Anchored in Good Taste

A free-standing spiral staircase forms the centrepiece of the house and the three zones. It curves upwards with an elegant sweep through 180° to the upper floor. Its treads are covered in shell limestone, continuing the flooring that extends throughout the ground floor. The steps appear to float as they are attached only on one side to the inner stringer. This sense of lightness is further emphasised by the absence of a second handrail. The core of the staircase is illuminated by suspended drops of light – continuing the theme of floating lightness. Yet there is more to catch the eye here: on the upper floor, a bold floral textile wallpaper encloses the staircase. With its Baroque imagery, it offers a large-format response to the smaller painting in the seating niche opposite the staircase.

In designing the house, we incorporated the taste of its future residents, who attach particular importance to the quality and durability of materials and surfaces. When it comes to colour, they feel most at home among natural, earthy tones. In response, walnut can be found as herringbone parquet flooring on the upper floor and as wall panelling, such as on the gently curving wall between the kitchen and dining area. The result is a cosy and welcoming atmosphere throughout. A filter element between the staircase and the dining/living area, and the lowered, upholstered seating area set into the floor, provides additional privacy and comfort in an otherwise predominantly open floor plan.

As the house does not possess a basement, we accommodate all the necessary storage, a prep kitchen as well as the main kitchen in a separate unit. Additional storage areas are intelligently integrated into the walls and are concealed behind invisible doors. During the planning stage, we future-proofed the design for its residents: the house is barrier-free; there is a lift as an easy alternative to using the staircase.