Hans Peterson, my great-great-(great?) grandfather, immigrated to California from Denmark at the turn of the century, and his family became lumberjacks and married, among others, American Indians and Romanian Jews. Some years later, I showed up.
This new discovery (about my Danish heritage - not me showing up) has fueled some interesting research, which has yielded the following factoids:
Danes have been rated as the happiest people in the world. Not only do they have a princess, she's incredibly stylish. Oh, and they happened to produce Hans Christian Anderson. Don't you wish you were Danish now, too?
I kid. Somewhat.
After reading the current issue of Bon Appetit, I've had a renewed appreciation for the Danes. This month's issue has an article on René Redzepi, a Danish-Albanian chef whose restaurant, Noma, has been named World's Best Restaurant. Twice.
The recipes themselves were a touch intimidating to me, though I probably will try his Pot-Roasted Celery Root and his wife's Walnut Cake.
What really struck me, however, was the sparse beauty of their house. Observe:
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| http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/slideshows/2012/02/eating-in-denmark-with-rene-redzepi#slide=9 |
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| http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/slideshows/2012/02/eating-in-denmark-with-rene-redzepi#slide=4 |
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| http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine/slideshows/2012/02/eating-in-denmark-with-rene-redzepi#slide=5 |
It's beautiful in its austerity, don't you think? The white walls, the muted greens of the live plants, the calming color palette of soft gray, earthy browns, whispered blues: it's serene.
There's something so fascinating about the Scandinavian manner of decor. Or is the European style in general? It's sparse, uncluttered, and streamlined to perfection. It makes me want to clean out my closet, refine my approach to decor, and buy only what's necessary and meaningful.
Variety may be the spice of life, but simplicity just might be its foundation.
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