With meticulous attention to detail, GERMAN STUDIO HOLZRAUSCH masterfully crafts a minimalist dwelling on Fisher Island with an emphasis on views of the sky and sea.
WRITTEN BY: JEAN NAYAR / PHOTOGRAPHY: OLIVER JAIST
Overlooking turquoise ocean waters, powdery beaches, swaying palm trees, and crystalline blue skies, it’s hardly surprising that the husband and wife who own this expansive condo on Fisher Island were drawn to its breathtaking views. Given their taste for high-quality European design, it also quite naturally follows that they would choose the German design studio Holzrausch to completely transform the interiors of the 3,770-square-foot dwelling into a soothing, yet highly honed retreat with an emphasis on the extraordinary seascape—just a stone’s throw beyond the terrace.
“One of their several residences, the apartment is used by our clients as a private getaway mostly for themselves,” says Tobias Petri, co-founder and managing director of Holzrausch. “But it’s also a place where they enjoy visits from their adult children and often host parties with friends.” Keen on developing a clean, pared-back design for their home, the owners, who hail from Chicago and particularly value German craftsmanship, specifically sought a European design studio to work with them on the renovation. When they discovered the Munich-based studio Holzrausch and learned that its designers were not only listed on the AD100 but had also been featured on Robb Report’s list of the fifty best German luxury brands, they instinctively knew they had found the right partner. “Craftsmanship and the use of the highest-quality, genuine materials—without any imitation—were of utmost importance to them,” explains Petri, whose team collaborated closely with the couple to create interiors that support their lifestyle while orienting the eye toward the natural beauty outdoors.
Among the couple’s mandates to the designers was to create an overall spatial impression that would be minimalist and restrained, natural and elegant, so that their edited collection of furniture, textiles, and works of art could be appreciated to full effect. Functionally, the clients wanted order—with everything in its place in invisible storage spaces with well-thought-out detailing. “It was a challenge as a European studio to design an apartment in an exclusive place like Fisher Island and manage and implement the construction there,” says Petri. “But once we had a good local team on site, the project was implemented very efficiently and to our highest quality specifications.”
After completely gutting the original interiors back to the shell, the designers started fresh in every part of the two-bedroom abode—completely redesigning the outdated interiors with new floors, walls, ceilings, surfaces, and lighting throughout. All of the new materials, kitchen and bath equipment, finishes, fixtures, and fittings were sourced and manufactured in Europe. Roman travertine natural stone slabs for the floors were delivered from Italy and laid on site. The built-ins and kitchen cabinets, made of light European oak, were manufactured in Holzrausch’s workshops in Bavaria, then assembled on site by their team of master carpenters. The natural Basaltina stone counter of the kitchen island was also made in Bavaria and installed on site. “Even the bathtub and the sinks were custom-made in Germany,” says Petri, noting the washbasin in the powder room milled from a solid block of natural stone as a particular highlight. “The stone was quarried from a mountain in the Alps in Tyrol and then manufactured according to our design,” he explains.
The high-touch benefits of German engineering are especially evident in the primary bedroom, where two spacious dressing rooms and a large master bathroom connect en suite to the open sleeping area, and efficient built-in wardrobes deftly respond to the owners’ demands for clean lines and order. “We designed the entire home as an open-space concept with sliding doors that can be closed off when several guests are present or opened to allow for maximum sight lines and a loft-like atmosphere,” says Petri.
As the interior architecture was underway, the couple worked on the furniture, art, and accents largely on their own, spending several weeks in galleries and furniture shops in Paris, London, and other parts of Europe.
Now that the project is complete, the couple finds great comfort in the timeless, highly crafted atmosphere. “Once they arrive here from the hustle and bustle of the city,” says Petri, “they can completely relax and rest.”
