Located near their headquarters in Jels, Denmark, the former residence of the renowned Dinesen family has undergone a thoughtful transformation by Copenhagen-based design duo Mentze Ottenstein, signalling a new chapter in the brand’s rich history.
A family-led business since 1896, Dinesen is Denmark’s most notable manufacturer of high-end wooden flooring. Dinesen Country Home, which was the family’s primary residence for 15 years, has since evolved into a guesthouse for clients and collaborators to immerse themselves in the lush countryside surroundings.
Before the Dinesen family’s ownership, renovations had modernised the home—which was originally built in 1885 as a traditional southern Jutland longhouse—beyond recognition. In 2004, the family enlisted architect and friend Jørgen Overby to restore its original character, reinstating heritage elements such as the thatched roof, historic windows, fireplaces, and kitchen carpentry.
The most recent transformation was undertaken by Copenhagen-based architects and designers Mathias Mentze and Alexander Ottenstein. They focused on honouring Overby’s restoration while reintroducing personality and identity into the home. Prioritising architectural heritage, the architects wanted the home to reflect its age by re-adding traditional and country-style details such as alcove beds and boarded walls.
Copenhagen-based architects and designers Mathias Mentze and Alexander Ottenstein.
The homes’ design is a testament to collaboration and craftsmanship, featuring lighting from Christian+Jade and Wästberg, glass details by Nina Nørgaard and custom chairs by RønholtKurz.
In line with Dinesen’s ethos, wood remains central to the home’s materiality, reflecting their dedication and care for traditional craftsmanship. The living and dining area is particularly informed by this material palette, featuring Douglas fir furniture from renowned architect John Pawson’s collection for Dinesen. Complementing these are custom-designed pieces by Mentze Ottenstein crafted from ash with an amber-toned oil finish, highlighting a grain pattern reminiscent of black elm. Darker timber, such as walnut and pear, appear in details such as the Cassetta frames, contrasting the softer Douglas fir flooring.
While the designers maintained a sense of continuity between connecting rooms, distinctive colours and hues are played with to create an element of surprise. “We’ve maintained a consistent colour for door frames and ceiling beams while introducing a gradient from room to room,” Mentze says. “We started with brighter colours and ended in what used to be a family living room, which is now decorated as a cosy, dark-walled library,” he adds. The kitchen cabinetry, handcrafted by Garde Hvalsøe, was painted a soothing shade of green to blend into the countryside locale, while golden ochre hues warm the first-floor private living spaces.
The kitchen cabinetry was handcrafted by Garde Hvalsøe, painted a sage green as a nod to the surrounding countryside.
As Mentze and Ottenstein explain, the notion of time and its impact on design informed their approach to this project, believing that a space should embody the evolving journey of its inhabitants. Ensuring Dinesen’s notable collaborations throughout the years were spotlighted, it was also important to the designers and clients that the space feels like an inviting, lived-in family home. “A space is like a portrait of the person or the people who inhabit it,” Ottenstein says. “We have attempted to draw a portrait of where Dinesen is today through choices and approaches that allow for change so that it is not a static project but open to being filled with new stories.”
Reflecting on the home’s evolution, brand director and fifth-generation family member Hans Peter Dinesen hopes the home will become a meeting place that fosters community, connection and collaboration, inviting future generations to create their own narratives. “Like any home, the Dinesen Country Home is an ongoing story, a sum of fragments and lives lived as objects have been added and taken away again and replaced by unique items accumulating over time,” he reflects. “We aim to both embrace our historical roots and explore new dimensions of the company’s identity,” he adds.
The minimal furniture series designed by renowned architect John Pawson for Dinesen in Douglas fir sits alongside curated antique and custom-designed furniture by Mentze Ottenstein.
The private living spaces on the first floor were painted in golden amber hues, creating warmth and intimacy.
London-based antique store Jamb London were commissioned to source vintage pieces that enhance the historical references within the house.
Dinesen Country Home is a nod to the family and brand’s rich tradition and history, situated near their headquarters in Southern Denmark’s countryside.
