A Tour of Danish Designer Henning Koppel's Family Home

Danish designer Henning Koppel is known for his work with Georg Jensen, having designed some of their most well-known silver pieces in the post-WWII period. Koppel, who was Jewish, was forced to flee German-occupied Denmark in 1943. He spent 1943 – 1944 in Stockholm with his family, where he saw success as a jewellery designer for Svenskt Tenn.

When he returned to Denmark at the close of the war in 1945, Koppel began working with Georg Jensen. He also designed lamps for Louis Poulsen and porcelain for Bing & Grøndahl, cementing him as one of the most important and imitated Danish interior product designers of this period of Scandinavian design.

His family home, now occupied by his eldest daughter, ceramicist Hannah Koppel, is a shining example of how it takes more than good design to make a house a home. Walking through the space, which also functions as Hannah’s studio, it’s not the classic design that stands out (although that’s pretty great), it’s the sense of family, love, and history that permeates every corner. It is clearly a home that has been built over many decades.

So often, we want to design our homes immediately; it should be photo-ready the day we move in. But that’s not realistic or necessary. Building an interior that speaks to the ebbs and flows of your life is a longer process, and ultimately more rewarding.

The Koppel home, situated on a cliff overlooking the water, just north of Copenhagen, is full of art that is both important and priceless; pieces by Matisse and Miro sit next to work by Hannah’s grandchildren. A wall of windows overlook the water and light streams in throughout the day. It’s easy to imagine inspiration striking Henning Koppel in this space. In fact, it was impossible not to feel inspired as we explored the rooms.