Karst Berlin — Building Space Through Material

Sensation before form

At Karst, space is not immediately understood.

It is first felt: within an approach to interior architecture in Berlin where material and perception are in constant dialogue.

A sense of warmth, precision, clarity.

An atmosphere shaped by the balance of lines, the softness of curves, and the controlled presence of materials, often expressed through continuous surfaces.

Before reading a plan or identifying a function, the space is first felt.

It unfolds as a continuity of details, where each element contributes to a quiet, almost intangible whole.

Brown seating, tilted mirror, filtered light.

A practice between interior design and craft in Berlin

Founded in Berlin in 2018 by master carpenter Julien Budnik and designer Ricarda Sophie Lorenz, Karst develops a singular approach to interior architecture in Berlin, situated at the intersection of design and craftsmanship.

Their collaboration is built on a direct complementarity: on one side, technical expertise rooted in traditional joinery; on the other, a refined sensitivity to composition, proportion and spatial perception.

Each project is developed in-house, from the initial sketch through to the final installation: a continuity that reduces the distance between idea and material, allowing each decision to be adjusted to reality.

Wood joinery, seamlessly integrated.

Wood, chrome and diffused light.

Wood, textile and stone in dialogue.

Low volumes, material presence and reflected light.

Beginning with space

At Karst, a project does not begin with an object.

It begins with a place: its history, its orientation, its proportions, its light.

From this initial reading, elements gradually take shape.

Furniture, surfaces and details are not added; they are integrated, often designed to extend existing lines.

Space comes before form.

It is within this hierarchy that the coherence of each intervention is built.

Wood surfaces and a glass sphere.

Wood, low lines and a composed wall.

Wood as structure

At the core of their work, wood operates as a central language.

Oak, cherry, ash: species chosen for their grain, their stability, and their ability to evolve over time.

Used in large planes or in repeated sequences, wood both structures and envelops the space.

Veneer, in particular, plays a key role.

Assembled in precise continuities, precisely calibrated, it becomes a compositional tool in its own right.

Here, material does not simply dress the space: it defines its lines, its rhythms, its transitions.

Wood, textile and softened light.

Detail as foundation

In Karst’s projects, detail is not a matter of finish.

It forms the structure itself.

Invisible joints, softened edges, subtle variations in grip, continuous surfaces: each precise gesture directly shapes the perception of the space.

Every step (cutting, assembling, sanding, oiling) is part of a rigorous process, where repetition builds accuracy.

What appears secondary becomes foundational.

Wall-mounted shelves, objects and continuous lines.

Textile, wood and soft light.

A tension between rigour and softness

Karst’s spaces are built on a subtle balance.

Clear lines, never rigid.

Precise compositions, always open.

Curves, inflections and slight shifts disrupt an overly direct reading, introducing a sense of flexibility within the structure.

This tension allows spaces to remain alive: capable of accommodating uses and objects without becoming fixed.

Dark wood, simple line, integrated detail.

Mineral alcove, volume and raw material.

A precise gesture, wood and tension.

Material as experience

Beyond form, it is material that constructs atmosphere.

Wood, stone, metal, textile: surfaces brought into relation, where contrast becomes a compositional tool. Raw and polished, matte and reflective, dense and light: textures respond to one another, creating a perceptible depth.

Light, whether natural or artificial, is considered as a material in its own right.

It reveals surfaces, accompanies volumes, and contributes to the overall balance.

Open workshop, light and presence.

Building through material

Between joinery, design and interior architecture in Berlin, Karst develops an approach where space is not only drawn.

It is built.

Through material, detail and gesture, each project becomes a precise composition, grounded in its context and its use.

At Karst, space is not designed.

It is constructed (layer by layer) until it becomes self-evident.

Spaces that endure, not through permanence, but through their capacity to be lived in.

Photos : Clemens Poloczek, Ignant