Renovation of a classical apartment in Berlin Kreuzberg

Respectful interventions in the floorplan have rendered the classical apartment into a practical home for family life while uncovering original beauty and character. Hidden under cover of vinyl and ‘ox-blood’ red paint, the original fir floors have been restored and finished with lye and white oil. Cornice decoration has been stripped from layers of paint, panel doors and window frames restored and re-fitted with characteristic period ironmongery sourced on local vintage markets. An original double-wing door has been moved to create a spacious enfilade-view through livingroom, kitchen and kids playroom. The cubic volume of the bespoke stainless steel kitchen island stands as a counter-weight to the decorative details of the room, while douglas fir carpentry harmonizes with the revealed fir floors. The backyard-facing room previously housing the kitchen has been turned into a quiet bedroom with seamless limeplaster floors and built-in douglas fir wardrobe. In the narrow bathroom, the second floor level of a ‘Maid’s chamber’ has been removed to create spacious height despite small foot-print with bright lime-plaster floors and walls, seizing every nook for almost invisibile storage behind mirrors, in window recess and behind curtain walls. A second bathroom has been built on just under 4 sqm, leveraging the dead end of the long corridor, combining also a cupboard for washing machine and high level storage. Cubic red marble sinks add color and hint to past grandeur.