Hi Signe, thank you for inviting Paper Collective into your beautiful home and studio. Can you tell us about the lovely island you call home and the unique interior of your house?
Thank you so much for coming to visit. We live on Orø, a small gem just an hour from Copenhagen. It’s peaceful here, and the sense of community is something we truly cherish while our children are still young. We live on an old farmhouse that has been upgraded over the years. We converted the old stable into our current workshop, and we recently transformed what used to be our living room into a beautiful new kitchen. We care deeply about creating a home where the eye always has something beautiful to rest on, and we’re quite aligned when it comes to choosing colours, furniture and materials. Our home is a mix of older pieces and newly purchased design classics.
We love your brand, Palm Petit. Can you tell us how you got started, and what roles you and your partner Thomas play in the company?
We started Palm Petit when we moved from Nørrebro to Orø in 2018, when our first son was about 18 months old. I wanted to create a piece of jewelry for myself using his handprint, and I figured others might feel the same way—which turned out to be true. I started slowly, and things picked up quite quickly, something I’m very grateful for. We've grown a lot since then. The original piece is still the same, but we’ve added new variations and expanded our graphic universe. This is where Thomas plays a huge role. In addition to supporting me and helping in the workshop, he creates our entire visual identity. It’s a vital part of the Palm Petit brand.
Palm Petit is all about family. How has the way people participate in creating each piece helped you build such a unique community around the brand?
To us, a Palm Petit piece is like a small amulet—only you know the meaning it holds. No two pieces are alike. When someone wearing a Palm Petit piece meets another with one, there’s an unspoken understanding. Just the other day, I stepped into the metro at Nørreport and saw a woman wearing her own unique piece—made by me. She didn’t see me, but I felt this little spark of joy. I *knew the secret*. Because people help create their own jewelry, it becomes so much more than “just a piece of jewelry.” We also help people who have lost children, parents, grandparents, siblings—creating a lasting, tangible memory. That means a great deal to us.
You have a beautiful, colourful home. Can you tell us how you approached the design of your home and workshop when renovating an old farmhouse?
When we moved in, there were things we loved and others that were difficult to work with. The interior came together over time—we needed to live in the house and feel it first. One of the first things we did, though, was paint the dining room pink. I think we’re a bit allergic to white walls. We’ve also always collected art and prints over the years from friends and different artists. They play a huge role in creating the atmosphere of our home.
A real eye-catcher in your home is the colourful kitchen. Can you tell us about the design of this space and how it came to be?
The old kitchen was one of the hardest parts for me when we moved in. It was an old industrial kitchen—dark and poorly connected to the rest of the house. Still, it sat on standby for a while, because redoing a kitchen is a big and expensive decision. Our good friend Christian (Fjordland Møbelsnedkeri), who has his workshop in our barn, was the natural person to ask. We made drawings and took measurements together in the old kitchen. Then one evening, while watching *I hus til halsen*, we saw them move the kitchen into another room—and that sparked the idea to move ours into the living room, which was difficult to furnish anyway. Within a week we had to rethink everything. We spent hours standing in the room, imagining what it could be. The old kitchen is now a utility room—which we really needed—and the former dining room is now our living room. The dining table sits in the new kitchen-living space. In a way, it feels like we gained an extra room. Choosing colours was one of the hardest parts, but we eventually went with a palette from a single designer. The kitchen is made of plywood to echo the floor and help the space feel like it belongs in what was originally a living room. I’ve always dreamed of steel countertops by the sink—they beautifully contrast the softness of the wood. Using steel for the island felt like too much, so we chose tiles—in pink, of course. And the red frame ties everything together like a thread running through the space.
Tell me about the artworks you selected from Paper Collective—an inspiring mix of colourful florals and grainy photography.
Ever since I was little, I’ve been very aware of the aesthetics I was drawn to. My mother quickly gave up choosing my clothes because I always had strong opinions about which socks matched which outfit. So when we choose what to hang on our walls, it’s more about a feeling—what catches the eye—than a conscious decision about motif or colour.
What advice would you give people who want to explore using more colour in their homes?
Go to a paint shop that specializes purely in colours. Always buy a sample and test it on the wall or ceiling. Colours can change dramatically depending on the light in your room.
And most importantly—don’t be afraid to use colour. You can always paint over it again.
