A lakeside cottage is a common dream. Many of us long for a place where we can gather with friends and family—perhaps even multiple generations—and enjoy the long days of summer when dusk extends late into the night and meals often stretch for hours. For a family in Germany, the location for their humble retreat from the world was found on a lake in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, a state that sits just to the south of the Baltic and which is dotted with many lakes—more than 2,000 by one count. On one of these lakes, at the end of a sandy path and behind a dense wall of pine, copper beech, and oak trees, a certain Dr. Funk built his small thatched cottage.
The house that measures just over 400 square feet was constructed around 60 years ago and after using it for several decades, Funk’s grandchildren turned to the Cologne, Germany studio of Keßler Plescher Architekten to renovate it. The goal was to open up the space and make it more flexible, or as much as one can with only 400 square feet to work with. In order to get more out of the limited space, the architects largely broke up the original, interconnected floor plan and turned it into an open-plan living and dining area. Only the bedroom remained in its original location. A pull-down staircase leads to the attic where, despite the sloped ceiling, space was created for four more beds. The only things remaining from the original layout are the supporting structural elements, and, of course, the classic thatched roof.
In order to fit all functional amenities such as kitchen, bathroom, and storage space on the first floor without giving up too much free space, the architects designed clever built-in units made of simple spruce panels that stand in front of the cottage’s walls. The first cabinet unit at the entrance offers space for rain boots, jackets, and other items. The floor-to-ceiling cabinets also conceal a shower and toilet which have been discreetly integrated into the floor plan. The multifunctional built-in furniture includes a kitchen unit, which in turn connects to a bench that stretches the length of the room. Generous windows offer a view of the lake and also provide ample natural light. The different components are arranged in a tight row along the walls, and rather than making things feel packed in, they allow for a more open space.
This sense of space is reinforced by a very calculated choice of colors and materials. The light mint green on the walls, window frames, and ceiling helps open up the room, while the simple spruce built-ins provide a contrast with the custom furniture and decorative objects in bright neon yellow. Reddish brown and pink floor tiles are laid out in a diagonal checkerboard pattern. This unusual arrangement doesn’t only open up the space, it also adds movement and a certain visual lightness to the room.
Only the bedroom on the first floor strays from the palette of the rest of the cottage. Painted in a deep dark green that is almost black it sits off of the main open room and serves as a quiet, undisturbed retreat, which comes in handy sometimes when the cottage is buzzing with activity. Since the summer of 2022, Dr. Funk’s vacation home has once again become a lively lakeside retreat for family and friends and hopefully it will continue to be one for many years to come.
This home tour was first published in AD Germany. It was translated by John Oseid.
