Ann-Christin Wentzel discovered Studio Oink via Instagram. Taken with their playfully bright take on minimalism and their respect for the antique, she enlisted Lea Korzeczek and Matthias Hiller— the duo behind the memorably named design studio—to renovate the breakfast area and ballroom at Schloss Teutschenthal, the Wentzel family estate-turned-hotel in Halle, Germany, where Anni is managing director. One room led to another: Studio Oink is currently finishing up the resort’s 20 guest quarters—and along the way also got enlisted to work on Anni and her husband Carl-Niklas Wentzel’s own house.
Anni and Carl had lived in a loft in a converted chocolate factory that felt ideal pre-children and all wrong since the arrival of, Carla, 7, and Leopold, 3. And so they started looking for a house and lucked upon a 1929 neoclassic brick villa in Leipzig that an architect couple had refurbished for themselves “in a very nice way that preserved the old structure.” The only problem according to Anni was that the rooms needed more soul, and she knew exactly who could remedy that. Appreciating the fact that Lea and Matthias of Studio Oink design interiors and also furniture, all in a very considered, every-details-matters fashion, she asked them to have their way with the ground floor. The architect white walls remain as does the formal design vibe, but also many surprise twists for a modern minimalist family. Come see.
Above: “In the hallway, we opted for a combination of antiques and very modern, aesthetically simple furnishings,” says Lea. The cupboard, a family heirloom, overlooks Sencal’s Elephant bench on the herringbone floor. The Gubi Multi-Lite is part of a collection of sculptural contemporary white lights that Studio Oink introduced throughout. Above: The living room opens to a family room furnished with Studio Oink’s Divano per la Famiglia, “a multifunctional sofa for children and adults.”
Anni bought the bamboo basket lights in Berlin: they’re the Moolin by Lasfera. The white table is the Tray Table is a Hay design.
Above: Lea and Matthias “rejuvenated” the living room by introducing inventive curtains of Kvadrat fabric in different colors and lengths. “We wanted to counter the classic villa character with a modern and contemporary counterpart,” explains Lea. “In the past, fabrics were traditionally draped in layers and decorated with tassels and ropes. We set out translate this tradition into our time. The different lengths create a kind of graphic image and look like an art installation.” Above: The family room sofa and window wall are also cloaked in Kvadrat fabric, including translucent Rocket 2, that can be layered in different ways. (Scroll to the end to see Studio Oink’s window treatment plan.) Above: The modular Family Sofa was designed for this project: made of ash wood and lacquered aluminum, it can be pushed together, as shown, or pulled apart in different configurations, and the “Cloud boxes” are for storing toys. “It’s so big we use it as a place to cuddle together,” Anni tells us. “It’s our favorite addition, and thanks to the toy boxes, very practical. The kids remove the cushions and turn it into a big stage.”
The Eames Elephant is a Charles and Ray Eames design from Vitra.
Above: The Cloud Toy Boxes can be used as part of the sofa or on their own (the family keep more Cloud Boxes in their bookshelves), and the sofa backs can be slotted in different ways. The cushions are in a Herzog & de Meuron-designed Kravdat wool called Basel. The piece is now in production and available in a range of materials and colors directly from Studio Oink (who report they’re also developing an all-wood version and currently shipping to the US). Above: The family replaced the existing kitchen island with a sleeker, fully loaded Bulthaup design. Studio Oink paired it with Cherry pendant lights from Petite Friture and kept the existing gray walls and built-in cabinets, newly enlarged some to fit a microwave and Brita water station. Above: The fridge is in a corner of the room that opens to the dining area. Accordion doors lead to the garden. Above: The owners say they opted to keep the kitchen and dining room windows bare because they love looking out at the back garden. (“The walls are thick enough that it doesn’t get too hot here in summer,” says Anni, “though sometimes we could use sunglasses at the table.”)
A digital photograph hangs on the wall. The glass pendant lights are Parachilna’s Aballs.
Above: The dining table is another Studio Oink piece, the Tib, with a light-weight base of lacquered aluminum and a lacquered top. It comes in a range of colors and materials. The wood chairs are Stefan Diez’s This design from e15. Above: Vico Magistretti’s 1977 classic Atollo light, here in Murano opaline glass. Above: Studio Oink’s ground floor plan and window treatment design.
We are longstanding Studio Oink fans. Based in Leipzig, Germany, they work worldwide:
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