Former warehouse / workshop transformed from ruins into a DeLuxe Loft
A loft in Vienna. Designer Wolfgang Fasching had Authentic Furniture sideboards custom made for his loft kitchen. The result has caused enthusiasm, and in the house of Noodles gave the impetus to expand the program in the direction of the kitchen.
The former workshop in the center of Vienna was transformed by Wolfgang Fasching from its most rudimentary state into a sophisticated loft according to his own plans. All preceded by serious structural changes to create the 120sqm, only then could the furnishings begin.
Below are excerpts from an interview that Nicole Enderle conducted with Wolfgang Fasching for Houzz Germany:
Nicole Enderle: How did you deal with the challenge of the basement?
Wolfgang Fasching: From the first moment I was in love with the object, even in the still raw initial state I had a relatively precise idea of what I wanted to do with it. There was no basement challenge for me. The kitchen was a little difficult for me conceptually at first, but that quickly changed when I met NOODELS at the design fair at MAK in Vienna. My girlfriend and I visited her in Berlin shortly afterwards and discussed everything in a relaxed and uncomplicated atmosphere. I think at the time NOODELS was just thinking about doing something on the subject of kitchens, so I may see mine as a kind of pioneering piece, which makes me particularly happy.
NE: Where is the furniture you used for the living and dining areas from?
WF: The table and sideboards are made of recycled tropical woods, as are the kitchen countertops. Chairs dining table by Arne Jacobson. The vintage showcase ( VINTAGERIE / Vienna ) was a former medicine cabinet, the paint was sanded off and so with the metal surface is a good complement to the NOODELS kitchen, as well as 4 gray repainted vintage industrial lamps from Prague. The black leather suite ( around 1960 ) with the sofa Constanze is from the Viennese architect Johannes Spalt . The whole ensemble comes from the same house and has the same degree of aging, which I find very harmonious. The massive metal entrance door, the sleeping platform made of massive I-beams and associated containers, as well as industrial metal windows made to measure are from one of my best friends – the Tyrolean metal artist Bernhard Witsch. The two cantilever chairs from 1920, have been with me for more than 20 years and were reupholstered years ago. Desk chair from the old Post Office Savings Bank Vienna from 1902 ( design Otto Wagner ). A solid wood carousel horse, with leather bridle and brass stirrups from a turn of the century Dutch carousel. The nice thing is, 3 of the original 12 horses are owned by friends. The furnace “Pyrarium” glazed from 3 sides
( Mayerofen / Vienna ) is indispensable mood maker on cold winter days.
A black art nouveau dresser with beautiful round silver hardware has also been with me for more than 20 years. The carpet under the dining table looks relatively modern, but it is a Bedouin carpet over a hundred years old.
NE: Who are the artworks on the wall in the living and dining areas by?
WF: The large photo behind the dining table is by Dutch photographer Desiree Dolron and my absolute favorite. I met the artist at a photographer friend’s house in Vienna, who supported her in the elaborate project. The photos were taken in a glass basin filled with water in the studio. The models were entirely under water, and experiments were also carried out with light-refracting substances (e.g. milk) in the water. The photo has enormous depth in the right lighting, it radiates an incomparable calm and somehow also looks like a painting by an old Dutch master.
I only saw the motif as a photo in a press kit, but I knew immediately that I would buy it. The photos by the seating area are a wild mix. Some are from well known photographers, others from my niece ( Gabriele Paar ) who is also a gifted photographer and most from a very good friend ( Michael Inmann ) and not to be expected otherwise – photographer.
NE: Do the letters on the wall have any special meaning for the residents?
WF: The letters come from my mother’s hometown in the Waldviertel and were part of the business lettering of a cobbler “Sodek Schuhe”, which had long since ceased to exist. When the house was being renovated, we happened to walk by and had the opportunity to save something from the construction waste container that I had wanted for a very long time anyway. In my last apartment I had a “seek” on the wall, probably that corresponded to my life at that time. The koch’s was actually a challenge to myself to practice cooking more in this new environment.
NE: How did you manage to make the area look so homey despite the industrial style?
WF: I have to elaborate a bit more on this because I can’t divide this apartment into areas atmospherically.
I think it turned out well because the sequence was right. The first symbolically important piece was the entrance door, made by my Tyrolean friend Bernhard Witsch. A metal artist, but with incredible craftsmanship. He made me in exchange for a picture, a 300kg steel door with frame according to my ideas.He also made industrial windows to measure, as well as a pedestal made of solid I-beams and sliding containers, which from the front only reveal themselves as bookshelves. Without these ingredients the apartment would not be what it is, his performance is virtually the core around which everything was built. For example, one amazing factor is that some furniture takes a long time to find its proper place – this seems to apply to almost all furniture here. All the things in the apartment I collected over a long period of time or brought from travels. It takes time to let rooms grow and leisure to feel into them until a personality becomes noticeable, which ultimately makes it homely and coherent.
The meeting with NOODLES and the cuisine that resulted is the best example of this.
You can find the original interview on Houzz here.
Authentic Kitchen Furniture – Loft in Vienna blog post by Noodles Noodles & Noodles Corp.