Jessica McGowan's minimalist apartment

Jessica McGowan is a graphic designer living in Berlin's Kreuzberg neighborhood. She is co-founder of Primary Paper magazine and art director of Slow, the project founded by Claus Sendlinger that has links to Portugal. In her apartment, a serene space full of natural light, the Australian-born designer finds the antidote to the wealth of visual information she deals with daily.

Through a neutral color palette and a mix of contemporary Nordic furniture, old family pieces and plants, Jessica and her boyfriend found the ideal urban retreat in the German capital after living in New York for seven years.

"I became a true minimalist. In New York we lived in a loft and everything was very confusing, because we moved into an apartment and brought an eclectic selection of objects. In Berlin, I became ultra-neutral. Everything is quite minimal", reveals the designer.

In this century-old apartment, decorated with some of our favorite Muuto pieces, Jessica has created a space to rest, read, work, and entertain. "We get wonderful sunlight in the morning. It's so bright and warm. We have a huge bay window, which allows us to look out onto the street, and because all the houses are the same configuration, it's not blocked. We also have a balcony, which I love . Coming from Australia, I was used to living in a house with a backyard. I've lived in apartments for over ten years, and that can make us feel confined, but having a small balcony makes a huge difference, even in winter."