Art director Alexander Paar likes his home in Bielefeld in Germany to be Scandinavian and minimalist, with black and white setting the tone. But if you're not careful, this popular interior style can quickly look sterile and clinical. In this interview, Alexander tells us the simple tricks he uses to make his four-room period apartment feel cosy.
How and where do you live?
I live in a four-room period apartment from the late 19th century in the western part of Bielefeld. For a single person, a flat like this is too big, of course, but everything just felt right.
You clearly have a knack for good design. Where does your passion for interiors come from?
I think I got it from my mum. From an early age I grew up surrounded by beautiful things and decoration. As a student, I carried this on in shared flats and later in my first flat of my own. My profession also plays a big part.
So you work in this field?
Having studied fashion journalism, I simply have a soft spot for design. It doesn't matter whether it's fashion or interiors – design is design. That's why I feel at home professionally in fashion, lifestyle and home and living.
Your home is Scandinavian and minimalist. What do you like so much about this style? And does it reflect your character too?
My style is classic and modern, with a love of Scandinavian design, minimalist furniture and the colours white and black. For me, simple is most beautiful. When you deal with changing fashions every day, you need a calm haven at home – visual calm, so to speak.
So nothing's allowed to lie around at your place?
No. That's why my friends describe me as very "tidy". That doesn't mean things can't get chaotic sometimes – just not at home, where I find a break from everyday work.
They say you're never really finished furnishing a home. Do you often redecorate?
Furnishing a new flat is a process. There's nothing worse than a flat that's completely furnished from day one, where even the coffee-table books were chosen by an interior designer. The exciting thing about furnishing is trying things out and rearranging them.
I don't have seasonal decorations at Christmas or Easter, but smaller accessories and lamps in particular keep finding new places in my home. Even just turning the tray on the HAY Tray Table created a new look in my living room.
What's your favourite product from our range, and why?
The Saarinen Tulip dining table with a light marble top by Knoll. The table's organic design is timelessly elegant, and its oval shape makes for the best conversations at parties.
When and where did you first come across Connox?
Around ten years ago, as a student, when I was looking for a new desk lamp. I haven't lived in that flat for a long time, but the table lamp from Gubi has been with me ever since and now stands on the bedside table in my bedroom.
Which design piece in your home would you never part with?
Definitely my lamps, because for me they're like the accessories in a fashion look. At first glance they're not absolutely essential, but they add that certain something. It's worth paying attention to good quality. After all, you live with these things every day and should enjoy them for a long time.
Every room in your home is perfectly coordinated – do you have tips for a cohesive overall look?
First, the right colour concept is essential. It's best to limit yourself to three or at most four colours from one colour family. For me, these are grey, black, white and light wood. The colours alone create a certain calm.
Second, I recommend that everyone question every item they have at home. Does this accessory fit the look I want? Is it just a dust collector, or is it useful? Marie Kondo's book "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying" really helps you part with things you don't need.
You have lots of pictures. What motifs do they show, and how do you combine them?
I choose my pictures mainly for their colours. Almost all of them are limited to black and white. This restraint creates calm, so a gallery wall of classic black-and-white fashion photography next to architectural shots and contemporary line art works really well.
What has to be in place for you to feel at home?
For me, home is a place where I can switch off. I achieve that with things that have a story for me. That could be a blanket, an accessory from a trip or pictures I associate with friends. Comfort also plays a big role. I create it with textiles such as velvet, sheepskin and alpaca wool, and materials such as wood, marble and metal.
What's your formula for cosiness?
One statement textile per room. Pared-back, clean-lined rooms can quickly look cold. Breaking the style with textiles in a different look brings them to life. Who would expect a classic cowhide in a Scandi kitchen or a minimalist living room? Light creates cosiness too: on the one hand daylight, on the other table and floor lamps, whose light is more flattering than light from the ceiling.
If you had to choose: never buy new clothes again, or never buy new interior pieces again?
I'm a big fan of modern classics, in fashion as well as interiors. My advice to everyone: invest in beautiful, high-quality basics and timeless furniture classics in muted tones. They last and you'll enjoy them for a long time. I think it's important to choose things consciously and not surround yourself with things you don't need.
Where do you most like to find inspiration?
Above all when I'm travelling, on voyages of discovery through shops, restaurants, bars and hotels. I find new interior concepts in restaurants and bars particularly exciting, because they usually play a lot with variations of colour and textiles.
Which interior trend do you particularly like, and which would you never follow?
For me, the basics should be pure and clean. Then things can get a little more colourful, as in the 1980s Memphis look. I particularly like raw materials with real character, such as wood, concrete, leather and natural stone, in the current wabi-sabi look. The main thing is getting the mix right – as long as it's not country style.
Thank you so much for the great insight and the helpful tips!
Find Alexander on Instagram here.
