Steph's Sunny, Colorful Space
Name: Steph Baudler
Website: https://www.solebich.de/mitglied/barbarellamx
Instagram: @barbarella_mx
Size: 778 square feet
Home type: Apartment
Location: Duesseldorf, Germany
What you're looking at:
The living/kitchen/dining area gets all the sun in the afternoon and is by far our favorite room. It is also the biggest room of our apartment where we spend most of our time. To hide everything that would make the room look cluttered, we opted for kitchen cabinets instead of open shelving. (Image credit: Steph Baudler)The living/kitchen/dining area gets all the sun in the afternoon and is by far our favorite room. It is also the biggest room of our apartment where we spend most of our time. To hide everything that would make the room look cluttered, we opted for kitchen cabinets instead of open shelving.
View of the living area from the kitchen during our beloved golden hour. The kitchen design was inspired by the mid-century credenza in the background, and behind the doors of the built-in you can find our fridge, freezer, coffeemaker and even a small ladder to reach the top cabinets.
Years lived in: 1 year, 10 months, owned
Household: My husband and I share this home.
Have any design professionals worked on this space? No
Do you currently live in your Small/Cool space full-time? Yes
Describe your space:
Our space is located on the fourth (top) floor, and it is so worth the climb: The main room has high ceilings and six glass doors leading to a terrace, meaning it looks airy and is always full of light. The two bedrooms are considerably smaller and storage is an issue, so besides reducing our stuff, we had to come up with storage solutions in the kitchen, bathroom, and under the bed. Above all, to be able to accommodate my husband’s family when they visit from Mexico, we wanted to fit in two sofas that fold out to two queen beds, and the one in the living room even has extra storage in the chaise.
Did you DIY anything in your space? And, if so, what's your favorite DIY?
I have to admit that we are not very DIY people. I especially lack the patience for it, and we also don‘t own the tools or have access to a suitable space for building or painting things. We DID build three shelves in the nook above the washing machine in the bathroom, but thankfully we had already planned to close off the whole nook with a floor-length macrame curtain, as the shelves are more practical than pretty ;-) We did design our kitchen, though, and it turned out exactly how we wanted. It makes us happy each time we look at it!
How do you make your small space work for you and feel bigger than it really is?
To maximize storage, we splurged on customized kitchen cabinets making the most of the available space while hiding everything that would make it look cluttered. The kitchen is located in the main living area, so to make it look less like a kitchen, the microwave and dishwasher are hidden inside the cabinets, even the oven sits behind a cabinet door that opens and slides back into the cabinet while in use. Into a built-in in a nook on the side we could fit the fridge, freezer, and additional storage, also accommodating the coffee maker and a ladder to be able to reach the top shelves.
How does your home reflect you?
My husband is of Mexican origin, so after falling in love with him, I also fell in love with the country. Throughout our apartment you can find several pieces that we brought from our travels to Mexico, like pillowcases, blankets, Alebrijes, candle holders, colorful skulls, and so on. They also set the tone for the whole atmosphere, as they bring in pops of color. We also love all the hand-me-downs from my parents and grandparents, like my dad’s iconic record player from the '60s, and crystal vases, bowls, a carafe, and many beautiful cut glasses, some of which you can find on our bar cart.