The Author’s House – An everyday office getaway

One thing I’ve come to realise over this last year, is just how valuable having my own workspace is, not just in terms of getting things done, but as a place for me to find inspiration, to reflect and to create.

Yet with my husband and his sticky notes now taking up permanent residence in what was to be our shared home office pre-lockdown, a five-year-old that seems to be pretty much everywhere, as well as furry family members asleep on any and every available chair, you will forgive me for dreaming of someday having my very own, ‘Author’s House’.

The latest project from Danish architecture firm SLETH, for an author who wanted to build her very own everyday office getaway, the Author’s House is located in a forest near Aarhus. A part of Denmark my family and I adored visiting back in 2019 and cannot wait to return too soon.

Due to the site lying in a protected area of natural beauty, the new building is perfectly placed on what was an existing plinth, with its striking dark copper façade picked to beautifully blend in with the beech trees that surround it.

Carefully designed as a workspace, rather than a classical holiday home, the living space in which the client works takes up most of the available space. Boundaries are blurred with bookcases acting as walls, as well as all the doors opening out, to bring those awe-inspiring natural views inside.

The Author’s House distinctive connection to the landscape that surrounds it, is also reiterated in the choice of materials used for the interior too. The stone floors are geothermal heated, creating a comfortable environment in which to work all year around, and Dinesen solid Douglas wooden planks have been used to cover the ceilings, frame the windows and create the kitchen and staircase. Leftover planks where also used for additional pieces of furniture.

Set alongside that dazzling Yves Klein inspired cobalt blue paint finish, and with its rich gold detailing, I certainly wouldn’t mind getting away to this warm and comfortable workspace any day of the week.