Romance on the outskirts | Sweet house

Photos: Rita Palanikumar for Sweet Home

This friendly, early-century house on the edge of the Küsnacht Forest stands as an image book. Despite its local architecture, it expresses an Anglo-Saxon feeling and is the home of the artist Eugenia A. Burgo and his family.

Eugenia A. Burgo was born in Switzerland, but her parents moved to America. She also lived in Massachusetts, which explains her charming American accent and Anglo-Saxon access to life. This includes a lot of comfort, cosmopolitanism and joy in a lively and eclectic style. And of course, big soft sofas. One of those photos that she shares for our portrait photo with the young family member, the dog Weimaraner Bahia, three months old.

The artist studies the art and history of art in Massachusetts, Zurich and Florence. His inspiration is nature. Flowers, fruits, leaves, succulents, vegetables, buds or seeds are explored with a brush and oil in a kind of close-up on canvas. The colors and shapes are almost three-dimensional and lead to the interior. She creates a deep connection with the beauty and strength of nature not only for herself but also for the viewer. Something they think is important and valuable right now. The picture on the wall behind the sofa is called "My Flowers".

Nature is very important in all areas of Eugenia's life. She enjoys working in the garden with passion. It is lush, green and seems to grow in the apartment through the large windows. Thanks to Eugenia's love for different materials and textures, the decor exudes a lot of naturalness and sensuality. You want to touch everything, do things and examine.

Immediately we feel that we live and live here. The house exudes warmth and the real feeling of home. For four years, the family lives here. The reason for a new house was a changed family situation. Eugenia has set up many pieces of her old house. Her husband, Tobias, whom she has just married, but with whom she has lived for a long time, has lived abroad because of her work. "That's how much furniture is made because Toby was more like a bachelor," says Eugenia. "But we have the same taste, we often choose the same things and we share the love of the art." They immediately fell in love with the house. It is close to nature, comfortable and simply beautiful. The very tall living room with large windows looks like an artist's studio. "In fact, an artist has lived here for a long time." I imagine that this piece also served as a workshop, "says Eugenia.

The living room is facing two sofas covered with a fabric Natural linen In addition, individual chairs are provided.Other chairs and armchairs are ready when other guests arrive.Evenia loves to be a hostess and likes to revive the house and often with a lot of people. The children are still living at home.Her Henry, 22, has just returned from England, where he has completed his philosophy studies.Girl Alix, 24, has a first job in the UK. Communications industry. "It's nicer and cheaper here than a shared room in the city," laughs the proud mother.

Everywhere, we discover exciting and inspiring objects. between them are displayed here in the coffee table under a removable glass top .The artist discovers, co I love and love beautiful things. "All are related to our lives and have special meanings."

The facility has developed naturally. Some furniture are family heirlooms, others come from the Brockenhaus – antiques mixed with something new, cool and elegant.

The hostess has a great love for Jasperware from Wedgwood. This is a special technique created by Wedgwood that looks like antique glasses. The metro is a kind of porcelain biscuit, usually in light blue. White ornaments and figures from the Etruscan period are applied. These typical English classics of porcelain remind Eugenia of childhood.

Even crystal glasses aroused their collector's delight. They are in a charming antique showcase, which Eugenia inherited. The glasses are of course necessary. And the window serves as a small bar. The square next to it was used for a narrow shelf, which is filled with art books.

Ancient pieces from different eras blend with art and photography. Here is a large ceramic pot, a chair by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and a photograph of Wolfgang Tillmans, which form an interesting trio.

From the large high-level lounge, you can access the dining room through a sliding door. There are very different chairs around a long wooden table, some of which are placed on the walls.

And everywhere the old big French windows open on the garden. The sun shines in the house and the animals come in and out. In addition to Bahia, four cats belonging to the family, one of whom just received a boy. During the night, one can draw white curtains, which are so attached that they climb up to the ceiling.

Next to the dining room, slightly elevated, is a kind of Reduit. Martin Parr's photographs look between the windows and through the wall that opens onto the room. Eugenia started early to buy and collect the art that touches her.

The Reduit is filled with a large plush sofa, equipped with numerous pillows. Here you can retire, cuddle, read, watch TV. And of course, there is room for animals here too. The old sinks filled with pillows and blankets are beds for young Weimaraner Bahia and four cats Twinky, Zulu, Tischa and Lucy Lou. The colorful bird comes from Mexico and is a travel souvenir. Eugenia would never buy decorative items in furniture stores. "You must have a real story," she says.

On the first floor are the bedrooms. Again, we find a lot of art and charming linen beds for four-legged roommates. The Zulu cat just has four boys. Cat's crib and Toby's office are located in the newly converted attic.

However, we did not want to bother busy family members and look discretely into the different rooms like here at Alix, who works at the time of filming.

On the blue velvet blanket of Eugenia's room gives us the Cat Tischa to understand that she would prefer to take her nap in the afternoon without being disturbed. The rooms all have sloping roofs, which makes them particularly comfortable. But this one has an extra dose of "cosyness" with stuffed curtains and belongings.

The small staircase leads to a mezzanine level in which Henry's room is located – with many family photos decorating the staircase.

The student has installed his workplace directly under the window and can thus enjoy the beautiful view of the trees grow around the entrance of the house.

On the front, facing the lake, there is a pretty garden. Its romantic look at the old Eugenia backed up with many potted plants and white metal filigree garden furniture. The round glass house, which was intended for plants and belongs to the house, is equipped with garden chairs. This way, you can sit outside or celebrate the coolest days.

The garden shed for the tool was built and painted by the family. Hydrangeas, roses and lavender are just around the corner.

Another corner of the garden offers a poetic retreat with its ornate chairs, a small table, nesting boxes and lanterns. All around, trees covered with ivy grow. The enchanted appearance supports large plants in terracotta pots.

Comfortable retreats can also be found throughout the house. Gar in unknown rooms as in the kitchen. "The kitchen is very small, but it has views and is super comfortable with the sofa in the corner.The fridge is never empty because there are always friends and I always cook." Eugenia loves cooking and Hospitality Above the kitchen sofa is a photo of Eugenia showing corn on the cob

At the end of our visit, we get in the car and drive to the neighboring studio. Eugenia We were accompanied by the tired baby dog ​​Bahia, who went for a walk with Henry in the afternoon and who wanted to show us everything in the garden and the house after.

The studio is in a demolished house and Eugenia shares it with a young artist.Evenia's photos are often large, that's why she needs a lot of space.The colors and art supplies find their place in the old industrial shelves.

Eugenia painted classical or in his words "old sc hool ", with oil paints. These fantastic pallets are the witnesses. They are so beautiful, just put them for a photo on the floor of the studio.

Eugenia shows us some of his works. Some are finished, others are still working. She paints images that fit both in apartments and public buildings. She thinks that her colorful and sensual art can also be used as a kind of complement and extension of architecture and interior design. Sometimes she also works with interior designers. These or private customers sometimes make requests for orders. This can be a personal favorite plant, a color print or a specific image size.

Eugenia A. Burgo on the Web:

Website: Eugenia A. Burgo
Instagram : @eaburgo and @eabpaintings