Traveling
through Europe during the western hemisphere spring, I stayed in some fabulously
designed hotels and resorts but
wanted to find holiday accommodation
out of my everyday walk of life. Searching online for Berlin
accommodations, I found just
the ticket: a modern houseboat
berthed on the Spree River, East Berlin.
It was my first visit to Berlin and I was duly impressed by the liveability of the
history-rich city, its
embrace of cutting-edge design, fashion and food; and the resiliency of its people. Arriving in Germany after spending
time in Italy, Spain and France,
I was reticent to take on yet another tongue-twister language - at minimum learning to speak the basics in each
country such as 'hello', 'please' and 'thank you'. Asking a friendly Berliner how to pronounce ‘hello’,
the response was ‘hello’.
Great! This is going to be easier than I imagined. Not only are cosmopolitan Berliners
fluent English speakers
– from taxi cab drivers to merchants
and restaurant staff but equally important they delight in assisting foreigners with language translations, directions and to
share their respective accounts of Berlin’s history – specifically, fascinating recollections
of when 'The Wall' came down in 1989.
Given English is
my only fluent language, I tend to play it safe when selecting
accommodation in non-English speaking countries. As example, when staying in a hotel there is a
concierge or hotel management to assist with directions and general
logistics. Visiting Berlin, I
felt within my comfort zone to step out and expand my horizons.
That said, from an interior designer perspective, hotel guest room interiors are inspirational
for residential design ideas
– the attention to detail in the
bathrooms; specifically the connectivity between the bathroom and sleeping
area. In this context, the Berlin
houseboat literally 'rocked my design boat' with its innovative, practical design solutions
and pristine waterfront location.
Other than floating on water, the houseboat shared similarities
to a funky inner city studio apartment: compact with space at a premium;
innovative selection of materials, finishes and furnishings; and adjacent to
neighbouring units. With the exception of the swaying light pendants as a motor
boat passed by on the river, the houseboat 'Black', with its next door
neighbour houseboat 'White', was no different.
'Black', my home for a three-night stay, was sleekly designed and
adeptly named referencing its colour palette. Entering the houseboat through a
ceiling to floor warehouse-styled sliding door, the foyer leads alternatively
to the living area or bedroom wing thus creating a walkway around the perimeter
of the rectangularly shaped interiors. A log fireplace is the centrepiece of
the living area backdropped by river views and flock of swans that nest nearby.
There is comfortable lounge seating and area rugs underfoot
partially covering the black stained marine grade plywood floors. A well
appointed yet compact kitchen came complete with an integrated sink,
dishwasher, generously-sized oven, four-burner induction cook top and
integrated refrigerator/freezer; plus all the small appliances, kitchen
utensils and dinnerware to suit a disconcerting home chef and ideal for
entertaining. Customised joinery in the bedroom including night tables and
headboard wall, an ample bank of wardrobes and concealed laundry. Graffitied
coloured back glass walls in the adjoining bathroom were a stand out complemented
by an effective use of clear mirror and discretely positioned towel rails to
maximise usable space.
Running the river frontage of the houseboat was a timber deck
with more than adequate space for outdoor seating and a barbecue. The glazed
exterior window wall gave way to vistas across the river to the city skyline
and the Berlin TV Tower, the city's tallest building.
'Black' was an exceptionally comfortable holiday house and
exceeded expectations; however, there was one amenity lacking to enhance its
indoor and outdoor liveability: an
outdoor folding arm awning. An awning
not only provides protection from the outdoor elements such as harsh sunlight
and inclement weather but visually extends the indoor living area outdoors.
If it’s an outdoor awning that will make an
indoor-outdoor extension to your home, look no further than the Luxaflex extensive awning range. One of my favourite is the Garda folding arm awning. Keeping with the theme of 'Black', Luxaflex
has a wide array of fabrics to suit its decor and many more colours under the
rainbow to suit yours.
Black and White houseboats
Suite 030, the platform for high class apartments
Website: suite030.com
No comments:
Post a Comment