The Homes of Freunde von Freunden
Isn't it inspiring to see how people live in other parts of the world? If you hop on the train near my house and travel for 90 minutes just east from here you will be in Berlin and I've said it a million times already but that city is nothing short of inspiring. The many apartments and homes there blow my mind too because the old buildings ooze with character because all of the original details that make me so happy from ceramic-tiled stoves to herringbone wooden floors and original ceiling medallions (not the plastic press and stick kind!) are delightfully intact.
I first introduced you to interiors blog/website Freunde von Freunden when they launched but they've since published a book based on their site that I flipped through in their cafe and thought it was nice and definitely a great way to give the creative community in Berlin a platform to show how they live, work and decorate there. Love it! I visit Fvf a few times a month for inspiration and comb their wonderful stories and videos for inspiration yet I always find myself back on their Berlin-based properties which are cleverly cool though admittedly mismatched, wonky, undecorated, edgy, unedited, yet still super appealing, charming and a delight to behold. Berlin style is very laid back, lived-in and personal and I find that alone incredibly inspiring.
Fvf has recently expanded their views outside of Berlin to include studios and homes in places like New York City and London. I selfishly hoped they'd venture further to explore places like Poland, Czech Republic, Croatia, Turkey, Russia and even more German cities but it doesn't look as though I'll get my wish anytime soon as the more popular locations (London, NY) seem to be calling their creative hearts.
I believe strongly though that whoever starts venturing into the lesser-known spots (not just the recognizable design meccas - too easy!) to find inspiration and shoot homes that they could OWN a completely uncharted market -- especially in cities that you barely see in glossy mags and books. It takes risk and courage but I'd love to see someone do something that hasn't been done yet. Most publications here and especially in the UK and US simply don't have the budget to run to Warsaw for a shoot so I wonder why Fvf doesn't just jump in and go for it? They have a wonderful platform for this and are evidently very creative and not geographically challenged at all - Berlin is only a trade ride away from the often unexplored east. If I had a crew of people and the budget for it, I'd do an entire book centered on creatives living and working in cities like Moscow, Budapest, Bucharest, Warsaw, Prague and yes, Berlin (of course). Just a few thoughts...
Homes shown in this post are from Magnus Reed in Berlin-Schöneberg, Rebecca Lamarche-Vadel in Berlin-Mitte and Silke Neumann in Berlin-Moabit. Such beautiful light-filled spaces and gorgeous classical details!
(images: Fvf)