Ænsemble adds "contemporary layers" to century-old country home near Berlin
Distinctly modern features stand out among the aged interiors of this Wilhelminian period home in Brandenburg, Germany, which has been revamped by architecture studio Ænsemble.
The sprawling 700-square-metre home was built at the start of the 20th century and had fallen into a state of ruin before half of it was purchased by a family of artists, who wanted to turn it into a place where they could live, work and host loved ones.
Frustratingly, their side of the home didn't contain any communal living areas on the ground floor.
The first floor, which formerly served as staff quarters, also had a disjointed layout and many of the rooms felt dark and cramped because they were overladen with wooden ornamentation.
To make the interior feel more cohesive, the owners employed Berlin practice Söllner Wagner Architekten to carry out structural changes, while Ænsemble was asked to take charge of the interior design.
As the home has listed status, Ænsemble was required to preserve its period features, but all of the studio's new additions are intended to be "deliberately legible as contemporary layers".
"Our architectural approach is based on the belief that later additions to a building or its interior should remain visible," Ænsemble co-founder Judith Kading told Dezeen. "Only in this way can the chronological layering of different uses, occupants and phases of renovation be understood."
"A purely historical recreation of architectural styles of the past would limit the building's character to a single defining era and leave future generations with no reference point for the design ethos of our time."
"At the same time, it was important to us that the new elements did not appear to dominate the historic features," she continued.
"They therefore adopt a restrained, more abstract design language, with their craftsmanship only subtly apparent."
These "contemporary layers" can be seen in the kitchen, which was moved into a spacious room on the ground floor. At its centre is a sky-blue Corian island built-in with a sink, stove and several cupboards.
"Although it stands out in colour from the other tones, it remains anchored within the delicate overall palette," explained the studio. "With its soft curves, it provides a deliberate counterpoint to the historical geometry."
The home's cooking facilities used to be in another room on the ground floor, which has been transformed into a relaxing den.
Fluted powder-pink panelling curves in front of the original walls, while a nook at the rear of the room that once accommodated a kitchenette now has a built-in sofa that pulls out into a bed.
More built-in furnishings were incorporated elsewhere in the home, all in bold hues that contrast the pale architectural shell.
There's a crimson sofa in the salon, deep-blue cabinetry in the passageways and sea-green corduroy window seats in the corridor upstairs.
The formerly problematic first floor now hosts a fleet of bedrooms. Their accompanying en-suite bathrooms were given a modern feel, with terrazzo tiling and sleek black hardware in the sinks and baths.
There are some quirky details too; some of the storage cupboards feature ceramic handles, which the client moulded from nuts and leaves collected from the grounds surrounding the home.
The first floor also has a light-filled winter room that overlooks the garden and nearby river, complete with an inviting fireplace and several bookshelves.
Other eye-catching rural residences in Germany include House Anton II, which has timber-framed walls that also function as furniture.
There's also Bliesgau House, a low-lying property that takes cues from agricultural architecture.
The photography is by Jonas Lindstroem.
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