“It was important to us to use healthy paint everywhere that is also ideal for our daughter.”
Joanna
Anyone who enters Joanna and Leon Kneffel’s apartment in an old building in Düsseldorf immediately feels it: art is embraced here. Leon is not only an artist and illustrator in his own right, but also the son of the internationally acclaimed painter Karin Kneffel, whose works are displayed in museums and prestigious collections worldwide, including in New York, Rome and Los Angeles.
“It was important to us to use healthy paint everywhere that is also ideal for our daughter.”
Joanna
The two opted for a preservative-free wall paint from Brillux. The high covering power and fine surface now show off every chosen shade to its best advantage – from bold accents to soft nuances.
Bathroom
Living area
The heart of the apartment is the living room with its almost four-meter-high ceilings and an impressive, large piece of art by Karin Kneffel. It offers a glimpse into the night through a partially open curtain – mysterious, atmospheric and rich in detail. The wall paint in the warm beige tone Scala 09.07.12 captures the lighting mood of the picture and enhances its impact. “We wanted the color to complement rather than compete, creating the perfect backdrop,” says Leon. This makes the entire room feel particularly warm and cozy.
Bedroom
A strong, clear blue (Scala 60.18.18) dominates the bedroom. Two of Leon’s pictures hang above the bed showing snow-covered mountains. The bright color symbolizes the “perfect weather” in winter sports that the two love. The blue of a perfect day on the slopes frames the area behind the bed splendidly and skillfully sets the scene for the pictures.
Children’s room
For their five-year-old daughter, Joanna and Leon deliberately chose a bright pink (Scala 36.09.12) instead of a soft nude – inspired by the cheerful colors in Leon’s children’s book illustrations. The ceiling has also been painted pink, giving the room a candy-colored appearance. Leon’s cherry picture hangs on the wall – small but a real eye-catcher. “Children like colorful things. And we wanted our daughter to enter a cheerful room every day,” Joanna explains.
Hallway, kitchen and bathroom
The hallway and kitchen are in a calm gray (Scala 99.00.15) – ideal for connecting the colorful rooms and not distracting from the artworks. In the bathroom, the ceiling picks up the same Tiffany tone (Scala 72.09.06) of the floor. The historic ceiling rose with cherubs is particularly eye-catching here – a delicate detail that crowns the room in a charming way.
Joanna and Leon’s apartment is meticulously designed – no wall paint has been chosen at random. Everything is part of a composition where art and space merge. Or as Leon puts it: “The colors are the frame, and the pictures are the content – together they tell our story.”
Brillux Home Story: Joanna and Leon
