Light and airy natural wooden house

Anne and Oliver’s dream house stands on a small plot close to Roskilde city centre. From the outside, it is not large, but due to its wooden construction and the careful choice of materials, it is a light and airy property with a wonderful sense of space.

When Anne Palland and Oliver Stensballe decided to start looking for somewhere to build their dream home, it marked the start of a lengthy process. However, the couple suddenly fell upon a small plot in central Roskilde, at the time occupied by an old car workshop. They demolished the workshop, and in its place built a unique house on three floors. The house has a total floor area of 164 square metres, and it was designed by the couple themselves.

“We had a long wish list when trying to decide where to build a house, and we’re really happy with the outcome. Anne runs her business and has a showroom on the ground floor, sewing and selling wedding dresses – and the rest of the house is our living space,” says Oliver Stensballe, an architect.

Wooden house with many square metres

Despite the smallness of the plot on which the house stands, one of the couple’s key priorities was to have as large a living area as possible. This has resulted in a variety of creative solutions both inside and out. For example, the facade is covered with steel panels in standing seam which are just 1 mm thick, while inside the supporting wooden beams have been left exposed for additional ceiling height.

“We’re delighted with the solutions we’ve arrived at, and we think it’s great that you can see the load-bearing structures. We’re particularly pleased with the high-ceilinged rooms, with a ceiling height of almost 3 metres. Together with the large windows, it creates a fabulously light and airy indoor environment,” says Oliver Stensballe.

Fondness for natural materials

The wooden structure is matched with light natural materials such as ash plank flooring, kitchen unit doors in lye-treated birch veneer and Troldtekt acoustic ceilings in natural wood. Together, it contrasts well with the building’s raw facade while evoking the warm and Nordic look.

“It’s been important for us to create a calm and inviting feel to balance out the cold facade,” says Oliver Stensballe, and explains their choice of Troldtekt panels:

“In addition to the superior acoustics created by having Troldtekt acoustic panels on the ceilings, the panels also perfectly complement the rest of the natural materials which is a recurring theme throughout the house. We decided to install Troldtekt acoustic panels with staggered joins, which together with the ceiling structure creates a unique and personal look.”