Even a smaller redesign can create a strong project response – design studio NOA stepped up in its revamp of Apartement Hotel Seeblick to foster a more harmonious relationship with the surrounding nature…
Only a few kilometres from the Dutch border, in a privileged setting within a nature reserve, Apartement Hotel Seeblick offers guests a nature-centric holiday experience, sheltering seven flats in characteristic A-frame houses. The interiors of these houses were the subject of intervention by NOA, an architecture and interior design studio based in Berlin, Bolzano and Milan, which was tasked with giving the seven flats a common aesthetic and rethinking the spaces more effectively.
Image credit: aw-sobott / Seeblick
“The biggest challenge was to enhance such a characteristic, enveloping and comfortable volume without sacrificing surface area and space,” explained Florian Marsoner, Interior Designer and Project Leader, NOA. “Much of the furniture is custom-made, arranged to make use of the sloping walls while simultaneously preserving airiness in the rooms.”
Image credit: aw-sobott / Seeblick
The seven flats are distributed as follows across three floors – three 75 square metre ground-floor units, three 60 square metre maisonettes spanning the first floor and attic and a 120 square metre flat spanning all three floors of the northernmost house. Special attention was given to the colour scheme, with the new palette seamlessly blending soft taupe and grey tones, creating a relaxed and restrained atmosphere that harmonises perfectly with the surrounding nature.
Image credit: aw-sobott / Seeblick
These shades are echoed in the bathroom tiles, curtain fabrics, and Sofacompany sofas. A touch of colour is introduced by the mustard-yellow Barrow lounge chairs by Ethnicraft, a sustainability-oriented company. Contrasting with these are the kitchen islands’ new worktops in the ground floor flats, reminiscent of dark marble with light veins. The new lamps provide a touch of modern sophistication in all the flats, including the Align table lamp, the Dicte floor lamp and the Alton hanging lamps, all from Nordlux.
Image credit: aw-sobott / Seeblick
Custom-made furniture played a crucial role in utilising the sloped spaces, including cabinets, a TV stand that is also a multifunctional shelf, as well as bathroom furniture. In the ground-floor apartments, an oak panelling highlights the niche where the sofa is located and conceals a new space designated for the kitchen’s service areas.
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- Image credit: aw-sobott / Seeblick
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- Image credit: aw-sobott / Seeblick
The attic of the four volumes, with its floor plan in the form of a narrow rectangle and a triangular cross-section, presented one of the project’s most significant challenges. Instead of relegating this space to the background, the design team transformed it into two alcoves beneath the existing windows, offering a high level of comfort.
“The unique architecture with its sloping roofs has always exuded a certain cosiness,” commented Lorena Kleideiter, Owner, Appartment Hotel Seeblick. “We aimed to enhance this distinct character within the houses, and NOA has truly created a brand-new, inviting space here. Whether for reading or as a place to sleep with a direct view over the lake, these niches are incredibly versatile.”
Image credit: aw-sobott / Seeblick
The project succeeded in giving the apartments a new look and is the first step in a hotel transformation process that the owners are undertaking with NOA. In addition to planning, the consultancy on this project extended to styling, involving the interior designer joining the clients in the Netherlands to select vases, mirrors, cushions and other decorative items. It’s an approach where every detail is considered, one that NOA has always applied in its projects, and it leads to a compelling, high-quality end product.
Main image credit: aw-sobott / Seeblick
