Sebastian and Kessly have core renovated an old house from the 40s and rebuilt and furnished it according to their ideas in a modern, minimalist, but also sustainable style.

When their studies came to an end in 2010, the two decided to return to their hometown of Kasel and buy an old house from the 40s. It is about 140 square meters and has five rooms. In order to refurbish it to their taste, the two devoted a year of full-time work to a core renovation of the interior and exterior.

The two received support for the renovation from friends and family. Their heart's desire was to preserve old elements and combine them with new in a modern and sustainable way. The whole thing in a clean, purist and simple style. This minimalist style is reflected in both the interior and exterior design. In doing so, the two relied on a color scheme of beige, gray, white and gold tones. Those who know the pair know that for them, less is more.

Kessly and Sebastian decided to take out all the walls on the first floor and convert the floor into an open living area. For this reason, instead of a conventional kitchen, the two have a cooking area that at first glance resembles a "show kitchen."

The large living area is heated by wall heating, instead of traditional radiators. Since the know-how from the region was lacking, Sebastian and his friends built a pipe system on the walls themselves, through which the warm water is conducted. In order to cover the pipes visually and at the same time create an earthy, warm and cozy atmosphere, they plastered the walls with the regionally available and resource-saving degradable building material loam, which runs through the entire house.

Clay is impressive not only because of its coarse structure, but also because of its natural properties. Clay can absorb and release moisture and have a cooling effect on the rooms in summer. It is a good heat accumulator, absorbs odors, does not cause allergies and can be touched up at any time. The only drawback: because of the panel heating behind the clay wall, it is not possible to screw pictures or shelves into the walls. The remedy here is inexpensive gallery strips that can be drilled into the ceiling.

The 20-square-meter terrace, which sits atop the garage with a direct view of the vineyards, serves as an extended living area. It is covered by an extra-large awning attached to the wall of the house. A structural element made of exposed concrete serves as a privacy screen and can also be found as exposed aggregate concrete flooring on the terrace.

In the bathrooms, Kessly and Sebastian did without a classic shower with a glass door. Instead, they masoned an open, floor-to-ceiling shower with small mosaic tiles. For the couple, this is both visually advantageous, as the lack of a glass door means fewer limescale stains, and it also means less plastering is required.

During the renovation work, the couple realized that it was not possible to bring a 40s house up to zero energy standards. For this reason, they decided to install oil heating and a wood-burning stove. During the Corona period, they then realized that heating with the stove was sufficient and that the entire house could be warmed via the open stairwell, so that the oil heating is currently used primarily for hot water.

With the purchase of the house, Kessly and Sebastian also acquired an old workshop on the same property. A photovoltaic system is currently being installed on its roof. In the future, the workshop will be used as a creative art and party space.

A film by Marietheres Wichmann (editing), Frederik Dietz (camera), Arrien Peters (sound) and Alexander Jung (editing).

00:00 40s house with a new look
00:55 Entrance area
01:43 Living & dining area
03:10 Kitchen
05:10 Living room
06:48 Guest bathroom
07:47 Children's room
08:33 Gameroom
09:01 Bedroom & study
10:23 Garden