Newly built wooden house focuses on good acoustics

In Birkerød, Erik Vilhelmsen and his wife have built their dream home. Good acoustics play an important role in the house, especially for Erik, a hobby musician who calls himself an 'acoustic allergy sufferer'. That is why the couple chose Troldtekt – in a black-painted design variant that also contributes visual calm and elegance.

In a black wooden house on the outskirts of Birkerød, the couple enjoy their work of designing their newly built home themselves. They took on the work themselves with good support and guidance from the construction company Træhuse.dk, which was responsible for building the home.

The house is a black-painted wooden house with wooden strips in selected outdoor areas and sedum on the roof. The couple’s previous house was also a wooden house, and they wanted to continue living in one.

" We wanted to build a house with as much consideration for the environment as possible. Instead of bricks, we used wood, which we also think is more suited to the property now that we live out in nature. We were probably more inspired by holiday homes than villa architecture," says Erik Vilhelmsen, adding:

" There can be many opinions and myths about wooden houses, for example that they need to be painted all the time. But actually, we rarely had to paint our home. The important thing is to have a good overhang.

The house measures 192 square metres and shares a roof with the garage, which is 90 square metres. The construction was completed in May 2023.

Views and open spaces

When the couple took over the property, the ground was contaminated due to the use of pesticides by a former nursery garden. At the same time, they needed a land use permit to be allowed to build. All in all, it took just under a year for construction to get underway, so there was plenty of time to consider the design.

The most important thing was to make the most of the view. On the one hand, the plot is surrounded by fields, including a vineyard and a lake. On the other side, you can spot a residential neighbourhood.

"We built in accordance with the light and the view. That’s why we have a large, open facade facing west with large windows from which we can enjoy the fields, the lake and the sunset at the end of our working day," says Erik Vilhelmsen.

The house has high ceilings and is built with an east-facing slant, which gives the feeling of a spacious 'vaulted ceiling'. The central space is the open-plan ktichen, which also includes the living room.

"We've built a very open space, and that was a deliberate choice. In our previous home where we lived for almost 30 years, we were used to living in one large room where we spent most of our time. Back then, open-plan kitchens were not very common, but we were happy with it. And we wanted to continue that here," says Erik Vilhelmsen.

Acoustic 'allergy' and five-piece band

Troldtekt acoustic panels are installed throughout the house, as well as in the garage and the exterior overhang.

"We chose Troldtekt for our home because I consider myself an acoustics 'allergy sufferer'. I don't understand how you can live with poor acoustics, as it has a major impact on everyday activities. I was quickly convinced of the need to find an uncompromising solution for the acoustics, as we have high ceilings," he says.

Music is very important for Erik Vilhelmsen in his free time. That’s why there also had to be a practice room at home for the band’s weekly sessions, where five guys get together to play. In this respect, it was particularly important that the house was acoustically regulated.

" Soundproof walls combined with Troldtekt acoustic panels absorb so much of the sound that my wife can sit in the other end of the house and watch TV without hearing us," he explains.

The choice of acoustic panels fell on the design variant Troldtekt line in black.

"We explored the options and also visited Troldtekt’s showroom in Copenhagen and we liked the combination of longitudinal lines and the black ceiling. The dark ceiling creates calm and cosiness; you don't get disturbed, and it has the added advantage of camouflaging wires when installing lights. We're really happy with our decision and would choose it again," says Erik Vilhelmsen.