From boring to unbelievable!

James Rippon James Rippon
UMBAU ADEL_47 EFH in 53225 bonn beuel, beissel schmidt architekten beissel schmidt architekten Modern living room
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Three floors, 270 sq metres of living space, a generous garden, the perfect location – this terrace home in the centre of the German city of Bonn had many positive aspects, yet it was still missing something. The poor spatial layout of the interior spaces and lifeless exterior led the owners to finally take action. It was decided the house was to be completely gutted and redesigned in a more suitable manner, including a new attic space and a total refurbishment to match. Architects Beissel Schmidt were commissioned for the large task of turning this home into what it is today. Let's see how it turned out.

Before: the rear

Dated exterior tiles, small windows, and on overall lack of distinction are what characterised the house before work began. Although it is more than liveable, it lacks any real pizazz.

Re-doing the attic

Only once work began and the home was stripped back to its bare shell do we understand just how extensive this project really is. Remodelling of the old attic was one large aspect of the new design, aiming to make better use of the available floorspace in the home.

After: the rear facade restored

Scaffolding down, render finished and painted, new windows in, the mess tidied up, and the new look of the home has been revealed. Not wanting to lose the charm of these typically German-style homes, the existing colour scheme has been retained, only this time with a fresh facelift.

Before: the front

Here we see the house as viewed from the street. Typical and with no eye-catching features, the house would easily go unnoticed. We can see the tiny dormer windows of the old attic, which as you will soon see, have been enlarged to great effect.

After: the front

To now, where the bold pop of bright red gives this home character and vitality; two elements that were previously missing. Notice the dormer windows of the new design, which allow for more headroom and more light to enter the space.

Open plan living arrangement

Inside, we see a home that is open plan and sleek, using a number of neutral colours which exude an air of warmth and cosiness. By removing several interior walls, the poor layout of the old design could be replaced by interior spaces that are better connected and more suited to modern life.

The new attic

Here we see the new attic space that has been opened up to become an airy and inviting home office. Full-height windows now ensure the once dark and cramped space is light and bright and more than conducive to productive work. And, with a small balcony overlooking the garden, we're sure this is to be one of the homes most favoured rooms.

Want to see more terrace renovation ideas? Then take a look at the following ideabook:

Before & after: Industrial style in the suburbs.

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