Maj Nørgaard, 55, has created quite an exciting life story. She’s what you’d call a multi-artist. She paints, makes Christmas decoration items and creates sculptures out of driftwood and sheep wool. In addition, she makes ceramic icons and altarpieces, and she sews her own clothes – often by recycling her old clothes. During the past 15 years, she’s also been running her own jewelry workshop, making unique pieces of jewelry, but she’s recently closed that down because of her early retirement. Still, she hasn’t stopped being creative. No matter what she’s doing, she likes recycling – preferably vintage – and both her home and her summer cottage are full of her own creations and lots of recycling items.
Maj lives with her husband, Kay, and little Bailey. When they were looking for a summer cottage, they wanted a "proper“ one and they fell in love with this tiny Kalmer house on the Danish island of Tåsinge.
The house features sloping walls, a small kitchen, two small rooms, a narrow entrance, a large bathroom and a wonderful double door towards the terrace. Kay is a carpenter, and both of them are creative. Together, they made drawings and decided on a renovation plan for the house. Inside this 528 ft2 (50 m2) house, they put up a new kitchen and painted the old wooden flooring white. By the sloping wall they built a huge cabinet for storage. They used driftwood to make shelves in the shower cabinet, and small drawers and an old box were hung on the wall.
The garden features an addition with enough space for overnight guests as well as an octagonal orangery. This is where Maj spends much of her creative time. It offers a day bed and a coffee table for creative projects and relaxing moments. It also features a large room for yoga and meditation, and space for more overnight guests. The family spends a lot of time on the large terrace and in the big garden. The tall birch trees provide plenty of shade and a place to hang the hammocks. The garden offers plenty of room for peace and contemplation for everyone.
