Markus: Originally, it was a single -family house 60 -year style Quite standardized, probably relatively large for the standards of the time. But with very small waters and windows. One of the most important interventions was to pierce the facade, that is, insert large windows. The plans were quite ingenious, so we didn't have to change a lot. We only remove some walls to expand the rooms. As Lena says, we try to highlight what already existed. It may sound a bit absurd, but I would say that it now looks more like a 60 -year -old house than before.
Did they have a precise idea of how they wanted it to be?
Firewood: We did not make a board of ideas, if you mean that. Everything fit so well, that perhaps we had an image in the subconscious. We often surprised how well things fit.
Markus: Yes, everything went very well. We already had most of the furniture, if not, we installed embedded cabinets or shelves with curtains in front in almost all rooms. And then we try to focus on a handful of materials, such as birch plywood or Kvadrat fabrics, which harmonize well with aluminum windows and polished concrete soil.
Cozy in gray
You use many gray and industrial -looking materials, but still very cozy.
Firewood: Yes, it is, in reality, everything is gray tones, but there are also many warm gray tones. The ceilings are acoustic, more typical of garages or industrial ships. And then there is the concrete floor and a stainless steel kitchen: I had my doubts about whether all this would be too cold. But I think he relives for so many beautiful objects around that they give character to the house. And the many textiles help a lot, also for sound.
Markus: They are meters and meters of sheets that Lena and my sister -in -law of Minnesota have sewed together. For a while, they had a kind of clandestine workshop of curtain clothing in the room.
Do you always agree on design issues?
Firewood: Well, there are other possible conflicts between us, but not when it comes to furnishing (laughs). I didn't have the feeling that no one had to give in.
Markus: I would say we formed a fairly good team. I think the line of commitment had to be found more with the construction manager. For example, in line with the history of the building, I wanted fratusted plaster abroad, but that is almost no one. Something like that is difficult to put into practice.
Firewood: It usually occurs with construction projects, if you want to get out of the norm and especially from norm D, then everyone is totally skeptical and you have to assume the guarantee of everything yourself. And, of course, sometimes you have to weigh if it is important enough for one to be willing to assume the risk. The same skepticism also applies to aesthetic decisions that many people here could not understand at the beginning, such as the industrial roofs of the halls.