Bringing things to life with creativity
Rosemarie is an architect from Hannover. She loves to express her creativity in her profession and bring things to life in apartments and houses. She also regularly inspires her followers on her Instagram channel @live.like.archi with tips and life hacks in the areas of architecture, construction, styling, and interior design. We had the opportunity to see how the architect herself lives during a tour of her house.
What does architecture mean to you?
In my opinion, architecture is an incredibly beautiful profession in which you can be very creative and discover something new with the many different projects. I just love designing things, drawing, and then seeing how it all comes to life.
When did you realize that creativity is a part of your life?
Very early on, because I was very creative as a child, loved to paint, and constantly rearranged my room. I already thought it was great! I always wanted us to have another house somewhere where I could redecorate everything. This idea fascinated me as a child.
Did you know right away when you started your career that you wanted to go into architecture?
Not necessarily from the beginning, because after school I didn't really know where to go. I first tried economics, but quickly realized that it was too dry and mathematically oriented for me. After one semester, I switched to architecture and had an incredible amount of fun.
And when you do something with passion, it turns out well!
Together with my husband, who is also an architect, I planned everything myself. We completely renovated a 1960s house. Comparing the before and after, you can hardly believe it's the same house. We had to consider many requirements and follow the building plan, which naturally limited us a bit in planning. But now the style of the house absolutely reflects my personal taste. I like it minimalist with a touch of coziness. It shouldn't be too cold, so I work a lot with wood. You will hardly find colorful furniture or decorative objects in our house, except for a few eye-catchers - and in the garden, because the flowers can be as colorful as possible there. Another super important aspect of furnishing is the topic of light. You can create a beautiful atmosphere in a room with light, but you can also completely destroy it with improperly used light. That's why it was particularly important to me to plan the lighting well and use it atmospherically.
How do you create a balance, where can you relax the most?
I have always been very ambitious and did a lot of sports as a child, for example, I was the German Hip Hop Champion at the age of 15. Today, sport is still a big and important part of my life. I love playing badminton and use the movement to unwind and clear my head. Even when I have a lot to do, I can relax very well through sport and I always feel good afterwards!
What are your favourite places in Hannover?
My favourite place in Hannover is the Maschsee with the new town hall, it's a very beautiful place. When the Maschsee Festival takes place in Hannover, this place has a very special atmosphere and many guests come from other cities to Hannover. This is a very special highlight. From an architectural point of view, there are certainly cities with more beautiful buildings, but the construction of the Nordelbe is already very extraordinary.
Who do you draw the most inspiration from?
Zaha Hadid is a great role model for me. Especially because she made a big name for herself in the world of architecture as a woman. It's worth taking a closer look at her extraordinary and sometimes crazily designed spaces. I also want to see the architectural works in Dubai, because there are some very special buildings there, including the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.
Let's talk about creativity. What does it mean to you?
To me, creativity means that the head is always buzzing with ideas. I have so many ideas in my head that sometimes I don't even know what to do with them! I love doing DIY projects because you can let your creativity run free and also save money. It's just something different than going to a shop and buying a finished product. My kids love it when I've made something by hand that they can then show off. It's great when your own kids are proud of you!
Your house has a utility room, among other things.
What was particularly important to you when designing this room?
For the utility room, which I planned together with Nolte Küchen, I initially wanted black fronts combined with wood tones. When I was at the Nolte Forum in Löhne, I fell in love with a white kitchen that was complemented by wooden fronts and knew:
This is how my room should look! Appliances such as washing machines and dryers should definitely be installed at body height so that you don't have to bend over so often. A sink was also very important to me, as well as pull-out drawers for laundry baskets, which make the work significantly easier.
Did you make sure that the utility room matches the style of the house?
Absolutely! You can see that the room fits very well into the overall concept of the house,
because we used a lot of wood and light colours. And you can find these exact details in our utility room as well. The whole area simply matches our style perfectly!
You have made a name for yourself as an influencer, and your channel has many followers. How do you combine social media with your work as an architect?
Until about a year ago, I worked full-time as an architect and did Instagram on the side. Creating my content has now taken up so much time that it's no longer easy to combine both. Because social media also gives me a lot of joy, I decided to work only as an influencer.
Your house has a utility room, among other things.
What content can be found on your channel?
My social media account is all about beautiful living and building. You will find a mix of designer furniture, DIY projects, and affordable, used pieces.
I want to inspire people and show that beauty doesn't have to be expensive. It's great to show why a room is appealing and creates an atmosphere – it often comes down to the lighting and design. I love showing how you can create impressive things yourself with simple means and a lot of creativity.
Your videos, reels and content are very lively and fun to watch. Where do you get your inspiration from?
I've danced my whole life and performed on many stages.
That's why it's very easy for me to talk to the camera and entertain people on social media.
It's great when this translates to my followers and I can share my joy of beautiful living, building, and decorating with them!