The Diva is moving to a new apartment - same city - Berlin (yes, THAT Berlin in Germany) but in a different neighborhood.
She wanted to move for a variety of reasons - one being her current situation isn’t sustainable - but also she found an apartment in her MOST favorite neighborhood.
The Neighborhood
neighborhood park duck pond
It has everything she wants - a grocery store and a gym practically under the apartment, multiple transit options close by to get anywhere in the city, a zillion cute shops and cafes on tree-lined streets with gorgeous architecture, and a charming nearby park.
Neighborhood park cafe
She can also walk to work from there in about 15 minutes or take transit for about the same commute time.
The Space
It’s a small but sunny apartment with hardwood floors, a wrap around balcony, AND it’s in a newer building with DING DING DING an elevator! Since it is also on the fourth floor (that’s 5 flights up in Euro-speak) like her current apartment, the addition of an elevator is a lovely luxury and one I will surely appreciate when I visit!
The diva got the keys this morning and I just had a video tour of the empty space. It appears you are on your own for lighting as there are a bunch of wires hanging from the various places that used to have decorative light fixtures?!
Because it is newer, the kitchen and bathroom are already quite nice. The bathroom has a nice threshold-less tiled shower with a glass surround, linear drain, and both a fixed shower head and a handheld on a pole for height adjustment.
The sink and toilet have a large ledge and mirror that span the wall behind them and can function as a countertop surface or an easy place to add cabinetry or shelving for additional storage. There is space under and beside the sink for additional storage as well.
On the other side of the shower is a laundry hookup with plenty of space for a stacked washer/dryer or all in one machine. Dryers are a rarity in the city, but would be REALLY nice for towels and bedding at least.
The kitchen comes with a sink (of course), dishwasher, induction cooktop, and oven. It also has a built-in European fridge meaning it is efficient but not large and has a teeny tiny freezer. Freezers seem to be an afterthought here.
But the storage is amazingly efficient and maximized for the size of the kitchen. There are cabinets above the workspace and a full double pantry with broom closet. There is a shallow utensil drawer between the cooktop and under counter oven (I have no idea how that is even possible?!), and the exhaust fan for the cooktop even has a shallow cabinet built over the venting.
And there are abundant outlets - another joy of a newer, more efficient building.
They will definitely need an island of some sort for food prep, and possibly a shallow counter/shelving unit for frequently used appliances like a coffee maker or electric tea kettle or toaster on the adjacent wall between the doors.
The main living space is what needed my expertise. It has to serve as living, dining, kitchen, and home office space.
The Furniture
They won’t need to buy much for furniture - between her and her roommate, they have all the major pieces they need except a kitchen island.
Available furniture includes:
Loveseat
Coffee table
Wing Chair and ottoman
Barrel chair
Accent wicker chair
Desk and chair
Sideboard
Bench
Chest
Table
Dining chairs
Two tall shelving units
Assorted small tables
The Plan
As with every open plan living space, I divided the space into separate zones for separate functions.
I offered 3 different layouts - two with the office area in the alcove end (preferable for a work-from-home situation), and one with the living area in the alcove end.
Small apartment great room floor plan with desk in alcove end of great room
Small apartment great room floor plan with desk in alcove end of great room
Small apartment great room floor plan with loveseat in alcove end of great room
The furnishings all work together beautifully, and I have no doubt that plants will also be involved…the diva is a plant-mom at heart, in addition to being an intrepid and skilled cook.
Herbs and houseplants will definitely make an appearance at some point. The balcony begs for a vertical garden set-up in something like this tiered ladder planter (affiliate link).
The balcony has outlets so patio string lights would be a charming addition. And, of course a bistro table and chairs…and there is space for a couple more wicker chairs or a bench as well as plenty of plants and flowers.
There are apparently rules about the color of umbrellas or awnings allowed…they don’t want any wild colors or patterns so only neutrals are allowed and *maybe* stripes. Part of the balcony has a roof overhang anyway, but part of it could use some shade cover with an umbrella or awning.
I can’t wait to see it all set up! Hoping I’ll be able to get there sometime soon to see it in person :)
