The architect lived here himself and had a studio in the house, which he conceived and designed so the house could merge with its surroundings to create a bright and spacious home. He succeeded and Fladbrohus made the front page of the Danish interior design magazine BO BEDRE in June 1966, which included an elaborate description of the home.
The architect later sold it to a family who lived there until Pia and Daniel Bylling-Westergaard bought it a few years ago, and immediately began a sweeping, but gentle renovation. The couple have a profound passion for architecture and were never in doubt that they would refurbish the house, rather than tear things down to build something new! The family are devoted to a sustainable lifestyle and give high priority to architectural preservation and home refurbishment – and they hope that their refurbishment of Fladbrohus will inspire others to embark on similar projects. They not only preserved the house’s original concept but enhanced it through this recent refurbishment.
Local architect Bruno Jakobsen, of Bruno Jakobsen Design and known for his Nordic Barnhouse Project account on Instagram, served as architect and consultant throughout the process. Bruno Jakobsen designed the new floor plan – adapting secondary spaces for contemporary, modern family life – and he also influenced their choice of materials.
The house has a graphic, rigorously designed style. White brick and black woodwork. The architecture is clearly integrated into the landscape with large glass sections overlooking the surrounding nature, which is also reflected in the use of natural stone floors and Douglas fir as the recurring material used for sliding doors, cabinets and the entire kitchen, which openly adjoins the living room.
Generally speaking, few materials are used. The Sicilian marble (limestone) Grigio Bottarga is a recurring feature in floors, walls, sinks and furniture. It appears in different surfaces, either as sandblasted or polished, taking on an either greyish or brownish marble appearance.
The interior design was conceived in sections, surfaces and lines. Long hallway areas. Transparency. The house features a host of unique, inspiring solutions. The two bathrooms are quite unusual. In addition to drains from Unidrain, there are also a number of Reframe Collection products in brass that interact beautifully with both marble and wood. One bathroom/shower area is integrated into a hallway area that unifies the bathing area, a walk-in closet and a bedroom – the adults’ area.
– The shower space in the adults’ area has a Unidrain Custom drain, seamlessly integrated into the floor tile, for a style that is as discreet as possible. One of the reasons we chose this is because the area is quite narrow, so if we had used other materials, it would visually seem even narrower. Now it blends in and is almost invisible, which makes the area seem and feel bigger, explains Pia Bylling-Westergaard.
The couple also chose brass Reframe Collection products for the kitchen. This provides a visual continuity that links the rooms, resulting in a homogeneous, harmonious expression.
– We chose Unidrain’s products because of their excellent quality and good craftsmanship and because they are stylish and long-lasting. And we like their minimalist style.
They complement the architecture, making Fladbrohus a modern, successful example of the transformation from the 1960s to the 2020s – transforming this nearly 60-year-old house, after a number of updates, into a modern, contemporary home. It has also been energy-optimised and insulated. As it was unfortunately not possible to save the original wooden ceilings, they were replaced with Troldtekt panels, ensuring good acoustics in every room of the house.
The family was finally able to move into their home in the autumn of 2022, and since then several patios have been added, allowing the exterior to blend seamlessly with the interior.
It’s a home that’s pleasant to be in – the quintessence of quality. Exquisite. Robust. Stylish. The fact that Pia Bylling-Westergaard has worked for Fritz Hansen for many years is readily apparent – her fondness for Danish design classics is undeniable.
Fladbrohus recently received Randers Municipality’s 2023 Architecture Prize – a fine recognition of Pia and Daniel Bylling-Westergaard’s ambitions for the house, namely to preserve both its architectural and cultural heritage.
– We need to take care of what we already have! the couple emphasise.
See more on Instagram @fladbrohus
