Apartment V

On the shores of Lake Zurich, Ina’s 180 sqm family apartment underwent a complete transformation. Over a six-month renovation, the family temporarily relocated while the interior was taken back to its structural shell. Every surface, installation, and electrical system was carefully renewed before the apartment was rebuilt from the ground up as a contemporary home tailored to modern family life.

Designed for Ina, her family, and their beloved companions - a spirited Dachshund and an elegant Russian Blue cat - the apartment balances openness with privacy. Thoughtfully planned spaces encourage shared moments while providing quiet retreats, creating an atmosphere that feels both refined and deeply welcoming. Warm materials, timeless details, and carefully considered functionality come together to shape a home with a strong sense of personality and lasting comfort.

The furniture palette remains intentionally restrained, allowing exceptional artworks and collectible pieces to take centre stage.

A large-scale work by photographer Michel Comte forms the emotional centrepiece of the dining room. Shared memories of Asia have long connected Ina and Michel, and that dialogue quietly continues throughout the interior.

Inspired by Japan's fleeting cherry blossom season, Michel Comte's work reflects on beauty, time, and impermanence. The dialogue continues in Ina's own designs, from the sculptural Cherry Blossom side table in cast bronze to the Dedal pouf and the Ora table prototype, developed with District Eight. 

Throughout the apartment, custom built-ins add a distinctive character. In the entrance and kitchen, an acqua-green wood veneer- developed with Schotten & Hansen - introduces a fresh, luminous accent, subtly reflecting the tones of the surrounding landscape. 

Daily life naturally gathers around the generous green marble island, whose natural patterns echo the surrounding landscape. Elegant surfaces, integrated Gaggenau appliances, and curated celadon and ceramic pieces create a balance of function, warmth, and artistry.

The office flows naturally from the kitchen, separated only by delicate Asian-inspired screens that frame the surrounding trees. Custom timber joinery creates a calm architectural backdrop, while floating desks encourage an open and flexible way of working. 

Photographs of moths by Joseph Scheer introduce an unexpected sense of curiosity and playfulness.

Books, art, antique Japanese sake bottles, and personal objects bring warmth and individuality to the room.

Every bedroom opens directly into the garden, allowing nature to become part of the daily experience. Kept intentionally quiet, the rooms favour proportion, texture, and light over decoration.

Built-in wardrobes and seamlessly integrated pivot doors conceal the bathroom beyond, where softly veined marble, warm timber, and rose bronze fixtures create a quietly luxurious atmosphere.

Carefully balanced materials and refined craftsmanship define these intimate spaces, reflecting the home's overarching design philosophy—where Asian influences meet the understated warmth and simplicity of northern European design.

The entry lobby offers a quiet introduction to the home, where every detail feels intentional.

Jade ring tables create a sculptural focal point, their soft green tones echoing the Asian screens behind them. Above, a Rosie Li light fixture casts a gentle glow, hovering gently above the space. 

A geometric pink artwork by Susan English introduces subtle tension, its crisp lines contrasting with the richness of the green built-ins. Beneath it, a custom-designed bench grounds the composition with quiet confidence, offering a moment of pause.

Together, art, furniture, and materiality compose an entrance that feels both sculptural and welcoming.

White marble streaked with lilac veins and delicate acqua tones was chosen for the guest bathroom, creating a space that feels both fresh and gently luxurious.

The garden has been completely restructured into a sequence of intimate outdoor spaces, where mature trees establish privacy and a lasting sense of place. A carefully composed layout and newly planted mature trees shape an outdoor setting that reflects Ina’s calm, timeless design philosophy.

Warm Turkish travertine draws everyday life outdoors. During summer, the garden opens towards expansive views across Lake Zurich, taking on an almost Mediterranean atmosphere.

White hydrangeas and ornamental grasses soften the composition, bringing movement, texture, and seasonal rhythm to the landscape.

Expansive lawns and uninterrupted lake views dissolve the boundary between inside and out. Although part of an apartment, the home feels remarkably like a private lakeside residence.