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A Century-Old German Villa Gets a Facelift
Weve all been there. Two people live through the same experience, but then later each remembers it differently. One morning, two years ago, Gisbert Pppler was standing in a German villa where he was supposed to do some minor renovations when it hit him that that there was nothing interesting or noteworthy about the home. In that early meeting, he mustered the courage to inform the client that the interior wasnt unique or remarkable. I recommended gutting the house and starting over, the architect and interior designer says, even though that could easily have meant an early end to the project. Entrepreneur Katja Ptter-Ammer, who had just purchased the villa, has completely different memories of that morning. I believed in Gisbert Pppler right from the start, and that he was the right man for the job. When he ultimately shared his plans with her, she thought: Wow, thats daring, and my husband said: Oh God, I hope it turns out okay. But go for it. And what was it about Ppplers plan that won her over so quickly? I love colors and Im a spontaneous person. This house was also an impulse buy. My husband and I stood in front of it and knew, thats the one. It just had a good vibe.Angled sunlight highlights the unusual surface of the brick faade.The villa had been completely renovated once before, in the 1980s, though its landmark status kept the faade untouched. Inside, however, nothing original had been left in place and everything was new. Even the park-sized garden was run down when Pppler started the project. The original house had its charms, and as part of the Hohenhagen Garden City it was also of historic interest. Nearby is the Hohenhof, a 1908 villa designed by Belgian architect Henry van de Velde. A leading exponent of Art Nouveau, van de Velde built the home for art patron Karl Ernst Osthaus, whose collection would form the core of the Museum Folkwang in Essen following Osthauss early death.Two Arpa outdoor armchairs from Bonacina 1889 overlook the natural swimming pool that looks like a pond.Originating in England, the Garden City movement was embraced in Germany by many leading architects of the day including Peter Behrens and Walter Gropius. The villa that Ptter-Ammer and her husband purchased was designed by local architects, the Ludwig brothers. Today, the city of Hagen, where their home is located, isnt well known outside this region of Germany beyond its status as the Gateway to the Sauerland. In the first two decades of the 20th century, however, Hagen, which sits on the southern edge of the Ruhr region was a center of the European Garden City movement, thanks to visionaries such as Osthaus and van de Velde.The houses park-like garden was designed by Berlins Royal Garden Academy. The Borea furniture on the terrace is by Piero Lissoni for B&B Italia.Most PopularArchitecture + DesignThese 24 Beautiful Places of Worship Are Built Into NatureBy Katherine McLaughlinCulture + LifestyleThe Best Coffee Table Books to Gift This Year, According to AD StaffersBy Jessica ChernerMagazineA Historic House in the Heart of Paris Gets a Dose of Practical MagicBy Alice CavanaghOsthaus was also very involved in the Deutscher Werkbund, an association started in 1907 which included architects, artisans, and designers who sought to reunite art with crafts in response to Germanys rapid industrialization, just as the earlier British Arts and Crafts movement had. That background provided Pppler with a few decisive cues when designing the villa. Choosing the right materials is one thing. But you also need people who know how to work these materials to the correct standards, especially since the project was a millimeter construction site, according to Pppler. That is, a building site where literally every millimeter counted given the precise design of the renovation.Pppler chose Italian Muschelkalk limestone for the bathroom. He made the washbasin and mirror himself.Outstanding craftsmanship is our passion, says the Berlin designer. Our clients enable us to work with great companies over and over again. Anyone who has spent time in 1920s houses knows that spaces can often feel cramped. Pppler turned three rooms that overlook the garden into one large living and dining room. He moved the extra-small kitchen in order to redesign a new one with Ofco, a kitchen interior company based in the city of Iserlohn, Germany, and created a suite on the second floor that includes a bedroom, dressing room, and large bathroom.A new staircase was placed in the same location as the old one. In contrast to the warm wood of the steps, the walls of the room are painted in a cool light blue.Most PopularArchitecture + DesignThese 24 Beautiful Places of Worship Are Built Into NatureBy Katherine McLaughlinCulture + LifestyleThe Best Coffee Table Books to Gift This Year, According to AD StaffersBy Jessica ChernerMagazineA Historic House in the Heart of Paris Gets a Dose of Practical MagicBy Alice CavanaghThe staircase connecting the floors was rebuilt, and as a central motif of the redesign, Pppler gave the passageways round arches. He opened up the conservatory entrance to make the space feel larger, just as he let more light into the house by installing oval wall openings (which he borrowed from Italian designer Luigi Caccia Dominioni whom he admires). Angling window openings are an elaborate way of making them look larger than they are, explains the architect, and are particularly common in Switzerland.Ceiling lights in the guest room are from Mawa Design. Visible in the background are some of the arched passageways found throughout the house.Pppler commissioned a fantastic freak of a specialist from Berlin to produce the reddish terrazzo floor in the garden room, which is reminiscent of the Hohenhofs interior. Another highly specialized team under master carpenter Stefan Freudenberger from the Bavarian town of Rimpar, near Wrzburg, added rounded slats to wooden panels in the plinth area there (and at the entrance), which Pppler chose so that the room doesn't look so empty and bare.The garden room has a dining table and a sideboard also designed by Pppler. On the wall are Joy sconces by Draga & Aurel. The Cab 413 leather chairs were created by Mario Bellini for Cassina. The tableware is from KPM.Most PopularArchitecture + DesignThese 24 Beautiful Places of Worship Are Built Into NatureBy Katherine McLaughlinCulture + LifestyleThe Best Coffee Table Books to Gift This Year, According to AD StaffersBy Jessica ChernerMagazineA Historic House in the Heart of Paris Gets a Dose of Practical MagicBy Alice CavanaghThe elegant two-tone kitchen was designed by Nicole Otto from Ofco, who also introduced the client to Pppler. The green wall element is a signature piece that Pppler designed for this house and which also serves as a shelf. The handles on the Ofco cabinets are by Gisbert Pppler Objects.Freudenberger was also responsible for the special treatment that Pppler wanted for the ceiling in the garden room. Its a kind of woodwork often found in yachts. Pressed planks make the wood extra hard and give it a nicely irregular and lively look. There are two carpenters in the workshop whose only job it is to replace overly large knotholes with nicer ones. Ptter-Ammerwho holds a doctorate in medicineand her husband are the third generation to run a medical company based on sustainability and naturopathy and they not only run their own apiary, but a culinary business as well. In other words, theres usually a lot going on in the house and garden. We regularly host guests and entertain here, Ptter-Ammer says, so its only natural that we live by our values.The glassed-in addition leading out to the terrace lets in perfect light for reading. With all that sunshine, the room is even used as a mini orangery. Armchair by Pppler with upholstery by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn.Most PopularArchitecture + DesignThese 24 Beautiful Places of Worship Are Built Into NatureBy Katherine McLaughlinCulture + LifestyleThe Best Coffee Table Books to Gift This Year, According to AD StaffersBy Jessica ChernerMagazineA Historic House in the Heart of Paris Gets a Dose of Practical MagicBy Alice CavanaghThe Ptter-Ammers appreciate flowering meadows as one can see in the park that Berlins Royal Garden Academy created for them, with a large natural pool that looks like a pond serving as a swimming hole. The furniture in this welcoming house is made up of a mixture of design classics and pieces from Ppplers own furniture line. The fabrics for the sofa and armchair covers come from Dedar, Bute, Svenskt Tenn, and Le Manach, the latter now a collection under the Pierre Frey brand that Pppler likes to work with as he says it offers greater flexibility when it comes to customization than almost anyone else. Even the door handles were specially designed and manufactured for the villa by a foundry in Belgium, perhaps motivated by a desire to honor Henry van de Veldes Hohenhof. After two years of sweeping renovation work, it is this attention to seemingly minor details that convinced impulse buyer Ptter-Ammer that this house is now their home. We will enjoy it for a very long time to come, Im sure of it.This German villa renovation was originally published by AD Germany. It was translated by John Oseid.Designer Gisbert Pppler.
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