Info
Official Name : Finn Juhl’s House (Part of Ordrupgaard Museum)
Address : Kratvænget 15, 2920 Charlottenlund, Denmark
Type : Architect and Furniture Designer’s Private Residence (Currently a Museum)
Year of Completion : 1942
Architects : Finn Juhl
Opening Days :
Tuesday ~ Sunday (Closed on Mondays / Subject to seasonal changes)
Opening Hours :
Typically 11:00 ~ 17:00 (Aligned with Ordrupgaard Museum hours, but entry to the house may be regulated)
Admission :
Included in the Ordrupgaard Museum ticket (Adults 130 DKK / Under 18 Free)
Visitor Tips :
– Entry may be limited to small groups to protect the interior and furniture.
– Shoe covers must be worn inside.
– Weekends can have long wait times, so visiting on weekday mornings is recommended.
– Be sure to also visit the Art Park and the modern extension of the museum designed by Zaha Hadid.
Official Links
Introduction
Finn Juhl, the father of Danish design and a leader of the golden age of furniture design in the mid-20th century, left behind more than just a home. Nestled in the quiet woods of Charlottenlund, north of Copenhagen, “Finn Juhl’s House” is a massive, cohesive work of art that embodies his design philosophy. Built in 1942 by the young architect for himself, this house served as his actual residence until his passing in 1989 and is now evaluated as the essence of Nordic Modernist architecture.
While conventional architects often established a building’s exterior and structure first before filling in the interior, Juhl adopted the exact opposite approach. He held a firm conviction that “a house must be designed from the inside out.” In other words, he first envisioned where his sculptural chairs and tables would be placed, calculated the light and space that would make those pieces look most beautiful, and only then erected the walls and windows. Consequently, this house is not merely a vessel containing furniture, but takes the form of a “Gesamtkunstwerk” (total work of art) where furniture, space, light, and color achieve a perfect organic harmony.
Reminiscent of a small cabin in the woods, this modest L-shaped single-story structure may appear to be a typical Danish home from the outside. However, the moment one steps inside, they experience a completely different dimension of spatial sense. The structure, where spaces flow naturally into one another without closed doors, the greenery of the garden brought deep indoors through the windows, and Juhl’s unique warm and bold color sense, offer visitors both comfort and artistic inspiration. Here, masterpieces that remain in design history, such as the Chieftain Chair and the Poet Sofa, are vividly preserved as they were placed and used in actual life. Finn Juhl’s House is not simply a legacy of the past; it is a living textbook that silently speaks to how humans interact with space and what true relaxation really means.
Architectural History
1942: Finn Juhl, at the age of 30, purchases the land with an inheritance from his father and designs and completes his own home.
1940s ~ 1950s: During his prime, major furniture pieces like the Chieftain Chair are designed for or placed in this house.
1989: Finn Juhl passes away. His second wife, Hanne Wilhelm Hansen, continues to live in the house.
2008: Hanne Wilhelm Hansen passes away. In accordance with her will, the house and all its internal furniture and art are donated to the state, preserved exactly as they were.
April 2008: Officially incorporated as part of the Ordrupgaard Museum and opened to the public.
Present: Operated as a pilgrimage site for people around the world who love Danish design.
Architectural Features
① Designing from the Inside Out
The core thesis of Finn Juhl’s architecture is the approach of designing “from the inside out.” While the majority of modernist architects prioritized the facade and structural aesthetics of a building, Juhl placed the utmost priority on the experience of the “interior space” where the resident stays. He determined the layout of the furniture for each room first. For instance, he sketched what sofa would sit in front of the living room fireplace or what light should fall on the desk in the study before anything else. The furniture becomes the protagonist of the space, and the architecture (walls, floors, ceilings) volunteers as a background that embraces and highlights the furniture. As a result, the floor plan of Finn Juhl’s House is composed very organically according to function. The size and shape of the rooms were not determined by standardized modules, but by the scale of the furniture and the actions that would take place there. This is a stark example showing how precisely architecture can respond to the human body and movement.
② Open Plan & Flow
Despite being built in 1942, Finn Juhl’s House demonstrates a surprisingly modern “Open Plan” structure. Upon entering, the living room, dining room, and study are naturally connected like flowing water without being demarcated by distinct doors. However, it is not simply an open one-room format. Juhl attempted psychological spatial division through changes in floor levels (skip floors), variations in ceiling height, or the arrangement of furniture. For example, when moving from the living room to the “Garden Room,” which connects to the garden, the design requires stepping down slightly, setting a different hierarchy for the space. This flow allows the resident to feel the unique coziness of each space without feeling isolated anywhere in the house. Because there are no visual blockages, the space appears much wider and deeper than its actual small footage suggests.
③ Mastery of Light
In Nordic architecture, “light” is an element directly linked to survival. Finn Juhl displayed a genius sensibility in drawing natural light into the house. He did not stop at simply installing large windows facing south. He meticulously calculated the position and size of windows so that the morning light, afternoon sun, and evening sunset would illuminate specific points in the house according to the sun’s path. Some windows are installed low, almost touching the floor, to illuminate the soil and grass of the garden, while others are pierced high near the ceiling to pour in skylight. Regarding artificial lighting, he avoided direct light and utilized pendant lamps with shades or indirect lighting to create soft, warm “pools of light.” Consequently, at night, the house transforms into a warm island floating in pitch darkness, and the curves of the furniture come alive more three-dimensionally, mingling with the shadows.
④ Color Theory (Goethe’s Influence)
While many think of “White & Wood” when imagining Nordic interiors, Juhl’s house is colorful enough to be called a feast of colors. He believed that “a room without color is a dead room.” deeply influenced by Theory of Colours by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the German writer and color researcher, he applied the psychological effects of color to the space. He painted ceilings in pale yellow or warm beige to give the cozy feeling of being inside a tent, or used orange or red tones in spaces that might feel cold to breathe warmth into them. Conversely, for the study or specific walls where concentration was needed, he boldly used deep turquoise or navy blue to add depth. This color combination harmonizes with the teak wood tones of the furniture to complete the unique aesthetic atmosphere of Finn Juhl’s House.
⑤ Borrowed Scenery: Bringing Nature In
Finn Juhl’s House is structured in an L-shape where two buildings meet at a right angle, allowing views of the courtyard garden from anywhere in the house. Juhl collaborated with landscape architect Troels Erstad to design the house and garden to be one. The windows become frames, pulling the changing seasonal landscapes of the forest indoors. An interesting point is that the level of the indoor floor is almost similar to the ground level of the garden. This blurs the boundary between indoors and outdoors, creating the illusion of sitting right in the forest. The arrangement where the colors of the plants seen through the window correspond with the colors of the interior furniture is also remarkable. For Juhl, the garden was an extension of the house, and the house was the most comfortable spectator seat for admiring nature. This house demonstrates the humility of Danish architecture, which permeates nature modestly rather than conquering or overwhelming it.
Source Caption
"The information in this post is based on the official website of Ordrupgaard Museum and architectural resources. Please check the latest operation information before visiting."
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