When cookbook author, blogger and designer Lisa Nieschlag bought the home she shares with her husband and child in Münster, Germany, she was greeted with little rooms, tiny windows and five types of wallpaper. “It had been dark and depressing. We needed to extend our imaginations to think of the home for a place in which we can actually live,” states Nieschlag. She enlisted the help of an architect and her husband, Michael, to help transform their tired, dusty and dark home to a light, practical and modern family home.
at a Glance
Who lives here: Lisa Nieschlag, husband Michael and their 2-year-old lady, Selma
Location: Münster, Germany
Size: 1,450 square feet; two bedrooms; 1 1/2 bathrooms
Date of build: 1964
Nieschlag and her husband wanted to comparison sleek, white cabinetry using the warm wood tones of their furnishings and walnut parquet flooring. The couple worked with Finke, a kitchen shop in Münster, to come up with this modern kitchen design.
Before Photo
Lisa Nieschlag “Liz & Jewels”
BEFORE: Mismatched wallpaper, drab carpet tiles and a lackluster kitchen infused the family.
New dining seats make a charming, eclectic pairing using a custom heirloom dining table out of Nieschlag’s grandma’s
Nowadays, the kitchen, the dining area and the living room are divided by a partial wall and joined by a walkway.
Before Photo
Lisa Nieschlag “Liz & Jewels”
BEFORE: Nieschlag took the back door (left of picture), enlarged the living room to fulfill the property setback and stuffed the old doorway that led from the kitchen into the living room (right of picture).
Nieschlag also employs the kitchen and the dining area as her workspace and photography studio for her food website, Liz & Jewels, a site she shares Brooklyn, New York, photographer Julia Cawley.
“I work on the tabletop place by my kitchen on weekends and in the evenings. Its proximity to my kitchen is quite functional, given all of the food-related jobs that I am busy using,” she states.
Lisa Nieschlag “Liz & Jewels”
Props for photo shoots have been stored in an armoire beside the table.
Lisa Nieschlag “Liz & Jewels”
The workspace’s proximity to the kitchen and windows is deliberate; most of her food photographs are taken with natural light coming through unadorned windows.
Nieschlag integrated portion of the outside terrace in their living room to increase the space inside, and added a slim window with forest views and full-height glass doors and windows (not in this image).
“In our home, eating, cooking, playing, entertaining, photo shoots and relaxing — all these daily life functions happen on the ground floor,” states Nieschlag.
The homeowners started their roof and inserted a dormer to attract more fresh air into the first floor. A slim staircase leads from the first floor to the attic.
The insulated attic doubles as a guest room and a reading nook. The attic was a DIY job; the couple ripped from the old insulation, sanded down the beams and painted white the wood in between.
“Our style is all about mixing whites with wood to create a less stark and more natural feel,” states Nieschlag. The entryway establishes the home’s warm, natural modern style.
Granite cabinets under the stairs shop odd-shaped things which don’t fit to the rectangular cabinets.
Purples, reds and blush tones enhance the crisp white walls, furnishings and blinds. Although clutter is kept at bay on the ground floor, the toddler’s room is peppered with a lively mix of toys and children’s furniture.
Lisa Nieschlag “Liz & Jewels”
Nieschlag maintains a greenhouse in the backyard where she develops vegetables, many of which she utilizes in her blog posts and cookbook recipes.
Lisa Nieschlag “Liz & Jewels”
She enjoys the simplicity of planting beans. “They don’t call for a great deal of care. And what is great is that the surrounding glass windows in the greenhouse usher in so much lighting regardless of what the season, so it’s perfect for photo shoots,” states Nieschlag.