TOWNHOUSE APARTMENT

Carefully curated period pieces take centre stage in this generously proportioned light-filled home

Mid-century furnishings complement the exquisite architecture of this waterside property.

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

If furniture and ornaments were able to talk, the pieces that fill Angela and Gerhard Fuch’s 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 20thcentury design. Almost every piece in their possession is a classic, whether mid-century or older. In Angela’s 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

around fifteen other properties before we decided on this one, so finding it wasn’t 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 Germany’s Gründerzeit period. “Although there had been some damage to the property during the war, it had been sensitively restored so we were left with beautiful belle époque architectural details,” says Gerhard.

Arranged over the ground and lower ground floors of the building, the apartment’s 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. They also loved the fact that they can look down from the kitchen, situated at the centre of the house, and see the whole of the ground floor, from the garden door at the back to the canal at the front.

Outdoor living had been easy on Sylt and, while the garden in this home is smaller than their previous one, it incorporates a raised terrace outside the breakfast room, providing the couple with enough space to eat and entertain outside as often as the weather allows. In fact, the only change they decided to make to the property’s layout was

to move the bedrooms to the lower ground floor, so they can reach the garden more directly. As Gerhard points out, “It is more of a romantic than a formal, contemporary space, and we love the beautiful fruit trees.”

DECORATIVE DIRECTIONS

The Fuchs have used white walls as the backdrop to show 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 o≠ers 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.

KITCHEN AND DINING AREA“We use these chalkboards (right) to jot down ideas. They’re 19th-century slate from an Italian school house,” says Gerhard. The couple chose the rosewood dining table and chairs (below) to complement the rich tones of the beech floorboards. Steel b3 kitchen, Bulthaup, bulthaup-mayfair.co.uk.

BREAKFAST ROOMThe chandelier (above), also by Hans-agne Jakobsson, was hung low to emphasise the 18th-century English oak table and make dining after dark more intimate.

GARDENThis generous space, which Angela and Gerhard maintain themselves, features fruit trees that were planted in the 1950s.

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

LIBRARYAppealing 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.

BATHROOMA series of architectural design prints is perfectly positioned above the bath (right). For architectural prints, try Heatons of Tisbury, heatons-of-tisbury.co.uk.