Paper Island in Copenhagen’s inner harbour served as an armoury under Christian IV and later as a paper warehouse for the national press. Its layered past gives it a distinct character: industrial, civic and now quietly domestic. This house is part of a new residential development on a site with a long history. It belongs to Josephine Yaa Akuamoa, founder and creative director of File Under Pop.
‘People seem genuinely invested in taking care of the island and each other,’ she says. ‘It feels like a new opportunity to build something together – a small, living community in the middle of the city. There is a warmth here that feels both rare and grounding.’
Because the house was newly built, the main work was not about altering the architecture drastically, but redefining how the space is experienced and introducing the layers and character that were missing. ‘It became essential to reintroduce tactility and a sense of slow, human touch,’ says Josephine. ‘We approached the interiors as a way of building depth and personality through craftsmanship.’
Josephine reunited with longtime collaborators Garde Hvalsøe for the project, relocating the original kitchen they designed for the File Under Pop studio into her new home. Made in ash wood, the kitchen is conceived almost as a piece of furniture, elevated from the floor, with elements embedded into a zinc worktop. The zinc carries a soft, bluish-grey tone and develops marks over time, making it feel alive and continuously changing. ‘The original kitchen and bathrooms were removed and reused elsewhere – nothing was wasted,’ notes Josephine.
She goes on to explain how the materials and the proportions of the Solid Framed construction were suitable when the kitchen was first made for the studio and remain suitable now in this very different setting. ‘That is what longevity means in cabinetmaking – pieces that stay true across time and across the different lives they inhabit.’
‘Josephine has described it as a kitchen for life. That is, in our experience, the most complementary thing a client can say,’ adds Birgitta. ‘It means the object has earned its place, that it belongs in the home rather than simply occupying it. It is a demonstration of what good cabinetmaking is: not to produce objects that impress briefly, but to make things that remain.’
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Because of the house’s relatively compact size, Josephine worked with a light palette to enhance the sense of space and flow. Rather than using strong contrasts, a series of whites are gently shifted with undertones of blue, yellow or soft pink depending on where you are in the house. As a counterpoint to these light surfaces, all doors have been painted in a deep, dark tone from the File Under Pop paint collection. The colour, ‘Deep River’, is a green-brown shade with a certain depth – ‘like looking into a river’ Josephine says.
‘The sea and sky were the starting point for the interiors,’ explains Josephine. ‘I wanted to bring that softness and constant movement from outside into the house – not as a direct translation, but as a feeling that unfolds through materials and light.’
File Under Pop glazed lava stone and tiles appear everywhere from the staircase to windowsills, bathrooms and the kitchen, creating a continuous ceramic language across all floors. The ceramics complement ash wood, with its light tone and delicate yet distinct grain. All doors and wardrobes were developed in collaboration with Københavns Møbelsnedkeri. The aesthetic draws from both Japanese and African references – balancing precision and softness at once.
The Japanese woodworking technique naguri, where wood is carved to create a textured surface, was also an important reference. These carved surfaces allow the movement of water to be quietly present throughout the house. Across the home, small, almost hidden gestures appear – subtle gilded details, for instance in the bedroom ceiling – revealing themselves slowly over time.
Josephine loves the way that this house offers a different atmosphere and experience of the water and the light on each floor. From her bed she can feel close to the water – ‘almost as if it reaches all the way into the room,’ she says. ‘I can also look across to the Copenhagen Opera House, Amalienborg Palace and Frederik’s Church. There is something quietly poetic in being so close to these historic and iconic buildings.’
On the top level, the experience changes again; the view from the sofa is out along the harbour towards Nordhavn. The architecture opens diagonally here, filling the space with light in a more expansive way. ‘Each level holds its own mood, and I move between them depending on what I need – closeness, calm, or openness,’ she adds.
‘Even though I live in the city centre, it often feels like being in the countryside,’ says Josephine. ‘There is something quite magical in knowing that I can step outside my door, walk a few steps down to a boat and from there reach harbours across the world.’ gardehvalsoe.dk, fileunderpop.com
