Based in Germany, close to Frankfurt, Instagrammer Alejandra Malpica lives with her husband and two daughters. Originally from Mexico, Alejandra has been living in Germany for 12 years and in her current apartment for two. Her home, she says, is an amalgamation of cultural influences, both near and far. “I definitely think Germany has influenced my style,” says Alejandra. “Especially the kind of minimalistic style I love, but mixed with a homey, cosy Mexican feeling.”
Staying true to her cultural roots, Alejandra has embedded a touch of her Mexican heritage in the styling of her apartment. All-natural textures coalesce with low rise furnishings to make the walls extend in an eternity of spaciousness – a combination that lends itself well to the all-encompassing neutral colour scheme pervading her home.
Soon after moving in, Alejandra tore down the dark wallpaper papered in every room and replaced it with a soothing pastel palette. Her penchant for homeliness manifests in her choice of nature’s textures and tones, both warming to the eyes and grounding in continuity. “The neutral colours give me calm,” explains Alejandra. “I feel like I’m in the 90’s hotels I used to go when I was little, lots of terra colours and feeling. It brings me back to some childhood memories and that gives me calm.”
Light is a key ingredient in her interior alchemy. “I’m a psychologist and social pedagogic, working with migrant unemployed women. During the lockdown I worked from home, but our working area is not finished. I’m still not happy with it because it’s messy, but I love that it’s in front of a window, so there’s always lots of light.”
“I love nature, nostalgia and second hand things,” she says. “So, it’s reflected in my interior style.” To Alejandra, her home is a natural extension to her sense of personal style.
She was drawn to this apartment, built in 1986, by her love of old buildings with wooden floors and high ceilings. The old-school moulding decorating the ridges of her ceilings bring an element of classical charm to this minimalist space, where statement lampshades are a recurrent theme in each room.
Alejandra is pulled to what she decorates by a feeling of nostalgia and you can find 1970s style wicker and bamboo framed furniture in most of her rooms, like the bed in her daughter’s room, the chairs circling their dining table or the lounge chairs on their balcony.
“My favourite items are the second hand ones, like the sideboards,” she says. “and of course, the DIY projects, the daybed and shelves my brother-in-law made. I love the one of a kind feeling. At the moment, I’m in love with our petal lamp in the living room.”
Her next project is turning her attention to the outdoors of her back garden and to the smaller details, which left on their own, are almost the hardest to nail down with finesse.
“For me, the priorities are the rooms we spend the most time – the living room and the kids’ rooms. Finally, I changed the kitchen and extra room, but still need to change a little bit of our bedroom and bathroom. Not so many possibilities there and I still don’t know what to do exactly, but it’s the next plan.”
Follow Alejandra on Instagram: @alessmalpica
