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The colourful Copenhagen apartment of Emma Sylvest Krab-Johansen and her husband, Jacob, is proof, if any is needed, that renting or having a barely existent budget does not need to be a barrier when it comes to injecting a home with style and character.

Over just a few months, Emma, who works in marketing for an interiors brand, transformed what was effectively a bland, uninspiring dwelling into a vibrant, joyous space using little more than paint, a few well-chosen furniture and lighting pieces and a bit of hard graft.

“We didn’t have the budget to buy a lot of really nice items that can stand on their own, so for me the easiest way to add atmosphere was with the wall colours,” says Emma. “When people are renting, they think they have no choice but to live in a place as the landlord has decorated it, but often landlords don’t mind you painting the walls if you agree to return them to the original colour when you leave, which was the case with us.”

Blue is the colour: clean lines in the kitchen. Photograph: Christina Kayser O/Inside Living

The apartment is in Vesterbro, an area popular with creatives and young families. It was Jacob’s childhood home, having been rented long-term by his mother before the tenancy was passed on to him. Emma, 29, moved in eight years ago and, until 2020, the couple shared with friends and didn’t worry about the decor. But then came the double impact of the pandemic and their engagement.

We did it all ourselves. The things we didn’t know before, we just had to learn

Emma Sylvest Krab-Johansen

“We were suddenly living on our own and didn’t have much furniture, because most of it, including our dining room table, belonged to our friends and went with them when they moved out,” says Emma. “But with that came the realisation we could make the apartment into anything we wanted.”

The first modification was repurposing two rooms, previously used as bedrooms by their flatmates, into a living room and a study, followed by a complete redecoration.

The main inspiration came from a previous visit to Hotel Amour in Paris, known for its eye-catching rooms. “I have always loved colour, but Jacob was not very keen before. But after we stayed at that hotel, he said he had actually felt extremely comfortable, even though there were pink stripes on the walls and bright colours everywhere,” says Emma with a laugh. Decorating during the pandemic, they used colours that reminded them of holidays in southern Europe. “We were missing travelling and I have always loved Italy, so we wanted something that had a fun, 80s Italian vibe.”

Craft queen: Emma Sylvest Krab-Johansen in her sitting room. Photograph: Christina Kayser O/Inside Living

Blues and greens – enlivened with red accents – make up the colour scheme which runs through the apartment. The kitchen-diner has a half-painted wall of cerulean blue and a verdant green from the Danish brand Flügger. “The nuances are toned down in the bedroom, where the blue is a little lighter and the red is more rusty,” says Emma.

The living room was experimental, with acid-green walls to counteract the lack of natural light. “It made sense to have a bright colour, because the room is quite dark.”

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China girl: some of Emma Sylvest Krab-Johansen’s ceramic collection. Photograph: Christina Kayser O/Inside Living

They did all the painting themselves, with Emma even creating a painted dado rail with impressive precision. “I do like a technical challenge,” she says smiling. “The things we didn’t know before, we just had to learn. But the good thing is it’s only paint, so any mistakes are not permanent.”

Instead of buying artworks, the couple decided to create an impact in the living room by hanging a large textile. “It’s actually a bedspread,” says Emma. “It takes a long time to choose interesting art pieces and you need a budget, so textiles are a nice way of adding interest.”

Most of their furniture was bought secondhand and either gifted or inherited from family. The dining table, for instance, came from Emma’s mother and was spruced up with paint and the accompanying bench was built by her sister. A display cabinet, home to many of Emma’s colourful ceramics, was a lucky auction buy. Two of the most design-led pieces – an armchair from Marni, bought secondhand, and a black angled wall light from Muller Van Severen – were wedding presents.

Although the couple were budget-conscious, they decided to treat themselves to one special item for the home each. While Jacob chose a new television, Emma picked a statement pendant from Spanish lighting studio Gropius Lamps to hang over the dining table. Her love for striking lighting carries through to the bedroom, which has a mix of colourful and sculptural lamps and shades.

For the tired kitchen cabinets, Emma got inventive and used self-adhesive, marble-patterned paper to cover all the fronts. “I wanted a solution that was not permanent and you literally peel it on and back like a sticker.”

Eat in style: the Gropius Lamps statement pendant light hangs over the dining table. Photograph: Christina Kayser O/Inside Living

In the bedroom, Emma, a keen seamstress, made curtains for the windows and wardrobe area. “It helps shut everything away and is easier to make than it looks. You don’t need brilliant sewing skills and it takes just a few hours.”

In total, they estimate they spent less than £3,000, including all the furniture, to renovate the entire apartment. “It was really fun and we learned so much in the process.It shows you don’t need a lot of money to transform a rental and we are so pleased with how it turned out.”

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