In Berlin, an Auto Repair Shop Becomes a High-Performance Home for a Painter and Her Family

Playing into the space’s raw, industrial character, Studio Karhard creates a loft-like home with bohemian flair.

In Berlin, an Auto Repair Shop Becomes a High-Performance Home for a Painter and Her Family

Playing into the space’s raw, industrial character, Studio Karhard creates a loft-like home with bohemian flair.

When architects Thomas Karsten and Alexandra Erhard toured the raw industrial space, they were struck by how much light streamed in, a gift bestowed by large windows and the rare presence of a private patio.

When artist Nata Lee Hahn approached Studio Karhard’s Alexandra Erhard and Thomas Karsten in 2018 to convert a former car repair shop into a studio space in Berlin’s bohemian Kreuzberg district, she was a self-described "single painter lady."

By the time work began a year later, the scope had grown to include living spaces. Not only had Nata Lee met her husband-to-be, Caspar, but he’d also managed to acquire the adjoining space—and the second of their two little ones was on the way. "We were like, ‘Ah, we’re going to need to include a children’s room in there somewhere,’ " Nata Lee laughs.

When architects Thomas Karsten and Alexandra Erhard toured the raw industrial space, they were struck by how much light streamed in, a gift bestowed by large windows and the rare presence of a private patio.

When architects Thomas Karsten and Alexandra Erhard toured the raw industrial space, they were struck by how much light streamed in, a gift bestowed by large windows and the rare presence of a private patio.  

Photos by Robert Rieger

An underfloor heating system makes the floor a cozy play area for the couple’s kids, Monty and Art.

An underfloor heating system makes the floor a cozy play area for the couple’s kids, Monty and Art.

Photos by Robert Rieger

Moroccan textiles by designer Daphne Pittana and plants courtesy of Die Palme splash warmth and color throughout.

Photos by Robert Rieger

See the full story on Dwell.com: In Berlin, an Auto Repair Shop Becomes a High-Performance Home for a Painter and Her Family
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