At Home with James Spreadbury

Paper Collective:
Hi James and thank you for opening up your home to Paper Collective. Can you tell me a little about the area in Copenhagen you call home and what you love most about this part of town?

James Spreadbury:
I really enjoy being close to the ocean no matter what season it is. Whether it's winter bathing or going down to the beach on a warm summer day with the kids, I love jumping in the water. Also I like the feeling of being in the "suburbs" - the feeling of the houses and being able to have a garden, which I spend as much time in as I can at the moment.

PC:
Coming from Australia, what brought you to this part of world, and what are some of things you love about living in Denmark?

James:
I moved here for the weather :) No, my girlfriend - now wife - was already living in Copenhagen and I had already planned to move to Europe with the intention of working in restaurants, and it just so happened that the one restaurant I really wanted to work at, was here in Copenhagen. I love biking, and the layout of the city with the water and the harbour. The restaurant community. The city is clean and green, yet the trains are still being painted :)

PC:
Can you tell me about your work with Noma, the community and culture around the restaurant, and your current role there?

James:
I started there in 2008 when Copenhagen was still a changing landscape in the food scene. It was so exciting to be a part of Noma then, as it played such a huge role in contributing to the change of the culinary scene of a fairly small city. And from what I do, being in the service and hospitality side of the management, it was exciting to create a different way of hospitality in the fine dining scene where service could be more down to earth and fun.
One of the things that kept me there for so long was the community and network both within Denmark but also how it reached around the world. When I left after 13 years in 2022 I was the Service Director, I have returned now after three years away (two of them in Australia), to continue my work on hospitality, culture and business developments.

PC:
What are some of your favourite places to eat and drink in Copenhagen - and what is a dish or concoction you could recommend for each?

James:
On the top of my head: 
Jah Izakaya - the agedashi and the cold beer.
Popl - my kids adore the burger.
Cafe Stjernen - feels like a relaxed neighbourhood bodega with a crazy winelist. 
Møntergade - smørrebrød for lunch.

PC:
We love the warm feeling of your family home. Can you tell me about some of the choices you have made with renovations and styling your space?

James:
When we bought the house it felt a bit dark so the first thing we did when we took over the house was to replace a set of windows facing the garden with a big glass door to create more light as well as a direct access to our lovely garden. We really love muted earthy tones, and wood, and we have tried to keep it fairly clean and simple, with a touch of colour. In the hallway and the kids bedrooms we have gone a bit bolder with colour which we are really happy about!

PC:
The artwork you have chosen from Paper Collective mirrors the warmer tones in your space. Can you tell me about some of the pieces you chose and why you thought they were a good fit within your space?

James:
We wanted to pick up some of the brown and blue tones in our living room so the Vessel collection from Kristin Sigurddardottir was a great match. We have a fairly big wall over our couch and wanted a gallery-like wall without it feeling too set-up, and the Floating Gallery Shelves seemed like a great alternative. It also means it is easy to change it around if we want to. The Seven Fish we loved instantly - and we are so happy we went for a larger size! The peaches felt like a good match for our dining table with its warm notes.