City Sanctuary

With a globetrotting lifestyle, creative director Remo Masala wanted a calm, reflective abode to come home to – and this epic period apartment offers that in spades

This place has the most wonderful light,’ says Remo Masala, pointing to the sunshine streaming through the tall windows and double French doors that offer views of suburban Berlin throughout his spacious apartment. ‘Outside, there’s lush foliage wherever you look, with big chestnut trees all around the building. And there’s almost zero traffic noise…’

If the property’s location was a major selling point when Remo first came to view it – the neighbourhood dates back to the 1840s, when the city’s first public park was landscaped nearby – then the interior sealed the deal: an almost perfectly preserved set of period features, ranging from original parquet flooring to the wide sweep of four-metre-high walls, topped with elaborate cornicing.

Even better, the apartment needed little work, other than redecorating. This suited Remo just fine, because – in a career spent in the luxury hotel trade – he’s been constantly on the move, travelling the globe for brand meetings or checking on the progress of his latest projects. ‘There’s nothing 9-to-5 about my life,’ says Remo, smiling broadly. ‘Most people’s idea of a “work-life balance” has a somewhat different meaning for me. In my business, the two are constantly in flux…’