Converted factory building in Berlin
After spending just over ten years in London, Eva Ruecker, who is Swedish, and her German husband, Gerald Ruecker, decided to move to Berlin. The couple dreamed of finding a rural oasis in the city, a garden for the children and lots of space and light.
Private residence, Berlin, Germany
Architect: abcarius + burns architecture design
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Dinesen Douglas
Thickness: 28 mm. Width: 300 mm. Full lenghts up to 12 m
Underfloor heating
Finish: Lye and white soap
That may have sounded like an almost impossible dream until one day when they stumbled upon an abandoned factory building in a backyard in the Mitte district in former East Berlin. Only the facades remained, but the couple was immediately struck by the building’s charm and potential.
Today, the family has made a three-storey home in the completely renovated building.
The interior is simple and functional. An open, white staircase connects the floors and pulls the light into the house. The family’s favourite room is the 100 m2 kitchen-cum-living room, where large windows let in the sun and offer a view of the old trees in the yard.
Much of Eva and Gerald Ruecker’s inspiration comes from Scandinavia, so it seemed natural to include a small sauna on the top floor with access to the large roof-top patio. Another Scandinavian detail is the light plank floors from Dinesen, which bring a nice and calm atmosphere to the rooms. The couple also chose Dinesen Douglas for the wall cladding in their bathroom.
