Photography by Kerstin Müller

Hi Mike! Please, tell us a little bit about yourself!

Hi! My name is Mike and I'm a freelance Illustrator and graphic facilitator based in Berlin. In addition to my creative profession, I work as an art therapist at a hospital three days a week. 

 Describe a typical day in your life

My days vary quite a lot, and it depends whether I’m at the hospital or doing creative work. When working creatively, I do so in my home studio accompanied by my two cats, who occasionally sit on my drawings and steal my pencils. After a day at the clinic I enjoy just relaxing at home.

Right photography by Kerstin Müller

Your space seems to be composed of both old and new objects from different eras - what is important to you when choosing pieces to surround yourself with?

An object’s personality has become increasingly important to me over the years. My experience is that all objects have their own history and presence. If the objects in a room communicate with each other and the atmosphere changes, I get really excited. The pieces themselves could be anything from flea market finds to design icons, or simply something from IKEA that I like. I follow this reasoning rather than adhering to a certain style when picking out objects to bring home.

Photography by Kerstin Müller

You obviously have a way with color! Describe the process of picking colors for your home - how do you make it all work together?

Putting together an interior is similar to painting in many ways, so I often apply the same techniques when decorating. I consider light and shade, contrasts, structures, materials and fore- and background. I prefer if it’s not too monochrome or matchy-matchy. I think having complementary contrasts in your space makes it more interesting. I like my surroundings to surprise me, even if I’m the one who created them. Adding something visually disturbing like a bright, flashy colored object which doesn’t really fit, creates this element of surprise and can be thought provoking.

How did you discover the Ekstrem chair?

I had seen Ekstrem in a few design books previously, but I re-discovered the chair last year on Instagram. I simply fell in love with it, and I was so happy to find it online second-hand. I hadn’t even tried it before buying it, but I just had to have it. It’s such a sculptural piece, which fits perfectly in our living room. I was even more excited when I discovered that it’s comfy too! When I have friends over, they are always quite skeptic initially, but as soon as they take a seat, they’re convinced!

What is your absolute favourite thing to do in Berlin on a day off?

When I’m not working, I like to stay at home, make coffee in the morning and hang out with our cats. I usually end up drawing, painting or exploring new ideas for the apartment. My partner and I share this passion, as well as a passion for plants. We frequent the fantastic botanical gardens, garden-exhibitions and the various parks Berlin has to offer.

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@herrklar

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