Danish electrician here. Bathroom lightswitches are often on the outside of smaller toilets/bathrooms because of distance rules between water sources and electric outlets. In bigger bathrooms we usually alway try and get them on the inside. -I had a littlebrother who loved turning off the lights while others was doing number 2... so I hate when they are on the outside and always advice customers on the opposite...

@Wishbone1977

6 ай бұрын

Yeah, it's certainly not a rule that bathroom light switches have to be on the outside here. Mine isn't.

The reason for people in Denmark often painting their walls white is because of light, while some may find it "minimalist", it is a way to make the room more bright in the winter time (you will often leave the house in darkness and return to your home in darkness, when it is winter, where sun may rise after 8 and set before 17). The reason for light switches being on the outside of bathrooms in Denmark is because historically water and electrics doesn't mix, and many light switches weren't waterproofed, resulting in corrosion from the inside. Some modern houses do have light switches on the inside of the bathroom now.

@johndododoe1411

7 ай бұрын

White is the neutral color usually preferred by realtors, if not planning to sell soon, patterned and picture wallpaper is common .

@1985rbaek

7 ай бұрын

​@@johndododoe1411 I am only talking about Denmark. It is very much to the North (like New Foundland in Canada). The shortest day is only 7 hours in the winter, which means it is dark outside the remaining 17 hours. Winter depression is a very real thing here. Unlike Canada we do not get much snow due to the coastal climate and island geography, so the country is very wet and dark in winter. You can get patterned wallpaper here, it is just not as common to see, and mostly used in children's rooms.

@shubiduanu

7 ай бұрын

Except from the white walls bringing light to the homes, they're also preferable when you want to hang stuff on the walls. We do that a lot in Denmark as well, and white as the background suits pretty much everything, no matter if you want to hang up a clock, a guitar, a painting, some family photos, a shelf for books or just decorations etc. I know quite a few people who have moved to Denmark from other countries and I've noticed that it always takes about a handful of years before they really start adopting that "decorate the walls with items instead of colors"-approach 😂

@miabrammernyholm953

7 ай бұрын

I also think the many white walls are a counter-move to the coloured walls of the 90's (remember the sponge method 🫣)

@herrbonk3635

7 ай бұрын

Not really, the main reason is marxist modernism from Bauhaus et al still lingering on in your culture...

The reson for a ligth switch outside the bathroom is stærkstrøm reglement. There used to be very strickt rules for the distance betwen a tap, shower and such in a "wet room". The rules are less strikt now, the tradition is made. For the same reason you a wierd big outlet just for a shaver besidde the sink at the mirror. It used to be the only alowed a outlet near water. Its designed not to elecktrikute you if you spray water on. I can explain how, but not in englich if interested 😄

@TravelinYoung

7 ай бұрын

Yeah, in the US the outlets in bathrooms are required to have a breaker on it so it can trip itself and turn off if it comes in contact with water. Same with kitchens.

@steffenthorhauge9549

7 ай бұрын

@@TravelinYoung All outlets have to have breakers. Actually kitchens must have at least 3 outlets, separated between at least two breakers with light load. But it must have been deemed too unsafe to even have outlets in "wet rooms", unless it was the transformer separated "shaver outlet". That is no longer being put up.

@TravelinYoung

7 ай бұрын

@@steffenthorhauge9549 to clarify, I meant breaker on the actual outlet itself. In addition to the breaker box which all outlets are the house are connected to. It is an extra level of protection for outlets near sinks. It is called a GFCI outlet - ground fault circuit interruptor.

@steffenthorhauge9549

7 ай бұрын

@@TravelinYoung Ah, a separate HPFI (as they are called in Danish. I understand. That is not (yet?) required in EU.

@OliverEHC

7 ай бұрын

In the US, it's only the outlets with a dedicated GFCI that are ground fault protected. In Denmark all outlets are required to be behind a GFCI, thus there is just a single (or sometimes multiple) GFCI in the breaker box, covering the whole house. The downside is that the whole house loses power if it trips, but it's nice to have every single outlet, appliance, light outtake, etc. protected.

Bathtops used to be very common in DK, until the 80’s. Due to the sharp increases in energy costs, we stopped installing them. Refrigerators with ice cube makers, are literally called “Amerikaner køleskab” (American fridge) in DK. 😄 They were quite popular 20 years ago or so, but seem to have gone somewhat out of fashion. Regarding the floors; also a question of what’s “in” at the moment, it used to be common having floor carpets or laquered wooden floors, now the raw natural look and the warm feeling is in.

@Elgsdyr

7 ай бұрын

I was going to comment that the energy crisis back in the late 70s (?) killed off most bathtubs here.

@johndododoe1411

7 ай бұрын

Yeah, and we don't consider them "unfinished" floors .

@holmbjerg

7 ай бұрын

Carpets have disappeared with floor heating. They used to be very common, but since floors are not cold anymore, there is much less of a need for carpets.

@dennisoestermann1880

7 ай бұрын

The American Fridge is catching on again.

@jacobrichter

7 ай бұрын

@@johndododoe1411 Det er ikke "ufærdige" men ubehandlede.

I am a bricklayer, here in Denmark, I have been building bathrooms for the last 25 years. it was very normal back in the 70s and 80s to have a bathtub, but pretty much every time I renovate a bathroom, the bathtub is removed and replaced with a walk-in shower.

@jonc4403

7 ай бұрын

I can't understand why anybody would do that. It's such a downgrade. I can understand wanting a large shower, but not at the expense of losing the tub.

@maksenDK

7 ай бұрын

I'm danish. I had a tub where I grew up but I would NEVER have a tub now. Takes up room. It's a hastle to fill and takes time. uses alot of water. and I don't want to sit in my own filth.@@jonc4403

@mikkelbreiler8916

7 ай бұрын

@@jonc4403 water consumption, cost of water. We're using less water per capita now than 30 years ago.

@nikolajwinther5955

7 ай бұрын

​@@jonc4403we began taking baths daily and the tub just got in the way, as it was taking up space. 15 years ago is was common to install spa/bubblebaths in new houses as a quality of life but that too has gone put of fashion as they remained unused and took up precious space especially now that houses are being built smaller again (140 m2 compared to 180 20 years ago). You may compare to saunas that were the rage in the 70s-80s. Noone ever used them so they ended up as storage space an no one in their right mind would build one in a house today.

@Larsschmidt14

7 ай бұрын

@@jonc4403 were removing ours. Its massive, and max gets used once a year, and then its a fall danger - super slippery and a hassle to get in and out of.

There are actually a couple of reasons for why ice cube machines in fridges are not a thing in Denmark. The first is of course that the tap water in Denmark is very high on minerals so an ice cube maker in a fridge would require frequent cleaning because of the increased possibility of bacteria growth in the system. The second reason is cost because an ice cube maker in a fridge consumes more power and electrical power in Denmark is pretty expensive.

@Ph33NIXx

7 ай бұрын

yeah.. also I imagine a ice cube fridge will chalk up pretty quick xD

Guys, guys..so many things! 1. Windows and how they can open... 2. How doors can be locked/unlocked with the upturned handle (you made a short video about it years ago Josh) 3. The difference between water level in the toilets 4. The use of ordinary curtains (or not) - a lot of DK homes don't use them, even if they have windows turned out to the street 5. The abundant use of candles in DK 6. Lighting in general in our homes a. we don't use overhead lights much, unless it's over a dining room/kitchen table b. most often you have to bring your own lamps, they are not pre-installed 7. We might not have ice cubes, but a lot of houses have 100°cookers 8. White walls are an easy upkeep, and ut's cheaper, quicker, simpler to switch out pillows, curtains, rugs etc... Anywhoooo...good to see you! hello from Hundested 🌸

@HannahJ

7 ай бұрын

1. In this apartment, our windows, open a small amount or you can turn the handle 180 and it opens on a hinge like a door. 2. Yep ours does this, you can sort of half lock it then properly lock it with the thumb turn or the key. 3. I haven't noticed this - certainly between the UK and DK it seems the same. 4. We have big windows... Our bedrooms have curtains but I know some of my neighbours don't. Our apartment overlooks our neighbours and it's kind of weird because they sleep with the light on as well as no curtains some nights... (I see this when I get up for work at 5am.... I'm not being a creeper lol) 5. Oh yes, and Christmas is coming so adventlys at the ready! 6. a. Yes and when they are overhead they are often really soft lighting and low lol. Our dining table one is at my standing eyelevel and I'm just over 5ft tall. b. Yes, the first night my husband and son had a sleepover in our new place, they had to do everything by bicycle light or torch until our delivery from Ikea and my husband could install our lights lol. 7. We make ice cubes in a tray in our freezer (same as we do back in the UK too) and I'm not sure what you mean by 100° cookers (ours is in Celsius so goes up in 50s. Our UK cooker is in Celsius too but my Mum's cooker is so old it's still in Fahrenheit - so alot of recipes I learnt as a kid how to do in that cooker and then had to relearn once I moved out lol). 8. The white is a little boring but as you say - add the accessories and you can change it when you need/want to.

@KevfireTheFirst

7 ай бұрын

@@HannahJ The 100° cookers, means a tap at the sink where you can get boiling water at any time.

@XAD566

7 ай бұрын

Valid items for sure. I was wondering about the faucet in the shower, most here are thermostat controlled, whereas all the US ones I’ve encountered are of the either it’s the too hot or too cold variety

@ITubeTooInc

7 ай бұрын

Door knobs in the US vs. door handles in DK.

@christelekelund7066

7 ай бұрын

Hi Zandain. The answers to Q 5 + 6 is because of the Danish "hygge". We want warm cosiness and like to play with how the light affects the surroundings (brightness, color, shade and patterns). It's plays a big part in how we design and decorate our (white walled) rooms, and therefore we shy away from too bright 'harsh' light placed on the ceiling.

3:25 They are not unfinished as such. They are for the most soap finished, so you still have to maintain it by washing with a special soap once in a while. Prevents it from sucking moisture etc. You can get the soap clear or with a slight tint (white is often used)

Many years ago when I visited the US the first time as a kid, I think the thing that shocked me most was the fact that there was Chlorine in the water making it undrinkable. This is quite opposite to Denmark where we have clean non-Chlorinated drinking water available everywhere.

@joncelso2369

7 ай бұрын

Do you mean fluoride? I've only encountered chlorine in swimming pools.

@_-martin-_

7 ай бұрын

@@joncelso2369 Whatever it is it tastes like a swimming pool. It is vile.

@tineditmarunnerup9513

7 ай бұрын

When we run out of water from the ground we have to use surface water from the lakes. In those cases we add chlorine to the water here in Denmark too. It has been years since I experienced it, but it did happen at some points.

@_-martin-_

7 ай бұрын

@@tineditmarunnerup9513 That is a very very long time ago.

@Fiddepik

7 ай бұрын

@@tineditmarunnerup9513 it more or less exclusively happens in/around Copenhagen and only during fairly heavy droughts.

The only thing i find weird with US older homes is that you enter the living room from the front door of the house

@finncarlbomholtsrensen1188

7 ай бұрын

As in - Belgium. It may be because of the climate, that eventually you will open to a snowfield outside, which isn't practical.

@Fritha71

7 ай бұрын

Yeah, it's weird how American houses often don't have any kind of space between the front door and the actual room, one just steps straight into a proper room. I prefer to have a foyer for shoes and coats and whatnot... but then Americans can't be bothered to take off their shoes inside so I guess no biggie for them, lol.

@PLF...

Ай бұрын

@@Fritha71 might be why they don't bother. I love the Japanese version is where there's always a level difference where shoes are not allowed once you step "up" into the house.

Reason for the switch of bathrooms being outside is that it's a wet room... to avoid electrocution ... not that important today, as everything is grounded and the HPFI+ is mandatory... but that's why. Because olden times.

@BenjaminVestergaard

7 ай бұрын

Reason for not having an ice cube machine is hygiene... it takes a lot of cleaning to remain safe... with ice cube trays, it's just easier to remember that they need a cleaning once in a while...

@steffenthorhauge9549

7 ай бұрын

@@BenjaminVestergaard Plus, the ice cube thing is not really something people use all the time. I have two old milk-bottle style glass bottles from IKEA, in my fridge at all times with cold water. Problem solved .

Danish girl here. ☺ One thing I like in American houses is the concept of walk in closets and a bathroom for every bedroom. And bathrubs! I think it creates a very luxurious feeling. But the size of American houses also seem a bit too much for me. 😅 I like a clean home, and I have a feeling that in a huge house like that, I would be cleaning all day, lol. One thing I noticed is the materials we use seem to be different. In American homes, I notice a lot of 'shiny' things. Decor, glass, countertops, even wooden floors - everything seems to have kind of a shiny finish to it. Which can look really nice. 😄 But being Scandinavian, I think I have a preference for the more 'raw/matte' finish we tend to have over here. We like to mix white and wood (as you commented yourself), and I think a key factor in our style is 'nice, but not too polished'. The great thing about this is, it offers a blank slate. You can still decorate with lots and color, and it will not feel cluttered/overloading your senses. Because the 'blank slate' is calming it all down. If that makes sense. 😅

@snapperjessen

7 ай бұрын

americans also use 3-6 times more water than danes on average

I’m an American now living in Denmark and another thing I found so different here is, no window screens and screen doors. Nearly every home has screens in the US to keep out bugs and critters (or to keep your pets in) when the windows are open. My Danish husband does not understand why we would have screens. He now gets to listen to me complain about all the flies and other bugs in the house during summer 😂

@egonegonmand

7 ай бұрын

all the flies and other bugs ? Maybe just clean somwhat?

@BrinnaIshima

7 ай бұрын

​@@egonegonmandflies and bugs etc enter clean spaces all the time, especially away from polluted areas such as the cities... They might not wish to stay in clean spaces, but they can't always find their way out

@cnj67

7 ай бұрын

Screens like that is a good thing, especially if you live in a place many bugs. Or just to use in the mosquito season, which is often also when it's hot and you'd like to have a window open. Maybe you could invest in a few frames and then use them for the favourite places to have standing open; like your bedroom window, the garden door (if you have one) the window in the kitchen, maybe? In a doorway, you can also have a pearl string curtain, that keeps away a lot of insects. You could put it away outside of bug season, and in that way make a compromise with your husband, if he is not so much into it.

@shanencribbs8592

7 ай бұрын

@@BrinnaIshima Yes, thank you ☺️ This is not a cleanliness issue 😂 We live in the countryside and no matter what we do, they love to come hang out in our house…spiders (especially the spiders 😝) flies, bees, mosquitoes. That’s why I miss window screens. And also to keep the pets in if you want fresh air but don’t want your dog or cat escaping 😊 But I see that screens are not common here in Denmark so I was curious what others who live in the country do about this?

as a Danish electrician, there is rules for how many outlets there has to be in every room. (1 pr. 4 m2 of the floor in the room, with exeptions. older building is under rules, from when they were build) min. like fx in kitchens. lights and outlets has to be divided on 2 different circuit. the main reason the lightswitch is outside, is because of old rules of wetrooms. the switch for outlet is also old rules, but also because electricity used to be very exspensive. so people used to turn everything off at the outlets.

@joncelso2369

7 ай бұрын

I was going to ask if Denmark also had to keep electricity out of the bathrooms or only 110v outlets for something like an electric shaver. That and the on/off for outlets are very common in Ireland as well.

@Noblemand

7 ай бұрын

​@@joncelso2369 its 230 volt at standard(Some special ones may have others)

@johnclements6614

7 ай бұрын

As a UK non electrician my understanding of the rules here in the UK is that you can 230/240V sockets and light switches in bathrooms if they are more than 3m from a bath, sink or shower. The US use 110V so the effect of a shock are generally lower. Appliances use power whilst on standby, it was significant in the past. It is far easier to flick a switch than pull a plug out of the wall.

@joncelso2369

7 ай бұрын

@@johnclements6614 Ah, I think you hit the key point. The 3+ metre distance is unicorn-level rarity; who has a bath that big 🤣

@XAD566

7 ай бұрын

🍿 just waiting for the one who starts the argument that the rules were made so only rich people could have outlets in their baths 😂

I think the "unfinished" floor is just finished with soap. And the maintence is washing them with a a specific soap.

@TravelinYoung

7 ай бұрын

It was but a lye soap finish is no match for dogs 😳

@lilly6766

7 ай бұрын

@@TravelinYoung My parents have had such floors and washed with a "gulvsæbe" with no problems with several cats and dogs sharing the home for 40 years. So maybe that soap is a safe option?

@KentAJDK

7 ай бұрын

The soapfloor, is very easy and very very cheap to repair. With washing in soap again. Many of those floors are laid many years ago, and with a dark fernish. Then back starting maybe late 60` young ppl with no money needed to make flates for their liking cheaply, grounded the fernish of and treated with cheap soap. And also many wooden furniures got that treadment, as you can also use the brown soap for disvolving the old paint and fernish. It is called, at afsyre møbler, to acid of furnitures. Even if soap is base. 😊

Lightswitch outside toilets/bathrooms is in older houses. But I have modernized my lovely old house from 1890….and lightswitch is inside my bathroom😉 Strange things about USA…… my friends were at a wedding in USA. There was a nice big buffet. They wondered why everybody filled up their plates with food. But hey…. everything is big in US. In Denmark we go many times to the buffet, so they took a little of this and a little of that……they planned to go again……but when everybody had been at the buffet once, everything was taken out😮😮😮 Party with half empty stomach😝😝😝

@ingedahl2604

6 ай бұрын

know the feeling

The unfinished floors are probably soap treated floors that have not been soap treated as they should. Thanks for your videos. So funny and interesting

Loved this video, in my opinion one of the best you guys have made.

The reason for placing lightswitches outside the bathroom is allegedly a safetyfeature. You dont want to mix electricity and water. And a lot of houses was build before 1900, before electricity in homes was a thing, and the afterinstallments was done cheap as possible I think more modern houses may have a plug in the bathroom, but theyre placed inside the closet or above a certain height, to prevent random splashes. I havnt looked into it as a legal matter but thats what ive been told.

@IncognitoX8

7 ай бұрын

Correct. This is usually, (and the only valid reason) why sometimes, the electrician are forced to put it on the outside.

@m4ster_root

7 ай бұрын

Any new installation requires at least one outlet per 4 square meter. this includes the bathroom as long as it can be placed 0.6 meters away from the edges of any bathtub or shower. So yes, old houses and apartments usually have the light switch outside the bathroom, while new houses and apartments will have it inside the bathroom, along with an outlet for your shaving / dryer needs and such.

The shift is on the outside because the shower in the bathroom. The toilet flushes with 2 or 4 litres, in the USA it is 12 liters per flush Houses in Denmark are made of bricks, in the USA they are made of wood. Danish refrigerators/freezers A++++ use 150kWh/h per year, in the USA they use 1000kWh per year A Dane uses an average of 100 liters of water per day, but since the bathtub uses approx. 200 liters per bath, this is not a real option

Love your shows, been busy so I need a lot bof catching up on your videos :D

I lived two places in Copenhagen with bathtub, my house here in Australia, I pulled the tub out when I renovated the bathroom, waste of space and water, which doesn't come cheap these days.

Loved this video. I’m an American in Denmark and I’ve lived here for 22 years. Another funny thing with houses here are the door handles. Most American door handles in a house are round, in DK they are more of a lever.

@cnj67

7 ай бұрын

Are there any advantages to round door handles? The difference is not huge, but like, if you are carrying stuff, the lever handles are so much more practical, and also I imagine if you are an old person, ... you need to have a fairly good grip with the round handles for them to turn, while with the levers you can just put weight on them. Both kinds do the job, but it seems to me that levers have advantages. I'd like to hear if there are any advantages to round ones that I just haven't thought about.

@brittamikkelsen26

6 ай бұрын

Yes, and if you have anything moist on your hands, you can't grab the handle and open the door

@flpetersen1885

2 ай бұрын

@@cnj67 and advantage is that an animal cannot open the round ones. I heard that it is by law in some nothern US states and in (possibly part of) Canada to use round doors handles on the outside, to avoid bears getting access. Dunno if it is true, or just a Danish hearsay.

You guys gave a lovely home.

Hello there. I just stumbled across your channel. Fun and entertaining to see our ways described through the eyes of others. You appear as a sweet and likeable family and you represent your country in a very likeable way. Nice to see. 👍👍😄

White walls are great. That way you can colour with paintings furniture etc, so it can be changed by getting other asseceries which is easier than having to cover up everything and paint the entire room in whatever colour you want

@cnj67

7 ай бұрын

Someone once rented my apartment for three months while I went travelling and she asked if it was okay for her to paint my walls? Like ... for living there for three months!

Just had my first trip to Denmark in Oct '23. Things I noticed. You mentioned the toilet. Where we stayed, they also had the buttons. But, the water tank was inside the wall, and the toilet was hung on the wall rather than sitting on the floor. Also, in the US, the water does this swirly thing when you flush. I noticed in Denmark the toilet water would just flood in. I love how most of the kitchens use drawers under the counters instead of doors. So much easier to get things. Wall ovens and stove tops are nice, too, instead of stand-alone units. The walk-in showers...yes...and it was way too small for me. Does your enclosure have a lip to keep the water from leaving the area?

Yeeees you are back 😂🤗

Great video, thanks, and regard from 🇺🇸 usa

I like that you enter the livingroom from street in US. Makes that room larger.

'Unfinished floors' is going to give some people a hard time I think

@steffenthorhauge9549

7 ай бұрын

Yeah I paused at that for a moment.

@TravelinYoung

7 ай бұрын

Ha, we meant no eurathane or shellac finish. There are floors that are finished with a lye soap but that's not very protective. Our last house literally had no finish. It was straight up raw wood planks. Not even a lye soap layer

@davidpax

7 ай бұрын

Well, you couldn't really see the floor in the video so had me thinking too..🤔

That's a very nice house you have. Looks cosy.

@TravelinYoung

7 ай бұрын

Thanks, we love it!

Bathtubs was really common, but most people removed them to save money 😊

@Noblemand

7 ай бұрын

AND space :)

A bathtub is a must-have for relaxation. So, being a Dane, we've always just installed a tub (if there wasn't one), even if the tub needed to sort of poke out of the shower cabin 🙂

We had a bathtub in my grandmother's house. Which was only used on special occasions. Since water was expensive. And yes, that actually also explains the large and small flush in the toilet. Water is a recurse we must take care of.

4:40 This is a newer thing. As we moved away from the "70'es kitchens" and into the "modern age of conversation kitchens" the smart design was to hide away all the kitchen appliances in kitchen cabinets. 6:00 You're are able to buy an "American refrigerator" with the ability to make icecubes here. But I haven't seen any designer American refrigerators yet that would fit into a modern kitchen thought it wouldn't surprise me if IKEA, Vordingborg Køkken, Svane Køkken, Kvik or any of the large companies that make kitchens have it.

@joncelso2369

7 ай бұрын

Second on the American fridges -- those are also sold in Ireland, otherwise you can have one of those refrigerator/freezers that's built into the cupboards, like our flat. Makes me wonder now if "American style Fridge Freezers" are available throughout Europe? 🤔

@Adinski83

7 ай бұрын

Samsung have built an Anarican fridge with water and ice that is not big and can fit in a standard danish kitchen

@Bjowolf2

7 ай бұрын

"conversation kitchens", you mean 😉

@CRBarchager

7 ай бұрын

@@Bjowolf2 Ha. Indeed. I'll update it. Thank you.

So when I moved to the U.S. (from Denmark) it was so weird to see light bulbs that was turned on with a pull sting… I thought it was so archaic when I moved here LOL Many houses in Denmark has an actual entryway, where here in the U.S. many times the front door goes straight into the room… as it’s common in Denmark to take your shoes off it’s nice to have the entryway… especially in the winter time, here I am leaving my shoes in the garage and not inside the house as there is really no place to put them as you come in the front door.

It is common with white walls when you move in, then you paint them in the color of your choice.

The toilet flushes with 2 or 4 litres, in the USA it is 12 liters per flush

For the fridge, most danes own plastic ice cube trays that we fill at the sink at put in the freezer, no need for putting a hole in the fridge . When the fridge is hidden, it's usually just a cabinet door bolted on as camouflage . The other stylish option is a steel plate to make it look like an easily disinfected professional kitchen .

Hey Olive! Fridges here in Oz tend to not have icemakers (never had one when I grew up in the States) (silicone ice trays are my friend now!), our powerpoints turn on and off, and two button loos are standard. Central air and heating is not common here, and it gets pretty chilly in the winter. Perhaps more in common with Europe than the US! :)

Weird in the US: that thick, wooly, wall-to-wall carpet that comes with every house and apartment ~ glued to the floor, cannot be lifted or taken out for cleaning... must be a nightmare for people with dustmite allergy 👃🚫 ☝😅

@tineditmarunnerup9513

7 ай бұрын

Exactly. Many years ago when I lived in the suburbs of New York there was even a carpet in the bathroom and kitchen. EWWWW!!!!

@TravelinYoung

7 ай бұрын

I’ll say we always had hardwood floors except our first smaller house. But they were finished and more durable.

Norwegian here.. I really like your videos..

I love that it's called unfinished floors, never heard that one before.

@XAD566

7 ай бұрын

Me either, I actually had to go back and see what she was talking about, and depending on the age of the house someone likely spent a lot of time stripping the varnish off it sometime in the past lol

Great tour de chambre. And the light switch outside the toilet, is exactly for messing with people 😁 I might also be for keeping it outside the zone of moister and damp. Just a guess, though.

I moved to the US in 2016. A few things I really like in the 2 homes we lived in. More than one bathroom as standard and a big pantry👏❤️

And just look, how happy the power outlet is :D

unfinished floors? What is that?

@illus1ve

7 ай бұрын

Ubehandlede gulve

I'm a Danish/American born and raised in dk. I have lived in Saratoga Springs N.Y. and Newport R.I. USA I currently live in Denmark . so I understand what you're going through.

You can get mobile phone updates on which trash truck comes at what date and its free. Just gotta sign up for it

The practical reason for the lightswitch being outside the bathroom is so you turn the light on and see what you are walking into and not have to search for it in a dark bathroom.

As far as I know, the reason why the light switch for bathrooms in DK generally speaking is mounted on the wall just outside the bathroom, SAFTY, - The first couple of generations of switches where NOT isolated well enough to avoid short`s do to water/high levels of humidity. in what in DK construction terms is classified as a (VÅD RUM) WET ROMM.

As many have already answered - light switch outsite because of wetroom. Although I take it as an easy way to see if the bathroom is occupied as the light will then be on - ergo you don't have people testing the door while you're sitting there trying to mind your own businees (a very weird stressfactor for me :P )

I love your cat! God, he's gorgeous

If you’re missing ice cubes, buy some ice cube bags you fill yourself. It’s great to have a couple of bags sitting in the freezer for when you need them. Hopefully this will quench your thirst for ice cubes! (Also, no cleaning of ice cube maker as with an American fridge) (Ice cube bags are usually found in grocery stores around the freezer bags, tin foil, baking paper and such.)

Weird things in US houses: The mechanical garbage disposal under the sink. I was terrified of getting my hands stuck or dropping something in the sink. Wearing shoes all day, even indoors. On carpets. That you walk in on directly from the street. Round doorknobs with that little twister lock in the middle. You can lock uoirself out of the house too easily, and it's easy to break open.

Am i missing some Young lore ? Who's the cat? Where's the dog? 🙈🙈🙈 Also nice home ❤

@Je-Razor

7 ай бұрын

It is Maya's cat and the cat is called Ollie. You can briefly see Brisket in the video at 7:27

@klausolekristiansen2960

7 ай бұрын

The dog is here 7:28

@Joemamma664

7 ай бұрын

👍😁👍

Hey. thanks for the video. Would u guys be interested in visiting a gymnasium and to elaborate on cultural differences between the US and Dk?

Your home in Denmark is nice & hygge

Love your videos, especially when you point out the differences between DK and the US .. I would suggest you get a couple of "ice cube bags", the type you use, to make your own icecubes (actually a danish invention) .. The cool thing will be, you'll always have icecubes ready for use in your fridge, and the longer the icecubes is in your fridge, the better the ice :) (it'll take longer to melt)

The light switch was outside our first apartment's bathroom but our current one has it inside (although this still causes some mischief). In our current apartment, t he toilet is in the furthest corner from the door so you can still get your hand in and turn the light off while someone is on the toilet. It's usually the 9yo who does it to me because he knows he'll get away with it or the worst I'll do is turn the light off when he's on the toilet lol. Both our DK apartments have free standing fridges. Our current one is built into the unit but doesn't have a door like yours doesn't - we have the normal door which is handy to stick things on with mannnnny magnets

dejlig rundtur 😊

2:45 It is building regulations, if the bathroom is small and the switch would be within the "wet room" area. Bigger bathrooms can have switches next to the door, inside the room.

Since you had the electric kettle with you I thought you would mention how uncommon they are in the US. I was quite shocked that most or many Americans do not have electric water kettles and just heat up water for tea in the microwave.

@TravelinYoung

7 ай бұрын

We’ve always had one.

Your daugther is right about the outlets having switches that very normal in Denmark.

I'm a trained house painter and it always annoyed me with all the white walls... I mean at school we spent hours upon hours mixing colors and color theory... it was even a crucial part of the apprentice test... but alas, all the walls I have painted while I have officially painted as a house painter have been white... in unofficial work, however, I have had some tasks where I could play a little with some colors...

@vondahe

6 ай бұрын

Of my five rooms, only one has white walls. I suspect the reason for the white walls is the cost of labour. By opting for the lowest common denominator, you reduce the requirement for new paint. Also, it’s easier to paint white walls white again than making them light green after having been deep red. And finally, our houses are quite dark and as white reflects the light better than any colour, that became the standard.

The light switch thing is the same here in Germany, they are on the outside of the bathroom for some reason

When he said "tin things" I knew I was in the wrong place lol.😂

Thank you girls and guy :) Newer housings opting for ice cooler here as well :) Go shopping is by best bet :) Got not enough room at my place for full sized refrigerator of ice cubes generator I purchased ice from Meny a store just up the hill :) A bag cost less than three dollars and it is enough for a party.

Danish refrigerators/freezers A++++ uses 150kWh/h per year, in the USA they use 1000kWh per year

Regarding ice cubes. Its common to use plastic bags or small trays designed for making ice cubes. Just put a bag/tray in the freezer now and then.

The switch for the lights outside bathrooms was Earlier about safety. Today it is tradition. 1½ year ago we moved into a completely new apartment in the Copenhagen area. It had power outlets next to the sink and power for the washing machine under the table. So plenty of electricity in the "Wet room" But the switch for the light was still outside.

Back in the 50' there was a trend to place the outlets 30 cm above the floor. But it was backbraking so the standard was changed back again. I still have my bathtop. This year I have used it once. I don't have the patience for it any more.

a lot today is standard, normally in a newly built rental apartment there is only a fridge with a freezer, in houses it can vary depending on what you choose when it is built, or previous owners have had. in older houses you had to run a new water line to the freezer to have an ice machine. but most of them freeze their own cubes in the freezer. was more common in the past with bathtubs, but it is up to each who owns a house if they want a bathtub or not, that they were removed to save water.

Some differences I remember from visiting the US Screen doors and windows, air condition, separate laundry room, thick carpets, entry to the kitchen from a garage, sleeping with a sheet and quilt instead of a comforter, and built-in closets with folding doors.

Rental Apartments usually gets a fresh white paint job done when people move out. The first thing I did was buy coloured paint when I moved 3 years ago

Thing about the ice cube maker on refrigerators, they get NASTY, they need to be cleaned regularly like every 1-2 weeks tops.

@TravelinYoung

7 ай бұрын

Not sure what ice makers you’ve used in the past, but I’ve never had that experience.

@elderscrollsswimmer4833

7 ай бұрын

The ice piece bags work fine. Just buy some from the store, fill it from the tap and put it in the freezer.

@andriandrason1318

7 ай бұрын

🤦

While most homes in the US has sink garbage disposal (Garburator), I have never seen it installed in a Danish home. I guess some Danish homes might have one, but I have never understood the value of using it. When I was an exchange student in NC back in 1985/86, my family (of course) had a garburator. But back then, sorting garbage was not something we "wasted" time on 🙂

When I moved to Georgia in 1981 people told me oh, that's where people have 50 Gallon aquariums in the living room! -- But I never saw that! 😅

One think i notice in the US was the trash disposal build into the kitchen sink, you dont see homes in Denmark with them, maybe because of the recykling Danes already do.

@andriandrason1318

7 ай бұрын

Most high end buildings have them, i even have one retrofitted in a house from 1980s.

the bathroom switches can be both outside and inside or both, the bathtubs are common but more people are getting showers instead because of time saved and for more room in bathrooms, showers are also easier and cheaper to install than tubs so many rented places only have those, the color thing is a matter of taste or for places you rent white paint is the cheapest paint and also the paint it is easiest to see if the renter has done damage

The unfinished floors (da. ludbehandlede gulve = lye-treated floors) are treated with lye (NaOH) to keep the wood from yellowing and with soap that creates a dirt and wear resistant coating. They need to be washed with a rich soap water to be maintained. You can get soap flakes (sæbespåner) for floor washing in most supermarkets. This finish is most typical for soft wood floors such as pine. If you varnish pine, you will accumulate ugly dents from high heels, bumps etc. “Unfinished floors” aka lye/soap treated floors has the advantage that the wood fibers after dents will rise again when getting wet from washing so the floors will stay beautiful.

@gliderguld

7 ай бұрын

... and "unfinished" might be a misnomer; they are finished as intended.

The shape of the mail boxes are also different in the US. At least in movies. The amount of water at the bottom of the toilet is also different. Also American homes, many places in the southern states,have an outer door/fly net that you also need to open.

Another reason for the non-ice cube making fridges are that US fridges are typically wider than ours ... european standard is 60 cm wide (apprx 24 inches) and as you mention we like to have our fridges built-in and not as standalone appliances - plus there normally isn't a tap near the fridge, so you'd have to run a pipe to the fridge first

In my house, the switches are also on the outside. The switches glow red a bit to let you know the light is on in the bathroom. Bathrooms are usually not kept as warm as other rooms to save energy, so the door is usually kept shut. With the light switch on the outside, you can tell if the light is on or not without opening door. And as you said… it’s also fun to play with it when someone is inside.

@cnj67

7 ай бұрын

Who are all these horrible people who do that to each other? Do you also take away the toilet paper because it's fun bothering people doing their, you know, private matters? How about turning off the main tap, now you're at it?

"I love you, ice cubes!" In the most openly appreciating way -- I just *LOVE* your style of introducing me and everybody else to Denmark seen from a US American's point of view. Me being Danish and having the opposite experience moving to Lawrence, Kansas for a year as exchange student back in 1982. Reflecting on what I experienced, National Lampoon's Animal House wasn't that far off from my experiences back in the day.

Some of the "differences" are related to the size and age of the house and where it is located. Our house is 4 years old. Some of the walls are painted in colors. Our outlits don't have switches, the light switches are in the bathrooms, not outside, our floors are varnished and we have a tub. But I also really miss having an icecube maker.

@TravelinYoung

7 ай бұрын

For sure, but we’ve been in 3 houses since we’ve lived here - one was newly built, one was 400 years old, this one is 100 years old. These differences existed in each of them.

@Michael251161

7 ай бұрын

Regarding outlits. Before all outlits in DK had switches. Maybe it was a Danish thing?!? Now new outlits are mostly without switch. I guess it's due to EU-legilations. I like outlits with switches; then I can switch on/off at the wall, don't need to remove the cable from the outlit or find the switch at the cable. But the outlit-switch confuses a lot of my friends from other countries.

@cnj67

7 ай бұрын

IN the nineties, there was a fashion with painted walls, especially painted with a sponge so that the colour wasn't that massive. And later, to have one wall painted to give the room colour, and the other walls white so it didn't get too dark. We cling to what light we can get, here in Scandinavia.

6:20 It's properly because historically bathrooms was/is quite small, so no room for a bathtub in most older places. We're also used to smaller living in general in both apartments and houses. Actual "mansions" is quite rare. Not a lot of adults take tub showers here, it's mainly used for bathing kids or relaxing soak once in a while (ie. not daily), if you have one that is (and if we do it's a shower/tub-combo - free standing tubs with separate shower is even more rare).

The white rooms was invented by the famous Danish architect Arne Jacobsen. He did it in the late 1950's and it was so rare that some people ment that he had to go to a hosiptal. But not anymore today a lot of rooms are white and we are proud Arne Jacobsen and his designs ..

When I moved over last year we redid the house to add a master bathroom with a tub, got a fridge with a ice maker, and coincidently the house has a fire place instead of a wood furnace which all the danes remark as American

2:57 mostly for safety, ie to protect the switch from ingress of water, for large baths no problem as you can keep the required safty distance af minimum 120cm from an open shower but the smaller the room the more prolematic it becomes

you can buy the ice cube making fridges in denmark though.. the standard thing to do when moving out of a home is to paint the walls white so the new family can paint it whatever they want easier 🙂

@andriandrason1318

7 ай бұрын

I got one, i think the only reason more don't is because it takes a lot of space.

The recycling is fairly new and they have some optimization to do in that department.

Electricity rules differ here in Sweden. The light switch is on the inside of the bathroom, but close to the door away from water. Power outlets do not have a switch here as they use to have in Denmark.

As a reasonably tall Dane, having lived in California previously for 7 years, I always found it really odd (and annoying because of my height) that I only had an option to shower standing in a tub, with the shower head at my chest or chin height :P

In Germany, too, the light switches for the bathroom are in the hallway. The reason is that you shouldn't turn on the light with wet hands. That's why there is at most one socket with a leakage current protection in the bathroom.

@jensschroder8214

7 ай бұрын

Denmark has no British sockets, no German sockets and no French sockets. French and German plugs fit into the Danish sockets, but the protective earth (grounding) is not connected. Only Danish plugs also fulfill grounding requirements. Continental Europe has agreed on French or German sockets. There is a combined plug for this.

Josh, you can buy a kitchen top ice for cheap, and it will make a LOT of ice per day. Some models 25 lbs per day!

Hey 🙂 since the socket is on the outside. because in Danish bathrooms it is for safety reasons. you try to minimize power consumption in rooms with water. there are few Danes who have a refrigerator with an ice cube machine. I myself have a separate ice cube machine as it is easy to clean. in Denmark, you just used ice cube packs if you had to have ice cubes. or have most used ice cube bags. The ice cube bag is also a Danish invention created by Erling Vangedal-Nielsen.

I like the heating system in Denmark, instead of US gas furnaces and central air, all that duct work etc

Lightswitches being on off the other way, doorhandles round so you can't open with your elbow if your hands are full, only 120v so it takes a while to boil water