The German Wonder House

April Kennedy April Kennedy
Einfamilienhaus mit Pultdach, Viktor Filimonow Architekt in München Viktor Filimonow Architekt in München Casas modernas: Ideas, diseños y decoración
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The famous Dutch graphic artist Escher explored impossible perspectives, staircases with no end and impossible corridors. It's an unlikely inspiration for an architect, but one that may help us understand this special family home in the German forests of Upper Bavaria.

Architect Viktor Filimonow has employed minimalism and a subdued colour palette and earthy materials as his base. Together with the surprising placement of stairs, multiple sight-lines in unusual corners and unusual perspectives, the rooms have a playful quality that turns the rational on its head. But at the same time it is a self-controlled design. The finishes are not highly polished, but soft and made from natural materials. The architect has not forgotten that this is a home for living in. This is no mere architectural showplace. It is a comfortable family home at heart and a sophisticated one at that.

A deceiving exterior

The simple modernist white facade and dark wood panelling shows the conservative face of this surprising home. A large ceiling to floor glass wall in the dining area catches the precious sunlight and offers a view of the beautiful forests surrounds. In contrast, the upper windows for the sleeping areas are distinctly smaller to create a very definite separation between the public and private space. This building might be an architectural wonder, but it's essentially a private family home.

A hint of the quirks to come

In this hallway we can see the mute cream colour palette and pale wood floorboards that are used throughout the building. Recessed LED lighting and a decor with mute earthy accents ensure that no colour or unnecessary lines intrude on the clear lines of sight. At the same time, the staircase leading up to the single uncovered window upstairs offers a sense of the playfulness to come.

View from the top of the stairs

Looking down from the upper floor, we can see beautifully simple geometry of the stairwell gently contrasting with the lines of the pale wooden floorboards. The lack of visual interruptions in the white surfaces and gently varying light on the staircase, walls and ceilings flatten the perspective. It's an illusion, but a beautiful one.

Playful perspectives

Can you imagine a cooler bedroom for a child? Perhaps it's for an adult, but it would be fun regardless. A seamlessly integrated white wooden cupboard storage and custom-made desk are teamed with the impossible – a wooden staircase leading to nowhere. It could be a storage cabinet, a shelf to display objects or simply another feature to lead the eye and mind into alternate perspectives.

Home comforts

The intensity of the red glow of a fireplace jumps out in fiery contrast to the white minimalist surrounds. The fireplace is deeply inset in the wall, the surrounds are stripped of any detailing and there is little ornamentation except for a simple wooden basket of the same earthy hues as the wooden floorboards. This is simple, earthy living at heart.

A place to dream

The fluffy white blanket, bunny rabbit, generously large bed and deep shelves with easy access mean this is a bedroom to make any child happy. The blown out white wall offer a drop into infinity and space to dream. This is a bedroom where a child just might dream of impossible things.

For more minimalist inspiration, have a look here.

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