Get a glimpse into the home of our CEO Kerstin Bognár

I feel passionately that it’s important to create an environment where you can think and work well. And part of that is feeding your brain – which for me means really good coffee. I can get by without it for around three to five hours, then it's time for an espresso or a delicious cappuccino. At home, I make it with our machine from ECM.

Whenever possible, I try to take a little bit of holiday home with me. My kids and I love to collect shells on the beach together, which I then bring home and display on windowsills or on the large dining table on our terrace. I love the beach and the sea, and shells remind me of beautiful moments I have spent there with my family.

A really good book is still my biggest inspiration. Of course I like to browse through coffee table books every now and then, but a gripping novel that digs into a topic or takes me to another era can be truly transportive. I also love books that suit a particular destination or country, and when I travel, I often choose novels based on where I’m going. Here are a few of my favourites: for a trip to Sicily, The Stranger at the Palazzo d`Oro, by Paul Theroux; L’isola di Arturo, by Elsa Morante, for a trip to Procida; Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens, for a vacation in Comporta. And Grand Hotel Europa, by Leonard Pfeijffer, is a must-read for every passionate traveller.

True style is in the details. I love beautiful and tidy desks, minimally decorated with personal favourite things. My desk in the home office is by Jean Prouvé by Vitra. There are a few pens in a porcelain cup. I love the pencils by Sarah Lavoine. Also on my desk: a small Buddha statue and a tiger shell. And of course always: my macbook and mobile phone.

Power – Inspirational Women, by Heide Christiansen and Ute Laatz and photographed by our dear friend Brita Sönnichsen and André Kirsch, will be published  by Callwey on October 18th, 2021.