I had the chance to chat with our friend Marissa, who recently moved from London to Copenhagen. She is a friend of Madeine’s from college. Marissa is from Chicago, went to school in Pennsylvania, and lived in NYC before moving to London. Now, she’s happily landed in Copenhagen. You can see here London flat in this post: A Beautiful London Flat with Exquisite Organization
I admire Marissa’s bravery in setting off to a new country to work and create a home. After three years in London, she moved to Copenhagen. She has some great tips on setting up an apartment when you are far from home. Starting when she was living in college, Marissa realized that buying new to have for the moment didn’t age well. Instead, Marissa explained that she likes her space to feel collected over time, where pieces have their own story. She talks about using the same methodology in creating a home and how she dresses. She adds items “bit by bit,” not letting anything overpower her personal style.
When Marissa was packing up and moving to Copenhagen, she carefully packed two suitcases full of her favorite ceramics and glassware. She unpacked them the moment she arrived at her apartment. She knew it would be weeks before her boxes arrived, but these pieces would immediately make her new space feel like home.
Whenever I share someone’s personal space, I like to send a few questions to get us statrted. And, when I ask these questions, I kind of look around and answer them myself, to see if things have change. People’s answers to these questions really make you think. It’s why I love doing home tours.
How long have you lived in your current home? Location?
I’ve lived in my apartment in this 110 year old apartment building in Copenhagen, Denmark for three months. I found it on a Danish rental site while still living in London and moved in straight from the airport!
When looking for an apartment, I was interested in finding a space that had charm and didn’t look like the apartment could be in any international city. My other criteria was that the apartment didn’t have a ‘Copenhagen bathroom’… (see note at the bottom if you are wondering about a ‘Copenhagen bathroom.’)
Where do you find your inspiration?
I find most of my interior design inspiration on Instagram and TikTok – I follow tons of design and furniture accounts, as well as people who similarly intentionally curate their spaces.
What is your home’s biggest challenge?
My home doesn’t have too many challenges, luckily! I wish I could play around with furniture placement to transform the space, but there’s limited ability to move pieces around because of where the doors and radiators are. In lieu of that, I can change up the vignettes of the decorations when I’m looking for a refresh.
It was news to me upon moving to Denmark that it’s common for the tenant to need to set up their own electrical for ceiling lighting, so it’s been a process getting the lamps installed.
What is your favorite element in your home?
I love how bright the apartment is with window exposure on both sides and the light, long wood floor panels. To me, feeling comfortable in a space is the pinnacle of Scandinavian design, which I think I have achieved, but I’d also love to add in some more structural pieces and harder materials like chrome to counterbalance down some of the feminine, more delicate elements.
If any, what is the DIY project you are most proud of?
The apartment came with big furniture like the bed, futon, and dining table set (which was a draw when selecting this place). Upon arriving, I quickly went on a mission to fill in the missing pieces like the ottoman, red shelving, bedside table, kitchen stool, etc. I scoured Facebook Marketplace and trekked across the city for a couple weeks picking up the pieces and carrying them (with more determination than embarrassment) on public transportation back to my apartment.
What’s your biggest indulgence?
When exploring my home city or when traveling, I love picking up books and small prints that I can add to my collection and remind me of the place I found it. Having just packed up and moved all my belongings across countries, I think I’m set on buying more books for at least a little while, but I need to frame and hang up a few small poster prints that I’ve gathered over the last couple of years.
Are there any sources you are willing to share?
I haven’t done anything out of the box and have certainly furnished my place with a functional mindset and at an accessible price point, especially while being transient in nature as an expat. I turn to H&M and Zara Home, and IKEA (surprise!), for odds and ends, but I love browsing Liberty London and Svenskt Tenn for inspiration though before looking for more budget-friendly options.
…these pieces would immediately make this new space start to feel like a home I could shape.
Marissa, I could not agree more! It’s the little things we’ve collected along the way that make a home. Each piece has a memory and those make us feel safe and cozy even in a new home in a new country! I am so grateful that you would share your home and experiences of moving from country to country with MLT readers again!
Note: I had to do a little Google search to determine what Marissa meant by Copenhagen bathroom. Here is what I found. Apparently, it is not uncommon for a bathroom to be so tiny that the toilet, sink, and shower are all in such a small space that there’s no room for a shower curtain.
What a charming apartment! Loved this interview Annie!