SONNENFELD, MURI-GÜMLIGEN / SWITZERLAND
What first only was a standard apartment from the late 1970s turned to be Mariano’s love at first sight and his first real estate investment. He was immediately in love with the brick building and the surroundings that feels like a grand park. Further what attracted him were the possibilities to change the floor plans and create a more modern and lofty feeling. The apartment however is not large but Mariano great sense for space quickly brought him to clever solutions. Like the demolition of a wall, to create the family room and to bring more natural light through the whole apartment. He wanted the space to be as open and reflective of light as possible and used white walls trough the entire apartment to enforce his decision and serve as the perfect backdrop for his collection of art.
After he could not find the perfect sized sofa for the main living room, Mariano designed the sofa specifically for the space. He was inspired by massive vintage sofas from the 1960s and chose a modular sofa from a big furniture company that he redesign, adding pillows as backrest made from the same fabric as the sofa cover - custom made from vintage velvet fabric. A large square glass coffee table occupies the space in front of the sofa and is surrounded by three armchairs and beautiful greenery.
The windowless entryway - sandwiched between the family and the guest spaces - where Mariano decided to keep the furniture simple to improve the passage.
Mariano obsessively considered each object in the apartment and gradually layered them into the space piece by piece. His greatest love is his collection of vintage and antique objects that he has scattered throughout the apartment.
Mariano wanted the kitchen to disappear visually. Therefore, he decided to design the kitchen entirely in white. He wanted to put all the focus on the island that doubles as a buffet - as a connection between the kitchen and the main living room. To contrast with the white kitchen, he chose dark gray cabinets and a deep green granite countertop for the island. It is the focal point of the room and Mariano infused this area with a design vocabulary that is not exclusive to kitchens, allowing it to seamlessly blend with the rest of the lofty space.
In the dining area, open to the kitchen and main living room, Mariano’s vintage wood table provides additional surfaces for his vase collection. The huge painting is made by Mariano and titled “Jardin Secret”.
Mariano wanted to create taller ceilings in the small family room while keeping the cozy feeling, so he hung his favorite art nearly to the ceiling to make the ceilings appear larger. He also chose a low sofa for a similar effect. And a handwoven Moroccan rug which he chose for its beauty and to anchor the seating area.
In a small corner of the family room, Mariano placed an inviting mid-century chair – the perfect place to read a book.
A vintage painting from French painter Jean-Claude Quilici is one of many vintage and antique works of art in the apartment, and is among Mariano’s favorite objects.
Mariano did not want to buy a new bed since his old one was still good. So he made a new sleek and modern headboard in a green velvet fabric. To soften the shape of the bed he used the same fabric as the headboard and sew a bed frame cover. A nod to sustainability and a keepsake. The custom made iron nightstands with a granite top are also designed by Mariano.
Mariano considers his apartment a potpourri of his life. He lives with pieces of furniture that are part of his personal tapestry, ranging from objects from his childhood to dumpster finds, and from contemporary art to one-off designs.
