Danish artist Anne Mette Skodborg makes her living drawing murals with markers directly onto the walls of offices. She applied the same inventiveness to her cost-conscious renovation of her two-bedroom apartment in Copenhagen, which full of home improvement tips for all remodelers, even those who ready to take pen to wall. Undeterred by the pre-war apartment's size—660 square feet—and residue left by a heavy smoking previous owner, Skodborg armed herself with gallons of white paint and attacked with determination. Ingenious design updates combined with flea market finds result in small urban living at its most inventive—and fun.
Photography by Frederikke Heiberg and styling by Rikke Graff Juel via My Scandinavian Home and Ellen's Album.
Above: Skodborg installed coral colored acrylic sheets for an inexpensive backsplash solution. A clear acrylic box hung on the wall provides invisible incidental storage above the small counter.
Above: Classic Wall Mounted Tolomeo Lamps provide above counter lighting, while handmade leather pulls update the kitchen cabinets. To make your own leather pulls, see our DIY Video: How to Make a $20 Pull for $2. Looking to buy? See 10 Easy Pieces: Leather Cabinet Hardware and Made Measure Takes Leather Pulls One Step Further.
Above: Cutting boards against the inventive acrylic backsplash.
Above: To make up for the kitchen's lack of storage and counter space, Skodborg added a stainless steel Ikea catering cart. A flea market lampshade is updated with a fluorescent cord.
Above: Skodborg labels her glass jars with Uni Posca pens, water-based markers that can be used on all surfaces.
Above: A narrow dining table fits into the L-shaped dining area off the living room. In addition to hanging her own canvases, Skodborg draws directly on her walls with markers. See Anne Mette Skodbord for more examples of her work.
Above: Pale green accents in Skodberg's paintings are picked up in a translucent FL/Y Kartell Pendant Light and green glass vase.
Above: In the living area, Skodborg continues the green accents. A sheepskin throw on a stackable outdoor Hee Chair transforms it into an indoor chair. Skodberg uses the space between the window sill and cabinets as an ad hoc bookshelf.
Above: A cluster of colored vases on the window sill complement the spines of Skodborg's design books.
Above: Mod meets 19th century in the bedroom where a midcentury desk and chair sit next to the bed and a metallic lampshade hangs from an ornate ceiling plate. The geometric bedcover is the Mega Dot Quilt by Hay.
Above: White and green keep the color palette simple and fresh on the bedroom sill.
Above: A long bolster serves as a makeshift headboard.
Above: Skodborg painted an old wardrobe black and added tassel pulls. Her wall drawing on the side of the pilaster ties together the colors of the artwork and chair cushion.
Above: In the entry, a sheer curtain on a brass rail hides the electrical box, while a Hay Pinocchio Rug, inspired by Danish licorice balls, lends a playfulness to the apartment's comings and goings.
For more budget makeovers, see A Budget Bedroom in Brooklyn and Tile Intel: A Remodel with Heath Seconds. Fixing up your place? See our Remodeling 101 posts for crucial advice.