In Berlin’s Mitte district, a new quarter planned by Herzog & de Meuron takes its name from the heritage-listed Kunsthaus Tacheles building. Facing one of the complex’s internal courtyards, the curvy facade of a residential building, also designed by Herzog & de Meuron, easily turns heads. It’s no wonder that Chilean architect and ArchDaily founder David Basulto and his wife, Ukrainian beautician Valeriia Karas, decided to call it home. To make the 900-square-foot apartment their own, they called on Kyiv-based firm balbek bureau to carry out a complete redesign.
“I noticed their work is always very forward looking. And it’s always comfy,” Basulto told AN Interior. “But also, as an architect, I was always looking at the details. I had this sense that in Ukraine, there was a good approach to fabrication in wood, steel, and stone, which I saw in balbek’s projects.”
Working with the couple’s eclectic set of inspirations—including the Japandi-style Soho House (Basulto and Karas met at a party at its Berlin location in 2017), the work of Sabine Marcelis, and a requested dining table and chairs by Sarah Ellison—Balbek expanded on the building’s motto: Living in the house of fine aesthetics. This included the careful selection of materials, including stone, wood, and steel; color; atypical lighting and furniture; and custom-made elements. Together, this approach led to a refined, yet cozy space that offers “a lighter atmosphere that you feel immediately,” as Basulto said.
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