have looked like.”

Above: The work table is made from solid elm with a Carrara marble top. “We wanted the kitchen to have a central work table as you see in old French kitchens. A place to stand and have a coffee, or function as an extra prep station. In general, the table brings focus to the space so you don’t have to stand and cook while facing a wall, as you do in many kitchens.” The sink is a leftover porcelain sink sourced from a local dealer and the kitchen faucet is the Drummonds Mull Classic Bridge Mixer Tap. Above: The countertop, as with cabinetry and other freestanding furniture pieces, is solid elm. Above: All cabinetry and furniture is designed by Mentze Ottenstein and produced by Rammelisten. The cabinets are ash wood, and painted in a custom creamy white Linseed Paint from Linolie & Pigment. In addition to the AGA Electric Range Cooker, the kitchen is equipped with a refrigerator and dishwasher that are both from Miele. Above: The range surround and back wall is designed with antique Delft tiles mixed in with newly-manufactured ceramic tiles. “To create this more architectural element making the stove the centerpiece in the space, the same way a fireplace would be a focal point. We used new Delft tiles in different nuances of white from the company Regts Delft, who also supplied us the antique tiles from the 1700s that we incorporated as historic fragments in the new tile surface.” Above: The original floors were simple pine flooring which had been covered up an oak parquet floor in the 1990s. The architects peeled off the added layer, restored the original pine with a light sanding and only a coat of lye. The kitchen, however, did not retain the original pine floors beneath, so Mentze Ottenstein installed an old floor recovered from a different building to match the surrounding apartment. Above: The brass and bronze cabinet hardware were designed custom for the kitchen by Mentze Ottenstein. Above: The walls throughout the apartment are original plasterwork that were uncovered and left unpainted.

For more from Mentze Ottenstein, see our profile of their work for Dinesen in The House of Dinesen, Reimagined by Copenhagen-based Mentze Ottenstein.

For more of our favorite Copenhagen kitchens, see our posts:

• Kitchen of the Week: A Family Kitchen in Copenhagen with Uncommon Style
• Kitchen of the Week: Everything Is Illuminated in a Light-Flooded Kitchen in Copenhagen
• Kitchen of the Week: Art and Soul in a Copenhagen Kitchen
• Kitchen of the Week: An Architect’s Light-Filled, DIY Copenhagen Kitchen, Ikea Hack Included
• Kitchen of the Week: A Two-Toned Design in Denmark