Houzz Tour: A Customized German Penthouse
When owners and interior designers make a good team, they can do anything — even modify a developer’s plans
Building your own home is usually the only way to have free rein with the layout. With remodels, floor plans often can be changed only as much as plumbing connections and load-bearing walls will allow. That’s usually true of new homes built by developers too. Of course, the earlier you sign up with a developer, the greater chance you have to tweak your home’s design.
That’s what happened with this penthouse in Wiesbaden, Germany. The owners, a married couple, asked interior design duo Andrea Krausmann and Christoph Schlegel to reconfigure an apartment that had been designed by the developer for a family of four into an expansive penthouse for two.
That’s what happened with this penthouse in Wiesbaden, Germany. The owners, a married couple, asked interior design duo Andrea Krausmann and Christoph Schlegel to reconfigure an apartment that had been designed by the developer for a family of four into an expansive penthouse for two.
Where changes were not possible, the interior designers’ ingenuity came to the rescue. For example, the suspended plasterboard ceiling above the kitchen island hides built-in spotlights while improving the acoustics of the large living space and dampening any echo effect. LED lighting around the edge of the suspended ceiling makes the room seem larger.
Kitchen island: Bulthaup
Kitchen island: Bulthaup
The plasterboard above the kitchen cabinets extends to the ceiling. Additional LED lighting accentuates a ventilation opening. The owner selected the wine cabinet.
The kitchen is the wife’s playground. She is a passionate cook, while her husband prefers to sit at the counter and watch tasty delicacies take shape, espresso in hand. The bar on one end of the kitchen island and the built-in table on the other are both ideal for breakfast or a quick bite.
Pendant lights: Drop, Anta; browse one-light pendants
Pendant lights: Drop, Anta; browse one-light pendants
A large custom dining table provides an inviting space for celebrations and gatherings. The combination of steel legs and scrap oak offers a bit of industrial charm, picked up by the Nur pendant lights from Artemide.
“The clients wanted a penthouse that had some of the character of an industrial loft,” Krausmann says. “However, such an atmosphere cannot usually be made to work in a new build — it just doesn’t fit.”
“The clients wanted a penthouse that had some of the character of an industrial loft,” Krausmann says. “However, such an atmosphere cannot usually be made to work in a new build — it just doesn’t fit.”
From the dining room table, the eyes wander over to a view of the city. The big roof deck, which can be accessed from the living room and stretches across the entire width of the penthouse, offers the full view. The library and bathroom doors also open out to this panorama.
“When it came to planning the lighting, we turned to the experts at Occhio for support,” Krausmann says. The owners can combine the lights in various ways to create different atmospheres. For example, the Balance floor lamp, from Vibia, provides the perfect light for reading on the Rolf Benz sofa. Alternatively, it can be combined with the LED lighting above the kitchen counter or, for a cozier feel, with the lights over the paintings.
“When it came to planning the lighting, we turned to the experts at Occhio for support,” Krausmann says. The owners can combine the lights in various ways to create different atmospheres. For example, the Balance floor lamp, from Vibia, provides the perfect light for reading on the Rolf Benz sofa. Alternatively, it can be combined with the LED lighting above the kitchen counter or, for a cozier feel, with the lights over the paintings.
The suspended Gyrofocus fireplace was developed by Dominique Imbert, founder of Focus, in 1968. The model is hangs freely and can rotate a full 360 degrees.
This is another example of a feature that took some convincing, as the designers had to persuade the developer to move the chimney to a different spot from what was originally planned.
The fireplace’s cozy warmth can be felt throughout the living-cooking-dining area. It supplements the heating system that lies under the Avorio oak floorboards from Bauwerk.
Large windows on three sides flood the entire living area with light. The furniture blends discreetly into the background; the entire room can be taken in on first sight. “A room has to be easy to understand. Clean lines help with that,” Schlegel says. “The built-in furniture in this penthouse virtually melts into the architecture.”
This is another example of a feature that took some convincing, as the designers had to persuade the developer to move the chimney to a different spot from what was originally planned.
The fireplace’s cozy warmth can be felt throughout the living-cooking-dining area. It supplements the heating system that lies under the Avorio oak floorboards from Bauwerk.
Large windows on three sides flood the entire living area with light. The furniture blends discreetly into the background; the entire room can be taken in on first sight. “A room has to be easy to understand. Clean lines help with that,” Schlegel says. “The built-in furniture in this penthouse virtually melts into the architecture.”
This concept continues with the TV wall. The multimedia cabinet that surrounds the large display screen looks more like a component of the masonry, and it focuses attention on the TV. It was custom-made by the Christ & Holtmann carpentry workshop.
Find a carpenter on Houzz
Find a carpenter on Houzz
Christ & Holtmann also built the library. Here, the Honey and Spice team created the loft atmosphere the clients wanted. The combination of scrap wood, steel and MDF panels gives the room a touch of the industrial, bare-bones look. A large writing desk is a great place to work.
Browse industrial-style desks
Browse industrial-style desks
An inviting leather sofa breaks up the wall of books. It converts into a bed, transforming the library into a guest room for the owners’ grown children. The library also has access to the roof deck.
There is also a fully furnished guest bathroom for occasional overnight visits. A glass wall separates the walk-in shower from the rest of the space.
Below the big backlit mirror is a floating cabinet; the standing sink is by Boffi. The walls are finished in a designer plaster in elegant shades of warm gray.
“Our client is very confident stylistically and knows exactly what she likes,” Krausmann says. “That made working together extremely pleasant.”
The master bathroom was important to the owners. It is a wellness oasis with refined details and a magnificent view from the freestanding bathtub. A small wall between the bathtub and the toilet provides a privacy screen as well as a place to store toilet paper.
The seamless gray floor adds an industrial-chic touch. It is sealed with polyurethane varnish.
Freestanding bathtub and sink: Victoria + Albert
The master bathroom was important to the owners. It is a wellness oasis with refined details and a magnificent view from the freestanding bathtub. A small wall between the bathtub and the toilet provides a privacy screen as well as a place to store toilet paper.
The seamless gray floor adds an industrial-chic touch. It is sealed with polyurethane varnish.
Freestanding bathtub and sink: Victoria + Albert
Pendant lights by Anta also set the mood.
The developer was surprised by the request for a niche in the shower wall, but it was easy to build. It now provides a convenient place for toiletries.
Bathroom Workbook: Turn Your Shower Niche Into a Design Star
Bathroom Workbook: Turn Your Shower Niche Into a Design Star
Building the walk-in shower itself was more difficult, as the drain had to be moved to the center of the floor. This was the only way to keep the slope of the floor to a minimum while allowing for proper drainage.
The dividing wall is not full-height, to create good air circulation. It also makes the shower feel less constricted.
The dividing wall is not full-height, to create good air circulation. It also makes the shower feel less constricted.
The vanity, also custom-built out of scrap lumber by Christ & Holtmann, is mounted on the shower’s separating wall. The large mirror above it opens upward to reveal a medicine cabinet.
A glass door leads into the dressing room. The carpentry workshop outfitted it with built-in closets that create the impression of a paneled wall. A convenient folding table stands in front.
The dressing area leads directly to the bedroom. This was an unavoidable compromise, as the floor plan could not be changed to accommodate a separate space.
“The collaboration with the customer was more like a coproduction — it was super friendly. The challenge lay in convincing the developer and persuading him to make the necessary changes in his plans,” Schlegel said.
The dressing area leads directly to the bedroom. This was an unavoidable compromise, as the floor plan could not be changed to accommodate a separate space.
“The collaboration with the customer was more like a coproduction — it was super friendly. The challenge lay in convincing the developer and persuading him to make the necessary changes in his plans,” Schlegel said.
The bedroom is across from the dressing area. The night tables on both sides of the bed were also custom-made by Christ & Holtmann.
There was one benefit to combining the dressing room and the bedroom: When the glass door to the bathroom is open, the owners can see the city skyline from their bed.
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There was one benefit to combining the dressing room and the bedroom: When the glass door to the bathroom is open, the owners can see the city skyline from their bed.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
Apartment at a Glance
Location: Wiesbaden, Germany
Size: About 2,580 square feet (240 square meters), including the roof deck
Designers: Andrea Krausmann and Christoph Schlegel of Honey and Spice
Year built: 2015
“First of all, we changed the floor plan,” Krausmann says. “We opened up the living space and tore out some walls. But that was only possible because we had taken the project on early and had therefore been able to discuss individual details with the developer.”
They were also able to request charcoal-colored window frames instead of the standard white, and they even managed to relocate some windows.