The people behind Room 13
A conversation with Viviane Hausstein, Marc Krause and Henry Walther about images, spaces and intuition.
Viviane, Marc: The hotel room is at the center of Room 13. What fascinates you about this space?
Viviane Hausstein: The spatial self. The perception of a place that can exist anywhere and is filled with so many diverse stories and different perspectives. A hotel room has something of a parallel world—an attempt to create a protected, intimate space outside one’s actual home.
Room number 13 is mostly non-existent in the hotel business, making it difficult to imagine what happens behind those closed doors when there is no real access.
Marc Krause: It’s the “hotel” as a whole that’s interesting here—both inside and outside the actual hotel room. What does this place represent? A place of passing through for many, which must fulfill certain functions to make people feel good as quickly as possible while simultaneously meeting the necessary requirements. Culturally and historically, this has often served as a platform for all kinds of encounters based on the anonymity of the space, yet at the same time it is meant to provide a sense of security, safety, and privacy. This is a fascinating near-contradiction that somehow seems to complement itself here. With room number 13, we reference a place that doesn’t actually exist and thereby bring it into being, securing for ourselves the assurance of a blank canvas that we were allowed to fill and put our energy into.
VIVIANE HAUSSTEIN
Your project focuses heavily on the “in-between”—the space between people, places, and objects. How did you capture this state through photography?
Viviane Hausstein: The space in between possesses its own dynamic, a special energy. Here, decisions are made almost unnoticed and intuitive action begins—even before one realizes it. An uncontrolled moment, which lends an image spontaneity and character without being forced. Often, these interstices seem to hold more space and potential than the clearly defined, fixed moments. The tactile is perceptible, yet not yet fully understood. The old lies behind us; the new is still taking shape, unfinished and promising. Perhaps this is the moment when we truly learn—when the space for unfolding opens up. We have also let this openness and curiosity guide us in our photography.
Marc Krause: We have depicted the “in-between” through stand-ins, through whose eyes and bodies the world of these places comes to life. They spend time together; their relationship remains ambiguous—friendship, sibling bond, romance—none of it is explicitly stated or resolved. In this way, they become a projection of ourselves: we are them. We, too, are in the space, and thus we, too, touch and feel everything they touch and feel.
MARC KRAUSE
Henry, Decor Walther is featured in many international hotels. What new perspectives on hotels and their use has this project opened up for you?
Henry Walther: This project has once again made me acutely aware of how strongly our perception of a place is shaped on a subconscious level. It is rarely the obvious things that create a sense of well-being, but rather those subtle qualities that convey authenticity, tranquility, and appreciation. Especially in a time when the lines between real and fake, appearance and reality, are blurring, it becomes all the more important to experience places with all our senses: to touch, to hear, to smell. Only then do we—in the truest sense of the word—develop a sense of whether a place is “genuine”.
Room 13 captures this poetic dimension of a hotel in an authentic way. The project reinforces our commitment to developing products that embody and support this very openness and authenticity. For it is these qualities that tangibly reflect the place and its character.
What prompted you to invite Viviane and Marc to explore the hotel room and Decor Walther’s products?
Henry Walther: Viviane and Marc have a special ability to interpret spaces emotionally and meet them with an almost poetic, intuitive narrative. Both draw heavily on their perceptions—on what happens between people, objects, and in interpersonal interactions.
For us, it was clear: if we want to view a hotel as a microcosm where people, routines, objects, and atmospheres converge, we need a team that doesn’t merely document, but interprets.
Their visual language makes it possible to present our products not just as functional objects, but as part of a carefully curated whole.
HENRY WALTHER
Decor Walther products serve as a bridge between people and space in your project. What role do texture and materiality play for Decor Walther?
Henry Walther: We particularly like the German concept of “touchpoints”. Haptics and materiality are at the heart of our work. An object only becomes part of a space when it is touched, used, and becomes part of daily life.
What matters to us, therefore, is: Material authenticity—surfaces that are a pleasure to touch and that you can understand.
Weight and balance—how an object feels in the hand. Our products are designed to convey calm and quality without being loud. The tactile experience is just as important as the visual one.
What do you hope readers will perceive differently or rediscover after reading Room 13?
Henry Walther: We hope to gain a deeper understanding of the significance of a place’s points of contact—both literally and figuratively. The physical experience of materiality and the visual touch of the soul through aesthetics. Room 13 aims to raise awareness of the impact that spaces and their objects have on us.
Viviane Hausstein: That things around us are perceived much more consciously. This is an invitation to ground ourselves more deeply in the present moment and to pay even closer attention to everything around us without judging it. Often, details get lost in everyday life because our minds dictate our agenda, and much of what happens in our lives is “conceived” rather than “felt” or “perceived.”
Sleeping Sartoria has also launched a small collection of pyjamas and bathrobes. How does this collection expand on the project’s concept?
Marc Krause: Camilo Oliveira conceived and designed the collection for us, drawing inspiration from the world of bespoke tailoring. The idea was to create something that you see in the book—something you can directly and physically experience and feel for yourself—while still complementing the actual Decor Walther products. We wanted to continue the concept of the fictional hotel and keep the Decor Walther brand present in the images without having to compulsively showcase the actual products. I believe this is precisely how the casual nature of the product presentation works. Because we took the pressure out of it, allowing the products to be quiet participants without being overlooked.
Henry Walther: We deliberately call these items “souvenirs.” They are meant to bring Room 13 into your everyday life as a cherished memory—not a fictional one, but a very real one. Worn on your body, during the most relaxed moments of the day. In this way, the project’s concept is literally carried with you.
In addition to the book, Room 13 will also be presented as a spatial installation during Milan Design Week. What kind of experience does this space intend to create?
Henry Walther: The space should feel like a nice hotel: authentic, inviting, characterized by hospitality and a pleasant experience. A place you call home for a short while and then leave behind to move on. A temporary home full of atmosphere.
