A Danish Architect’s Japandi Oak Kitchen by Nordiska Kök

If this was the year I could finally give my kitchen the makeover it so desperately deserves, then I’d be taking the Japandi oak kitchen from Nordiska Kök as my inspiration.

The home of architect Lin Frederiksen, her husband and their two children, and part of a larger renovation to gently modernise their 120-year-old red-brick villa in southern Copenhagen, this clever and considered design perfectly combines what a contemporary family kitchen needs to be, while still celebrating the house’s original character.

“We wanted to change as little as possible and choose materials and solutions that would last and age well,” Lin says. Opting for warm oak cabinetry and a textured Jura limestone worktop, this subtle fusion of Scandinavian simplicity and the restrained elegance of Japanese aesthetics, reflects just what she envisioned.

At the same time, this Japandi oak kitchen is highly functional too, and features generous storage, concealed appliances and ample space for cooking. Another defining element, and one of Lin’s favourites, is the horizontal window placed between the upper and lower cabinets. Providing additional natural light, as well as a subtle connection to the garden beyond, it’s another clear example of how great architecture and design can work together to shape the overall atmosphere of a space.

With a commitment to excellence and a passion for innovation, makers Nordiska Kök specialise in manufacturing bespoke, sustainable, and architecturally inspired carpentry at their studio just outside Gothenburg before delivering the results across Europe and the UK.

Continuing the kitchen’s minimalist, pared-back aesthetic across the ground floor, Nordiska Kök also went on to create a matching daybed with drawers in an adjoining room and custom wardrobes in the hallway.

“My interest in architecture grew naturally from my upbringing. Both of my parents are architects, and conversations about space, proportions and functionality were part of everyday life,” Lin says. Describing how that background then shaped the way she experiences architecture, not just as something visual, but as something lived, she adds, “I’m interested in how spaces feel, how they support daily life, and how small decisions can create calm and clarity.”

Designing and building her own home she admits became a way to putting those values into practice. “This house is both professional in its approach and deeply personal in its use,” Lin concludes. “Rather than creating a strong contrast between old and new, the aim was to let the kitchen support the architecture quietly, while accommodating contemporary family life and everyday routines.”