M
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
Susann Meise talks about her
houseboat as a place to long for
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.
Although you lived on a boat during your childhood, has your
houseboat given you new insights into different aspects of life on
the water?
Susann Meise: Life on the barge as I remember it was largely con
fined to the barge. The same applies to life on land. My houseboat in
Berlin gives me the best of both worlds. I wake up in the morning and
the first thing I see and hear are birds and the gurgling of water. Even
so, I am so close to the city – I can get to our new Berlin Occhio store
on Kurfürstendamm in only 20 minutes. There is also a strong sense
of community in the marina. People chat from boat to boat, talk shop
and joke with each other. I really value this sense of togetherness.
Do you stay on the boat in winter?
Susann Meise: Yes, there is even a sauna on board. The hull is made
of robust steel, seven centimetres thick. Last winter, the boat froze on
the river at 20 degrees below zero. Suddenly, the houseboat became
the quietest place in the world.
Why does water have such a calming effect on you?
Susann Meise: I think it’s got something to do with its endlessness.
Water is simply always there. The power and atmosphere that water
radiates can also be something of real beauty: when the sun reflects
off the surface of the water, the reflections glitter on the boat and
on the ceiling of the cabin. The horizon between inside and outside
becomes blurred. I usually sleep on the boat with the front door open
so the first thing I see in the morning is the water. Some swans drifted
by the other day. Sometimes a duck even waddles into my living
room – everything is right up close. In the evening I sit upstairs on the
terrace and watch the sun as it sets on the other bank. I love sunsets.
The most beautiful light there is.
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 lights. 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 lights on the wall
in the bedroom to make them resemble portholes on a ship.
» I love sunsets.
The most beautiful
light there is. «
Place of stillness at dusk: the view into the evening light leads past a strategically placed
io lettura reading luminaire.
Susann Meise’s perfect day on the houseboat be-
gins 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.
Interview
Interview
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