Steinberg Homestory Meli @About.My.Sunny.Place
The Living Concept:
Clear to Sunny.
A lot of light and an open plan make even smaller houses look very generous. Meli and her family have realised their space on the sunny side of living in rural Bavaria – with quite a lot of their own input.
Large window fronts and a retracted gallery give the living room a real feel-good size. The open concept is supported by purist furnishing: visible black steel beams, concrete surfaces, exposed walls, lots of natural wood. 'For me, a home doesn't have to offer a lot of space,' Meli explains, 'but it has to have charm and be cosy – that's what figures.'
The cosiness comes from natural materials and warm colours. 'I love everything that has to do with natural tones in combination with black,' Meli describes her simple yet compelling colour concept. Asked about her style of living, she succinctly puts it in a nutshell: 'industrial, urban, japandi.'
Meli @about.my.sunny.placeTHE BATHROOM
Natural Beauty
Meli's colour concept of course doesn’t stop at the bathroom door: warm natural tones in combination with black furnishing details such as door handles, decor objects or matt black mixer taps – a harmonious contrast that lends the bathroom a modern and upscale look.
'Our challenge with the bathroom planning was that we had to accommodate everything in a small space, because our bathroom has only 9 square meters and a sloping roof,' says Meli. With such limited space, you have to care about storage: 'I have almost nothing standing around on the open parking spaces. It's all stowed away in drawers or cupboards – just a bit of decoration here and there, which I occasionally change, that's it.' By the way: For Meli, above all foliage plants and beautiful mirrors are indispensable decorations in the bathroom.
'My favourite moment in the bathroom:
When the evening sun peeks through the window.'
Meli @about.my.sunny.place
THE KITCHEN
Great Eye-catcher:
The Brick Wall
'I think our kitchen steps a little out of line with its brick wall and black accessories – but I think design should always reflect the personalities of the occupiers,' Meli adds.
Her husband built the brick wall himself. Although it wasn't that easy, in the end it was definitely worth it. The rough charm of the wall is complemented by the many black details. 'We love the simplicity of our black mixer taps,' enthuses Meli, 'they just fit perfectly with our style. That's why we have them throughout the house – they look upscale and give any room an immediate upgrade.'
After two years with a red brick wall, Meli has now painted the bricks in beige: 'Now our concrete ceiling and the wall cabinets come into their own even better.' In the future, she would like to add a little storage space to the kitchen because although she stores everything in cabinets and keeps the work surface clean as in the bathrooms, space remains a little on the short side. Until then, however, she has a clever tip at hand: Have things hanging instead of standing – so floor cleaning comes easier too.
THE GUEST BATHROOM
Jungle Vibes
As guest bathrooms are usually very small, they offer the ideal playground for decorative experiments – like a wall that surprises with stunning jungle wallpaper. Meli has fully succeeded in the experiment, right? And should she and her family be fed up with it one day the small bathroom is quick to be redecorated.
Colours & Textures
Warm wood tones and light terrazzo tiles give the wallpaper a soft frame. Matt black elements, such as the washbasin and wall mounted mixer taps repeat the overarching colour concept. Exquisite eye-catchers: golden details like mirror frames and candle holders.
'Design doesn't always have to be expensive, but it does have to be special.'
Meli @about.my.sunny.place
