Aarhus Honk-house – TONI Copenhagen

Collection Cross-grip

Surface Polished nickel

Project Sofie Borup & Martin Svolsgaard

Architects N.S. Høm & Kallesø Architects

Photographer Alona Vibe

Location Aarhus, Denmark

This project is based on an original 1960s Høm house in Aarhus. These houses, named after architect N.S. Høm, were developed with the ambition of making architect-designed single-family homes more accessible. Through standardized building systems and close collaboration with families, it was possible to combine high architectural quality with a more economical way of building. Many of these houses remain largely unchanged today, testifying to a well-conceived architecture where materials, proportions, and function are carefully balanced.

The original kitchen, like many kitchens from that period, was closed off from the rest of the home and reflected a different way of organizing daily life. In the renovation of this particular house, Kallesø Arkitekter, in collaboration with the joinery Krøyer & Gatten, therefore worked to create a kitchen that functions better for modern family life, without compromising the house's original architecture. The goal was not to add something foreign, but to continue the qualities already present in the house.

One of the project's most distinctive features is the newly designed kitchen hatch – a characteristic 1960s element that was not originally present in the house but feels like a natural part of its architecture. Inspired by the serving hatches of the period, Kallesø Arkitekter has created a large sliding hatch between the kitchen and living area, allowing the space to be opened or closed as needed. This solution creates a more flexible home while strengthening the house's original architectural language in a way rarely seen in a newly designed kitchen today.

The kitchen's materials are based on the house's existing palette, with dark frames in smoked larch and fronts in patinated larch, continuing the warm wood tones and the tactile quality that characterize the rest of the home. Stainless steel adds contemporary precision, while a cross-handle mixer in polished nickel on a classic two-hole body refers to older plumbing traditions, where hot and cold water were brought up through separate penetrations in the countertop. Overall, the kitchen is designed as a natural evolution of the house, respecting its history and providing functionality suited to how the home is used today.