A Night at The Apartment During The Residency by Studioilse // Copenhagen, Denmark.

There are certain experiences that have a profound effect on us, that shape our lives. As someone who has a personal history with Copenhagen & Denmark (my family and I lived there for nearly 2 years, 20 years ago, as refugees of war in Bosnia), I can truly say that getting the opportunity to visit Copenhagen 20 years later, has been just that for me. It has given me the chance to, for once in my life, take a little moment to acknowledge how far I’ve come, how fortunate I am, and how much there is to be grateful for. I usually hate cliches and motherhood statements like this, but in this case there is no other way to say it.

In the lead up to the trip, I received a press release from The Apartment – who were at the top of my hit-list – stating that Ilse Crawford of Studioilse was doing a special residency which was launching only days before my arrival to Copenhagen. JACKPOT! Words cannot explain how excited I was to know I was going to experience Crawford’s magic first hand. My excitement escalated significantly once I found out that myself and my #GreatDesignTour2014 buddies were going to The Apartment for a very special dinner!!! I believe my reaction was along the lines of – Are you f*cking serious? I am going to lose my $hit!!! Not a word of lie.

I talked about my love of Ilse Crawford and her work a number of times on these pages. The woman is my idol. Her thinking and her vision turn me on big time. So yeah, my expectations of this evening were pretty massive to say the least. In fact, I pre-warned some of my travel buddies about the good old Dana cry-o-meter (i.e. my tendency to cry when I’m moved by profound talent and beauty), explaining there was a good chance I would go quiet and hide in the corner for a while until the tears dried up and I regained my strength and my ability to speak. Which is precisely what happened. Boom! (p.s. this was the first time ever I was able to predict that Dana cry-o-meter might strike – normally I’m caught off-guard which is most inconvenient as I don’t own a waterproof mascara).

View to the Study retreat and details from the Living Room during The Residency by Ilse Crawford at The Apartment. Photo © Dana Tomic Hughes / Yellowtrace.

The Living room at The Apartment. Photo © Dana Tomic Hughes / Yellowtrace.

Details from the Living Room and view to The Study at The Apartment. Oh boy. Photo © Dana Tomic Hughes / Yellowtrace.

Details from the Living Room & Study. Can we please talk about the framing of the art? Sick. Photo © Dana Tomic Hughes / Yellowtrace.

The Apartment is a design gallery, set within a glorious 18th century apartment in Christianshavn, in the heart of Copenhagen, restored by it’s founders Tina Seidenfaden Busck and Pernille Hornhaver. The concept and pieces are edited with an international point of view, exhibiting designers such as Michael Anastassiades, Ilse Crawford, McCollin Bryan and Larusi rugs, alongside handpicked vintage furniture and contemporary art. Studioilse inhabited the gallery for 2 months, transforming it into what genuinely looked like a private home where one could purchase everything from the art on the walls to the carefully curated selection of furniture, lighting and textiles.

Two new Studioilse designs made their debut at The Residency, including the Ilse Sofa for George Smith and the Brass Cabinet for Jack Trench. Studioilse’s furniture collections for De La Espada and the Ilse collection for Georg Jensen also featured in the space, bringing the pieces to life in a real setting that encourages their use. The Apartment hosted gifted, young chef Frederik Bille Brahe of Atelier September for a series of kitchen dinners, aimed to encourage discussion among friends, strangers, experts and curious casual observers.

Details from the Study & Library retreat. Photo © Dana Tomic Hughes / Yellowtrace.

Library retreat featuring a hammock during The Residency by Ilse Crawford at The Apartment. Photo © Dana Tomic Hughes / Yellowtrace.

Beautiful bedroom at The Apartment during The Residency by Ilse Crawford. Photo © Dana Tomic Hughes / Yellowtrace.

Beautiful bedroom at The Apartment. And yes, I do love my shoes. Photo © Dana Tomic Hughes / Yellowtrace.

The Kitchen & Dining Room at The Apartment where dinner was served during Studioilse’s residency. Photo © Dana Tomic Hughes / Yellowtrace.

The Kitchen & Dining Room at The Apartment. Notice all the beautiful little details on the window sill, and that postcard view out. Photo © Dana Tomic Hughes / Yellowtrace.

I have eternal gratitude for this entire trip and this evening in particular. To say it was divine would be an understatement. No amount of superlatives can express the beauty and special nature of this experience. It was everything (to me), and more. In fact, everything I adore converged into a single, perfectly executed space, and it made me feel so close to my design idol. How was I supposed to not cry?

Moving through The Apartment, taking in all the pieces by Michael Anastassiades, Muller van Severen, Hilda Hellström, Vittorio Bonacina and others, I felt as though I was having a conversation with Ilse in person. Call me crazy, but that’s how I felt. On a personal level, I had a little tear for the old Dana who left Copenhagen 20 years ago, and felt immensely proud of the one that returned to this fine city 20 years later. I felt deeply humbled, yet powerful and – quite literally – on top of the world. Yes, it was pretty major. Sheesh, this is getting pretty personal you guys, so I hope all this isn’t overstepping the line and making you gag. I apologies if it has.

Always,
Mama Yellowtrace xx

(Good images courtesy of Studioilse. Crappy iPhone 5 photos by Dana Tomic Hughes / Yellowtrace.)

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A Night at The Apartment During The Residency by Studioilse // Copenhagen, Denmark.