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Danish homes on Oprah - Page 3

post #41 of 65
10/26/09 at 7:22am
Thread Starter 
I think the point was that if you lose your job their is unemployment insurance-type support for up to 4 years, paid for secondary education if you need retraining, adequate health services if there is addiction or mental health issues, and adequate shelters and long-term disability assistance for those that need it.
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post #42 of 65
10/26/09 at 9:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ElaineBenes View Post
Not to be off-topic as well, but you can't lose your job in Denmark? They have no homeless people? Really?
I think it's much the same there as where I am. Here both employer and employee need to give 3 months notice and the restrictions on what you can lose you job for are much more strict (for better or worse). The first year is generally a trial period and both parties can back away more easily, after that though it's pretty damn hard to get rid of someone. Plus with good unemployment offerings and health coverage not being tied to your job it makes things a lot less stressful for families.

There are homeless people but that's mostly just because there will always be people that for whatever reason choose to live outside the system.
post #43 of 65
10/26/09 at 10:04am
When I was an au pair in Denmark, I never saw any homes or apartments like in the Oprah clip. I'm sure there are some, but I was never inside one. The home I lived in, and the neighborhood, were similar to American ones, minus the fact that there were no garages.

I was also briefly an au pair in Bergen, Norway and the homes there tended to have pale color schemes, lots of windows and lots of wood. We were in such a rainy area, that letting the son in as much as possible was a good thing.
post #44 of 65
10/26/09 at 10:35am
One of my kid's bedrooms is that small. It has bunkbeds, two IKEA floor to ceiling locker/closets, and an IKEA storage unit that holds a bunch of toys and their dvd player on top. We also have a blanket chest at the end of teh bed for extra linens. The room is 6x11.

Here is the storage units we have-

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S19819557
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S79842748

The tall one, we have them set up with closet doors on top, drawers on bottom. They are quite perfect, imo, and fit in the room like it was made for them. Under the bed we have some under bed storage boxes to hold their out of season clothes.
post #45 of 65
10/26/09 at 2:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SeekingJoy View Post
I think the point was that if you lose your job their is unemployment insurance-type support for up to 4 years, paid for secondary education if you need retraining, adequate health services if there is addiction or mental health issues, and adequate shelters and long-term disability assistance for those that need it.
Thanks for filling in my gaps. Of course people can lose their jobs, but the assistance for people is both substantial and long-term. They pay up to 90% of your salary for up to four years in addition to job seeking assistance. And how in the world did I forget PAID maternity care for 4-6 months for moms and fathers get benefits as well. Amazing.
post #46 of 65
10/26/09 at 2:31pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by BunniMummi View Post
I think it's much the same there as where I am. Here both employer and employee need to give 3 months notice and the restrictions on what you can lose you job for are much more strict (for better or worse). The first year is generally a trial period and both parties can back away more easily, after that though it's pretty damn hard to get rid of someone. Plus with good unemployment offerings and health coverage not being tied to your job it makes things a lot less stressful for families.

There are homeless people but that's mostly just because there will always be people that for whatever reason choose to live outside the system.
Thanks for the info. I was really curious when it was posted that they had no homeless, etc.. I wonder what the tax rate is there though to cover such generous benefits? I do wish we would do a better job in America of taking care of the mentally ill, that make up such a large part of our homeless.
post #47 of 65
10/26/09 at 9:13pm
Fyi - about the bathroom - I'm pretty sure the glass walls are the kind that when you close and lock the door they become opaque. I have seen this kind of glass several times in upscale hotels. I used to live in Miami Beach, where there a several very luxurious hotels and they had this kind of glass walled bathrooms.

Oh, and I also stayed in a hotel in Italy that had this kind of glass.

I'm pretty sure that their not pooping in front of each other.
post #48 of 65
10/26/09 at 9:43pm
Wow, interesting! Not really my style though. I do prefer the simple uncluttered look but it was just a little too white and cold looking for me. The glass bathroom walls would bug me. I loved the kid nook. There were things I did like but I'm not sure I could live in a place like that.
post #49 of 65
10/26/09 at 10:20pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ElaineBenes View Post
Thanks for the info. I was really curious when it was posted that they had no homeless, etc.. I wonder what the tax rate is there though to cover such generous benefits? I do wish we would do a better job in America of taking care of the mentally ill, that make up such a large part of our homeless.
I feel like I need to clarify once more. I never said there was no homelessness, I said there is a lack of fear around these issues. Quite different. The tax rate is 50-60%. Very high, but for the most part, from what I understand the people perceive they get value for their money and are ok with paying those taxes.
post #50 of 65
10/26/09 at 10:55pm
I would also imagine with tax rates that high, salaries are commensurate with that, ie, they know that take home is going to be $xxxxx, so that is taken into account. As opposed to the 20-30% in the USA, if it were to double, Salaries would have to go up to match that, along with prices of goods etc.
post #51 of 65
10/26/09 at 11:20pm
Someone upthread said that the kids' room didn't seem that small, even by US standards...did you see Oprah climb into it? It wasn't even full height to stand in. It was super cute, and I think it would be a perfect room for kids. But yeah, very, very, very small.

Forget the house. I just want to live in Denmark! That sounds freaking fantastic. The house isn't my style at all (Although the second Danish house they showed looked much more comfortable to me) but I could totally go for that country.
post #52 of 65
10/27/09 at 11:54am
The link seems to be broken - does anyone know where else I could find it?

Quote:
Originally Posted by mommy2maya View Post
I would also imagine with tax rates that high, salaries are commensurate with that, ie, they know that take home is going to be $xxxxx, so that is taken into account. As opposed to the 20-30% in the USA, if it were to double, Salaries would have to go up to match that, along with prices of goods etc.
Hmm, I'm not sure that is true. In Canada the taxes are higher but when DH and I compare salaries with our US counterparts they always get paid more (and that's in US $ so it's an even bigger difference once you consider that). It may be just our field though. But I think there are a lot more things that play into it - the cost of living, the lifestyle that people have, etc.
post #53 of 65
10/27/09 at 3:43pm
i love it, though i like something less modern, at least in places. the children's room didn't seem small to me, and we've spent tons of time having space that really flowed very openly. i think it is probably just what you are used to. my london fridge is that small, with a freezer inside it, and frankly, their space was well designed and seemed huge to me! it seemed like it had lots of well-designed storage. nice!

*
post #54 of 65
10/28/09 at 5:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ElaineBenes View Post
Thanks for the info. I was really curious when it was posted that they had no homeless, etc.. I wonder what the tax rate is there though to cover such generous benefits?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filencome_Taxes_By_Country.svg
post #55 of 65
10/29/09 at 3:26am
Totally not my style. I love the view but it needs heart honestly.

The home in Dubai was more my style.
post #56 of 65
10/29/09 at 7:05am
That appartment is so NOT typical! It's true that Danes tend to live in smaller places and that the lines are cleaner and the interior simpler than in the US - but it was so far from typical. And yes, of course Danes sleep with pillows and duvets - big ones.

The appartment on Oprah is very expensive (maybe the top 3% could afford it) and it's silly to say that it's typical. Most appartments in Copenhagen is much older - from around 1850-1900 and are so much prettier and much more cosey. Copenhagen is a lot like Amsterdam and in part like London.

It makes me a little mad that Oprah portraits it as typical Danish. Danish design - both buildings and interior - is much nicer than that.

ETA: Style is such a personal and subjective thing. Personally I found the appartment cold and boring.
post #57 of 65
11/3/09 at 11:19am
I dont have a fear of heights, but as a mom I could never live there. The huge windows make me so nervous! I would freak out every time my kids were running through the living room. Id be paranoid they would roll out of the bunk bed and smash through their window or something

And for what its worth, that fridge size is on the big side for Australia, except we would also have a small freezer at the bottom or more likely top. Which she may have had but just not showed. We dont have any huge discount bulk shopping places. Just the regular supermarkets and most people do at least a weekly shop, more often if you have the time. We always buy fresh bread and fruit and veg.
post #58 of 65
11/3/09 at 11:11pm
I haven't read the whole thread, but my SIL is Swedish, and her house is immaculant. Sterile even. Beautiful but sterile. I asked my dad once if she had a problem, like OCD with the cleaning. He laughed and said that in Sweden, everyone is a neat freak!

I like a clean, decluttered house, but that is just too much.
post #59 of 65
11/4/09 at 4:41pm
That home made me sad. I did, however, love the mom's attitude of what is important.
post #60 of 65
11/4/09 at 11:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by newbymom05 View Post
sleep in the kitchen, poop in the living room...yeah, small kids' room seem to be the least of the problems to me too!


It is sterile. Too much white and hardness. I like a squishy comfortable home.