M
etropolitan interior design in this magnificent villa. We are south-west of Berlin, in the elegant Grunewald borough (lit. green forest), which, through lakes and forests, leads us to the famous Potsdam castle. This villa was built between 1910-12 for Carl Harteneck, the chemical-industry tycoon who formely named the villa. And after an unsteady one-hundred year long past, Die Villa, as it's now known, is reinstated as a destination for top quality interior design.
In 2014, Die Villa was taken over by the interior design duo Ulrich Stein and Herwig Kramer, owners of the renowned interior design stores Ulrich Stein of Hamburg. However, it was as early as 1999 that Die Villa started its new life as a temple for design. During that time, it was converted it into an interior design store and floristry. And when a year ago it became vacant, Stein and Kramer couldn’t resist its appeal: “We couldn’t say no, it was simply too beautiful and perfect for our concept” said the new owners.
For Ulrich Stein and Herwig Kramer interior design is more than just a job, in fact it’s their passion. They met twenty years ago and since then, they have formed an indestructible duo. With twenty associates between Berlin and Hamburg, they design and decorate luxury homes for their extremely secret V.I.P clientele.
Refurbished in record time, Die Villa reopened in the summer of 2014, to four hundred ecstatic guests, its 5-metre-high rooms complete with stuccos and period parquet flooring (550 smq). Promemoria, Armani Casa, Baxter, Poltrona Frau, Walter Knoll and Paola Lenti; these are the main brands shown by Ulrich Stein. However, there are also kitchens (Eggersmann, Gaggenau), bathrooms, sound-technology and works of art. This gives clients a complete look. And of course, this space couldn’t be complete without the captivating historic floristry. The floristry was moved from the winter garden to the vestibule. And day in and day out, floral designers put together wonderful arrangements for events, hotels or for lucky customers who have a “flower subscription” and directly receive them at home.
Die Villa is an interior design store, but with the smallest of efforts, necessary because of its rare magnificence, you can imagine being at home. It’s not easy to pick want you want and we feel like saying “I want everything here”. And this is exactly what happened to Ulrich Stein and Herwig Kramer, who were lucky enough to have the right means to achieve their dream. Furthermore, we are extremely happy this gem hasn’t disappeared from the map and is still part of those places design connoisseurs can visit in Berlin.

Design project
DIE VILLA. Ulrich Stein GmbH
Douglasstraße 9, Villa Harteneck, 14193 Berlin, Germany
Tel. +49 30 96 59 67 69
Opening hours
Tue-Sat 10.00 - 18.00
Closed on Sundays
E-mail: post@dievilla-berlin.de
Photos: Courtesy Ulrich Stein GmbH