She may be one of the famous models in the world and a highly regarded photographer, but Helena Christensen believes she may have missed her true calling, such is her affinity with water. “I’m sure I was a mermaid in my former life, or maybe I am morphing into one for my next,” she laughs. “I feel extremely connected to water in a way where I have a deep yearning to be near it.”

“It’s like a calling for me,” she continues. “I have to explore every lake or river or beach I pass, no matter where or what time of year it is.”

Such is Christensen’s connection with the sea that 21 years ago, when she was pregnant with her son Mingus, she decided to buy a beautiful beach house just a couple of hours’ drive from Copenhagen in her native Denmark. Her aim was to give her son a taste of the idyllic Scandinavian childhood she had experienced as a little girl, when she and her younger sister Anita would spend every summer at their grandparents’ cottage near the beach in Denmark. Precious memories were created there; long walks along the coast, picking flowers in the forest, riding bikes to the beach, playing among the sand dunes and stopping for ice creams on the way home. And this is what she wanted to recreate for her son.

So, when Christensen set eyes this beautiful wooden house, which was built in 1929 near a tiny village on the coast, she felt as though she was coming home. The one-storey property is so close to the sea that you can see the ocean from any window – a discovery that made her feel “blessed”. Set in an acre of land and surrounded by trees and rose bushes, the house has a sense of seclusion and yet it is only a short walk to the nearest village, which comprises just a handful of houses, a local restaurant and tapas bar and, most importantly of all, by her own admission, an ice-cream store.

The four-bedroom house needed little work and Christensen was keen to retain its traditional look. The building has a maritime feel to it, so she installed additional porthole windows and made the most of its decked terrace that looks out to sea. “I wanted it to have the spirit of a ship,” she explains. A garage was converted into a guest room so that family and friends can come to stay when Christensen is here. Helena’s bedroom leads directly into this guest room, so it is only used when the house is completely full. That said, she has made it as cosy as possible. The antique wrought-iron bed has been dressed with a colourful assortment of pillows and cushions and the prettiest of bedspreads, which, with its faded tones of pink, burgundy and brown – one of her favourite colour combinations – Helena describes as “dark and poetic”. She has added character to the tongue-and-groove panelled walls and brought in her personal style by hanging some of her favourite lace pieces from the exposed heating pipes. The sash window offers views over the garden.

The views from the house are breath-taking and it is a quick walk down to the beach. In the summer the climate is warm, the water crystal clear and emerald green. “It’s almost like swimming in Greece,” she says. “Nothing beats this view anywhere in the world,” she says. “The magnificent sunsets, the birds flying back and forth, Sweden in the background and the lighthouse flickering in the dark at night, the sailboats floating by throughout the day, not to forget the occasional sightings of dolphins and porpoises. The beauty and the magic of it cannot be described in words.” It is on this terrace that Helena likes to host her family and friends for lunches and dinners. The antique dining table has been decorated with shells, stones and pebbles, which Helena, who loves nature, enjoys collecting. The antique oil lamp is one of her treasures and makes a great centrepiece.

In the morning, as soon as she wakes, Christensen puts on her swimming costume, makes herself a cup of coffee and heads down to the beach with her beloved dog, Kuma. There she sits, watches the ocean and contemplates the day ahead before taking a sprint and, using the rocks on the shore as weights, she does a quick workout before plunging into the water for a morning swim.

Christensen clearly loves the outdoor life, which the blissful location of the property suits so well. However, it is the interior of her home that really enchants me – and I use the word “home” wisely here.

You see, this isn’t just a holiday house or villa that is merely opened up for guests in the summer months, only to be locked up again once the season is over. Instead, it is very much a family home filled with wonderful curios, objects and art that Christensen has collected over the years, many of which she has inherited. Paintings line the walls, tables groan with books and an upright piano – a gift from her grandparents – takes prime position in the living room. Above all, Helena wants it to be cosy. Sofas are comfortable, the beds are layered with eiderdowns and blankets and the kitchen, although small, is very much the heart of the house, as she loves to cook. “I’ve always been an avid collector,” Helena explains. “I have a huge affinity for anything antique or vintage – the craftsmanship and the history of old objects surpasses almost anything created today.” 

“It’s very much a home – a cottage with a home inside. I see it as my bubble, it feels like it doesn’t exist in real life or real time. When I’m here, it’s just the house and the ocean – everything else is on pause.” 

Christensen bought this beautiful old armoire from the wonderfully quirky Fil de Fir retro store in Copenhagen. She has filled it with some of her favourite things, including sculptures, linen and tablecloths. A keen collector of vintage clothing, she bought this dusky, silk dress in Paris many moons ago, and while she never wears it out these days, preferring to hang it from the wall or her furniture instead, it still fits. “I adore vintage clothing – the fact that others have lived their lives in those pieces.” The artworks on the wall to the right of the armoire have a maritime theme. The large glass-framed piece is a collection of letters from sailors written to their loved ones at home.

In the corner of Helena’s room is a table covered with well-thumbed books. At night she loves to sit here and read by the stove. When the wood is lit and the glass door is closed, it makes her feel as if “witches are flying around in there”. Over the fireplace is a still life of fruit and a carafe. “I love food and paintings of anything from our kitchens. I find it funny that currently we take so many photos of our plates and instantly post them on Instagram. Back then, artists would spend days or weeks painting still lifes of their food to hang on their walls.”

From: Faded Glamour by the Sea by Pearl Lowe, CICO Books, €30.12, Photography by Dave Watts © CICO Books.