Today we take an exclusive look inside Danish jeweler Julie Abelstedt’s newly renovated apartment located right on Copenhagen’s swanky Frederiksberg district.
When you think about international jet setters, what locations come in mind? Perhaps Paris or Rome? How about Copenhagen? That’s right – Denmark’s beautiful capital city often gets overlooked but offers just as much charm (if not more) than any other destination around Europe! And what better way to showcase its eclectic appeal than through exploring Julie’s local resident – complete with nods to both Danish minimalism as well as America’s boldness and magnificence?
Julie Abelstedt is 25 years old Danish jewelry designer. Julie was born and raised in a small city called Odense in Denmark, but ever since she was around 16, she worked hard on being her own boss and making herself independent so that she someday could buy her own dream apartment. And now that it’s possible for her to live in one of the most exclusive areas in the capital, she jumped at the chance. The apartment that Julie calls home is decorated with a mix of Danish and American style, which is reflective of her own background.
Having moved here from Fort Lauderdale near Miami where she worked on her own business Abelstedt with her visa for 1 year, one could say that Julie got quite used to living life large on the warm summer coast which begs us wonder what inspired such an extravagant renovation project on what was originally a quite sizable accommodation by European standards.
Turns out Julie was feeling homesick during her time away Stateside. So much so that she decided not only did she want an all American styled abode but also filled it exclusively with pieces from US brands like Ralph lauren, West Elm & Restoration Hardware (just to name a few).
As she works on her business mostly from home, Julie couldn’t be happier with the calm and grounding home base she’s created. “Everyone comes to my house and says, ‘I can’t believe that a 25 years girl live a place like this,’” she explains.
When Julie renovated her 130-year-old apartment mostly by herself she made some incredible discoveries in the process. While stripping the old wallpaper off the walls, she found rolls of it dating back to 1899. In one of the walls, she discovered a secret compartment that held several coins and newspapers from World War I. “It’s amazing to think about how many people have lived here before me and what their lives were like,” said Julie.
“I’m really happy I got to experience this journey of restoring my home myself.” Julie plans on keeping the apartment exactly as it is now and is just glad she gets to enjoy it for herself. “It’s been a real labor of love,” she says. “And I’m so happy with how it turned out.”