Architectural Innovation

Denmark considers itself to be part of Scandinavia, and rightfully so. This means that most Danes share some of the same general architectural concepts as their northern neighbors. For someone like me, who knows absolutely nothing about "real" architectural terms, etc, this becomes apparent in little things I notice. For example, Danes are very fond of the white/black contrast, and in general have a lot of "modern" design elements, whether it is in the art hanging on the wall, or the sleek, curved furniture they make use of. Another favorite is the use of the wood (and sometimes tile). It's all over the place, in varying shades, and really quite attractive (its made me want to use a lot of wood when it comes time to buy/build a house). All of these features are great, and I'm glad that I get to experience them "first-hand" through my homestay, but none of these come even close to being my favorite.

Nope, my favorite aspect of Danish/Scandinavian design holds a special place in my heart, but first a little background. My house at home is almost entirely tile on the first floor. It looks great and it really makes the house feel like it should -- I just can't imagine it without all the tile. The one negative is winter, especially when you wake up in the morning. See, tile has a hard time maintaining heat, and in the winter it can become down right frigid, always providing a shock for your feet when you first wake up.

Now, one would expect the same issue here, but they have it covered. All the tile floor in the basement is heated. What an amazing feeling! I wake up in the morning, get out of bed, and head to bathroom. I expect to be greeted with the frigid reality of the tile, but instead it beckons me to walk on it, and enjoy in its exuding warmth. It's almost addicting in a sense. This is something I am definitely going to have!