French impressions in eastern Jutland

Maiken and Christophe Daura have been running Café Noisette in Horsens in eastern Jutland for 15 years. They felt the time had come to open another café a bit further north, in Skanderborg, and the Danish-French couple have decorated the place with the best from both countries.

Maiken and Christophe Daura run Café Noisette together in Horsens and now also in Skanderborg, where the new café opened in May 2020 after a few months’ delay due to the coronavirus.

Maiken handles all the administration and lends a hand waitressing from time to time. Christophe, who is originally from France, is a chef and cooks up tasty French dishes for their guests.

“The concept is the same in both cafés. We’re a café by day and restaurant by night, serving French specialties. French cuisine, but with a Danish twist. And you can, of course, also order brunch or a traditional café burger,” says Maiken Daura.

Warm colours and lake views

Choosing Skanderborg for their new café had a lot to do with finding the right building – it was simply perfect. They saw its possibilities straightaway, though it was in need of refurbishment.

“The building used to be a clothes store, and it overlooks the lake Skanderborg Sø. It has been extensively renovated. The lake-side facade was completely demolished and replaced with panorama windows and terrace with a gorgeous view.

Maiken and Christophe Daura have found inspiration for the interior design in different places. However, they weren’t too interested in the classic Nordic trends.

“We’ve gone for warm and brownish colours for the walls and wallpaper, and floors that imitate large oak planks. The aim was to create a warm atmosphere. It’s meant to be cosy as well as functional,” says Maiken Daura and continues:

“Naturally, we’ve added a French touch, too. For example, the old French kitchenware on the walls came from Christophe’s grandmother. In addition, we’ve decorated with mosaics made by his father, as well as old-fashioned doors.”

A cosy ambience with pleasant acoustics

“The personal items from France are meant to create a cosy atmosphere for our guests – and, of course, the sound environment is also absolutely vital,” says Maiken Daura.

“There’s nothing worse than a café with a lot of reverberation. It can be very disruptive, and you feel as if you’re on a railway station. We therefore consulted the tradesmen who were working for us, and they recommended Troldtekt acoustic panels. We installed the acoustic panels on the ceiling throughout the café, and we’re strongly considering doing the same in our café in Horsens.”