The Straußberger Platz in Berlin-Mitte

I ring the bell, the door opens and Müller welcomes me fawning. Müller is a truly cute, black-white-fury, French bulldog and is used to the current stream of visitors. Most of the guests, who are giving themselves the handle at Straußberger Platz in Berlin-Mitte, are refugees, who Mueller’s master grants his private rooms to. By now, the warm-hearted man already hosted 54 people from eleven nations in his 112 square meters design flat. “I actually have a screw loose”, describes Andreas Tölke himself and his willingness to help. “I don’t know the people. Who knows, maybe you’ll get assassinated in your sleep.” Andreas Tölke grins and sips at his glass of water.

Bulldog Müller presents his toy. Tölke discovered chair and table with green felt at Villa Harteneck

Tölke, who is a confessed dyslexic, studied social worker, experienced waiter and proven model booker earns his money nowadays as demanded journalist with portraits about people, art and architecture – inter alia for ‘Welt am Sonntag’ and the ‘Lufthansa Magazin’. The passionate writer finds interviews with actors tedious. “They already talk enough and don’t have to say something to everything”, finds Tölke, the storyteller. “Sarah Jessica Parker was one of the few exceptions, as she has something to tell. But I don’t want to ask Iris Berben, how she’s coping with her age.”

Andreas Tölke in front of the original DDR-cupboard by architect Irene Henselmann, whose husband significantly designed the Karl-Marx-Allee and besides drafted the Television Tower

When Tölke, who originally comes from the Weserbergland, moved into his apartment at Straußberger Platz ten years ago, the area was dominated by vacancy. Nobody – and certainly nobody from the East – wanted to go there. How can you actually live here? This was a question even his estate agent asked him and noticed the background noise by the steady traffic stream. You get used to everything, says Tölke. By now the rents at Straußberger Platz increased twice and there’s a long waiting list of architecture fans that would love to move into the former showcase of the DDR. The longest, connected housing ensemble of the Karl-Marx-Allee already has a landmark status for a long time.

The living room: the big sofa by Armani Casa stands opposite the daybed. The floor lamp is by Serge Mouille, the table by Noguci, the pillows by Calvin Klein

Three rooms, kitchen, bathroom are the involvement of Tölke’s refugee-approved hideaway, which welcomes the guests in an entrée with a size of 18 square meters. 3 and a half meters big walls and double doors, originally obtained details like parquet flooring and Bakelite-handles: “Where does this still exist?” rejoices Tölke and pensively looks at the Berlin Television Tower, which rises directly in front of his window and looks especially attractive in the noon sun. And he admits: “For other apartments I’m definitely filthy.”

The sight of Benno Kraehahns ‘Namenloser Frauenakt’ (listless act of women) probably irritated one or another refugee: “I explained them, that here, nobody is upset with the sight of naked women.” At the kitchen table are chairs in a DDR design, a “stolen Panton-Version”. “There are no pressed table linen,” explains Tölke his men- and dog household. “And as long as I don’t have my dream table by Saarinen, the creased blanket will stay on the table!”

Tölke also fell in love with the house community that consists out of 120 neighbors. Here everybody knows everybody, one greets and one talks with each other. There’s a little exchange platform on the heating in the corridor. Things somebody doesn’t need anymore make someone else happy. From sweets to books or Christmas decorations. His hospitality towards refugees mobilized the neighborhood. Doors also open now for asylum seekers. “It works”, summarizes Tölke. “And it doesn’t cost a lot of effort and collects karma points.” BvH

Collecting karma points

This is Müller in front of his – sad to say – empty, but therefore chic, luxury feeding bowls by the designer Paul Smith, who personally sent them to Müller

Office-atmosphere

“This looks like a Bauhaus-furniture, doesn’t it?” comments Andreas Tölke on his black desk. He found the 70s lamp at a flea market, the chair ‘Softpad’ is from Eames

The legendary ‘Wingchair’, above an quarrel by Carla Primera

“The revolutionary trash is from China”, explains Tölke the ceramic figures. “Nowadays for sure a lot worth, but back then I got it for a very low price.”

“I allow everyone onto my Recamiere – exceptionally. But only as long as I want it to happen”, says Andreas Tölke. “I have to admit: I love luxury.” Next an ‘Artemide’-lamp in front of a picture by Munoz Balda

“I love luxury.”

Room with a coveted view: The Berlin Television Tower

Mister Tölke and Müller bed themselves in their bedroom on a modell by Ligne Roset, the sidetables are from Lambert, the table lamps by Tobias Grau

Above the ‘Swan-Chair’ in the corridor by Arne Jacobsen an aquarell by artist Oda Jaune

Art by Jörg Immendorff and Pjotr Nathan

Picture with pistol right next to Oliver Mark, on its left you can see works by Uwe Arens, the 50s lamp is a discovery from Munich

Also the apartment doors are original obtained in the house at Straußberger Platz

Contact and Infos:

beanangel.direct/

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The Linari residence in Hamburg’s district Groß Flottbek

When I turned into the calm side street in the chic Hamburg district Groß Flottbek I immediately knew: this must be the place! The minimalistic cube midst the so-called Hamburg coffee grinder (this is how the members of the Hanseatic League of the 1920s and 1930s called the red-brick villas with their quadratic ground plans) immediately catches ones attention. It’s therefore no wonder that Hamburger Rainer Diersche had to render diverse opinions of experts for the building license of his 520 square meters exceptional house. Diersche, qualified industrial engineer and product designer, did not only realise a multiple architectural highlight with this house, but also integrated the anthracite coloured new building into the stock development. But entrepreneur Rainer Diersche does not only have an eye for architecture: Diersche creates luxury room fragrances and perfumes with his label Linari

Entrepreneur and product designer Rainer Diersche in his study. Also from here there is a line of sight to the outside

A portrait of Diersche’s father by the Hamburg painter Erich Hartmann

MyStylery: It smells so lovely in here. What is it?
Rainer Diersche: This is the fragrance “Estate” from the LINARI-collection. We have an area-fragrancing: scents will be fed via the ventilation system and are created after my ideas of perfumers in Germany and Paris. I choose the scent depending on my mood. Without it nothing works.

The sofa in the livingroom is from B&B Italia, the upholstery fabrics for all pillows, chairs and bed heads from Kvadrat

MS: You learned banker, then studied economics. How do you get a fragrance entrepreneur?
RD: I was already affine after scents as a child. Later on I had a store at the Stilwerk and realised, how big the demand of design is. That brought me to the idea to create demanding fragrances with a good design. By the way our biggest foreign market is Japan. There, the ingredients are being strongly controlled, for example how scents operate on dog nose. I do especially attach importance to the packaging as well as the content. Although I sometimes get tears in my eyes when I’m thinking about the costs. (laughs)

The Danish clinker of the mantelpiece can also be found in the exterior façade. White leather chairs are from COR

MS: Regarding the planning of your house you were similar uncompromisingly.
RD: Yes, that’s right. The actual thought was to design the house as minimalistic and ecologically as possible. We use geothermal energy for the floor heating and power supply. Most important are good materials, their harmony and a consequent implementation. The clinker at the fireplace is the same that has been used for the external façade. Also the floor tile has been laid inside and outside, including a continuous alignment in the jointing.

The illuminated handrail of varnished oak leads to the first floor

The Bengal cats Gucci and Prada

MS: This sounds pretty perfectionist.
RD: I’m consequent. If I do something, I do it right.
MS: Is it actually always so tidy at yours?
RD: (laughs) Yes, its a little bit like in a museum. And it’s still comfortable. If you decide for a minimalistic construction, then a certain living-tidiness belongs to it.

For bed frame and head Rainer Diersche chose a felt fabric from Kvadrat

Next to the flat screen in the master bedroom, is a portrait of the Hamburg painter Erich Hartmann. It shows his wife

MS: In this area rules a structural provision made to safeguard existing standards, a so-called constituent Ensemble. Your modern way of construction probably didn’t only bring you new friends in the neighbourhood.
RD: At this place didn’t stand a coffee grinder like the other neighbour houses, instead there was a house that was not renovated. We had to knock it down. Our compromise was the dependence to the Bauhaus-style. Surely there’s also a lot of gossip. I’m proud of what I established. We evidently live in a community with envy. And that’s a petty. BvH

Varnished oak has been used for stairs, handrails and internal cupboards

Also the master bath is equipped with Ligurian slate

Rainer Diersche in the summer kitchen on the top floor of the house, where he also hosts guests on the adjacent terrace

The washbasins are made of Corean

Bengal cat Gucci enjoys the cooling stone tiles

The kitchen is from Strato, the work surfaces out of stainless steel and Nero Assoluto as well as Corean, bar stool “Lem” from La Palma

It seems logical that a real Hamburg need to have chairs with the name “Alster”. Table and chairs from Ligne Roset

The Biedermeier-commode from 1820 chose Diersche “to exclude the strength”. Silver chandelier and vase are from Christofle. “The vase is special, thereof only exist 20 pieces worldwide.”

Oil painting from Erich Hartmann, who belonged to the artists’ association “Hamburger Sezession” in the 1920s. Diersche inherited it from his father and complemented the collection with additional purchases

Ligurian slate has been used for the wine cellar

Rainer Diersche designed the sauna according to his specifications. It is illuminated by a colored light system

The whole living- and outdoor area has l m x l m limestone-tiles

The minimalistic cube emerged in collaboration with the Hamburg Dibelius architect. 520 square meters spread onto two floors plus cellar on a 957 square meters property

Contact:
www.linari.com

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Left on the wall: “Walterli” by Patrizia Waller. The big painting „Indian II“ (1982) by Rainer Fetting. Sofas: Ligne Roset

A miss is past: “Walterli” by Patrizia Waller (2011)

It was truly a brave move to come to Berlin in the beginning of the 90s, choosing the not refurbished “wild East” as a prospective center of life. Marcus Deschler had the courage and, since then, lives in one of the most popular streets of the capital. He conceived a big old building flat out of three flats, refurbished the filigree stucco, the beautiful oak-inlaid-parquet and heavy brass doorknobs. Its center is made off a perfect equipped stainless steel kitchen, because the head of house is a passionate amateur chef.

Gallery owner Marcus Deschler in his livingroom, in the background „Selfmad“ by Rainer Fetting

MyStylery: It was a good solution to place the kitchen in the so-called “Berlin Room”.
Marcus Deschler: I really racked my brain about the planning. I prefer cooking for many people. The kitchen as a communication platform is the core of my flat. As a child of art enthusiasts, I grew up in the Bauhaus style. Hence I love a mix out of history and modern.

Art in the kitchen: „Entenvogel – als Räuber – ertarnt sich seine begehrte Beute“ by Deborah Sengl (2003)

cooking station

MS: You partly surround yourself with quite provocative exhibits. Has there been a visitor who got scared off by the sight of the “Wolf im Schafspelz” from Deborah Sengl or Patricia Waller’s “Bambi mit Beil”?
MD: That may well be. My choice of art pieces is very wayward and the provocation inevitably leads to stronger dialogues. Art is no decoration, it’s a statement.

„Der Wolf – als Räuber – ertarnt sich seine begehrte Beute“, Deborah Sengl (2004)

No art, but an heirloom: The polar bear fur in the living room

An issue for the animal welfare? Of course not! Art by Patrizia Waller: „Who killed Bambi“ (2008)

MS: Is so-called good art dependent on the price? What do you recommend novices when buying a painting?
MD: There is no panacea. “Good” art is not necessarily expensive; it’s often a matter of timing. I therefore recommend investing timely.

Holger Bär, „Neuschwanstein reloaded“, acrylic on canvas (2012)

Flower arrangement on a chrome table (Ligne Roset)

MS: What is your favorite piece?
MD: Every single one is a favorite. Neither do I have an explicit favorite spot. Couch, bed or kitchen desk: I all like them equally.

View into the living room. On the wall an art piece by Hans van Meeuwen: „Äste“ (2002)

MS: What would you not want to spare in your flat?
MD: Flowers and my art pieces.

There is no danger of slipping here: „Bananenschale“, Patrizia Waller (1996)

MS: Do you judge other people’s flats from their art?
MD: That wouldn’t be fair. It’s always the living conditions, which define the flat situation, for example children or finance. Important is the individual note.  BvH

Huge art in the kitchen: the digital piece  „Streitmeier Bock Drilling“ by Wolfram Odin (2001)

Still life with sculpture by Rainer Fetting: „Sitzender Hund“ (2006)

Favorite place of Deschler’s guests is the kitchen-counter

Is it art or trash? “This tray is a gift from a friend.”

The blue ceramic doses are from Deschlers great-grandmother

Deschler got the white KPM vase on a flea market; The brass box is an heirloom of his father

The stainless steel kitchen is built to the design of Marcus Deschler

Nice detail: The refurbished historic brass door handles

Deschler discovered the art piece of foam material at Art Basel

„Cat“ by Patrizia Waller (2004) and a coffeetable book

Contact:

Galerie Deschler
Auguststraße 61
10117 Berlin

www.deschler-berlin.de

Opening hours during the Gallery Weekend:
Friday: 11 am-9 pm
Saturday & Sunday 11 am-7 pm

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