The stately home, built between 1911 and 1920, is located in the middle of an idyllic, extensive park with woodland. According to the stories, the owner - a steel industrialist who is said to have been so modest that he commuted to work by streetcar without a chauffeur - cultivated and maintained the park with his own hands. This also includes a somewhat secluded garden house on a slight slope with a view of a pond. Düsseldorf interior designer Margit Schmeide carefully renovated the listed gem and planned an extension of the living space into the garden - with a luxurious spa area for relaxing.

A spacious extension has been added to the existing historic building, almost doubling the existing floor area of eight by seven meters. With its floor-to-ceiling, narrow-profiled glass fronts and sliding glass elements as well as the exposed concrete surfaces, the extension acts as an independent, modern and harmonious counterpoint to the existing building. Taking advantage of the hillside location, the extension was designed as a two-storey building: While the first floor generously extends the living space and brings the garden into the house, a new luxury spa area has been created in the basement. Both floors are connected by a terrace by the pond and a large sunbathing area under trees - but there is also a new terrace in front of the extension, which offers enough space for a dining table and outdoor barbecue. The choice of materials is largely based on the existing listed building: terracotta tiles - light and dark - and oak floorboards were used for the interior flooring, while thin porcelain stoneware was used in the bathroom and spa area. In contrast, graywacke was used in the outdoor areas. All windows had to be refurbished - with the original sash bar dimensions being retained in the new double glazing. All of the installations were renewed - whereby care was taken to ensure that all of the listed wooden fixtures from the period of construction - be it the round staircase with turrets, the doors or the visible beam construction of the roof truss - were retained. The building services - including the spa and outdoor areas - are controlled and regulated via a central BUS system.

www.margitschmeide.de

Photos:

Damian Aschenbrenner

(Published in CUBE Düsseldorf 01|24)