Luni: Bringing cohesion to a charming Berlin Altbau

My clients live in a charming Berlin Altbau rental. It already had great bones and a beautiful selection of vintage pieces, but the space lacked a cohesive direction to really make them shine.

Here is a bit of what I did to transform the space:

Softening the living room

The space already had some strong colours going on, like turquoise and anthracite, but the stark white walls were creating a harsh contrast against their dark wood vintage furniture. My goal was to tie it all together and make it cohesive. I brought in a creamy wall colour, making sure the undertone was a perfect fit for the rest of the space. Then, I added details and accessories to repeat the turquoise and the grey, along with some new furniture to balance the old. By doing this, redesigning the lighting, and arranging the layout, the room feels serene and the soft architectural curves of the ceiling are beautifully accentuated.

The bedroom curtain hack

Bedrooms need to feel restful, but this one had a storage wall that was visually disturbing. Instead of building expensive custom doors, I just proposed a soft, floor-to-ceiling curtain to hide the whole thing. Not only does it stop the visual overwhelm, but the added texture brings more softness to the room.

Complementary colours in the study

Remember the colour wheel? I gave the study a 70s-inspired twist using light blue tones on the walls, paired with a gorgeous burnt orange velvet sofa and playful pops of dark blue. Blue and orange are opposites on the wheel, and this room is proof of how fun that combination can be!

A bold hallway

Long Altbau hallways can be tricky. I transformed this one into a bold art gallery with a deep, moody wall colour to create a proper background. My clients say that since then, people have started to notice the art on the wall, although it has been there all along!

Pictures by the very talented Suzanne Reichenbach.

PS: If you are feeling overwhelmed by all the options and just want someone to create a coherent concept, make the right selections for your lifestyle and budget, and do the sourcing for you, that's exactly what I help with. Book a free 15-min call here and let's talk about your space.