At home with Isabelle and Barabbas: Nothing was searched for, but everything was found
Welcome inside! Isabelle Kaiser and Barabbas Chyba in their apartment by the River Main.
ON THE BANKS OF THE MAIN, a short ride along the river from Frankfurt, Isabelle Kaiser and Barabbas “Bari” Chyba live in an apartment with the charm of an old villa. The water is a minute away on foot, tall trees stand outside the windows, and the city is close enough to reach by bike.
Barabbas is a product photographer, currently finishing his diploma in the Fine Arts department at HfG Offenbach. Isabelle trained in early childhood education, and interiors came later, through this apartment. They have shaped their home together right from the start.
Now they have opened their door to Design Stories. What follows is a conversation about contrasts and chrome, about flea market weekends and pieces whose designers they have never identified – and of course about one paper pendant that has fooled every visitor so far!
Isabelle and Barabbas’ home has an atmosphere all of its own, recognisable at first glance.
Almost everything here came from flea markets, journeys they took together, or unexpected places.
Hi Isabelle and Barabbas! Could you introduce yourselves to our readers — who you are, what you do, and where you live?
Isabelle: “I’m Isabelle Kaiser. My background is in early childhood education, but through shaping our home together, I’ve developed a deep passion for interior design and spatial concepts.”
Barabbas: “And I’m Barabbas Chyba. I work as a product photographer, and I’m currently completing my diploma in the Fine Arts department at HfG Offenbach.
We live in an apartment right by the Main River near Frankfurt, just a minute’s walk from the water. It feels very close to nature, while the city centre is easily reachable by bike along the river.”
How did you end up in this apartment?
Isabelle: “Given how competitive the housing market is around Frankfurt, finding a place with this much character right by the river felt like a rare opportunity – it just had that beautiful old villa charm.”
Barabbas: “Finding a bright rental apartment with such a good layout and location made it a very easy decision for both of us.”
A bright layout was what sold them on the apartment, and the light still shapes how the rooms are used. The black wooden chair is by Vaarnii.
Your home has a very recognisable atmosphere. How did it come to look like this?
Isabelle: “When we moved in, the apartment was in good condition, so no major renovation was needed. Our approach has always been very intuitive. For instance, before landing on our current sofa – which we’ve had for almost a year now – we actually went through three others.”
Barabbas: “Compared to our previous apartment, where things were a bit more playful, we’ve slowly developed a clearer eye over the last year or two. We still love mixing different eras and styles, but finding this specific atmosphere was an organic process of experimenting and seeing what felt right to us over time.”
How would you describe your interior style in your own words?
Barabbas: “It’s really a mix. We don’t stick to a single category. For us, it’s all about contrasts: warm woods, both light and dark, paired with cooler materials like chrome and glass, or clean geometry combined with organic shapes.”
Isabelle: “We just bring together what feels right to us – from natural linen textiles to timeless vintage classics. It’s an intuitive blend rather than a strict concept, creating a space that feels warm and personal.”
The best treasures turn up in the unlikeliest places. For example, the artwork above the chest of drawers was hauled out of a construction dumpster.
Do you each have a favourite piece in your home?
Isabelle: “Rather than having one definitive favourite piece, we probably have a few objects that are especially meaningful to us because of the stories behind them.
The giant illustrated artwork above our sideboard is definitely one of them. Bari actually climbed right into a construction dumpster in Amsterdam, pulling at it with all his strength while people on the street watched and took photos. A local worker even helped us cut the 2.40-metre canvas in half so we could get it home. We still don’t know who the artist is, just the initials “RC 1994” in the corner.”
Barabbas: “Another piece with a story is our IKEA Kromvik bed frame. Isabelle found it secondhand for just €80 while we were visiting my family in Budapest, and we organised the pickup in Germany from there. It’s currently taking a little “hibernation” break while we experiment with another vintage frame.
With the Kromvik becoming so popular, we’ve also noticed more and more very similar designs appearing on the market. We completely understand why. It’s a great design, and not everyone has the chance to find an original secondhand. But for us, a genuine vintage piece has a different meaning, and somehow part of its specialness gets lost when similar versions suddenly become available everywhere.”
Isabelle: “If we had to name our actual everyday favourites, though, it would probably be our living room coffee table and chest of drawers. Both are vintage pieces we found secondhand, and we haven’t been able to identify the designers. They simply work perfectly in the space and have become part of our everyday life.”
Contrast is what holds the rooms together. Old pieces next to new ones, warm surfaces against cool ones. The dotted stool is Normann Copenhagen’s Bit.
Small things earn their place here. Verner Panton's Panthella table lamp keeps company with a stack of books and a stoneware jug.
Ideas can turn up everywhere: architecture, travel, and long walks.
Furnishing a home is a long process of trying those ideas out. Some of these treasures have found their spot; some are still being tested.
Alongside design, your home is full of collected things: shells, stones, silver and pewter, drawings. Where do they come from, and how do you decide what earns a place?
Barabbas: “Most of these smaller objects are shared keepsakes from our travels. Simple things like stones or shells we picked up during Euro summer trips or other holidays. The rest comes from local flea markets, which we both love browsing together.”
Isabelle: “When it comes to art on the walls, we’re actually extremely selective. We don’t hang pictures just to fill blank space.
Barabbas: “We’ve both developed a strong instinct for composition, framing, and light, and over time we’ve learned to trust that shared feeling when deciding what belongs in our home. A piece earns its place if it holds a genuine memory or if its texture and form simply feel right in the room.”
The apartment has been a two-person job from the start, and any disagreements tend to resolve themselves once the piece is in the room.
You’ve built this home together. How does that work in practice, and what happens if you don’t agree on something?
Isabelle: “Over time we’ve developed a real understanding of each other’s visual language. We usually both instantly recognise when something has potential and is worth keeping around for the long run.”
Barabbas: “For smaller items or flea market finds, we just keep it relaxed. If one of us really falls in love with a small object, they just get it. And honestly, half the time, the person who was sceptical at first ends up loving how it looks once it’s actually in the room.”
The couple has two bed frames. This chrome one was found secondhand and is currently taking a break in storage.
Meanwhile, the bedroom has the other frame, which is a wooden vintage find. The round wall candle holder is Frama’s Ornament.
Is there something still unfinished, or what would you like to change next?
Barabbas: “Definitely the kitchen! Funnily enough, that’s why we don’t show every single corner of it just yet. The main framework is there, but it’s still missing those small finishing touches.
To be honest, we can be quite perfectionistic and a little strict with ourselves when it comes to what we share publicly. It’s a bit of a blessing and a curse. You constantly have to remind yourself to take a step back and keep a healthy perspective.”
Isabelle: “We’re also currently thinking about painting the living room. And with our chrome bed frame taking a break in storage, the bedroom feels wide open for fresh ideas again, too.
We’re constantly thinking about what we could change next, looking for new pieces and trying out different ideas.”
The kitchen is the one room still waiting for its finishing touches.
Even unfinished, the room has the same atmosphere as the rest of the apartment.
Light seems to be something you build a room around. How do you think about lighting a space?
Barabbas: “We’re lucky to have an exceptionally bright apartment, and natural light really shapes how we experience the space. We have large trees outside the windows that cast moving shadows of leaves across the walls and floors, and because we can see the river from the living room, we sometimes even get reflections from the water dancing across the room.”
Isabelle: “I think that’s also why the home never feels exactly the same. A corner can look very calm and soft in the morning and completely different a few hours later when the sun creates stronger contrasts and shadows. We really enjoy noticing those changes and often let them guide what we photograph or film rather than trying to control the light too much.”
Late in the day, it’s the light that does the decorating.
And when the daylight goes, a lamp takes over. Vitra's Akari 3X, designed by Isamu Noguchi, casts a soft glow.
Where do you look for ideas and inspiration at the moment?
Isabelle: “We go to flea markets almost every weekend. There’s something about stumbling across physical objects in person that triggers ideas you’d never get from a screen.”
Barabbas: “Travel and nature play a huge role too. Just taking a walk, spending time in nature, or looking at architecture in another city reshapes how you think about textures, shapes, and light. It’s less about studying actual interior photos and more about picking up details from everyday life and letting them filter into our space naturally.”
Is there anything about your home that surprises people when they visit?
Barabbas: “People usually comment on how cosy and thoughtfully put together the space feels, which is always nice to hear. But the real surprise comes if they ever try to switch on the big paper pendant in the living room.”
Isabelle: “Up until now, that was our little secret. If anyone reads this interview or visits us and tries to turn on the “big light”, they’ll quickly realise it’s purely decorative and not even plugged in. It’s our favorite running joke in the apartment!”
The famous pendant in question.
See also:
• New arrivals at Finnish Design Shop >
Published on 15 Sep, 2026
