In our Slow Sundays series, we spent the day with Renée Toft Simonsen and captured the rhythms of her Sunday.
’An ideal Sunday for me is having plenty of time—no plans at all.
Maybe starting the day with a date with my husband, reading the newspaper for hours, followed by winter bathing. Or borrowing a grandchild and going down to catch crabs, and having the kids
come by with their children to eat. I decide. I don’t have to go anywhere—no birthdays—just a completely open day. That is the ultimate luxury.’

Having a great project in the garden is part of a slow Sunday for Renée—painting garden chairs, sanding them down, and finding a beautiful macchiato color. Not having to do anything, except maybe power-washing the whole terrace or painting windows. Being in her own world, at her own pace.

’The dining table is a place where you show love—because you’ve made something delicious for everyone to share. In a way, it’s an act of love.’
Every morning, Renée and her husband meet around the dining table to read the newspaper, drink coffee, and talk. When they have guests, it’s always around the dining table. Whether it’s her father coming over for a schnapps, her bridge club visiting, or her children
dropping by, it’s where the family gathers.

A Slow Sunday with Renée Toft Simonsen — absorbed in something with her hands, knitting or gardening, or reading her way into another world.

In the living room, the family gathers around the sofa—reading books with the grandchildren, watching films, and Renée knitting while her husband enjoys his afternoon naps and relaxes.

’I am a squirrel—I collect sea urchins, I collect books, I collect balls of yarn. There is something creative about it, but also something restorative. It’s a place of flow and calm, where you don’t have racing thoughts, worries, or stress. It’s all peaceful and sensory, a state of flow.’ – Renée Toft Simonsen