All in black above the rooftops of Munich

I'm Sarah (@rooftopflat), 27 years old, and live with my partner in Munich in a 3-room penthouse flat. In 2019, we decided to escape Munich's horrendous rental prices and instead invest our money in property. In January 2019, we found our dream apartment, which was still under construction at that time. We bought the apartment turnkey from the developer, so we were able to have a say regarding the layout, electrical planning, and interior fittings. The handover of keys took place in December 2019. Our apartment is located on the 2nd floor – which is the top level of the apartment building. In addition to the 3 rooms that comprise around 70 m² living space, we are lucky enough to call two roof terraces our own. The large terrace borders directly onto the kitchen and measures 28 m². In summer, it serves as our spacious living room extension. The smaller terrace, at 14 m², is still of considerable size. Currently, we mainly use this one to grow our own vegetables. Despite the generous outdoor space, the living area is typically small for a big city. We've managed to fit our kitchen, living room, and dining area into barely 26 m². However, with the right planning, even a small apartment can be furnished beautifully and functionally.

How did you maximize the storage space in your kitchen?
We planned the kitchen to be larger than the architect had initially intended. When you buy an apartment, you often receive a floor plan already indicating how you could furnish the apartment or what the architect had in mind designing the layout. According to that, our kitchen island location was designated for the dining table. However, it was clear to us from the outset that we wanted an island and needed more space for the kitchen. So we chose a different place for the dining table and had a power cable installed for the island. Therefore, my first tip would be: Always question the given floor plan and consider if there might be a better solution. Besides that, we tried to plan many pull-outs instead of hinged doors and had the oven installed at working level, creating additional storage space above and below the oven.

Life in an apartment in Munich often means limited space. What would you advise others who also have little kitchen space available?
If you have limited space, you should start by not unnecessarily hoarding belongings. The motto is: As much as necessary, as little as possible. If there are only two of you, do you really need 20 cups, 30 glasses, and 3 different dinnerware sets? We treated ourselves to one (somewhat more expensive) dinnerware set, which we always use. Why would you need a dinnerware set for special occasions? For me, every day you experience is a special occasion :). Therefore, I would do a thorough decluttering before moving and keep only what you really need. The same applies to supplies. We don't have a pantry and only buy as much as we can consume within a short period of time.

Why did you decide to buy an apartment specifically in Munich?
We both come from the countryside – about 80 km away from Munich. Our work then brought us to Munich. Sure, we could have chosen a cheaper apartment slightly outside, but right now we enjoy living in a city where you can reach everything very quickly with the U-Bahn and S-Bahn. That way we can also go out without one of us having to drive. The 3-bedroom apartment surely won't remain our last home. But currently, it fits our situation and preferences perfectly.

At what point during construction of the building did you begin to tackle the kitchen planning?
We bought the apartment when it was already in shell construction. Therefore, kitchen planning was one of the very first things we tackled – however, it took a very long time. We got 4 kitchens planned by 4 different sellers. Only with the last seller we felt comfortable regarding their consultation and offer.

As a Munich girl, do you also cook Bavarian cuisine in your kitchen?
Of course! Nothing beats roast pork with potato dumplings or beer goulash ;)

How would you describe your interior design style?
It's the mix that counts: a bit Scandi, a bit Minimal, a bit Natural.

Black, white, grey – why exactly are these your colours?
Currently, I would add beige and natural shades in general to that list. I find that a neutral base keeps all design possibilities open – even if the taste changes. This way, you're not committing yourself to one direction and can redesign the whole apartment by simply exchanging small details.

In your pictures, one sees many plants used as decorative elements – does nature play an important role in your life?
Absolutely. I don't just really love natural materials such as wood, marble or wool – I also think plants make living spaces really cosy. They loosen things up, remove the "strictness" and "emptiness" from a corner and catch attention without being too intrusive. Additionally, they ensure a pleasant indoor climate.