You recently made the move from city life to the countryside, where you and your husband are now renovating an architect-designed home. What inspired this significant shift in lifestyle and setting?
There were several reasons why we decided to move from the city to the countryside. On the one hand, there was the desire for more peace and space – in Hamburg, we were renting, which limited our creative freedom. Since the birth of our son, we had been making less and less use of what the city had to offer anyway. I had personally felt increasingly drawn to nature for years, and so the desire grew to turn our backs on the city, at least for now.
On the other hand, we wanted to create something new. We love the 1960s and the style of American Mid-Century design. When we finally visited a suitable house, the location became secondary. We chose the house, the village – and everything that came with that decision.
“Colours have fascinated me since childhood. I love their power and expressiveness – and how much they can change the atmosphere of a room or the appearance of a person."
We know your background in interior design and colour theory is not only academic but also deeply rooted in a personal passion. Could you share a bit about this enduring love affair with colour and how it continues to shape your work?
Colours have fascinated me since childhood. I love their power and expressiveness – and how much they can change the atmosphere of a room or the appearance of a person. When we moved into our old Hamburg apartment six years ago, and especially during the first lockdown, I finally had the peace and time to engage more deeply with them. The white walls of our home gradually became a canvas on which I developed our very own style using wall colours, matching furniture, and decorative accents.I find inspiration every day – whether through Pinterest, Instagram, or interior magazines.
I immediately save particularly interesting colour combinations or harmonious contrasts on my phone so I can incorporate them into my own projects later. For me, working with colours is a creative, ever-evolving process – and an important part of discovering my personal style.
How would you describe the relationship between colour and emotion, and the way in which one influences the other?
For me, colours and emotions are closely connected. Every colour triggers something in us – often unconsciously, but always noticeably. Warm tones like ochre, rust, or terracotta can convey a sense of security and warmth, while cool colours like blue or sage radiate calm and clarity. I find it fascinating how strongly colours can shape the mood of a room – and, conversely, influence our own mood as well.
This interplay plays a major role, especially in my creative process. I often ask myself: How should a room feel? And which colours can convey exactly that feeling? In doing so, I don't rely solely on trends, but above all on my gut feeling. For me, working with colour is always an emotional act of creation: intuitive, personal, and constantly evolving.
Contrast plays a significant role in both your interior design work and your work as a creator. Could you share more about how you work with them and what draws you to this dynamic approach?
Contrasts are a central design element for me – they bring tension into a space and make it come alive. I like to deliberately use opposites: warm meets cool, soft meets clear, light meets deep. It’s not about loudness or provocation for me, but about balance. I find it exciting when materials, colours, or shapes stand in opposition to one another, yet at the same time complement each other. In interior design, this can mean combining natural, earthy tones with clean graphic lines, or bringing soft textures into minimally designed spaces. This mix of calm and tension, clarity and emotion, runs through many of my projects. I believe that it’s precisely through contrasts that personality is created – in a space just as much as in creative expression.
"For me, working with colour is always an emotional act of creation: intuitive, personal, and constantly evolving."
You are in the midst of renovating a home—how did you approach the development of the colour palette, and why do you consider this aspect so essential to the overall design?
The colour palette for our Mid-Century architect’s house developed over a longer period of time. For me, it always started with collecting inspiration: I flipped through interior magazines and books, browsed Pinterest, and saved everything that felt coherent. The next step was to start organizing the colours. I especially enjoy working with the Dictionary of Color Combinations – a small but incredibly helpful book that presents many harmonious colour combinations. This allowed me to purposefully bring together my collected impressions, my vision, and the colour worlds that speak to me.
I believe that colours are perceived very individually. Of course, you can live beautifully without a fixed colour concept, but those who truly live with the things that surround them – who value harmony and want to create a balanced environment – will naturally pay attention to colours and shapes, whether consciously or unconsciously. Of course, it can also happen that colours and combinations seem much better in theory than they do in reality. That’s the case for us, for example, with the bedroom. There, we combined a green-golden tone with a burgundy ceiling. I really like the combination, but unfortunately, it makes the room feel very small.
You recently welcomed the new Torio sofa from Noah into your home. How did you choose the colour palette for it, and what inspired this particular combination?
To be honest: it wasn’t an easy decision. The 24 shades developed in collaboration with Raw Color are so coherent and harmonious with one another that countless combinations would have been imaginable – and above all, fitting. However, some design elements in the room were already set: the rug was decided on, as well as the artwork that would later hang behind the sofa. That gave me a clear direction in choosing the colours. I therefore consciously oriented myself toward the already defined colour scheme of blue, wine red, caramel, warm earth tones, and a bold green.
We tried out many variations – moved colours back and forth in the configurator, compared combinations, played with light and spatial effect. In the end, we chose a mix of caramel and burgundy. A combination that, for us, creates exactly the right balance between warmth, depth, and character.
You have collaborated with Noah for many years—what is it about their design that resonates with you most?
For me, not only aesthetics matter, but also functionality – and exactly this combination is often hard to find with many brands. With Noah, however, I have found a partner who convincingly unites both. What appeals to me especially is the clear, reduced design that at the same time appears thoughtful and playful. Take, for example, the Joy mirror or the Torio sofa: clear lines are subtly broken here, which gives the designs a modern lightness and depth. You can feel that the design is constantly evolving – contemporary but not arbitrary, with a clear design claim. That is also something I strive for in my own work. Another, very practical point: the sofa covers are removable and washable – for me, with a toddler, an absolute plus. Dirty fingers or dinner regularly end up on the fabric here – so it’s simply reassuring to know that aesthetics and everyday practicality are not contradictory here.
"Instead of planning the entire home all at once, it helps to focus on two to three colours that you really love and that harmonize with each other."
Do you have three tips for those embarking on the journey of their first home, as they begin to explore and experiment with colours in their interior design?
Definitely – and I think it’s great when people want to experiment creatively. Colour can achieve so much and truly transform spaces. Here are my three tips:
1. Start with a small colour palette: Instead of planning the entire home all at once, it helps to focus on two to three colours that you really love and that harmonize with each other. This base can then be gradually expanded – through textiles, accessories, or painted walls (think the whole room, not just accent walls). This creates a coherent overall impression without it feeling overloaded.
2. Observe colours in everyday life: Often we only realize which colours truly suit us in daily life. So: take some time, create mood boards, get inspired – and also pay attention to your own reactions. What feels warm? What calms me? What gives me energy?
3. Consider materials: Colour never stands alone – it always works in interaction with surfaces, light, and materials. For example, a rich burgundy looks very different on velvet than on smooth lacquer. That’s why it’s worth ordering samples, testing colours in the room, and matching them with existing furniture or floors.
