Over time, however, the professional colleagues discovered a profound alignment in their personal values, aesthetics, and worldview. Most notably, they shared a deep, abiding passion for furniture design, a mutual appreciation that not only cemented their relationship but also anchored their careers. Today, both serve as key partners at House of Finn Juhl: Christian as the Chief Sales Officer and Kathrine as the Chief Brand Officer. Sharing a life and a career means their days are intensely intertwined. "On many days, we are together almost 24 hours a day, but fortunately, most of the time, that works very well for us," Kathrine notes.
While sparks might not have flown instantly in the showroom a decade ago, the couple experienced a very different kind of romantic certainty three years ago when they first laid eyes on a real estate listing for a historic 1895 house nestled in Humleby, one of Copenhagen’s most charming and tightly knit residential neighborhoods. Originally constructed during an era of rapid urban growth for working-class families, the property had spent years divided into separate apartments across three distinct floors. However, the previous owners had already completed a thoughtful, comprehensive renovation, converting the structure back into a cohesive, single-family home spanning roughly 1,400 square feet.
For Christian and Kathrine, stepping into the property felt effortless. They immediately recognized a rare opportunity to gently imprint their own personality onto the historic architecture. Their first order of business was painting the home’s central staircase a striking, deep reddish brown, establishing an immediate sense of warmth and drama that anchors the interior. Beyond the physical structure, they were profoundly drawn to the surrounding community. "We hoped for children playing in the streets and a real relationship with our neighbors, and that is exactly what we found," Christian shares. The neighborhood lived up to their highest expectations almost immediately; within just a few months of moving in, their now-six-year-old son, Henry, was already knocking on neighborhood doors to invite local children out to play in the traffic-calmed streets.
A Curated Interior of Contrasts and Personal History
The interior landscape of the Poulsen home has evolved over the years into a rich, international collage that bridges historical Danish design, personal craft, and contemporary art. Prominent pieces from the House of Finn Juhl catalog—such as the sculptural Chieftain Chair and the elegant Poet Sofa—stand alongside a dark brown De Sede sofa, handcrafted small wooden tables built by Christian himself, and vibrant contemporary works by Korean artist Kim Hyejung.
"We probably share an attraction to things that feel special and aren’t immediately recognizable or easily replaceable," Kathrine explains.
While iconic midcentury masterpieces anchor the visual composition of the rooms, an auditory layer fills the air. Christian’s sprawling vinyl record collection has long since outgrown its designated living room cabinet, spilling over into large wooden storage boxes placed throughout the space. "At the moment, we’re listening to Kurt Vile, and P6 [a Danish public radio station] is always on when we’re not playing vinyl," Kathrine adds.
Living with Masterpieces: The Ground Floor
For the family, the ground floor serves as the central hub of daily life. "This room is where we spend most of our waking hours," Kathrine says, gesturing to the open-plan living and kitchen area. "Playing with LEGOs on the floor, making food in the kitchen, drinking coffee in the lounge area. It’s just the space where everything is going on at once."
Among the collection of furniture in this central space, the Finn Juhl-designed Chieftain Chair holds a particularly sacred spot for Christian, who insists it is the one piece in their home he would never part with. "It’s a substantial piece that invites you to lean back and relax," he says. "For me, it’s the place to enjoy a cup of coffee, while our son Henry loves climbing all over it." Despite its museum-quality status and high value, the chair’s construction proves remarkably durable for family life. The insides of its wooden armrests are reinforced with internal metal bracing, allowing a six-year-old to treat it like a jungle gym without causing structural harm.
When it comes to sourcing furniture and decor, the couple rarely browses Copenhagen’s traditional brick-and-mortar vintage shops. Instead, they find greater enjoyment in hunting for treasures across online marketplaces. For those seeking similar curated vintage finds in the Danish capital, however, they recommend specialized destinations such as Dansk Form, BBBigum, and Særligt Samlet.
Warmth, Craft, and Unexpected Details
Rather than executing a massive, disruptive renovation, Christian and Kathrine’s approach to the 1895 house has focused on slow refinement, adding layers of warmth, texture, and personalized character. Throughout the residence, they have introduced custom built-in cabinetry, tailored wall paneling, and bespoke bathroom fixtures.
In the bathroom, a striking, highly sculptural ceramic sink immediately draws the eye. The piece was designed and cast by an independent artisan in Athens. "We bought it on Etsy," Kathrine notes. "We liked the idea of introducing something handmade and unexpected into the house rather than choosing a conventional bathroom unit."
This embrace of the unexpected extends to the dining area and kitchen, where a large-scale artwork by Gudrun Hasle—sourced through Galleri Tom Christoffersen—has traveled with the couple through multiple previous apartments. Though the dramatic piece is arguably oversized for a historic worker’s cottage, the scale imbalance is entirely intentional. "We like playing with scale," Kathrine explains. "We might place a huge artwork next to a microscopic object rather than trying to create a perfectly balanced composition."
Surrounding the dining table are vintage steel chairs designed by Henning Larsen. The couple appreciates how the industrial metal introduces an entirely different aesthetic texture to a home where Finn Juhl’s organic wooden forms naturally dominate. To soften the rooms and tie the various eras together, they installed curtains made from Sahco textiles, utilizing a rich variety of laces, weights, patterns, and weaves.
Emotion Over Necessity in Furniture Collecting
Given their professional affiliations, one might assume the Poulsen home functions as a literal showroom, yet Christian emphasizes that new additions are driven strictly by emotional resonance rather than a quota or a design mandate. "We tend to add Finn Juhl pieces when we have a real emotional response to them rather than because we need another piece of furniture," he says. "We already have enough furniture for an entire boarding school!"
A prime example is the Pelican Chair. Initially, the unconventional, organic lounge chair was not love at first sight for the couple. However, after years of working closely with the design, it gradually grew on them, eventually becoming a familiar companion. The turning point arrived when they encountered animal-inspired textiles from Sahco, allowing them to visualize the iconic chair in an entirely new context. That specific material reimagining was what finally prompted them to bring the piece home.
For smaller daily accessories, the couple relies on vintage items collected over decades, such as Grethe Meyer ceramic bowls for Royal Copenhagen, which they frequently employ for everyday cooking and baking tasks alongside display purposes.
Private Spaces and Personal Sanctuaries
Upstairs, the private quarters of the house prioritize calm, retreat, and personal expression. The primary bedroom was intentionally designed to evoke the atmosphere of a boutique hotel room, featuring a restrained palette, tactile linens from Magniberg, an alpaca saffron-brown blanket, and an abstract artwork mounted above the headboard by artist Mathias Malling Mortensen.
Down the hall, a combined guest room and home office showcases a wall-mounted Panel System shelving unit designed by Finn Juhl, filled with a curated archive of objects collected from around the world. Among them are small sculptural pieces from Mérida, Mexico: a tiny marble sphere nestled inside a raw stone and a black ceramic incense burner. Kathrine admits they secured the marble sphere only after persistently returning to a small studio where it was part of the permanent display, eventually convincing the artisan to part with it.
Nearby, a dedicated workspace features a custom desk built by Christian, paired with minimalist leather desk chairs designed by Poul Kjærholm. On the desktop sits a heavy bronze tape dispenser created by designer Mats Theselius—a thoughtful gift from Christian to Kathrine. To her, the heavy, industrial object carries deep personal significance. It stands as a daily symbol that her husband truly sees and understands her personal need to maintain a hands-on creative practice of her own, completely independent of the daily professional creativity she experiences at House of Finn Juhl.
Ultimately, the couple’s philosophy on living with high design is remarkably grounded. Rather than treating their historically significant furnishings like fragile museum artifacts that must be kept untouched behind velvet ropes, they believe in living fully alongside them. "We like living with furniture long enough for it to become part of our lives rather than treating it as something precious that shouldn’t be touched," Kathrine reflects. "There needs to be room for a child to swing next to a collection of ceramics, and greasy little fingerprints on natural leather simply become part of its patina."
