Two Spaces, One Harmonious Design

Intelligently separating without breaking the connection: The STEININGER DESIGNERS have achieved this in a sophisticated interior project in Dornbirn, where two distinct uses were seamlessly united into a harmonious whole with a remarkable sense of space and exquisite details.

In a highly sought-after residential area of Dornbirn, a local doctor specializing in psychiatry and psychotherapy acquired two adjacent apartments spanning the entire floor. These apartments are located on the top floor of one of two exposed concrete buildings designed by the renowned architectural firm Baumschlager Hutter Partners. The building itself is spectacular, as the two structures are embedded into the hillside. STEININGER elegantly connected the two apartments while keeping them thematically separate: the larger portion serves as a medical practice, while the smaller portion functions as a private apartment for the owner.

Vibrancy Through Contrasts

The medical practice, intended for therapy sessions and medical treatments, was designed to feel homely and inviting. The client emphasized the importance of planning for openness while maintaining privacy. Creating a sense of well-being and a high-quality atmosphere was naturally the top priority.

STEININGER began by revising the existing layout, making modifications during the construction phase. The original floor plan followed a conventional apartment layout, and the project faced the challenge of one-sided natural lighting due to the hillside location. Only two windows are positioned on the narrow facade, while the remaining spaces receive daylight from terraces.

As in many STEININGER projects, contrasts played a pivotal role. A light oak French herringbone parquet unifies the flooring across both apartments, excluding the wet areas, laboratory, and entrance, which feature porcelain stoneware in a Ceppo di Gré look by Italgraniti. This material is also used for selected wall surfaces. The design interplay between walls and floors highlights horizontal and vertical structures.

A Remarkable Reception

From the entrance area, where a large, round, flush-mounted ceiling light welcomes visitors and houses coat storage for patients and staff, the space opens toward the waiting area. A subtle separation is established: the transition from natural stone flooring to oak parquet and a dark-tinted Parsol glass partition that offers a glimpse of a spectacular plant wall adorned with preserved moss and ferns. This wall is accentuated by Flos's Running Magnet light track. From the seating area along the "green" wall, one can see the reception and workspaces of the support staff.

The custom-designed reception desk combines porcelain stoneware, Parsol glass, and a black steel base. Patients are welcomed by the doctor in a spacious, light-filled office featuring a Rimadesio desk, a large STEININGER conference table accompanied by Vitra chairs, and a cozy seating area. The rear section of the practice includes a separate patient restroom, a staff washroom, and an in-house laboratory. To enhance the architectural geometry, both direct and indirect lighting were employed, emphasizing intentional material contrasts of wood, steel, glass, and porcelain stoneware, as well as the black, white, and gray color palette. Elegant light strips—both integrated and suspended—trace the room's contours, casting a warm, inviting glow.

Kitchen as a Meeting Point

The central link between the practice and apartment is the kitchen, featuring STEININGER’s modular island solution in Maya Black marble, paired with the STEININGER C-Table in smoked oak, black steel shelving, and Porro’s Load it cabinet system. The elongated kitchen block is complemented by the STEININGER WALL in white and a pendant light by LED-Works. This transitional space, which can be closed off on both sides with sliding doors concealed in wall pockets, serves as a shared retreat for team members. The sliding elements, part of Rimadesio’s Spazio collection, are framed in black Parsol glass.

Functioning as a buffer zone between professional and private spaces, the kitchen also serves as a cooking space for the adjacent apartment, which includes a charming tea kitchen designed by STEININGER. This tea kitchen, in all white, is adorned with Ceppo di Gré on the backsplash.

Privacy and Retreat

The apartment has its own entrance and includes all essential auxiliary spaces, compactly designed to prioritize the living and sleeping areas. A storage room, toilet, and archive flank the spacious foyer, which also features a dedicated wardrobe. From here, one enters a large open space combining living, sleeping, and cooking areas. The sleeping zone is particularly elegant, styled in a hotel-like manner, with an open shower enclosed by dark Parsol glass and a freestanding natural stone vanity with black Vola fixtures, seamlessly transitioning to a Wittmann bed.

A freestanding cabinet with an integrated workspace separates the sleeping area from the living room, which features a cozy Minotti sofa set and leads to the aforementioned tea kitchen. The spatial sequence forms a cohesive whole. Despite limited space, STEININGER’s design concept creates an expansive living atmosphere.