Gjorslev – modern life in an authentic castle

History, heritage and a growing friendship in the Danish castle that tea practitioner Mette Marie Kjær calls home.


Gjorslev castle dates back to 1400 when the castle was built for the Bishop of Roskilde, a close confidant of the Danish Queen. In and out of crown ownership, the estate, which is situated on the Stevns Peninsula, 40 km south of Copenhagen, is now privately owned.

Mette Marie Kjær, founder of the first tea house in Denmark focusing on Japanese tea culture, dreamed of escaping the city and ended up getting the keys to the 450 square-meter south wing of Gjorslev castle. After turning away from her career as an art photographer, she became a practitioner of the art of tea. She opened her business “Sing Tehus” and 12 years later, she moved into the castle where she now lives and holds spiritual tea ceremonies.

Selandia Table Ø94 / 8.945 dkk / Selandia Chair / 3.895 dkk / Selandia Armchair / 4.745 dkk
For Kjær, tea is performance art – a way to share insights and possibly change people’s perspectives on life. It is the history and heritage that binds Mette and her tea practice to Gjorslev. “It’s probably not a coincidence that I ended up here, bringing in this more than 2000-year-old culture and traditions and using this atmospheric space to communicate these ideas and share these experiences.”
Hven Armchair / 5.045 dkk / Overlap Table / 26.245 dkk
Educated in Prague and New York, she has a Master of Fine Arts and Photography but gave that away after realizing tea was her medium. When asked do you still do any art?” she replies, “Yes, I do tea.” 
 
“It’s not that I don’t appreciate art and its emotional effects on people, it’s just that I felt it was not my role. I saw the tearoom as something I could do to try to bring a feeling of: ‘let’s cultivate together.’ It was during her early days of discovery that she first collaborated with Skagerak. They supplied furniture for her first tea shop in Copenhagen and she hosted events for the brand and served tea.
No. 10 Tray, Medium / 730 dkk + delivery costs


When asked do you still do any art?” she replies, “Yes, I do tea.” 

Through the tea we can train our mind to enter a meditative state with heightened awareness. When I do a tea ceremony I start with a visualization: ‘Put on your nicest kimono and imagine we are walking down the street in Kyoto.’ I describe this tearoom we are entering together, neutral and sparse. I do the first two or three Matcha teas in silence so they feel the energy between us. It is a slow mesmerizing ritual. 
Hven Armchair / 5.045 dkk
Vivlio Shelf Medium / 1.775 dkk / Vivlio Frame / 1.775 dkk / Vivlio Shelf Large / 2.000 dkk / Vivlio Shelf Small / 1.575 dkk
“It takes patience to build work relationships and we just really liked each other and enjoyed doing things together,” says Mette. Hosting the Skagerak team at Gjorslev to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Drachmann collection was a way of showing how much the relationship means to her. “That’s why we are here, we started with respecting each other and helping each other out,” says Mette.
Drachmann collection celebrates 40 years
The Drachmann collection is named after the Danish writer and painter Holger Drachmann, a leading figure in the Skagen artists’ colony of the late 19th and early 20th century. Launched in 1982, the collection is a modern expression of outdoor furniture that had originally been designed for Drachmann in the early 1900s.
Thank you Mette for inviting us inside the castle.