Space was at a premium in this gabled Ratingen home, prompting the owners to seek an extension. The need became even more pressing with the arrival of a new family member—and when the client's father decided to move in with them, requiring his own independent space. Interior architect Bernd Schüller of schüller.konzept rose to the challenge, designing a thoughtful rear addition that delivers generous living and outdoor areas, with refinement evident in every detail.

Within standard setback requirements, the deep lot accommodated a cubic structure offering flowing spaces across both levels. On the excavated basement level sits a 70 m² apartment, complete with its own entrance via external stairs and a south-facing terrace opening to the garden. Floor-to-ceiling glazing and lift-and-slide doors blur the boundary between the open-plan kitchen, dining, and living areas and the outdoor terrace, flooding the interior with daylight. Thoughtfully arranged functional zones create an intuitive flow throughout. Parquet flooring and oversized tiles in the efficient wet room establish an understated elegance. Above, the extension steps back as a tiered addition, generously expanding the ground floor living spaces to 90 m². A fireplace anchors the room as a sculptural divider. Here too, expansive lift-and-slide doors connect the generous balcony to the living spaces, drawing light deep into the interior.

Remarkably, the entire project—from permitting to the finest details of bathroom and lighting design—was completed in under a year, despite pandemic-related supply and labor challenges. The result is an elegant multi-generational home that gracefully accommodates everyone's needs for privacy and independence, both within and beyond its walls.

www.schueller-konzept.de

Photography Credits:

Ogando Photo Design
www.ogando.de

(Published in CUBE Düsseldorf 04|23)