St. Oak Apartments: a place you would want to call home
Travel remains a constant source of inspiration. It is often along the way that we discover projects, places and people that offer something different and worth sharing.
Our latest discovery is St. Oak Apartments, located in Kyritz — a small town in Brandenburg just over an hour from Berlin, which we wrote about last week. St. Oak is not only a remarkable surprise for its thoughtful design, but also for being a truly authentic project, with soul and a unique character that sits outside the most obvious map.
Kyritz as a conscious choice
One of the most compelling aspects of the project is its location. Kyritz doesn’t follow the typical logic of an aspirational destination, and that is precisely why it aligns so naturally with what St. Oak represents.
It is a place where the pace is not dictated by urgency, where the scale remains human, and where the relationship with the natural surroundings — forests, meadows and lakes — is part of everyday life without needing to be emphasised.
Its proximity to Berlin also positions it as a counterpoint. It is not isolated, yet it is not shaped by the city’s rhythm either. That balance is, in many ways, what defines the experience.
A project shaped by complementary paths
St. Oak didn’t originate as a purely hospitality-driven project. Its beginnings are more rooted in a natural evolution than in a strategic plan.
Its founders, Laura Muthesius and Nora Eisermann, have spent years working across image-making, styling and the creation of visual universes. Over time, this practice evolved into a more tangible need: to create a physical space where that sensibility could be translated and where the experience would not depend on a screen.
“Its founders, Laura and Nora, have spent years working across image-making, styling and the creation of visual universes.”
The project is therefore positioned at the intersection of hospitality, design and gathering. It does not simply offer a stay, but proposes a distinct way of inhabiting time and space.
Intervening without erasing
The renovation of the building follows a clear principle: to restore rather than impose. Instead of introducing overtly contemporary elements, the focus was on removing previous interventions that had diluted the original character of the house.
The result is a careful restoration that allows the building to regain its meaning. This decision underpins the entire project and largely explains its coherence.
Interior design: precision, light and calm
The interiors are shaped through a series of coherent decisions, where each element responds to a shared logic and sensitivity.
The combination of contemporary pieces, vintage elements and bespoke solutions creates a calm and refined language in which everything feels naturally in place.
In the Studio Apartment, where we stayed, this approach translates into a generous, comfortable and deeply welcoming space. Light — one of its key protagonists — flows through large windows, filling every corner with a soft, consistent warmth throughout the day.
From inside, views of the “Oak of Peace” further reinforce this quiet connection with the surroundings.
Beyond the visual, however, there is something that truly defines the experience: silence. A deep, enveloping calm that can be felt both inside and outside St. Oak, transforming the stay into a contemporary retreat.
Beyond accommodation
St. Oak is not only a place to stay; it also functions as an active space hosting gatherings, projects and collaborations.
“St. Oak also functions as an active space hosting gatherings, projects and collaborations.”
This dimension adds depth to the project, moving it beyond a purely touristic reading. Here, people come not only to rest, but to meet, share and, in a way, become part of something.
In conversation with Laura and Nora, founders of St. Oak
To better understand the origins and vision behind the project, we spoke with its founders, who share their process, decisions and perspective.
What is your personal connection to Kyritz? Why this place?
Nora: Laura grew up in a little village close to Kyritz and has spent part of her childhood there, so it really feels like home and is a place close to her heart.
When we started working together we spend a lot of time in the countryside and in Kyritz, working from Laura’s father’s house that is also close to Kyritz.
We always loved the calm of the countryside, the inspiration that nature offers and flows so easily when you are at a place that provides you with calm and powerful energy at the same time.
We chose Kyritz for St. Oak because even if it’s a small town and not a super remote place it really has exactly that energy – calm and powerful – which is thanks to the wonderful 200 year old oak tree that is right in front of St. Oak and feels so intertwined with the house.
How did you first discover this house, and what made you decide to take on the project?
Laura: It had been my father’s dream for 20 years to buy this house. And since several years Nora, my dad and I had the vision to create a holiday rental together, to merge our interests, knowledges and connections – my dad in real estate and art and Nora and I in interior design, food and creating events and brining people together.
When did the renovation begin, and what were the biggest challenges and most emotional moments during the process?
Laura: The renovation began in 2023 and was a massive task – from the outside the house was in a great condition but inside so much needed to be changed and taken care of. We’ve been on the construction site every day for a year next to our normal work life.
The biggest challenge was the floor in the loft apartment and the water pipe situation in the studio. We really wanted to have the kitchen in the big open space and luckily found a team of craftsmen that were thinking outside the box and were eager to bring our ideas into reality.
Another challenge was to bring up the big furniture (especially the Kvänum X Frama kitchen and the huge vintage cabinets) upstairs. But again, we were so lucky to have great help and our carpenters even had to cut some of the cabinets and build them up again in the studio to make it work.
What is your professional background? How did your previous paths lead you to create St. Oak?
Laura: Nora studied fashion design and I photography. When we met I had a lot of food intolerances and Nora would cook a lot.
It evolved quite naturally that we started to photograph the recipes Nora created and somehow that lead us to the idea of working in the field of food photography and food styling.
We intensely worked to build our portfolio for a year and shared our work on our blog Our Food Stories and started an Instagram account. After working a while for clients in this field it naturally evolved that we got more and more interested in design.
We traveled a lot to Scandinavia, which totally influenced our taste and intuitive feeling for design and interior.
After working for over 10 years as a photographer and stylist and a lot in the online world we craved to create an actual space.
Nora: We love all the connections that Instagram brought into our lives but the joy of meeting in real life instead of exchanging messages and comments is definitely something else.
So we were eager to create a space where people can unwind and connect. Where people meet and can exchange creative ideas, where we can welcome people into our space.
The house is listed and full of history. How did you approach the balance between preservation and contemporary intervention?
Nora: It is listed but the irony of it was that instead of being afraid of too much contemporary intervention we actually threw all contemporary changes that had been made over the years out.
Laura: Unfortunately no one cared about the old soul and charm of the house and so many original details were gone.
Wooden doors got replaced with plastic ones, there were layers of paint colors over the original paint, ceilings had been lowered, the floors covered and glued with blue carpets.
Laura: We peeled it back and made the effort to find old wooden doors again, restored the hallway and used the original paint colors, got all the carpets out and tried to bring back the character to this beautiful old building.
The interiors feel curated yet effortless. Which brands, designers or artisans are present in the apartments?
Laura: Thanks for the lovely compliment. We mainly worked with Frama, Audo, &tradition and Fredericia for the project.
We also have a few beloved pieces of Dusty Deco in the studio apartment and beds from Rye Sleep and Fennobed.
Beyond holiday rentals, does St. Oak have other functions or purposes for you? Is it also a creative space, a laboratory, a gathering place?
Laura: Yes for sure! We host Pop-Up Cafes and Gatherings here, which is a wonderful way of connecting and creative exchange. And then the space also serves as a location and workshop rental.
We already hosted film and photo crews, Yoga retreats, weddings, and family meetings at St. Oak. We are super open to any ideas and just love to bring people together!
We know you organise events and pop-ups. Could you tell us more about these experiences? What kind of atmosphere do you want to create during those gatherings?
Laura: We try to do these events every two months and the next one will be in April or May hopefully. Many locals attend each time. As it’s a calmer area there is not a lot of possibilities and spaces for connection and exchange, so we love to see when that happens.
Also people from Berlin and Hamburg and even for further away join each time, which is such an honor! We hope to create an open atmosphere where everyone feels welcome and new friendships can be build.
Your project @foodstories has built an extraordinary community, with nearly one million followers. What is the connection between food, photography, storytelling and St. Oak?
Nora: Food always brings people together and the passion for good food is something most people share with each other. We think it’s a wonderful way to get to know each other around the dinner table or over a coffee and a good piece of cake.
There is a strong sense of aesthetic coherence in everything you do. What role does beauty play in your lives? Is it a philosophy, a discipline, an instinct?
Laura: To say it with the wonderful words of the poet Mary Oliver…:“I got saved by the beauty of the world”.
Life can be challenging and beautiful at the same time and noticing all the beauty in the little details around us, creating spaces that make you feel welcome and are full of warmth is definitely a strong instinct of ours, as it makes the appreciation and gratitude towards the beauty of this life so visible.
“The renovation of the building follows a clear principle: to restore rather than impose.”
What was your deeper purpose in creating this project outside the city? Was it about slowing down, reconnecting with nature, redefining luxury?
Laura: The prices in a a city like Berlin are exploding and creating a space where people can meet and connect in this size would have been never possible in Berlin. We feel thankful that people make the effort to come and travel to St. Oak from all over the world because the deeper purpose was definitely to make more connections with people in real life instead of online.
I think once you are here you really feel the deep and calming presence of the oak tree and appreciate the slower vibe of the small town. Reconnecting with nature is definitely a huge part of it too – there is a wonderful lake and a lot of forests and meadows surrounding Kyritz.
Is there a dialogue between Berlin and St. Oak? Does the energy of the city somehow feed into this slower, more contemplative space?
Nora: Yes for sure! As Berlin is so close, this area definitely feels like a retreat from the big city life to many Berliners and we have a lot of guest just visiting for a weekend to get away from the city. You can even come by train and arrive directly in Kyritz.
Finally, what future projects or dreams are you currently nurturing?
Laura: At the moment we are working on “Little Oak” – a 60m2 cabin close to Kyritz that we hope to open this autumn. Personally, I’m very into analog photography and I’m currently shooting a whole book project on film for the first time.
Nora: I have always been drawn to painting and am now incorporating it more into my daily life.
A place shaped by experience
After spending time at St. Oak and speaking with Laura and Nora, what remains is not only the memory of a beautifully designed space, but the feeling of having been part of something truly special.
The experience is built through nuance: in the coherence of each decision, in how the spaces support daily life, and in that almost imperceptible way of making everything feel effortless and natural. There is a quiet intentionality behind everything, where nothing feels imposed and yet everything seems carefully considered.
More than a place to stay, St. Oak becomes a way of slowing down, of reconnecting with a different rhythm, and of experiencing space with a renewed sense of attention.
It leaves a lasting impression — one that goes beyond the physical space — and becomes something you carry with you long after you leave. And, inevitably, it makes you want to return.
(*) Photography: Ely Sánchez (CC/studio)
