Living and life among horses

Michael, tell us briefly about your farm, the house, and how it came about that you expanded the upper floor of the riding stable.
The farm has been my home for as long as I can remember. We moved here shortly after my birth. The building effectively became a multi-generational house. My grandparents, who unfortunately have since passed away, used to live upstairs. To me, the farm means home. Here, I’m in my element. My father, who himself competed very successfully in tournaments, established the riding facility and trained me from an early age. To this day, we run the riding school as a family business. Faye also comes from a family passionate about riding. She moved in with me in 2013. We are connected not only by eventing, but also by the work here in the stable. As an independent animal physiotherapist, Faye cares for our more than 30 horses, among other duties. At the end of November, Faye and I got engaged. The renovation of the upper floor fits perfectly into this new stage in our lives. We would like to redesign our home for our shared future.

What wishes and preferences influenced the style of your apartment?
Upstairs, you could still clearly see the taste of another generation who had arranged and built things differently. After the death of my grandparents, I left it as it was initially. But eventually it became time for a renovation. The apartment needed to become overall more modern and contemporary. For us, this included, for example, an open living area and brighter colors.

Did you have to consider anything special when planning the kitchen? The building is probably quite old, right?
The house is now about 40 years old. When we removed the wall to create an open floor plan, a steel beam was installed for stabilization. We had to take that into account. The planning was also adjusted to the individual conditions of the space. However, we were quite free in the design.

The kitchen island has an integrated counter. For the quick snack in between, when things have to move fast, or are you more the connoisseurs when it comes to eating?
That entirely depends on the time of day. In the morning and at lunchtime we're usually quite busy. Then things have to move fast. The counter is ideal for having a coffee or eating a small meal during the break.

Downdraft extractor, laterally integrated wine cooler, handleless fronts and clean lines speak for a modern and clean design. What inspired you to this style in your kitchen?
We initially browsed a lot on the Internet. We also flipped through plenty of catalogues. In that way, we already had a pretty good idea of what we liked. Ultimately decisive, however, was the professional and friendly advice from our kitchen planner, who created a kitchen from the many ideas that fits us perfectly.

How did you come across Nolte Küchen?
Through our riding colleague Marcus Ehning, who has maintained a long-standing relationship with Nolte Küchen. His successful mare „Noltes Küchengirl“ is practically legendary... Before that, we hadn't really explored the topic of kitchens much. So Marcus's suggestion provided a great starting point.

What does „life in the kitchen“ mean to you?
The kitchen is a place of enjoyment. Here, you can prepare and eat whatever you're in the mood for. That's not always possible when you're on the go. Especially at tournaments, you're dependent on catering. But at home, we can cook according to our mood—not only for ourselves but also for family and friends who will definitely bring our kitchen to life! Here we can do whatever we like, simply unwind and relax.