Home Story: The German Approach to Interior Design

In this attractive compendium, Schneider-Rading (Shop Girls) presents the unique perspective and home design projects of 21 German designers who won Munich-based lifestyle magazine Schöner Wohnen’s most recent Best of Interior Design competition. The 21 “tastemakers” profiled—who include architects, interior designers, bloggers, and Instagrammers—reveal their takes on design trends in varied spaces: among them, an urban studio apartment in Fulda, Germany, decorated to evoke a “rustic summerhouse”; a pair of villas on Lake Garda in Italy designed with contrasting color schemes—one warm, the other cool; and a historic 1907 apartment house in Weimar, Germany, that doubles as a showplace for vintage Bauhaus-era furniture. In addition to introducing each designer’s background, the profiles include the subjects’ answers to questions about, among other things, design role models, items they find inspirational, and favorite materials to use. Though each home is distinct from the others, underlying commonalities in philosophy are evident—a deep value placed on home, well-being, and the use of sustainable and natural materials. The result is a beautiful book with ideas to inspire one’s own interior design approach and renew one’s appreciation for the comforts of home. [em](Nov.) [/em]