HAMBURG APARTMENT

Furnished
BY DESIGN
Carefully curated period pieces take centre stage in
this generously proportioned light-filled home
WORD S JULIE T BE NN ING PHOT OGRA PHS CHR IST IA N SCHA U L IN

NOVEMBER 2017 | H&G | 61


The property had been sensitively
restored after the war,
leaving beautiful belle poque details.
EXTERIOR
The Fuchs own the two
lower floors of the Hamburg
townhouse (left), the front
of which faces the canal.
ENTRANCE HALL
We wanted it to be fresh
and uncomplicated, says
Gerhard. The black and
white marble floor (above
and previous page) is typical
of homes of this period.
Diva M217 wall lights, Michele
Bnan for Estro, estro.it/en.
SITTING ROOM
By arranging most of the
furniture around the edges of
the room, the vintage Moroccan
Beni Ourain rug (left) is shown
o to its best advantage. For
Angela and Gerhard (above),
beautifully designed furniture,
and that of the 20th century in
particular, is both a business and
a pleasure. Details such as the
hourglass, pillbox and French
19th-century architectural
carpenters staircase model
(above right) lend a sense of
intrigue. The black mohair-
upholstered Manzoni chair
(right) by Azucena acts as a solid
counterpoint to the delicate lines
of the 1940s Italian wood table
and the curvaceous stool, with the
Composition Rouge, Verte, Bleue
& Jaune artwork by Serge
Poliakoff adding a hit of colour.
Interior design, Fuchs Interiors,
fuchs-interiors.de. Architectural
photograph by Massimo Listri,
massimolistri.com. Sofa in Eskimo
in Seal, 170m, de Le Cuona,
delecuona.com. Walls in All White,
Estate Emulsion, 43.50 for 2.5
litres, Farrow & Ball, farrow-ball.com.

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 We deliberately broke
with the historical feel of the
house when we put in
the contemporary kitchen.

KITCHEN AND DINING AREA couple chose the rosewood

We use these chalkboards dining table and chairs (below)
(right) to jot down ideas. to complement the rich tones
Theyre 19th-century slate of the beech floorboards.
from an Italian school Steel b3 kitchen, Bulthaup,
house, says Gerhard. The bulthaup-mayfair.co.uk.

If furniture and ornaments were able to talk,

the pieces that fill Angela and Gerhard
Fuchs Hamburg townhouse duplex would
have a few good tales to tell. In the absence of
words, however, their appearance speaks volumes and,
for the couple, providing a just-so setting for this eclectic
collection was imperative.
The Fuchs are both passionate about and have an expert
knowledge of period furniture, with a speciality in 20th-
century design. Almost every piece in their possession is a
classic, whether mid-century or older. In Angelas skilled
hands, they have been used to create a home that not only
suits their lifestyle but inspires them as well.

FROM ISLAND TO MAINLAND

Before coming to Hamburg, we lived on the island of
Sylt for fourteen years, says Gerhard, which he describes
as the German equivalent of the Hamptons. While
the couple found the location idyllic, travelling to and
from work (they run Fuchs Interiors, specialising in
20th-century furniture design pieces) was problematic.
Eventually, with Angela in particular craving city life,
the Fuchs decided to move both the design studio and their
home to Hamburg, where they found a perfect waterside
apartment in the north of the city, alongside one of the
canals that feeds the Outer Alster Lake. We looked at

64 | H&G | NOVEMBER 2017

 SITTING ROOM
A collection of Hans-Agne
Jakobsson candleholders
(above) brings a subtle splash
of colour to the coffee table.

around fifteen other properties before we decided on this

one, so finding it wasnt easy, says Gerhard. Fortunately,
we could move in straight away as the work that needed to
be done was only cosmetic.

BALANCING INSIDE AND OUT

Dating from the 1880s, the house is typical of Germanys
Grnderzeit period. Although there had been some
damage to the property during the war, it had been sensi-
tively restored so we were left with beautiful belle poque
architectural details, says Gerhard.
Arranged over the ground and lower ground floors of
the building, the apartments free-flowing spaces and high
ceilings charmed the couple. The layout lends itself well to
relaxed entertaining, although Gerhard says he and Angela
prefer to host cocktail parties rather than formal dinners. BREAKFAST ROOM
They also loved the fact that they can look down from the The chandelier (above), also
kitchen, situated at the centre of the house, and see the by Hans-Agne Jakobsson,
was hung low to emphasise
whole of the ground floor, from the garden door at the back
the 18th-century English oak
to the canal at the front. table and make dining after
Outdoor living had been easy on Sylt and, while the dark more intimate.
garden in this home is smaller than their previous one, it
incorporates a raised terrace outside the breakfast room, GARDEN
This generous space, which
providing the couple with enough space to eat and enter- Angela and Gerhard maintain
tain outside as often as the weather allows. In fact, the only themselves, features fruit trees
change they decided to make to the propertys layout was that were planted in the 1950s.

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 LIBRARY
Appealing finishes are a
feature of this wood-clad
scheme (left). Herringbone
brickwork embellishes the
fireplace, while the base of
the coffee table was left in the
garden to develop its rusty
patina before being topped
with a piece of antique teak
from Indonesia. Turned
wood cups and candlesticks
(below) suit the tactile theme.

to move the bedrooms to the lower ground floor, so they BATHROOM

can reach the garden more directly. As Gerhard points out, A series of architectural
design prints is perfectly
It is more of a romantic than a formal, contemporary space,
positioned above the
and we love the beautiful fruit trees. bath (right).
For architectural prints,
DECORATIVE DIRECTIONS try Heatons of Tisbury,
The Fuchs have used white walls as the backdrop to show heatons-of-tisbury.co.uk.
o furniture and accessories. The tall windows are dressed
in a combination of heavy linen and velvet, while rugs are
used on the narrow-planked beechwood floor to define
areas within the rooms.
The entrance hall, with its impressive black and white
marble floor, is elegantly furnished, setting the scene for
the rest of the house, while the library oers a cosiness
not found elsewhere. The rustic panelling reminds me of
my childhood in Bavaria it gives the house an Alpine
touch, Gerhard says.
The kitchen is another pocket of careful contrast. We
deliberately broke with the historical feel of the house by
putting in a modern design, says Gerhard. Yet this home
never feels anything but harmonious. As you wander
through the rooms, it is clear that the period classics that
furnish them are quite happy in their timeless setting.

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MAIN BEDROOM GUEST BEDROOM
An untreated Argentinian Angela echoed the putty pink
cowhide rug (above) oers of the rug (right) in the rooms
a delicate foil for the accessories. The ceramic
craftsmanship of the GE2 objects are 1960s pieces by
Hammock chair by Hans J Jacques and Dani Ruelland.
Wegner. Mid-century pieces Hallucie print by Sigmar Polke,
(below), such as the glazed 2,250, Artedio, artedio.com.
ceramic table lamp and small
bottle vase by the German
artist Beate Khn, create
an elegant composition.
For Guldpendel pendants by
Vilhelm Lauritzen for Louis
Poulsen, try 1stdibs, 1stdibs.com.

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