A Dreamy Post-Divorce Apartment in Copenhagen
After going through a divorce, artist Simone Polk says she needed a “soft landing.” She found a light-filled apartment in Copenhagen to share with her 12-year-old daughter, Ava. They’ve since moved on, but here’s a tour of the space that took Simone through a tough transition, welcomed new friends, and served as a backdrop for her paintings…
LIVING ROOM
Wall color: Pointing by Farrow & Ball. Paintings: Simone Polk.
“I was with my ex for 14 years, so at first, I felt really lonely. Then I ran into an old friend at a party, and she introduced me to a group of divorced women. The first thing they told me was, ‘Sort out custody so you have the ‘even’ weeks to yourself and the ‘odd’ weeks with your daughter.’ All the women had the same custody schedule. Now, when we don’t have our kids, we spend time together.”
Sofa: old Ikea ‘Färlöv’ dressed in a sage linen cover by Bemz. Floor lamps: Gubi and Akari 20N. Bench and stools: flea market finds. Curtains: &Drape. Rug: Nordic Knots. Pendant light: Akari 21A.
“My house is very calm, but I’m like Monica from Friends — I hide all the clutter in the closets! This apartment has a really big walk-in, and if you opened it, everything would fall out.”
Chair: Togo Fireside chair. Coffee table: Vintage from Eliaselias. Painting: Simone Polk. Floor lamp: Akari 20N.
“Some people have described my home as ‘beige,’ which can be a shorthand for bland. But I love warm, buttery tones. Like when you look at photos from the eighties and they have that golden light.”
Bookcase: Flea market find. Lamp: Helle Thygesen. Painting: Simone Polk.
“Once, when I was about 12, I discovered a book in my father’s bookcase that was filled with pictures of all these beautiful rooms. I remember thinking, Should I live in this room or that room? I got carried away imagining it. A space you love can bring so much joy.”
“”We had our first Christmas here, just my daughter and me. Because the ceiling is so high, we got the biggest tree we could find. We could barely carry it home.”
DINING ROOM
Wall color: 4524 from Flügger. Table, hutch, and floor lamp: vintage. Dining chairs: “Old Kai Kristiansen chairs I found 20 years ago in a vintage shop.” Paintings: Simone Polk. Pendant: vintage, similar. Curtains: &Drape.
“Growing up, I drew all the time. My dad, an artist, was quite proud of me and said I would be an artist, too. Then I forgot all about it, and I had a long career in television. When the channel I worked for closed down, I decided to try to make work out of something I loved. I started as an interior stylist, and I’d make paintings to bring to set. Then people began asking if they could buy the paintings.”
“First, I sold my paintings myself, then I worked with a gallery, which takes a 50% cut, and then I decided to go back to selling my work directly. For a few years now, I’ve been photographing my art at home. It’s been a game changer to allow clients and collectors to see a painting this way as opposed to in a white-walled gallery space.”
Cabinet and magazine rack: vintage.
“I’m quite a romantic person, and I love curtains that pool on the floor. The curtains in this apartment were a post-divorce gift to myself.”
“I loved sitting in this chair to read when Ava was watching noisy sitcoms in the living room.”
KITCHEN
Plate on wall: vintage from Notre Nóm. Kettle: Hario.
Table: flea market find. Candlestick: flea market find.
“This original watercolor is by Danish artist Jens Uffe Rasmussen. My favorite Copenhagen art museum is Ordrupgaard, which includes the house of legendary furniture designer Finn Juhl, and I love being in his home just as he left it. Louisiana is always worth a trip outside the city, and the street Bredgade in the center of Copenhagen has a lot of great galleries.”
BEDROOM
Bed: Zara Home. Bedding: Zara Home. Paintings: Simone Polk.
“Once, when she was younger, Ava was jumping up and down on the bed and kicked her foot through a canvas hanging above it. I was devastated, and she was, too. Then I remembered a technique I’d used before I was an artist, when I was just making pieces for my home, where I’d layer pieces of paper onto a canvas. That jumping-on-the-bed accident became the start of Patches, my most popular series.”
Marble table: flea market find.
“I love the French writer Valérie Perrin. Fresh Water for Flowers was the most beautiful novel I’ve ever read. I’m jealous of anyone who hasn’t yet read her work yet.”
Curtains: &Drape. Stool: family heirloom.
“I’m the fifth child. My older brother inherited a designer chair from my dad that’s worth a lot of money, and I ended up with that little foldable hunting stool. My dad offered it to me when I moved out of the family home, and I’ve had it ever since.”
“We didn’t end up staying here long. I found a place where I could have my studio in my home, and that made more sense. But I felt so lucky to get to live here.”
Thanks so much for sharing your home with us, Simone!
P.S. Many more home tours, and this reader’s husband built her an introvert nook.
(Photos by Nana Hagel.)
Tags: home tour
Comments
66 commentsI’m curious if Simone has any advice for how/where to sell your own artwork. I’m a watercolor painter and just recently got back into painting. I have some new paintings to sell and would rather not work with a gallery. I also found some of my older paintings when our basement flooded during Helene last year. We renovated the basement and I decorated with some of these but have more than I have space for and would love to start selling my art again. Is Etsy a good place to start? Thank you!
Gorgeous home! Does anyone know where I can buy the blue coverlet on her bed?
Definitely not an exact dupe, but maybe something like this knit throw? What’s on her bed doesn’t look like a full-sized bed blanket, but a throw blanket. https://www.quince.com/home/cotton-knit-throw?color=mineral&tracker=collection_page__%2Fhome%2Fthrows-%26-blankets__All+Products__9
I love to look at colorful homes, but this is a warm calm soothing home I’d like to live in. It’s making me feel so much better about keeping my walls a warm calm grey and sticking with less vs more. I love when something affirms what I already know about myself.
I enjoyed so much about this post. This warm buttery light filled home, Simone’s energy & artwork, picturing she and her daughter bringing home the biggest Christmas tree they could find!, and the fact that she has a group of divorced mom friends all on the same custody schedule! Would love a part 2: Simone & Ava’s new space :)
Is anyone aware of a good dupe for that Togo Fireside chair? It is wonderful, but well out of our price range.
I bought this entire set (sofa, chair, and a loveseat) years ago from a manufacturer that appears to be no longer in business. However, Wayfair has a pretty good dupe. Just search for “waverunner sofa.” https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/pdp/trule-set-of-3-fireside-chair-lazy-floor-sofa-couch-corner-bean-bag-chair-tatami-sofa-corner-chair-sofa-sofa-loveseat-chair-w112964296.html?piid=307206064
I also love beige for the warmth. love all the colors here! and the curtains draping on the floor, so romantic.
I’ve never loved a “beige” home so much! This is dreamy and romantic in a way that feels so authentic, warm, and simple. Love love love. Thank you for sharing.
Love this. Such a calm and soothing home. And the light!!! Gorgeous. Thank you for sharing.
COJ, I would love a post about this group of divorced friends or interviews with people who have done something similar (in different places, with different friends –– I saw another comment about this so it seems like it might be common for more people). What a neat way to celebrate friendship and make the most of something so difficult. Brightened my day just to think about it!
So creative and soothing to read and enjoy!
I’d love to have a tour of her new home and studio.
You can see some of it on her IG: https://www.instagram.com/simonepolk/ It’s fun to see some of the same pieces in a new place.
I don’t think I’ve ever clicked so many links in a home tour before! Loved this one, so cozy and peaceful. Looking up Simone’s art now too!
Truly impresssed on how put together this was for a place they didn’t stay in! I’ve been in my home 2.5 yrs and we just bought rugs!!
Same, Camille, same: just paid off the mortgage and am finally buying curtains for the front bedroom…maybe ;)
Camille, I’ve been in my apartment for two years as of last month and am ….still trying to figure out rugs. Simone’s timeline made more sense to me when I learned that she needs a beautiful background for her art in order to share/sell it. I got the sense that she’s pretty good at pulling a space together quickly. But, I also think the rapid timeline was impacted by the fact that a space like this was a personal desire AND a professional requirement.
Gals, when you figure out rugs, let me know. I’ve been in my condo for two years and there are no rugs and no artwork on the walls. Hard to know how to decorate and impossible to hang artwork by myself!
Just a heads up that Fresh water for flowers is not a cozy read – there’s some serious trauma. I can see how it can be a favourite but for me it was the kind of book I have to remove from my house after reading it.
Yes! I read most everything but had to stop Fresh Water, it made me too anxious and sad right before bedtime.
Thank you so much for saying this!! I would have impulse-bought it but it definitely wouldn’t suit me given your comment. Much appreciated, Robin!
Love this – but now I want to see her new house too!!
Packing up and moving to Copenhagen, every time you post a piece in Copenhagen, my heart knows, we meant to live there…people, homes, lifestyle!
I love the wood furniture–that hutch in the corner is beautiful! It would be so fun if these tours had one or two photos of a messy/lived in version of a room since completely clutter free environments feel so far from my own reality, like walking into a vacation rental, relaxing and temporary. I get how that could be a hard sell since it’s intimate to show one’s daily mess. Thanks for sharing your space!
Oh I LOOOOOVE the idea of a series where you show side by sides of the lived-in version of the room vs the styled for photos!! Please do this!!!!
This is such a beautiful gentle interview. A lovely home and I liked hearing about her progress to becoming an artist. I agree with others I also liked hearing about stashed away clutter! Smith thought, and I know this is a generalisation, but what I’ve noticed reading interviews with women post divorce is that they seem to really know themselves and be truly themselves. I know people in relationships can feel this way too of course but it’s just something that comes through. Maybe it’s a reckoning like you need to figure yourself out on your own? Joanna what do you think? Have noticed?
A perfect example of Luxe, Calme, et Volupte.
Beautifully calming, not “boring” at all. 😌🫶🌼
Fresh Water for Flowers is an absolutely STUNNING book. I am also very jealous of anyone who hasn’t read it yet.
This home is lovely, but the women who worked together to have the same weeks “off” as each other is really the gem of this piece.
That was my favourite bit too! <3
This is so key!! I also just separated from my kids’ father after a 14-year relationship, and joining forces with other just-divorced friends has been one of the most beautiful things to ever happen to me. Being on the same alternate-week schedule as they are was one of my top requirements for the divorce agreement! And now when other friends tell me they’re separating from their partner (it’s a wave!), I tell them to get on our schedule, too :)
I had never heard of ‘Fresh Water for Flowers’ before, and then today I’ve heard it mentioned twice! Isn’t it funny when that happens. I think I’ll take it as a sign to read the book! This is a lovely, dreamy apartment, but it makes me really happy that Simone mentioned having cluttered, stuffed closets. It makes the apartment seem more relatable!
Where was the first time?
I highly recommended Fresh Water for Flowers! Heartbreakingly beautiful. My mom, who recommended it to me, actually flipped back to the first page after she finished it and read it again. I hope you enjoy it too!
Agree!
1) Love the custody schedule bit. So sweet. 2) Lovely art. 3) Anybody else already go buy the book? Because I just ordered it online.
I loved this so much! What a beautiful home (and her art is amazing)! Can we get an update on where she and Ava have landed now? I’d love another tour!
You can see a bit of it on her IG: https://www.instagram.com/simonepolk/
Soft and serene. What a remarkable place!
Love those women for immediately welcoming Simone/ordering her to join the friend group, and Simone for taking them up on it!
I teared up at that part! Women helping women xoxoxo
Such an incredible life choice and reflection of your values–what matters most to you–that this home looks not at all transitory, that you enveloped yourself in such a comforting vibe when you most needed it.
that’s a beautiful observation, Andreea.
Love that.
Simone’s house may be beige but it is anything but bland. There’s beautiful color layered throughout and the golden light is perfection.
Help from the hive! Does anyone have tips for helping yourself through a major move and job search if you have high sensitivity? For me, high sensitivity involves taking in environmental and emotional input more deeply than most people, which means I get easily overstimulated. If I push myself to keep going beyond my limits, I get migraines and nausea that shut me down for days, and my body can react in more severe ways under acute stress leading to hospitalization. I have a high-stress job, but I have learned how to thrive by carefully keeping a gentle routine outside work. (i.e. enough sleep, regular time in nature, daily down time, good nutrition, exercise, and one-on-one connection — normal needs that everyone has, but when I stop meeting them, my body has huge reactions). It is extremely challenging to maintain these necessary routines, even when I am mostly in control of my life and work schedule. Because: LIFE! :) But as we get ready to move states, I am afraid that I will get over-extended to the point of getting sick during the process. So many stressors to deal with while maintaing my current job. Applying for a new job, finding a new home, moving tasks, financial stress… Are there any other readers with high sensitivity who have found ways to help yourself through major transitions? I am hoping to do this differently and stay (mostly) well through it all.
Hi Kate: I have an autoimmune disease that flares when I am stressed so I understand your high sensitivity. When navigating similar situations, I have had to remind myself that my body and wellbeing must always come first or everything else will take a major hit when I am debilitated. It sounds like you have a great toolkit of things that work to keep you well. All of those things you have to navigate may take more time without your complete attention, but remember that the alternative is not tenable for you. It helps me to schedule my tasks and my rest time in a calendar when I am having trouble with balance. Wishing you all the best. Just remember, you already know what you need. <3
Task Rabbit people are saving me…just delegate everything and know that whatever gets lost in the shuffle is not worth the stress of keeping track. I am in the process of sorting out everything I want to keep for sure and letting them deal with all the detritus. I could not do it otherwise, it’s too much all on my own.
Start early early early. Start with getting organized, make a list that breaks down all the things you need to do and timelines for doing them. Identify what can be done by others and what you can do. Pay for help if needed (movers, packers, cleaning, CV prep, etc). If people want to spend time and say goodbye, I corporate them in the process – have them help you pack or organize. Tackle things in small, manageable chunks with time to rest and recover between. Focus on the small incremental to -dos, not the big, overwhelming picture. Use project management skills to break things down (identify critical path activities and things that can float). Set low expectations for yourself
Hi Kate! Fellow highly sensitive person here whose psychical health takes a dive when stress levels rise. Have you heard of Sheryl Paul? She’s the author of the book The Wisdom of Anxiety, has a podcast called Gathering Gold, and a blog called Conscious Transitions. Her work has been so healing for me, and if you go to her blog and search “moving” she has some posts that may be helpful. I find making space for all the complex emotions during transitions to be scary upfront (goes against all the cultural ingraining to just push through it), but incredibly effective at easing the process and finding more peace, balance, and acceptance through it all how ever my body may adjust. Wishing you wellness and good health during your move and after, and many moments of excitement, connection, and curiosity along your journey into this next chapter!
If it’s at all financially feasible, hiring out all or parts of it is totally worth it. If not, the question, “What would make this 20% easier for me? How could I make this 20% simpler for myself?” has saved me many a time. Nicole Sachs’ JournalSpeak process has also been a gamechanger for my chronic conditions. Good luck!
Hi Kate, Have you ever worked with an Occupational Therapist and do you have insurance that would cover these services? An OT can help with a wide range of things, including energy conservation/pacing strategies, other compensatory strategies (like using schedules, lists and reminders), self-care skills and mindfulness-based and sensory approaches to ease the nervous system. Might be worth looking into!
If you are looking to off load more and have the financial resources, there are professional move managers that could take a lot of those tasks (getting quotes, hiring/managing movers, doing organizing and packing in more careful ways thus making the unpacking end easier, too).
I hear you- it’s so hard to do those huge transitions for anyone let alone a sensitive person. Have you read Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine Aron? It really changed my life and gave me tools for these types of situations. I’d probably give myself way more time than most people need (start packing like a month early so you can go slow but also grieve and reminisce).
So peaceful and lovely!
“All the women had the same custody schedule. Now, when we don’t have our kids, we spend time together.” BRILLIANT! Wow! Seems so obvious now…
I love this peaceful space… i was in Copenhagen last summer and i found all the women gorgeous, stylish, they seemed so free … love from Paris
I really hope to visit Copenhagen someday! It sounds lovely.
So serene. And I love your artwork. Seeing it in a home is so much better than in a gallery. And kudos to improvising your patches series after your daughter accidentally damaged the canvas. Good lesson for her to see that mistakes in art can often lead to better work.
Charming and sophisticated! I love your art!
Such a tranquil, healing space. Love the flea market finds, the soft, glowing colors, the wood, the paper lamps (well, all the lamps,) cozy reading chair and the textures. But curious to know: how do you keep the lovely trailing curtain clean?
Dreamy!!
Gorgeous apartment – and Fresh Water for Flowers is one of my favorite books!!
Incredibly tasteful and so intimate/endearing to my eyes. The color palette of my dreams. Warmth. Just stunning. Your work is soft, soothing and so complimentary to the space. Tyou for sharing it all.