As the creative director of fashion label By Malene Birger and cofounder of rug brand Cappelen Dimyr, Swedish-born Maja Dixdotter has long been a purveyor of quiet luxury. So when she decided to design a country home in Österlen, an area in the countryside of southeast Sweden, it came as no surprise that it would possess that same alchemy.
Maja and her husband, David Holm, grew up in the Swedish countryside, so when they settled full-time into their city apartment in Copenhagen, they planned to one day own a country home to give their two sons a similar experience to their own childhoods. Many factors led them to Österlen, one of which was its optimal location, as it’s situated just one and a half hours from their apartment in Copenhagen. Additionally, the area is characterised by its long stretch of white sand beaches and picturesque agricultural villages. It’s also bustling with charming restaurants, cafés, art galleries, and ceramic studios. As antiquing is one of Maja’s personal passions, the many flea markets and antique dealers in the area proved deeply appealing to Maja.
When the couple stumbled upon their now home, located on a farm built in 1850, it was love at first sight. “Mostly because of its location and surroundings—the view from the house is absolutely magnificent and you can see for miles and miles, with nothing in the way but hills close to the seaside and some [land plots] here and there,” she says. “While the farm was still functioning until not so long ago with cows and vegetables, the main house went down in a fire in the late 1800s and was rebuilt sometime around 1930, which is how it stands today.” Since the house had been uninhabited for many years, it required some renovation. The couple saw it as an opportunity to put their family’s heart and soul into it while still preserving the home’s original details, like with the wooden floors installed by the previous owners. Relying on much of the home’s original materials, their personal touches were accomplished mostly through the addition of thoughtful antique furnishings and decor.
The living room is the heart of the house, as it has a view into all the other rooms on the main floor. It holds some of Maja’s favorite treasures—the landscape painting she inherited from the former owners, old art books she’s collected on her flea market runs, and the table she built together with her father-in-law out of old wood. The irregular-shaped rug is one of the first designs she did when she started Cappelen Dimyr.
“It was important for me that our house is not just embodying a style or a trend, but that it’s real and somewhat ‘off’ here and there,” she explains. “I want every part of the house to feel treasured and [like] we’ve created a purpose for each room with clear areas for breakfast, board games, reading, drinks, and sunset watching.” The dining room is one of her favorite spots in the home as well, as it receives the best light.
“Our Österlen house has become the place for me to go when I’m in the process of starting up a new collection or sketching new rug ideas. It gives [me] the best peace of mind, a feeling of tranquility and inspiration,” Maja says. And for the couple it holds even deeper meaning. “You never know what life will bring,” she says, “but just the thought of us getting old together in this house makes me very happy.”
This article originally featured on Architecturaldigest.com
