A Family Home With a View of The Austrian Foothills

Sometimes it’s the home you fall in love with, other times it’s the setting. I can imagine that for the Sperrer family, it was both! When blogger, PR consultant and portrait photographer Lisa Sperrer, her husband and two daughters (7 and 15) went to view this 1970s bungalow in the foothills of the alps back in 2015, they were amazed by the views. They also saw that the house had huge potential – despite the 1970s wallpaper! They set about transforming it into the light and airy living space it is today. I chatted with Lisa to find out a little more about the renovation, the inspiration behind the neutral scheme and THAT breath-taking view!

What was the house like when you bought it?
It was really fresh out of the 70s – with outdated wallpapers, carpets and furniture. Everything was in good condition, so we were able to sell a lot of it, keeping a few special things.

Did you need to make any bigger changes too?

We stripped the wallpaper and carpets, laid solid wood floorboards and renovated the bathroom and rest room. The house was designed with huge windows, which we loved, but we replaced the existing windows with wooden ones. We’re honestly not finished yet, and I don’t think we ever will be – there’s always something to do and I love that! This week, for example, we got new doors.

Was it love at first sight?

When I first stepped into the house, we immediately fell in love with the view. We love our window seat – it’s like an ever changing painting. The mountain in front of our house is called ‘kremsmauer’ – and we have a lot of other mountains nearby. We love to hike with our daughter (meanwhile the teenie has different hobbies!!), we also love mountain biking.

What is important to you when it comes to decorating?

My husband and I fortunately share the same taste. We love the combination of white and solid wood, and the mix of old and new. For the last few years I’ve been focusing a lot on sustainability – with regards to food, clothes lifestyle and furniture.

What inspires you?

I get inspired by a lot of things! Firstly, nature! Most of my new ideas come while out walking in the woods. I also love to travel and soak up the culture and style of other countries. I love to look at old interior books from the mid-century. And last but not least, Instagram and Pinterest – there are so many creative people out there!

I spy lots of designer pieces in your home – do you have a favourite piece?

We have some classics from Vitra, Iittala, Fritz Hansen and Thonet beauty also items from new designers. I really love my shelves from Konstantin Slawinski – they are modular, so you can easily arrange them however you like. Perfect for interior lovers who always like to change everything in their homes! We also have some IKEA furniture – like our kitchen and the solid wood items in my daughter’s bedroom.

Thank you so much for inviting us into your home this Monday Lisa!

You’ve made me even more excited about my ski trip to Austria in February!

If you’d like to see more of Lisa’s lovely home hop on over to her instagram @wohnprojekt and blog Wohn Projekt (I see she’s also shared a great star / snowflake DIY!).

This isn’t the first Austrian house I’ve shown…. also I am so looking forward too visiting Austria again for skiing next yeatr, I absolutely love the Alps! have you been?

Have a great start to the week friends!

Niki

PS Did you stop by for Christmas inspiration? If so, head on over the Christmas and Christmas decorating archives – there are so many inspiring ideas waiting for you!

Photography: Lisa Sperrer