DEFINING HOME, CREATING SERENITY AND NOT SUCCUMBING TO ONE STYLE, WITH LEONIE PAULS
In conversation with Leonie Paulus.
‘Altbau’ was one of the first German words I ever came across; literally meaning ‘old building’, the translation sounds somewhat mundane, where the reality is a little more lucrative.
One can expect a certain style from an Altbau: high ceilings, original features, oak floors, big windows…So, as I stepped into Leonie and Albi’s beautiful, Altbau home in Hamburg on a sunny February morning, I was excited to see a home not defined just by its era, but by the people and the personalities in it. The original features, while undeniably gorgeous, are not the main spectacle of Leonie’s home- her taste is.
Decorated with a blend of mid century modern, eclectic furniture, vintage pieces and pretty pastels, it’s clear that the couple have created something very special together (and 165,000 Insta followers seem to agree!)
I asked Leonie about what goes into creating a home, how to spot a vintage gem and which shapes and colours help to create serenity in a space.
How would you define ‘home’?
Home is the place where I connect and create; I connect with myself after a busy day in the city, check in with my own feelings and emotions, I connect with my husband and my child. It’s my base from which I create. As a self-employed person my home is also work so it’s especially important for me to create a workspace I enjoy at home.
Why interiors? What sparked your interest in interior design?
Interior is my form of showing who I am. It’s important to me to surround myself with objects and furniture I love, that sparks interest and my creativity to flow. I always loved to change my space – it started when I was a kid and this love and joy of changing and evolving my surroundings stayed until now.
Tell us a bit about how you start your creative process with interior design…
It always starts with a feeling. I’m not a technical person so I love to create ideas in my head (these often pop up after travels or an inspiration movie or book that crossed my path). Next step for me is to draw a sketch and then create a mood board where I include all colors, patterns and ideas I envisioned in my head for the upcoming project.
They say the home is a reflection or an extension of your own individuality, would you say that’s true for you? (and indeed Albi, your husband) And how would you advise someone wanting to inject a bit of their own personality into their space.
It’s a big yes for us! We are both really different when it comes to our individual taste and you can see that in our home – the studio space is mainly filled with interior pieces and objects I like – a bit quirky, playful, colorful, fun and my husband loves calm and soft shades paired with brutalist objects, heavy materials and warm contrasts. If you want to inject more personality into your home the first thing I’d do is take a step back and really think about what you love – don’t be afraid of colors and fabrics, start to play around.
You have quite the eye for vintage furniture, how do you decide on the pieces that you definitely want for your home?
For each room we have a (loose) concept and there are some furniture pieces that are on our interior wishlist. We spend a lot of time on market places and browse online auctions. When there is a piece that catches our eyes, that has personality and is in good condition we might decide on adding it to our home.
Do you have any advice on how budding interior designers or interior enthusiasts can make good choices when it comes to vintage furniture?
Definitely! For me vintage furniture is much more than furniture, it’s an investment. I would rather save money for a year to invest in a really good well-known design piece from the 70s that keeps its value (or even increases it over time) than consuming furniture and decor like fast-fashion pieces that’s worth nothing after a week. And I think this is my main advice – connect with yourself, see what you really like and what mirrors your personal taste, take a trip down memory lane and see what auction houses or marketplaces sell.
Are there any shapes, colours, shades or textures that evoke a sense of calm or serenity in the home? What are some easy ways for people to make their space feel relaxing?
I find curvy objects quite relaxing – it’s soothing for the eyes and paired with soft textures such as boucle or linen it elevates any space. My favourite colors to create a calm surrounding are earthy – a bit of brown, terracotta, cashmere but also salve or vanilla are beautiful tones.
And finally, at the Journal, we like to talk and think about the idea of ‘balance’; between consulting, motherhood, managing your socials and more, how do you keep a sense of balance in your life?
I have a „tool box“ with five go-to actions when I feel a little out of balance. The first thing I do is a long walk – movement, fresh air and time to think usually is a quick fix to check in with my emotions and see what part of me lacks attention. When I’m stuck in the hamster wheel of routines for too long it helps me to meet friends, have good food and connections. And when I feel like I can’t find back to my inner balance because sometimes that’s quite hard since home also turned into work I take a weekend off and travel to a new or beloved place alone.
