Little Kiwi.
Essential.
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2
Date: August, 2022
Words: Fie Hetting
Mille Collin on colours and personal style.
Stylist, Mille Collin, utilises all her senses in her work as an interior stylist and editor at the magazine RUM. Drawing inspiration from the Notes® palette, she has created a home for a creative family in Østerbro, Copenhagen.
Words: Fie Hetting
Date: August, 2022
Stylist, Mille Collin, utilises all her senses in her work as an interior stylist and editor at the magazine RUM. Drawing inspiration from the Notes® palette, she has created a home for a creative family in Østerbro, Copenhagen.
In a spacious apartment in Østerbro, Mille has created a home centered around Essential Notes® for a family where art, gastronomy, and culture take precedence. We've had a conversation with Mille about her personal style, inspiration, and the project in Østerbro.
The pink living room, with a view into one of the home's four bedrooms, has been painted with Dark Tomo to create a cozy cave-like atmosphere and promote good sleep.
What is your approach to styling?
I believe my approach to styling is the same as when I decorate or work as a journalist, for example. I listen and absorb with all my senses, and then translate my impressions into a kind of portrayal of the brand, space, or person I need to "express." In this way, my work is possibly influenced by my academic background: I prefer to understand the situation before expressing myself about it - even in a figurative sense.
You are not afraid to mix and match styles. How come?
On a personal level, my style is incredibly eclectic. I love colours but also have a strong appreciation for negative space. I am a huge collector of everything from African masks to unconventional ceramics. I value genuine materials such as stone, wood, and glass, and I have a general stylistic preference for the period between 1920 and 1960, particularly in relation to textiles from that era. And Italy! Additionally, I am constantly drawn to India and Morocco precisely because of their vibrant colours. Yves Saint Laurent has not been in vain for me.
Mille's inspiration (the Giancarlo Valle project in New York, the Musée Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakech, AD Spain, and photos by Ricardo Labougle)
The dining room, with a view into the kitchen, presents a striking contrast between the respective colourful and playful dining area and the neutral, calm kitchen.
Can you elaborate on your colour choices for the apartment in Østerbro?
The colour selection for the apartment in Østerbro is diverse, with a total of 18 colours used, but it is characterised by pleasant and soft tones. The combination is not conventionally conservative, but rather features muted shades that feel embracing in a comfortable and stylish manner. Therefore, I felt that the home needed some contrast in styling, both in terms of colours and textures. I've worked extensively with shapes to both break with and emphasise the inherent details of the apartment, using materials that add tactility, such as paper, fabric, stone, resin, glass, wood, and steel.
The second living room is designed to provide both comfort and a sense of well-being, while also accommodating a high frequency of visits and parties among friends.
How have you incorporated the family's personality into the interior design of the Østerbro apartment?
For me, a home revolves around the people who live there. In this case, it's a family working within the creative industry, passionate about art, good food, travel, and cultural experiences. The interior design is characterised by meticulous curation. The sofa should not only be comfortable to sit on but also visually appealing in the space it occupies. At the same time, the Østerbro home is a place of active use: friends often visit, and it's a place where you're allowed to have dessert first.
The large dining room, with its corner placement, is flooded with light throughout the day, making it particularly suitable for warmer shades.
The combinationin itself is not conservative but the colours are softer nuances that feelembracing, in a comfortable and underplayed stylish way.
Which colours are attracting you the most lately?
After a long period of darker and warmer shades, I'm currently drawn to light, slightly cooler, and fresher tones. I've recently combined a chocolate brown with a bright, almost neon yellow hue on the woodwork in my own home. I generally like 'dirty' shades and then bring in details in cleaner colors, such as in art or furniture. I believe that purple and pink, perhaps combined with a warm grey, are emerging as trends. Additionally, I'm quite fond of colours like Little Kiwi, Surf Soul, and Pop Around, with the dark tone of Dark Tomo serving as a contrasting element.
