Drawing inspiration from the Berlin streets outside its walls, Apartment Leonhardt has been refurbished with a thoughtful blend of historic character and contemporary, colour-driven design.
An apartment steeped in colour, history and good humour, this Berlin four room apartment has been reimagined by Fabian Freytag Studio to reflect the city’s layered, expressive character. Architect and designer Fabian Freytag speaks to balancing old and new, Berlin design and how colour shapes emotion. Drawing from the home’s original foundation, the team “took the envelope of the project very seriously and continued the story of the existing details,” Freytag says.
The spirit of the Altbau was kept, with the addition of bathrooms, and the apartment was treated like a puzzle (some pieces already in place, others missing) with Freytag completing the story, layer by layer, without overwhelming it. The colour palette by renowned Deutsche Amphibolin-Werke shapes atmosphere through paint and shade, complementing the mix of vintage and Freytag Studio pieces to create, in Freytag’s words, “a mix of harmony and accentuated eclecticism.”
Designed not as a primary residence but as the owner’s place of pause, the home invites a small, ceremonial shift. “We created a world that weaves together several narrative threads, culminating in a moment meant to make you smile,” Freytag says. Through vintage and custom-built details that reference the quintessential Berliner Zimmer.
