Apartment Horami Villa

The old cloth-making town of Malchow lies like an island in the middle of the Meck­lenburg Lake Dis­trict. It is a place con­nected to water and nature, where Hanh Nguyen-Schwanke from Berlin has been retreating regu­larly since her student days. When a listed half-tim­bered house becomes available for sale on the site of a former sawmill, just a few metres from the lake shore, the publisher of German-Viet­namese child­ren’s books sees and feels the value of the aban­doned house: with its varying heights, wooden balcony and pro­jecting wooden deco­ra­tions, the ori­ginal resi­dential and office building resembles an elegant villa.

‘We drew inspi­ration from the house itself and tried to follow its flow,’ says Hanh Nguyen-Schwanke, who runs Villa Horami tog­ether with her friend, publisher Bao-Tram Thai. However, the villa is not just the project of two hosts, but the result of many hands, thoughts and stories. Behind Horami Villa is an entire network of family, friends and com­pa­nions who con­tribute their hearts, ideas and craft­smanship to bring this place to life.

During the reno­vation, walls and built-in access points were first exposed, reve­aling the half-tim­bered structure and dif­ferent uses of the house. Inside, the many windows now allow light to pour in from all sides. Each of the four apart­ments has been indi­vi­dually designed – always with a focus on the his­to­rical fabric and its best pos­sible com­bi­nation and com­po­sition. Some rooms are struc­tured by large wall panelling and stucco, others have rounded ope­nings, or her­ringbone parquet, wooden flo­or­boards and exposed beams that take you back in time.

Com­ple­mented by ivory-coloured rice paper lamps, dark-stained oak, modern design, Scan­di­navian classics and antique finds. Each of the holiday apart­ments has its own spe­cially sel­ected colour scheme, ranging from grey-pink to cream white to matcha green. Even a black kitchen finds a balanced coun­terpart in the natural light.

Each room is unique, yet the design concept is con­sistent – always alter­nating between light and dark, soft and clear, old and new. The result is har­mo­nious, elegant rooms. For larger families or groups of up to seven people, the Origami Apartment on the ground floor with a terrace and view of the garden and the Okyu Apartment in the attic offer plenty of space. The two smaller apart­ments, Namdo and Hanami, are sui­table for solo tra­vellers, couples or small families – one with a terrace, the other with a balcony. Each apartment has its own kitchen-diner. Whether you prefer to seek the peace and inspi­ration of Horami Villa or explore the city, including its own island and sur­rounding lakes, is up to you. Either way, new per­spec­tives will open up.

What to do

Relax, read, cook, take a trip to the historic old town, which is located on an island in the middle of the lake and can be reached either via a swing bridge or a dam, swim at Malchow beach, try stand-up paddleboarding, hire a boat, go cycling (there is also a bike hire shop within walking distance), horse riding, a visit to the monastery and other excursions around the Mecklenburg Lake District.

Why we like this house

The essence of yin and yang: four holiday accommodations that are as timeless and balanced as they are inspiring and refreshing.

This house is great for

Those seeking peace and quiet, lake lovers or creative types – whether alone, as a couple, with family, friends or as a group

Sustainability

Public transport: the train station is almost on the doorstep

Details

Availability calendar

The calendar shows the current availability of the accommodation. On days with a white background, the accommodation is still fully available. If an accommodation has more than one rentable unit, days with free capacities are shown with a light grey background. On days with a dark grey background, the accommodation is not available.

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