We greet our fourth mother in the series in the lovely town of Helsingør, about 50 minutes north of Copenhagen. In a semi-detached house on a cul-de-sac and with views reaching as far as Sweden, lives 23 year old Anna Engstrøm with her boyfriend and son Edgar. It is her hometown and she is happy here. With her mother closeby, good vintage shops and Louisiana and the Maritime Museum only a short drive away, we can’t see any reason why she shouldn’t be. 

Her serene nature is reflected in her home: all the rooms are painted in muted colours such as sand, nude and light yellow, there are soft rugs and carpets and it also shows her having a great eye for vintage finds, a hobby she has recently turned into a small business called Vieille. 

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Can you recommend any nice places in Helsingør? 

I love the café called “Lagoni” in Helsingør and all of our 2nd hand stores where I’ve really done a lot of great buys for both me, Edgar, Allan and our home . We also love Kronborg! And the lovely cafe strandvejsristeriet located just beside Kronborg.

Also, Aarstiderne in Humlebæk where we have coffee and do our grocery shopping every Sunday.

What makes you happy?  

Before Anna went on pregnancy leave, she worked for a PR company where she was in charge of their Social Media and email communication. She is unsure whether she will return, but we know this “old soul”, as Anna calls herself, will be succesful at whatever she does. Her calmness and down-to-earth personality make her come across wise beyond her years. 

Thank you so much for having us, Anna. 

There are many good children’s books available for reading and the popular ones obviously vary from country to country, but here are some universally loved ones that we highly recommend. Reading to children can have so many benefits; it stimulates their imagination, extends their knowledge, relaxes them before bedtime, provides a moment of calm in our hectic lives and strengthens the bond between parent and child.

Our favourite authors are usually those whose books were read to us as a child, for their stories are inbedded with memories of our mother’s scent, the print on our duvet and our rabbit nightlight. 

Amongst them you will find Astrid Lindgren, Elsa Beskow and Roald Dahl but here are some gems that have been going strong for decennia and we hope you will find some you haven’t read yet or perhaps you will reminded to read them again:

Maurice Sendak - Where The Wild Things Are

This thoughtful story is about a disobedient boy who wishes to be elsewhere, but finds himself missing his family when he becomes the king of an island of monsters. 

M. Sasek - This is San Fransisco

We love all of M. Sasek’s books because they make our minds drift off to yet unknown places and provide us with so many fun details on cities we haven’t explored yet.

Chris Wormell - Dinosaurium

As well as lots of knowledge on these prehistoric animals much loved by most children, this book has the most wonderful drawings that stimulate and are a feast for not only our children’s eyes but also for ours.

Roger Hargreaves - Mr Men

These small, lightweight books (we take them everywhere!) give us an insight into how different people can be and teaches children about how to appreciate and embrace characteristics in themselves and others. 

Antoine de Saint- Exupéry - Little Prince

This book has been translated into more than 300 languages and sells 200 million copies annually so it is hardly unknown, but we wanted to include it anyway. Because it teaches an important lesson on life and human relationships and we adore the illustrations. 

Gunilla Wolde - Lotte and Totte

These classic children’s books illustrate simple and familiar situations and helps them guide through the more difficult ones like doctor’s visits and the first day at daycare.

Jan Lööf - Collected Stories

The well constructed stories of this Swedish author, along with the fine and imaginiative illustrations, will surely stimulate your child’s imagination like no other. 

Front picture: http://blog.sirlig.dk

Our third mother is this series is the wonderful Laura Slotkirk. This stylish mother of one lives in central Aarhus in a big, light and airy apartment with stunning views over Aros and Aarhus Kunstmuseum. She loves to bake, listen to podcasts whilst walking through the streets of Aarhus and has a great sense for all things beautiful.

You have a beautiful home, can you tell us a little about your interior?

Well, as you can see I love lights! Lighting is very important when living in a country where there can be months of darkness, and our culture of “hygge” means we try to make it cosy inside. Lighting your home the right way certainly helps with that.

Our Wegner chairs are a happy coincidence. I had 4 black ones and my partner also had 4, so when we moved in together, it felt like things just fell into place.

Can you tell us a little bit about what inspires you Laura?

I get inspired by a lot of things but generally, life with my family is what keeps inspiring me. Of course Instagram is also very inspirational and I love small personal blogs too.

What does your weekend usually look like? And what do you like to do?

My favourite time of the weekend is the morning. A cup filled with fresh coffee, homemade bread and a kanelsnegl on the side (cinnamon roll). Our family might cycle to Ingerslevs Boulevard for the local market, always a feast for the eye whatever the season. We often go to Børnenes Jord in Øgadekvartet too, Viggo loves it there. Sometimes we simply walk around town. Just to be together, in the moment, is the best thing to me. Seeing friends and family is also very important.

What do you consider most important when buying clothes for your son Viggo?

Comfort is definitely number one! I also try to always buy organic clothing and prefer muted colours to bright ones. The first thing Viggo ever wore was a set by Engel. Their soft wool/silk clothes are still a favourite here. I tend to choose classic styles like stripes and homeknitted jumpers over bright, shouty clothes. I feel incredibly lucky to have a mother who knits for me, she makes the loveliest things!

You mentioned you enjoy listening to podcasts whilst walking through town? Which ones in particular?

Well, of course number one is Mads og monopolet! Also Hartbeats, The bucket List med Le gammeltoft and Anders og Anders.

When I visited Laura, her generosity knew no boundaries. She was kind enough to offer send me over the recipe to her homemade waffels, because I couldn’t get enough of them:

Vaffel småkager:

(Min mormors opskrift) favoritten!

250 g smør

250 g rørsukker

1 æg

1/2 tsk hjortetaksalt

1 vaniljestang

500 g mel (ca.)

Fremgangsmåde

Pisk æg rørsukker til æggesnaps.

Alle tørre ingredienser blandes.

Den kolde smør skæres i terninger, og blandes med de tørre ingredienser. Til sidst tilføjes æggesnapsen og dejen samles.

Dejen stilles i køleskabet natten over.

Bages i vaffelhjern til sprøde hjerter.

Trust us, they were delicious!

Lastly, what would you tell someone who isn’t yet a mother? Any tips?

Mother knows best! Everything you ever doubted about your parents’ parenting when you were young, you don’t doubt anymore when your own child comes along.

Dear Laura, thank you for sharing your thoughts, showing us your beautiful home and for giving us an insight into your family life.

Secondly we are so excited to tell you about our second mother called Kit Borne.

Kit is a pedagogue and mother to two adorable little girls, Olivia and Annabell, and she has kindly invited us into her home and family life.

Kit lives in the family friendly neighbourhood Frederiksberg. A long time ago the building opposite her apartment burnt down, giving this family of four a beautiful view of Copenhagen’s rooftops.

She has filled her home with muted colours such as grey, off white and sand, making it a warm and comfortable place to visit. There are design classics such as Arne Jacobsen’s floor lamp, Kaare Klint’s Safari chair and Lyngby vases but also more contemporary accessoiries  and a few inherited pieces.

Kit, could you tell us a little bit about what inspires you most in life? 

The biggest inspiration in my life is my little family and especially our two beloved girls.

Annabell and Olivia make life special and inspire me every day. To see them grow, say their first words, take the first steps in life, our many nice talks and us playing together is a huge source of inspiration. On a more platonic level; I also get inspired by Instagram but I do always try to maintain my own sense of style. 

What do you wish for the girls’ future? Is there anything in particular?

I want to provide as many good experiences for them as I can, I want to help them grow as individuals and for them to always feel like they have someone to fall back on when they need it. 

What are your favourite brands?

My favorite brands are slightly divided. Brands like Zara, Arket and Serendipity Organics are really good to buy for everyday life at home or in kindergarten. But I also have a love for the brands Caramel and Babe & Tess for the more special occassions. 

Where do you like to shop and why?

I shop online when it comes to brands like Zara and Arket because it’s easier than entering their very often big, and sometimes impractical stores. When I do visit stores, the most important thing for me is that I feel at ease. Soft music, a friendly smile and a helpfullness make for a pleasant atmosphere. I love stores that have created more of a universe for both mother and child. 

What does your ideal day look like?

My ideal day consists of nothing more than being together. We could go for a walk and maybe have lunch or something to eat but just to be together, to me, is what makes any day perfect. 

Thank you Kit, for allowing us in, sharing your dreams and wishes! We can honestly say we have never met such a smiley baby as your little girl. We could have shot a thousand pictures of her!

First up on our motherhood tour is the wonderful Camilla Piltoft. 

Having worked for Københavens Møbelsnederi and with extensive knowledge and experience under her belt, she recently set up her own company, along with a colleague, called Matrikula Studio. In this interview, this mother of two will tell us a little bit more about what inspires her plus we were allowed into her beautiful home in Nyboder, a historic row housing district of former Naval barracks in Copenhagen’s Østerbro. Meet Camilla, Christian and Ida. 

Camilla, please can you tell us a little about what inspires you in your work and in life?

My children definitely inspire me every day, but I also get a lot of inspiration from just walking through the city and chancing my focus. 

When we design furniture for our company Matrikula, I always start by looking at the surroundings. Especially the house/building it is going to be placed in. I focus on the atmosphere or search for characteristic details, that we can refine and develop to a piece. I also get really inspired by the cinematography (the art of photography and camerawork in a film). I think it is interesting to look at how a film is cropped and framed. 

What are your favourite children’s brands? 

 I like clothes with a simple but playful look to them and most of all I think it is important my children are comfortable. Here are some of my favourite brands:

House of Paloma

Co. Label

Bobo Choses

Fub

Engel 

Millk

Can you tell us a little bit about the home you live in?  

Our home is a very old house and the house it self gives so much character to the rooms, that not much furniture, decoration and paintings are needed. I don’t want our interior to take over. I want the main feature of our home to be the architecture and feel of the place. 

You seem to have chosen your decorative objects very well, can you tell us a little bit about them? 

The painting in the picture below is from an unknown artist. My father gave it to me, when we visited a flea market some years ago, which normally isn’t his (or my) thing. But we had such a great experience. I wasn’t sure that I wanted it, but now I love it, the colors and the mood. 

The big vase in corner on the floor is from Rabens Atelier and the vase on the table is from Broste Copenhagen. I bought in a flower shop.  

I don’t have many accessories in general. I like very calm surroundings with just a few things which all mean something to us. Most our home accessories are inherited, bought on holidays or made by the children or myself. If I buy something it is mostly in small shops, like a flower shop, a pottery or a café/restaurant. I think all my purchases through and would always sooner go for quality than quantity. Even when buying simple things like kitchen utensils, I look for the best quality version I can find. To have inspiring surroundings is important to me because of the work I do and the person that I am. 

Adding colour to my home is also important, as long I am certain that I will love the colour for a long time to come. Therefor I always seem to go for more muted, calmer colours and I find e.g. the Aiayu cushions to be easy to inject a little colour without making a drastic change to my home.

How do you like to shop for children’s clothes? 

 As I work fulltime and have two children, I do buy quite a lot online once I know how the clothes are sized and there are certain brands I do come back to regularly, so that makes it easier. I actually prefer to physically shop as I like to feel the clothes but then it’s not that relaxing with two children. 

When we visited Camilla, one of the things we loved was that she had printed off different A4 sized papers with pictures of beautiful architecture, patterns and prints for her children to make collages with. As well as inspiring them, encouraging their creativity and broadening their horizons, it will also end up being an artwork that you really will love hanging in your kitchen;)!

Thank you so much for participating in our Motherhood Tour, Camilla.