Page 116 - AIT0724_E-Paper

WOHNEN • LIVING INNERE WERTE • INNER VALUES

In der 2. Wohnstube gibt es Schlafgelegenheiten und ein Bad. • Parlour 2 offers a sleeping spaces and a bathroom.

Drei neue, charmante Bäder liegen im Erdgeschoss. • Charming new bathrooms are located on the ground floor. Die Stufe in der großen Kammer gleicht aus. • A step in the bedroom compensates for the sloped floor.

M any guests asked this question when they attended my birthday celebration in storey height of 4.5 metres. A spacious, light-flooded room was created, presenting the
cooking techniques of many centuries. To preserve the special aura of the smoke room,
2016, shortly after we purchased the farmhouse. They arrived full of curiosity and
left, some shaking their heads. This is a lifetime commitment – why take it on? Yet, Chri- the soot-covered timbers were carefully cleaned without removing them. Under the for-
stine Müller-Welt and I, Martin Ohlf, wanted to make something of the farm. We started mer smoke flues, there are now fully functional wood-burning cookers. The house also
with a small tractor shed, also part of the farm but not a listed building, and converted features modern amenities like a pellet heating system with radiators in some rooms and
it into a tiny house, now called La Chalette, from 2018 to 2020. Delighted and motivated underfloor heating in others. Three new bathrooms blend modern charm with rustic sur-
by this unexpected success, we began renovating the residential part of the Schwarz- roundings, incorporating a mountain stone wall made of bedrock stone, now insulated
waldhof in 2021, now called Mühlradhof. We aimed to preserve the original character. with foam glass gravel, and clay-plastered walls. The upper floor houses four generous
The interior was stripped back layer by layer. After installing thermal insulation made of bedrooms, accessed via a wooden staircase, affording views of the valley – even from the
six centimetres of wood wool and a vapour barrier, most of the panelling was reinstalled colourful four-poster bed – and creating a relaxing, nostalgic atmosphere. An additional
and damaged parts were replaced. This created a contrast between the dark old wood, sleeping area with an ensuite bathroom is located on the ground floor in the second
blackened by smoke over the centuries, and the new light-coloured wooden elements. living room. In the large upstairs bedroom, we decided to add a step due to the sloping
These measures, along with insulating the attic floor and cellar ceiling, have made the floor, separating the four-poster bed area from the living space with a sofa bed. Another
Mühlradhof a listed KfW Efficiency House. bedroom features a library, a historical single four-poster bed adorned with angels, a
th
round Biedermeier tiled stove and a cosy reading nook, evoking a 19 -century atmosphe-
Unexpected discoveries: five layers of floorboards re. During renovation, we discovered old newspapers used for insulation, which we
chose to preserve. A kitchen walkway connects this room to the hallway and another
One surprise was discovering five layers of floorboards in one room – the reason for the bedroom, offering views of the kitchen below and the outdoors through a glass wall. The
very low ceiling height. The original wooden floor from 1659 was actually still at the bot- now mostly glass hallway on the south side of the house brings ample daylight into the
tom. We restored the floorboards and filled in the missing parts, gaining 15 cm in ceiling once dark smoke room and provides a sheltered spot with scenic views, especially in
height and revealing their historical beauty. A key milestone was restoring the original winter. The Mühlradhof can accommodate up to 12 people and is available for booking
smoke room, which involved removing a dividing wall and subceiling to regain its two- through the Urlaubsarchitektur platform.

116 • AIT 7/8.2024