AT THE MiNiMONO PROJECT WE CREATE FURNITURE FOR FAMILIES KNOWING THAT EACH FAMILY IS UNIQUE. OUR JOURNAL FOCUSES ON DISCOVERING THE PARTICULAR UNIVERSE OF DIFFERENT MiNiMONO FAMILIES AROUND THE GLOBE.

TODAY WE ARE PEEKING INTO SOPHIES LITTLE WORLD IN COPENHAGEN, DENMARK.

1- EACH FAMILY IS DIFFERENT FROM ONE ANOTHER, HOW DOES YOURS LOOK LIKE?

WE’RE A FAMILY OF FIVE — THREE CHILDREN AND TWO ADULTS — LIVING IN A 100-SQUARE-METER APARTMENT IN THE HEART OF COPENHAGEN. SPACE IS TIGHT, AND WE’LL DEFINITELY END UP NEEDING AN EXTRA ROOM AT SOME POINT. BUT BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A SMALL APARTMENT COLLECTIVE, WE HAVE SOPHIE’S PARENTS, THE CHILDREN’S GODMOTHER, AND TWO AUNTS IN OUR BUILDING. IT’S A LITTLE GEM WHERE DOORS ARE ALWAYS OPEN, AND THE KIDS RUN FREELY FROM APARTMENT TO APARTMENT AS THEY PLEASE. THAT KIND OF CLOSE-KNIT FAMILY LIFE IS SOMETHING NO AMOUNT OF EXTRA SPACE COULD EVER REPLACE.

2- HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE ROLE FAMILY PLAYS IN YOUR LIFE?

I WOULD DESCRIBE FAMILY LIFE AS OUR GREATEST STRENGTH — AS PARENTS, AS A MARRIED COUPLE, AND IN OUR SOCIAL CIRCLES. MANY OF OUR FRIENDS ALSO KNOW OUR FAMILIES WELL, BECAUSE WE’RE CLOSELY CONNECTED AND VALUE BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER. WE ALL GATHER FOR MOST HOLIDAYS, BUT NOT A WEEK GOES BY WITHOUT A SPONTANEOUS DINNER TOGETHER, SHARING A GLASS OF WINE IN THE GARDEN, GETTING HELP PICKING UP THE KIDS FROM DAYCARE, OR JOINING SOMEONE FOR A MORNING COFFEE JUST BECAUSE WE SPOTTED THEM HANGING OUT ON ONE OF THE BALCONIES.

3-HOW DO YOU FIND BALANCE AS A FAMILY?

WHEN WE HAD CHILDREN — AND ENTERED A PHASE OF LIFE WHERE OUR OWN NEEDS WERE NO LONGER THE ONLY ONES THAT MATTERED — WE LOOKED EACH OTHER IN THE EYES AND AGREED THAT WE SHOULD LOOK FORWARD TO MONDAYS JUST AS MUCH AS SATURDAYS. WE'VE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT YOU CAN DO THE SAME THINGS WITH KIDS AS YOU CAN WITHOUT; IT JUST TAKES A BIT MORE TIME AND, SURE, COSTS A BIT MORE MONEY.

THERE ARE VERY FEW THINGS WE'VE CHANGED IN A WAY THAT LEAVES ANYONE’S NEEDS UNMET — WHETHER IT’S PLANNED EVENTS OR THE SMALL, SPONTANEOUS THINGS YOU CAN DO IN EVERYDAY LIFE, WHERE CHILDREN CAN OFTEN FEEL LIKE A LIMITATION TO MANY. BUT WE’RE PROBABLY JUST THE KIND OF PEOPLE WHO THINK THE WORST THAT CAN HAPPEN IS THAT WE HAVE TO GO HOME OR SWITCH THINGS UP. AND HONESTLY, THAT RARELY HAPPENS.

WE BOTH LOVE LIFE AT HOME — THE SLOW, LAZY SUNDAYS JUST AS MUCH AS THE BUSY DAYS FILLED WITH ERRANDS AND SPONTANEOUS PLANS. SO THE BALANCE TENDS TO FIND ITSELF NATURALLY, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE’RE GOOD AT CHECKING IN WITH EACH OTHER ABOUT WHAT WE NEED AND WHAT WE FEEL LIKE DOING.

4- DESPITE BEING ONE OF THE GREATEST FAMILY CHALLENGES, FOOD HAS A UNIQUE WAY OF BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER. WOULD YOU SHARE YOUR NUMBER ONE FAMILY DINNER RECIPE WITH US?

FOOD IS THE MAIN INGREDIENT IN MOST OF THE THINGS WE DO — ESPECIALLY WHEN WE BRING OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TOGETHER. ONE OF OUR GO-TO EVERYDAY DISHES THAT NEVER FAILS IS MY LEMON SPAGHETTI, WHICH I SWEAR TO. THE TRICK WITH LEMON SPAGHETTI IS TO USE AT LEAST DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF LEMON JUICE, BASIL, OLIVE OIL, AND PARMESAN THAN MOST RECIPES CALL FOR. IT NEVER DISAPPOINTS.

5- THE SPACES WHERE WE LIVE IN HOLD MEMORIES THAT BECOME CHERISHED... WHAT MAKES YOUR HOME SPECIAL TO YOU?

I HOPE OUR HOME FEELS SPECIAL BECAUSE WE DON’T TAKE THINGS TOO STRICTLY. THE KIDS ARE ALLOWED TO EAT ON THE SOFA AS LONG AS THEY TAKE CARE OF THINGS THE BEST THEY CAN, AND THEY’RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO BUILD FORTS IN OUR BED OR FILL THE LIVING ROOM WITH TOYS. IT’S A NECESSITY WHEN YOU LIVE THE WAY WE DO — CLOSE TOGETHER AND IN A RELATIVELY SMALL SPACE FOR THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE HERE. I LOVE OUR HOME BECAUSE IT’S FILLED WITH VINTAGE FINDS AND MEMORIES ON THE WALLS, WHICH GIVE IT A WARMTH — WITH CANDLELIGHT, WEEKEND PANCAKES, AND GOOD MUSIC PLAYING FROM THE EARLY MORNING.

6- AND FINALLY. AT YOUR HOME, WHO IS USING YOUR MiNiMONO AND WHAT FOR?

BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A SMALL SPACE AND ARE OFTEN COMING UP WITH NEW WAYS TO MAKE THE MOST OF OUR APARTMENT, WE USE OUR MINIMONO FURNITURE VERY FLEXIBLY. REALLY, WE USE IT WHEREVER WE ARE. HUBERT LOVES THE STOOL IN THE KITCHEN — AND I’LL ADMIT, I DO TOO, WITH MY NOT-SO-TALL HEIGHT.

THE ROUND TABLE IS USUALLY IN THE KIDS’ ROOM, WHERE IT’S USED FOR BUILDING LEGO AND DOING CREATIVE PROJECTS, BUT IT MOVES AROUND SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK — IF THEY HAVE FRIENDS OVER TO PLAY IN THE LIVING ROOM OR WANT TO EAT THEIR FRIDAY PIZZA IN FRONT OF THE TV.

Line Klein Photography