yinjispace

INTERIOR
Holzrausch
PHOTOGRAPHY
Salva LóPez
EDITOR
Gina
Collection

Behind a closed gate and along a winding path through a long courtyard, a hidden family house opens up with a lovely garden at the end—an unexpected and unusual typology for Paris. Set within the bustling, densely populated 11th arrondissement, the home becomes an oasis of quiet living by German firm Holzrausch: a rhapsody in wood that sits in serene contrast to the world outside.

The homeowners discovered Holzrausch through design publications and approached the studio for a complete interior concept. From the outset, the intention was a calm, timeless environment—deliberately avoiding trend-driven gestures and the visual noise of typical “Instagram interiors.” The clients—a former fashion model who owns and runs an art gallery and her husband, also a creative—aligned closely with Holzrausch’s reputation for simplicity, material integrity, and quality.

Work began as the pandemic was winding down and involved a radical transformation of the existing structure: roughly 80 percent was demolished. The concrete floors were retained, while the façade was rebuilt and new skylights introduced. Because all windows of the L-shaped building are oriented toward the courtyard side, bringing natural light down from the roof became central to the architectural strategy. This daylight concept ultimately dictated the design and geometry of the project’s defining element: a central, undulating, sculptural staircase that acts as the spine of the house and draws light into every level from the skylight above. The staircase was manufactured in a specialized staircase workshop in Bavaria and delivered to Paris for assembly. Its material language continues throughout—crafted from the same elegant oak used for wall panels and furniture.

Across four floors, including a small basement, the house totals approximately 3,800 square feet and includes a private garden in front. Entry leads into a main salon to the left and a kitchen to the right, where a communal long table supports everyday meals and conversation. As the weather turns, doors open to amplify indoor/outdoor living, connecting the interior to the courtyard and garden. The program accommodates a family of four—including a young child and a teenager—with four bedrooms and four bathrooms. The project took approximately one and a half years from start to completion, and the family moved in during 2023.

The interior is immediately defined by the disciplined use of very few materials: oak, plaster, stone, and stainless steel in the kitchen. Appliances are integrated behind wooden doors; most furniture is built in, reinforcing a quiet, continuous spatial reading. Lighting is largely recessed, allowing surfaces and proportions to carry the atmosphere. Despite the client’s close relationship to art, the decision was made to pursue a Japanese Zen sensibility—nothing to disturb the calmness of the interior—resulting in an environment without decorative elements and without art, where form and material presence take priority.

Execution required extensive coordination across crafts and geographies, with multiple specialist teams involved, including plaster work from Italy, massive oak floors from Denmark, the staircase fabricated in Bavaria, and lighting sourced from Denmark. The overall process was less defined by singular obstacles than by the time and precision required to meet exacting expectations across all parties. Throughout, the project reflects Holzrausch’s design philosophy of simplicity, minimalism, and timelessness—an approach upheld by cofounders Tobias Petri and Sven Petzold.

Key moments include views from the staircase down to the dining table, a perspective beneath the stairs revealing the skylight, and the skylight at the top of the stair framing views of the Paris skyline. Additional elements include pendant lighting from ONE A above the dining table, Gaggenau appliances in the kitchen, and Vaselli stone in the bathroom—details that support the project’s restrained, crafted material palette.

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