New Layers, Coexisting Mentze Ottenstein enhances the 1885 Dinesen Country Home with scenic components while converting the residence to a guest house By Paige Davidson • May 19, 2025 • Interiors, International (Monica Grue Steffensen) SHARE At the southern end of Denmark’s Jutland peninsula lies the small town of Jels. There a quiet, white thatched-roof home built in 1885 is tucked in a meadow, located at the end of a long gravel road. The Dinesen Country Home, a former residence for the family of the esteemed wooden floor company Dinesen now acts as a guest house for friends and select clients of the brand—and may even be open for public bookings. The new era is ushered in by Copenhagen-based architecture firm Mentze Ottenstein. The refreshed Dinesen Country Home proudly holds true to its original bones, while also embracing new Scandinavian notes to create a hygge atmosphere. The 2-story, 3,636-square-foot abode was first acquired by the Dinesen family in 2004. Shortly after purchase, it commissioned family friend and architect, Jørgen Overby, to restore the house to its roots. Overby highlighted original elements to the home by reinstating them, such as the thatched roof, fireplaces, historic windows, and custom kitchen carpentry. For the cofounders of Mentze Ottenstein, Mathias Mentze and Alexander Ottenstein, the task then became adding to this initial groundwork by converting the private residence into a contemporary showroom and guesthouse for the Dinesen company and adding new material ornamentation. Read more on aninteriormag.com. Denmark