Renovated Apartment in Converted Factory

I’ve written about Vipp a few times on the blog because I love the simplicity and minimalism of their style. I mean who wouldn’t want to holiday in the Vipp Hotel, or cook in the Vipp Kitchen? So I fell head over heels for the converted factory home of Vipp Owner Jette Egelund and her husband Mogens Dahl.

It has always been a dream of mine to live in a converted factory, which seems pretty unlikely living down here in Devon. A barn conversion sure, but there isn’t really much in the way of factories in the shire. I love the high ceilings, the industrial materials, the large windows and the many original features that make these building so special. This home comes pretty close to my dream home, just maybe a bit less white.

The 400m2 renovated apartment is part of the old restored Viking-Pencil factory, which dates back to the 1930s. It is situated in Islands Brygge, an old industrial harbour area in Copenhagen. Today, the area is made up of an even mix of modern private housing and industry including traditional manufacturing workshops; steel workshop, Copenhagen Furniture carpentry, an old bike workshop, galleries and band rehearsal rooms.

Jette and Moguns live close to the Vipp headquarters and next to Vipp Chief Designer, Morten Bo Jensen. The open plan apartment has high ceilings, big windows, bright walls, and plenty of room to gather the whole family. The apartment has a large living room, the two bedrooms, a bathroom and a child’s room for the grandchildren.

• 

• 

• 

It was Jette’s father, Holger Nielsen, who founded Vipp and as the daughter of an industrial designer, Jette’s converted factory home is full of timeless designs, many of which come from the Vipp portfolio of products. The Vipp kitchen is one of the first that was ever made and above it hangs the Vipp pendant. Having her own product range in her home serves as a great reminder for Jette, just how far the company has come.

When I took over the company from my farther in 1993 we were three people and only producing bins to the professional home market. The kitchen and the new lamp series shows how far we have come developing Vipp and what we are able to accomplish by teamwork, talent and believing the values that built Vipp back in 1939.

Jette Egelund, Owner of Vipp

• 

• 

• 

Jette clearly prioritises quality over trends when it comes to interiors and this is blatantly obvious as you look around her home. She favours everlasting products from Danish and foreign designers like the Erik Jørgensen couches, Wegner’s Flag Line chair and the black dining table from Vitra.

• 

• 

Her home is a clear reflection of her interest in design, art and classical music. Large paintings from Birkemose, Jørgen Nash – brother of the famous Asker Jorn – and Rita Kern Larsen hang on the walls. Bookshelves surround the grand piano, which has a central place in the apartment that she shares with Mogens who is head-conductor at Mogens Dahl Concert Hall.

Art, music and culture in general has always been of great interest to me and I’d like our home to represent that passion. We, and especially Mogens, use the piano daily for concert practice, pure enjoyment and sometimes together with the grandchildren – to teach them a thing or two.

Jette Egelund, Owner of Vipp

• 

• 

• 

Whilst Jette has spend over 20 years building up her family business, she is quick to assert that nothing is more important to her than family and she cherishes the time she gets to spend with her family in the apartment.

I never expected things to go this well. I hoped, but did not expect it. With my son, Kasper Egelund (Vipp CEO), and daughter, Sofie Egelund, building up Vipp in the US, a lot of our time is concentrated on the company….Even though Vipp has been a family business since 1939 and runs in our veins, it will never be more important than what we’ve got as a family. Especially now with the grandchildren.

Jette Egelund, Owner of Vipp

What do you guys think of this home? Is this somewhere you would like to live?