Happiness at Home with a German Design Duo - Remodelista
For those of us who worship the home, the new year inspires us to reassess our living spaces (and in our case, to revisit the Remodelista Manifesto that we outline in Remodelista: A Manual for the Considered Home). Photography via Studio Oink, unless otherwise noted. Classic and livable trumps trendy and transient. In a low-key living room designed by Studio Oink, a pleasing mix of midcentury pieces and vintage oil paintings makes for a calming (and timeless) environment. In the couple’s own Wiesbaden kitchen, a midcentury Panton Molded Plastic Chair mingles with a vintage wood dining table, rough-and-ready plywood kitchen cabinets, and a free-standing vintage glass-fronted cabinet. In the couple’s entry hall, potted greens (oxygenating powers included) beneath the wooden bench and a sheepskin throw set a tone of mixed textures that carries through rest of the apartment. Above L: Form and function: A window seat is created by cabinets that have been built to the same height as the window sill. Above R: The cabinets provide built-in storage as well as a surface for display. Built-in cabinets–valuable for their storage capacity–continue around the room at a lower height to provide more open wall space for artwork and shelving. Studio Oink sells a selection of one-of-a-kind new and vintage household accessories, including The Most Beautiful Oven Cloth in the World, made of 100 percent cotton with a leather strap; €12 ($14.32). Ordinary utilitarian items, such as wastebaskets and scrub brushes, can–and should–be as pleasingly elegant as center-of-attention pieces. Iris Hantverk brooms and brushes via Tea and Kate. A utilitarian light with a wire cage guard is clipped onto a pipe and provides task lighting with sculptural appeal. A tray with a Moroccan tile motif, dotted tea towel, and vase of tulips bring color and life to a corner of the couple’s kitchen. A collection of glass vases contained on a small shelf offers a dash of color in an otherwise neutral space. Well-loved and much-used crockery is on display as well as easily accessible. Yin wants yang: Masculine and feminine elements mix well and benefit from each other. A masculine black leather Eames Aluminum Group Desk Chair is paired with a curvaceous vintage weathered rocking chair in the couple’s home office. A sheepskin throw adds softness and warmth to the Louis Ghost Chair by Philippe Starck, which contrasts with the minimal built-in cabinets. Steer clear of unwelcoming furniture and fixtures that don’t do their job. A platform plywood bed, built to the height of the window sill, turns into cabinets as it wraps around the room, maximizing space and avoiding the need for other furniture. Lighting and power are integrated into the headboard in the loft bed leaving the small area free of fixtures. Built-in bookshelves and cabinets keep the work area organized. Sheepskin throws, sheer, light-filtering curtains, and wooden case goods warm up this otherwise austere dining room designed by Studio Oink. A grouping of silver candlesticks becomes a centerpiece in a well-edited, clutter-free space.