< PreviousHE A UTHOR HANS CHRIS TIAN ANDER SEN LO VED GLORUP on Denmark’s Funen Island, where he could daydream in the park by the big lake, and study the garden’s fl ourishing wildlife. In the early 19th century, he spent many lan- guid days as a guest on the estate, which with its 5,500 sq/m main house, has plenty of rooms to accommodate visitors. Built in the 1390s, Glorup has a history as long and winding as the drive which leads through fi elds and woodland to reach the imposing house. In 1762, Glorup was bought by Count Adam Gottlob Moltke, of whom its current custodian, Jacob Moltke-Huitfeldt Rosenkrantz, is a direct descendant. One of the most infl uential people and largest landowners in Denmark during the reign of King Frederik V, Gottlob Moltke hired the French architect Nicolas-Henri Jardin to renovate and modernise the estate, which structurally remains much the same today. Jacob took over the estate after his grandmother, Baroness Al- ice Moltke-Huitfeldt, passed in 2008. “Jacob has known that he would run and live at Glorup since he was 16,” says his wife Clara, who shares the sprawling house with him and their two young daughters. “When I met him, Glorup was part of the package. Sometimes I may think it’s intense to be so tied to a place, but I have known from the beginning that it was like that. And most of the time, I think it’s a privilege to live here.” But it’s also a big responsibility. Modernising an estate that has been in the family’s possession for generations was an interior design challenge for Jacob and Clara, who describe the place at the time as ‘a time warp’. Jacob’s grandmother had made virtually no changes, and T AD_036_80-91_Arena_Denmark_11435652.indd 8213/12/2020 10:58:18 AMABOVE: Clara Moltke-Huitfeldt Rosenkrantz photographed in one of the 10 sitting rooms. OPPOSITE PAGE FROM TOP: The estate was built in the 1390s, but has since been rebuilt and renovated several times. The garden was created by the French architect Nicolas-Henri Jardin; paintings of notable ancestors look down over the fl agstone entrance hall. 83 AD_036_80-91_Arena_Denmark_11435652.indd 8313/12/2020 10:58:42 AMIn the kitchen, black Mattiazzi bar stools contrast with the limestone kitchen island. Custom made pale green tiles echo the the garden view. A Gubi pendant hangs above an Agostino & Brown dining table. 84 AD_036_80-91_Arena_Denmark_11435652.indd 8413/12/2020 10:59:02 AM“ I’m the annoying type of person who pauses the TV to take a picture of a lampshade in The Crown ” AD_036_80-91_Arena_Denmark_11435652.indd 8513/12/2020 10:59:18 AMAD_036_80-91_Arena_Denmark_11435652.indd 8613/12/2020 10:59:32 AMthey quickly decided to update the ancient kitchen, seeking help from the Danish Agency for Culture and the interior architect Dorte Was- sard, among others. “When we started the process, there were three important factors: the mood and history of the house, our personal style and the practical considerations,” Clara explains. It takes confi dence to add a personal, modern look to a historical setting, furnished with antiques and art that have been in the family’s possession for centuries. For Clara, who is the creative director of the estate and oversees the events department, decorating inspiration of- ten strikes while watching period dramas and old movies. “I’m the an- noying type who pauses the TV to take a picture of a lampshade in The Crown,” she confesses jovially. “Books about old houses are also a great inspiration. It can be a fi ne balance between preservation and not feeling like you are living in a museum.” That said, when changes are made to the interior, they are thought through to the smallest detail out of respect for history and the ex- pense involved. As Clara explains: “We spend a lot of resources look- ing after the old house. There is no room to choose the wrong cur- tains, because there are 10 other living rooms that also need to be redone. Some of my friends couldn’t understand why I wasn’t redoing more things when I moved in. But I needed time to get a feel for the place and the direction we should go to make our mark on Glorup.” Quality and timeless glamour are the watchwords in the renova- tion process; an old sofa was recently re-dressed in a fabric inspired by an ornate screen in Coco Chanel’s apartment at The Ritz in Paris. For Jacob and Clara, time is not the overriding parameter; they would rather spend a year on a single room than do something half-hearted. The next room to be renovated will be the main bedroom, for which the lady of the house is ‘dreaming’ of a de Gournay wallpaper. While the progress is measured in pace, the couple feel it’s still im- portant to use as much of the house as possible. “If we just had a small apartment in this big house, we don’t think we would want to live here,” says Clara. “Glorup has four wings, and we have organised the ground fl oor so that there is a kitchen, living room and the girls’ play- rooms in one corner. Our bedrooms and Jacob’s offi ce are each in oth- er corners, so we get roughly around the whole house during the day.” Clara is a trained cook and immediately spotted huge potential in the centuries-old kitchen garden. On her eponymous food blog you can fi nd a combination of her own favorite recipes and new interpre- tations of old recipes from Glorup. “Some of Jacob’s ancestors were ambassadors to France and Italy and they had their own chefs with them when they stayed at Glorup in the summer, so fantastic dishes have been served here over time” says Clara. “Fortunately, many of the recipes have been written. You can feel that the house was created for festivity.” It’s a tradition the current owners have kept up with: the entire fi rst fl oor of the house is furnished with rooms that are mostly used for guests. “One of the best things about living here is having a party,” adds Clara. “Going to bed and knowing that there is someone you care about in every bedroom in the house is a great feeling.” clararosenkrantz.dk ABOVE: Clara in the revamped kitchen where she experiments with recipes old and new, which are documented on her blog. OPPOSITE PAGE: The breakfast room is wallpapered in a William Morris design inspired by a fairy tale. It is available from Morris & Co. 87 AD_036_80-91_Arena_Denmark_11435652.indd 8713/12/2020 10:59:45 AMAD_036_80-91_Arena_Denmark_11435652.indd 8813/12/2020 11:00:06 AMABOVE AND OPPOSITE: The kitchen was designed by interior designer Dorte Wassard, while Danish interiors company Tapet Café helped with the colour scheme and wallpaper, among other things. The cabinets are painted in Oval Room from Farrow & Ball. 89 AD_036_80-91_Arena_Denmark_11435652.indd 8913/12/2020 11:00:19 AM“ It can be a fine balance between preservation and not feeling like you are living in a museum ” 90 AD_036_80-91_Arena_Denmark_11435652.indd 9013/12/2020 11:00:53 AM00 AD_036_80-91_Arena_Denmark_11435652.indd 9113/12/2020 11:01:14 AMNext >