When friends offered Nora Eisermann and Laura Muthesius the use of an apartment in a farm village just beyond Berlin, it came with a shared garden and a challenge: Set in an 1880s romantic ruin, the flat hadn’t been occupied for more than a decade and lacked a kitchen. The couple longed for a retreat from Berlin but couldn’t live on takeout: Nora is a food stylist and Laura is a food photographer. And since 2013, when Laura discovered her gluten and histamine intolerance, they’ve been cooking healthy vegetarian meals together and sharing the results on their blog, Our Food Stories.
How to create an affordable, high-functioning, great-looking setup in approximately 183 crumbling square feet" They installed Ikea cabinets, fixtures, and appliances while preserving the house’s strong suit, its “rough aesthetics.” Take a look at the just-finished results. Photography by Laura Muthesius, unless noted, courtesy of Our Food Stories.

Above: “We wanted a rural style but with a modern look,” says Nora. The black cabinetry is from Ikea Metod and Laxarby collections?Sektion is the closest US equivalent?and the butcher-block counters are also Ikea (see Architects’ Budget Kitchen Countertop Picks) as are the Fagleboda bin pulls. The couple were given Ikea components in exchange for publishing the results, but were granted creative freedom. 

Above: An Ikea range with induction cooktop (see the Nutid). The couple pers...