It’s not uncommon for architects to name their projects after locations (think West Village Townhouse, Sonoma Ranch, Seattle Cabin, and the like). And that’s what Hagar Abiri had in mind when she christened her overhaul of an old Berlin apartment. But the name she ultimately came up with, while indeed location-inspired, is vastly more provocative than standard project titles.
She dubbed her project “Poor but Sexy.” What does it have to do with location? Everything. “The phrase is a quote by the ex-mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, who said ‘Berlin ist Arm, aber sexy,'” says Abiri. Translation: “Berlin is poor but sexy.” (It was ultimately used as a tagline in a campaign to market the city as being friendly to newcomers of all types, but especially to the creative class.) The phrase seemed to her a fitting description for the East Berlin apartment that she updated and redesigned, on a budget, for an expat family from Tel Aviv, Israel.
While many of Abiri’s design decisions were indeed budget-based, they also conveniently aligned with her ethos of honoring the past when appropriate. For instance, she opted to retain much of the apartment’s fundamentals—the flooring, doors, and exposed walls—which not only kept costs down but also created an artful tension between old and new. Have a look.
Photography by Diana Adam, courtesy of Hagar Abiri Architecture & Design.
![the view from the front door. a long hallway, off of which is a bath and child& 17](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/hagar-abiri-poor-but-sexy-berlin-project-entry-733x1196.jpg)
![the flat has an odd shape (scroll to the bottom for the layout), but rather tha 18](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/hagar-abiri-poor-but-sexy-berlin-project-kitchen-733x545.jpg)
![playful modern lighting hangs above the sink. like the all white faucet? see&#x 19](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/hagar-abiri-poor-but-sexy-berlin-project-sink-733x1102.jpg)
![abiri, who is also an interior designer, sourced the mismatched dining chairs f 22](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/hagar-abiri-poor-but-sexy-berlin-project-dining-733x1102.jpg)
![abiri designed the built in shelves, stools (on the other side of the dining ta 23](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/hagar-abiri-poor-but-sexy-berlin-project-living-733x487.jpg)
![rather than buy new doors, the architect chose to upgrade the existing heavy pi 24](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/hagar-abiri-poor-but-sexy-berlin-project-dining1-733x1102.jpg)
![an example of abiri\2\17;s sensibility—modern socket pendant ligh 25](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/hagar-abiri-poor-but-sexy-berlin-project-bedroom-733x1102.jpg)
![like many of the older flats in berlin, this one was covered in wallpaper. abir 26](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/hagar-abiri-poor-but-sexy-berlin-project-bedroom1-733x566.jpg)
![floating built in storage frames the bedroom door. the door\2\17;s glass 27](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/hagar-abiri-poor-but-sexy-berlin-project-built-ins-733x1136.jpg)
![abiri turned a one bedroom into a two bedroom with this new layout. (the kitche 28](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/hagar-abiri-poor-but-sexy-berlin-project-floorplan-733x514.jpg)
For more industrial-chic style, see:
- High/Low: The Industrial-Style Articulated Wall Light, French vs. Urban Outfitters Edition
- Speakeasy Chic: Philly’s Latest Hip Hotel Embraces Its Industrial Past
- Steal This Look: A Chef’s Industrial Kitchen in Los Angeles
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