Studio Carl

Steel tubing as the main material at Studio Carl in Cologne

With Studio Südstadt in Cologne, the founders of Studio Carl, Linh Tran and Christian Hauser, have created a space that is ideal for photography, content or video productions. The 72 m² studio has an inviting, open-plan living and dining area with kitchen, a bedroom, a guest room or office and a bathroom. The premises are suitable for photo and video productions as well as smaller events and other creative projects. The design concept uses light colours to allow for individual customisation. A large window front provides natural daylight. 

The entire studio is furnished with high-quality designer furniture, including several models from Thonet. In the dining area, the 1545 table with a light oak top and powder-coated black aluminium legs invites residents to enjoy meals together and socialise. It is surrounded by two models each of the classic cantilever chairs S 32 and S 64, designed by Marcel Breuer in 1928, which are characterised by their airy design with Viennese cane for the seat and backrest. The comfortable chairs are visually unobtrusive yet timelessly eye-catching. In the version with a deep black powder-coated tubular steel frame and oak seat and backrest, they echo the materiality of the table. In combination with the oak parquet flooring that runs throughout the studio, they create a warm, natural ambience.

The deep black tubular steel frame of the cantilever chairs is also found in the S 5002 sofa in the adjoining open-plan living area. Designed by James Irivine in 2006, the two-seater is based on a design that was already part of the Thonet portfolio in the 1930s – the archetype of a minimalist sofa with a base made of bent tubular steel. For Studio Carl, the S 5002 was upholstered with Kvadrat's green corduroy fabric ‘Phlox’. This gives it a graphic, three-dimensional character and adds a subtle colour accent to the room.

The guest room, which is also used as an office, deliberately references the Bauhaus style. Marcel Breuer's S 285 desk provides a place to work and be creative, even in a small space. It is a successful example of the Bauhaus's programmatic claim to combine art and technology into a new unity. As a trained carpenter, Breuer combined his knowledge of tubular steel with his experience in interior design. The table's supporting frame consists of a curved line, with elements of stained beech appearing to float within it. Thanks to its compact design, the S 285 is an elegant companion for today's lifestyle and working habits – almost as if Marcel Breuer had anticipated the home office and mobile computers in his day. A cantilever chair S 64, here in walnut with a chrome frame and mesh covering, also ensures seating comfort at the desk.

The bedroom also features one of Thonet's iconic pieces of seating furniture: the S 32 VL, a light and inviting lounge chair. The rocking motion of the tubular steel frame contributes greatly to the comfort of the S 32 Lounge. This model combines the typical characteristics of a cantilever chair with the design features of lounge furniture. The lightweight lounger does not take up much space, but thanks to its airy tubular steel frame, it appears transparent, open and spacious.

The design concept by Studio Carl is rounded off by a Thonet S 1520 coat rack and matching S 1521 shoe rack in the entrance area. Both pieces of furniture feature a chrome frame and a black fabric shelf for hats, handbags and shoes. The coat hooks, not visible from the front, ensure a linear, clean look.

The result is a coherent overall concept for Studio Südstadt, in which the individual rooms are connected by the consistent use of tubular steel furniture.