We knew we’d be in for a treat when visiting Tanja Demmerath’s home. The ConceptRoom.de co-founder and interior PR guru has made a living out of her sharp eye for design, and her maisonette in Berlin’s suburbs is certainly testament to that. From Scandinavian furniture to pastel prints, discover Tanja’s interior look—composed, powerful and feminine with a personal twist.

In 2015, the Demmeraths received the news that every Berliner dreads—their rented Wilmersdorfer apartment was being sold. Tanja found herself on the house hunt, with her partner and kids in tow. No easy feat in the capital’s volatile property market. But with nerves of steel, she found her own slice of suburban paradise in Berlin’s Dahlem neighbourhood—a 198 sqm apartment in a listed, former American military court building. The rest, as they say, is history. We visited Tanja to see how she’d transformed the place and stock up on her décor tips, interior tricks and style inspiration.

Urban Eden

“Nature has always been a part of me”, Tanja reflects. Originally from Trier, a smallish town nestled in the picturequese Moselle valley, Tanja found Berlin overwhelming at first—in both size and mood. “The rough and unfinished, unidyllic quality of it was alien to me. But the city is so versatile. You’ve just got to be persistent, and that means diving in feet first. And then you won’t be able to leave it again.”

Tanja found the best of both worlds in suburban Dahlem. Idyllic and quiet, the academic oasis in the city’s south-west is home to the Freie Universität and offers a peaceful refuge from the hustle and bustle of the capital. Its affluence also stands in contrast to the poor-but-sexy attitude of the creative metropolis. “It’s quite rural and has a village feel to it—everyone greets each other on the street. The woods, lakes and calm streets really won me over. But I still only need 15 minutes to get to Berlin’s vibrant Kurfürstendamm or my office by bike.” Tanja’s passion for nature is something also reflected in her interior—fresh flowers adorn every room, while green plants bring a sense of liveness to the place.

To complement her thirst for greenery and composed interior, our curators recommended some pastel prints of palms and sunkissed water that emanate both beauty and restraint for a discrete addition to her urban Eden.

 
I try to hide technology as much as possible, or at least integrate it into the interior design. My apartment is supposed to be inviting and elegant; sensual, yet still emphasising my down-to-earthness.

Power to the pastel

Personality is the key to any interior. And while blacks, whites and greys may be en vogue in certain circles, showing your true colours is also important—literally and figuratively. “They don’t have to be loud, but colours really are a must for us. I’m not a fan of natural tones or monochrome furniture. These styles can be beautiful—they have a pure, calm feeling—but they’re just not for me. I’m a very energetic person. And that needs to be reflected on my own four walls. Colours give me power. They keep things interesting.”

To keep the power flowing at home, our curators went for some powder-pink prints to add a touch of femininity to Tanja’s walls.

 

Eclectic at heart

Tanja’s exuberance makes for a strong first impression. A real busy-bee at home, everything is in its rightful place—her interior is one of calculated aestheticism. But underneath her German sense of Ordnung is a personality waiting to burst through at every opportunity. Tanja’s apartment emanates charisma, mixing and matching styles in a considered, complementary way. From Scandinavian clarity, emphasised through classic furniture designs by Fredericia, Verner Panton and Montana, to the colourful accents of her partner’s Dutch influence, to the slightly French romanticism of her origins—the result is a stunning eclecticism that spans periods, movements and countries, effortlessly joining the dots.

To accentuate Tanja’s penchant for Scandinavian design, our curators selected a minimalist gradient in faint pastel colours to add a drop of Nordic clarity to her interior.

Mixing and matching doesn’t just work for styles. Try it with materials too by juxtaposing wood and upholstery, stone and glass, or whatever takes your fancy. Bring other elements into play.

Insta #inspiration

Tanja is never short of inspiration. She’s a professional, after all. “I’m very fortunate to be able to flick through wonderful lifestyle and design magazines for a living, as founder of a PR agency specialising in interiors.” One of her ever-expanding sources of creative stimulation, though, is Instagram: “I swap tips with interior experts from all over the world.” Even offline, her eye for design is always at work. “I also find inspiration in everything from patterns on invitations to beautiful fabrics to forms in nature. The trick? Deciding on the right context to apply them or which room they belong in.”


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Text: Nicholas Potter