Old Cavalry Barracks: crossover of eras and styles

The search for authentic and sensually exclusive materials led the client to wahl livinghouse. After discussing his concept for a new bathroom with our interior designer, Matthias Freimuth, and finding the kind of response and service he'd been looking for, he seamlessly developed the conversation to elaborate his ideas for the entire building. After just 30 minutes, the client entrusted the planning application for his elaborate and sumptuous project to our specialist interior design team.

Project: Old Cavalry Barracks in Münsingen, built in 1897; full-scale conversion and total renovation of the building. New installation of a 100 m² indoor pool area. A wellness area, with sauna, spa and whirlpool, complements the home. Floor space of complete house: 700 m²; conversion period: 2 years.

Client's brief: To appreciate the existing building and to preserve the original building materials. Crossover of riding stables, eras and styles. Broad visual axes, plenty of light, floor-to-ceiling windows, airy, comfortable atmosphere. Every room has its own distinctive design concept.
The listed building, which was once a "Remontedepot" or foal-raising estate for the Prussian military, includes 5 former mews, the commandant's villa, an administration building, a school building and an extensive garden. The various buildings were to be renovated one after the other.

Execution: Renovation of this ensemble of buildings kicked off with one of the old horse stables, which is now the owner's living quarters. Layer upon layer of horse manure that had built up over a period of 110 years were removed and the entire floor of the stable excavated and cleaned. To create broad visual axes, the building was completely gutted, right down to its basic fabric. The bricks of the interior walls were cleaned and sealed, the indoor pool excavated. 3.10m-high windows were inserted into the solid outer walls and the roof was repaired and insulated.

The original feeding troughs for the horses have been retained and they run like a common thread through the single-storey building, with their respective interpretation depending on the new function of each particular room: as a book shelf in the library, a wash basin in the bathroom and as a storage space and herb bowl in the kitchen. In the head of the household's own bedroom, the trough has been upholstered in leather and turned into a lordly headboard.

The rooms, which are flooded with light, exhibit a loft-like character – each celebrating its own particular highlight. The front door is wooden, antique and specially imported from Morocco. A mighty, two-sided fireplace links the kitchen and the dining room – both of which have an unobstructed view of the pool. A plaster wall, trowelled round and smooth, leads into the spacious living wing and to an indoor fountain. The kitchen is equipped with antique solid-wood furniture.

Design: wahl livinghouse

Materials: Liquid-metal grouting of walls and fireplace. Stoneware with mother-of-pearl finish. Rough-hewn stone for stair treads and floors. Oak.

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