Architect Jakob Bader transforms his apartment in Schwabing into a personal exhibition with a painting contractor and Brillux. As an architect, Jakob Bader is familiar with job sites from a planner’s perspective. But when he bought an apartment in an old building in Munich’s Schwabing district, he suddenly became the client himself – and coordinator of countless decisions.
“I can only advise you to be bold. To embrace architecture to the fullest and try to get the most out of the property.”
Jakob Bader
It becomes clear as soon as you enter the apartment: someone with a unique eye for space and presentation lives here. The wall in the living room features salon-style hanging of paintings packed closely together – most depict Jakob Bader’s ancestors, others are long-held family possessions.
To ensure this collection would make an impact, Jakob Bader and his painting contractor opted for calm, precisely finished wall surfaces with high-quality Brillux coatings, resulting in an intentionally opulent look. One example is the floor: instead of classic parquet, he chose linoleum. “The floor takes away a bit of the seriousness,” he says. The same applies to the “Not an exit” sign above the door frame.
At the time, the architect had the kitchen moved into the living and dining room, so it needed to be as minimalist as possible. That’s why only the essentials are found in the visible area: a small hidden refrigerator, a clean, minimalist design and mirrored top cabinets. The actual functional area is located behind a wallpapered door in the hallway. Here, there is a concealed backup kitchen, where larger appliances, supplies and other utensils are stored.
Jakob Bader always thinks of spaces in connection with their surroundings. From the kitchen, you have a direct view of an orange facade. Without further ado, he brought this color into the apartment: a bright orange dining table echoes the color shade of the house opposite. Of course, there is carrot juice to match. In the bedroom, on the other hand, green tones dominate – complementing the orange of the house opposite. Here, Jakob developed a calm, harmonious color world that flows across the walls, carpets and textiles.
This idea is brought to life particularly consistently in the bedroom and in the two children’s rooms. Here, Jakob has created what he calls “one-color rooms”: walls, floors and textiles all stay within a green color world. The precisely coordinated color shades were created using Brillux paints, which ensure uniform, high-quality surfaces. This makes the room feel calm, soft and almost embracing. A cove molding running continuously between the wall and ceiling further enhances this feeling. “I wanted to create an instant feeling of security,” says Jakob Bader.
Brillux Home Story: Jakob Bader
– but with a twist