Kevin and Julia have created a stylish loft apartment in the attic of an old Raiffeisen building. Where seeds used to be stored, an open and modern living space has now been created with built-in cupboards instead of walls.

The building has belonged to Julia's family for almost 50 years. First her grandparents and then her parents sold seeds, agricultural products and coal to farmers there. Julia and her sister grew up in the neighboring building and spent a lot of time in the attic of the old seed store during their childhood. Julia's mother eventually expanded the sale of agricultural products to include a flower store. However, the warehouse from the 1960s is so badly in need of renovation that the family is already thinking about demolishing it.

Julia's husband Kevin is a master carpenter, interior and object designer and sees saving the old building as both a challenge and an opportunity. The couple finally decide to take over the house, renovate it extensively and create living space for themselves in the former attic.

A stylish loft is being created in the attic on an area of 180 square meters - without a single wall. On the one hand, the couple wanted to save costs, and on the other, they did not want to change the basic fabric of the old building. Instead, Kevin designs a large built-in wardrobe that separates individual areas of the loft for the bedroom, toilet, bathroom and utility room, while also providing plenty of storage space. For the built-in wardrobe, 2,000 individual parts are manufactured, precisely adapted to the existing roof truss and elaborately installed between the beams.

The custom-made construction was also planned around the old freight elevator, which the young couple wanted to keep. The elevator is not only practical for transporting construction site equipment or water crates, but also has another advantage: all the necessary cables are routed upwards in the existing shaft so that no wall openings need to be made.

To heat the large area of the attic, underfloor heating is installed throughout the entire area with individual circuits that can be controlled separately. The couple opts for a wood chip heating system, which is installed in the cellar - exactly where the coal used to be stored. Because the existing windows in the attic are quite small and low, five additional skylights are installed to provide light. The skylights can be darkened with electric blinds and opened for ventilation. This means it doesn't get unbearably hot under the roof truss in summer.

Renovation and conversion of the old attic are planned from the outset so that the building can be used flexibly. Not only the built-in cupboard on the inside, but also the entire steel extension and the staircase on the outside can be dismantled. The building would then be restored to its original form. Currently, there is a mixture of residential and commercial use, as Julia's mother runs her flower store on the first floor. Kevin and Julia want to retain the commercial space in the long term - even if the flower store closes at some point. Thanks to the open floor plan of the attic, a wide variety of uses are conceivable, from restaurants to a yoga studio or co-working space.

However, the mixed form of residential and commercial also brings with it a number of challenges: Julia and Kevin have to overcome numerous bureaucratic, building and tax law hurdles before they can take over the house. The actual renovation then takes a year and a half. They are able to finance the construction project thanks to a lot of their own work and grants from various energy subsidies. Kevin and Julia have been living in the old attic of the warehouse since December 2023 and enjoy coming home every day.

A film by Katharina Feißt (editor), Hanfried Rothe (camera), Carsten Zühlsdorf (camera and sound) and Monika Kostrzewa (editor).

00:00 Old seed warehouse becomes loft
01:21 Old freight elevator
01:47 Bedroom
05:31 Kitchen
06:43 Dining area
07:38 Living area
09:42 Toilet
10:10 Bathroom
11:45 Outdoor area/terrace