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Freedom Berlin style, houseboat

Place of longing by the water

A perfect day on the houseboat begins early in the morning at sunrise with a coffee on the roof terrace and ends with a glass of wine with good friends at sunset. The fusion of light and water creates a magical atmosphere at any time of day. When the sun goes down, Occhio luminaires bring the warmth of sunlight into the houseboat.
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Susann Meise Hausboot Mito soffitto

Idyllic breakfast on the houseboat

The ceiling luminaires Mito soffitto – arranged as a cloud – float above the round of the dining table, illuminating the center of the room.

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Expressive accents

The matt gold wall luminaires io verticale atmospherically cast their light onto the wall above a minimalist bench.

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Characteristic flair

In the entrance area, ther mirror luminaires Mito sfera were mounted on the wall to resemble the portholes of a ship – adding a characteristic flair to the houseboat. The floor luminaire io lettura provides additional reading light.

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"I love sunsets.
The most beautiful light there is."
Susann Meise, Occhio co-CEO & houseboat owner
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Ms Meise, why did you buy a houseboat?

Susann Meise: When I’m on a boat, I feel completely at home. I grew up on my grandparents’ barge for the first few years of my life. That is why I have always had a very close connection to water. Our family has this closeness. No matter where we go, we sail, we swim, we dive and, if at all possible, we live by the water. But the thing that really makes a houseboat special is that you’re mobile, yet still at home. Being on water gives me a sense of freedom.

What makes the connection between light and water so magical?

Susann Meise: When the rays of light reflect onto the boat from the water and I watch the sun slowly setting, I feel a completely different awareness. When it finally gets too dark outside and I switch on the light, I set the luminaires to a lighting mood that perfectly fits that moment and one that I feel comfortable with. Our goal at Occhio is to simulate sunlight in its full range. Sunlight has a particularly impressive effect in the blue hour, and also when it interacts with artificial light – especially when you can adjust the artificial as flexibly as the luminaires from Occhio. It gives us back the warmth that is no longer outside on the water now the sun has set.

How did you tackle your Occhio lighting on the houseboat?

Susann Meise: Our goal at Occhio is to simulate daylight. This means extending the natural light when the sun has set. But you have to be practical on a boat. For example, you can’t hang pendant luminaires. They would sway too much due to the boat rocking on the water. We had to be restrained and efficient with the lighting. We put Mito soffitto ceiling luminaires on the walls and we mounted the luminaires on the wall in the bedroom to make them resemble portholes on a ship.

Houseboat, Berlin style

Year of realization: 2022
Lighting design: Occhio
Luminaires: Mito soffitto, io verticale, io lettura, Sito palo
Photos: Robert Rieger

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