Art Nouveau villa of Desireé and her Nolte dream kitchen

I am Desireé (@madame.rosa.gioia), 34 years old and a social scientist. In addition to my academic work, I appreciate being practically active and therefore gladly support my partner in the family business, where we realize garden dreams together (@DeinGartenraum). I am particularly fascinated by branding, aesthetics, and the selection of perennials – it's a lovely contrast and a creative addition to my profession. With our two children, we enjoy life between the city and nature, which gives us plenty of opportunities to combine our passions for science, gardening and family.

Does your interior also reflect your character?
Absolutely. Our home reflects our many interests and our style – versatile, vibrant, and open to new ideas. We love designing the spaces flexibly, so the home grows with us. 

What inspired you to choose this interior style?
I think, on one hand, our love for creativity and versatility inspired us: artworks for the walls arise from the interest in painting; or the idea and execution of building our own dining table. This creates a distinctive look that reflects our diverse interests. Additionally, cultural influences play an important role, for example in the exterior design. We greatly appreciate Mediterranean and Italian aesthetics because they create a warm, inviting atmosphere and often utilize natural materials.

Your kitchen has no wall cabinets, why is that and what do you particularly like about this feature?
This emphasizes the spaciousness of our rooms' high stucco ceilings, giving us an airy and modern look.
 

Does the lighting in the kitchen play an important role for you?
Yes. We have both a large ceiling lamp as well as a table lamp on the countertop, another one in the room and two wall lamps. Depending on the lighting conditions and activities, these five lights can be combined incredibly beautifully.

A bright countertop and dark fronts in country style, why did you choose this combination?
Here we can again emphasize the balance between modern elegance and traditional comfort – a contrast of styles that we simply cannot and do not want to decide between. In our opinion, this combination perfectly balances freshness and comfort. The bright countertop adds brightness and lightness to the kitchen, making the room appear more inviting and spacious. The dark fronts bring depth and warmth into the room, creating a lovely contrast with the countertop and enhancing the sense of coziness and groundedness.

What is the most important function in your kitchen for you?
I think the most important "function" is the open view into the dining room and the living room, which allows us to participate in activities and stay in contact with family or guests while cooking. Or keep an eye on the kids ;) That way, the kitchen becomes a central gathering place where we don't only cook, but also spend time together. The open floor plan creates an inviting atmosphere and connects the spaces so that cooking becomes less isolated and much more sociable.

Should your kitchen be more practical in everyday life, or was design the main focus?
A clever design that is practically thought out makes it easy to organize everything well while also creating an inviting atmosphere. Our kitchen combines both by providing storage space, being functionally thought-out and at the same time really appealing to us visually.

Is interior fitting just as important as external appearance?
The external appearance is obviously the first thing you notice, but good internal organization significantly improves usability and helps maintain a tidy and harmonious kitchen.
 
Which space in your home is your favorite and why?
This isn't easy, but I think our large table in the dining room is my favorite place. It's bright, sunlight comes in beautifully or when it becomes colder, the fire burns right beside it in the stove. Here we work, paint, study, eat and talk. It is the centerpiece of our living area and there is always action here.