Liane Forestieri: Living with Eames

Liane Forestieri is a German actress, known for roles in TV and cinema. She lives with her family in Munich.

‘When we moved into this Art Nouveau townhouse, we made numerous modifications but also kept a lot of the original features. I focused on the interior, that is my particular thing. Whenever I’m in a hotel, I immediately begin rearranging the furniture. I love fabrics, rugs, curtains and plants. I like a wild, eclectic, colourful look myself. Beautiful things sooth me. And there are no rules, anything goes, as long as you like it. Everyone has a different idea of what is beautiful.

Our house extends over five stories. There are plenty of places in which to find peace and quiet, which helps us all get along. Of course, our two children leap around on the sofa. That’s fine, we live in a house, not a museum. It’s necessary to make compromises. We also like to entertain guests. For us, the focus is on people, not objects.

We have two Lounge Chairs. My husband has a vintage version in his office in Berlin – it was a gift from his aunt. She knew that he had loved this model since childhood, so one day she presented him with this wonderful surprise. It is stories like this that make furniture valuable in my eyes, not their price. We also bought a Lounge Chair for this house, but it was immediately adopted by my daughter. A furniture classic is a reflection of its era and conveys certain ideas. The Lounge Chair has a special elegance, an easy timelessness. It looks good in any setting. Someday, I hope, our children will acquire some of our possessions and keep on sitting on the chairs we sat in. It comforts me to think that such objects will be passed on. My daughter has long laid claim to the Lounge Chair; it will also look cool in a student apartment.’