According to me, the future is interesting, difficult and rather complex, but I try not to complicate matters: live your life in a simple way – and live in happiness.

It is the contrast between light and dark which creates the style and atmosphere. Often, the dark colors come from old objects, furniture and carpets from the East. I like pieces that have history, that are handmade and different, and that I can’t usually find in Denmark. Tine Kjeldsen

earth tones, black and white :: a fusion of objects brought from European design fairs and travel Far East :: a sober and minimalist approach, sprinkled with great warmth.

Tine Kjeldsen is the owner and designer of Danish homewares company Tine K Home. She masterfully curates her shop and catalogue which is full of treasures, where you will find anything from glassware, lamps, linens, and clothing. The online catalogue is stunningly beautiful and full of inspiring images.  And so I decided to find out a bit more about her.

Tine has maintained a passion for decorating ever since she was a little girl, choosing colors for her room and creating little vignettes from her belongings. At just 22 years old, she opened her first shop, Tine K, located in Charlottenlund, Denmark, the town she lived in at the time. Eventually, Tine began crafting her own original designs to add to the furniture and decor she brought home from her travels – starting with a small line of cushions and quilts. It has grown over the years to include a wide range of products from textiles to vases, furniture, and even clothes, all touched with Tine’s unique style; a blend of Asian, French, Scandinavian and Moroccan influences.

Tine and, from left, Konrad, Tilde and Klara in the master bedroom

Here is her story…

I was very young when I began showing interest in creating a nice atmosphere. The first room I called my own was located in my aunt and uncle’s house. I was only 12 years old when my mother and I moved from our apartment to their house. My favorite color was pale pink. Imagine a 30 square meter room in this particular color! Yet, I thought it was heaven, and I was extremely proud it was mine. Different objects were bought to create small set-ups in the room, exactly the way I create them in my catalogue today.

When I turned 16, we moved to another house. The room was smaller, but I had not lost the passion to decorate. In no time, this tiny room was turned into a small apartment with a bedroom, living room and an office space. No doubt, this was the beginning of my life as an interior decorator.

Both my mother and aunt have always been rather creative ladies. Aunt Hanne was a highly respected sewer for Lene Bjerre, a well-known Danish brand. She sewed my first lingerie set in fine, white cotton with silk edges, as well as my first school dress. Sadly, she died two years ago. Her sewing room and working spirit are memories I will always treasure. As soon as I finished college, I began working in a lifestyle shop, one of the first in Denmark which combined clothes and interior design. According to me, a great combination!

It was the source of inspiration for my own shop, Tine K, which I opened when I was 22, and which was located in Charlottenlund, the town where I lived. My biggest challenge was to trust my own judgment and the purchases I made. Only few interior shops existed back then. To differentiate myself, I decided to sell not only articles from Scandinavian fairs but also other interesting objects from tradeshows in France – Maison et Objets.  This was a new and unique combination of different styles. Everything was white or cream colored and the furniture resembled gorgeous French antique. The following 6 years were amazingly successful. The most wonderful customers entered my shop and going to work was pure pleasure.

More interior shops opened in Denmark; I suppose inspired by my success. I was often contacted to sell retail as so many believed my merchandise was my own creation and design. As mentioned above, it was, however, purchased abroad. While the interior decorators in those days decided mainly on pink, baby blue and an abundance of flowers (quite shabby chic), I opted for a different, more minimalistic approach: clean colors in grey, blue, white, dark brown and black which eventually lead to the creation of a collection of cushions and quilts, and consequently the foundation of the company Tine K Home.

The collection has grown ever since, and today it includes also furniture and clothes. The unique Tine K Home style is an adventurous mix of Asian, French, Scandinavian and Moroccan colors, shapes and surfaces which, despite the big cultural differences, are lifted to the higher level of a remarkably clean and simple style.

Design is my life, and the smallest every day actions at home, as well as food, shapes, colors, flowers and trips abroad are a source of inspiration to me. I feel lucky I seem to have the ability to switch my designer button on and off when I need to create a new collection.

Whenever I travel, I make sure to take notes of everything valuable I notice, to ensure I don’t forget. These notebooks I usually keep for future designs as many scribbles may not fit the present collections.

Today, Tine K Home’s head office is placed in Odense, having been founded in 1999 by Tine and her husband Jacob Fossum. The Tine K Home Collection is based on Tine K’s passion for beautiful objects, sweet memories, different cultures, and storytelling. The Collection includes interior, textiles, furniture, and clothes from own designs or as unique findings from different journeys abroad in Vietnam, Morocco, India etc. With her passion for ‘cold’ colors, the Scandinavian simplicity is combined with handmade items and charming objects from different cultures which altogether creates a warm and cozy atmosphere:

Visit Tine K Home online and go to Facebook where she shares some behind the scenes views of her life and work. My next post will feature her home that is white inspired and featured in March 2010 in Elle Decoration UK.