20 Jahre Arbeit: Thomas wohnt in einer unglaublichen Märchenwelt | ARD Room Tour

Thomas lives in the Allgäu region in a fairy-tale house that he has designed with plenty of imagination, craftsmanship, and attention to detail. He benefits from the fact that he’s skilled at almost anything, both in terms of craftsmanship and artistry. As a trained graphic designer, illusionist painter, and interior designer, he has spent 20 years creating a fairy-tale-like total work of art. This fairy-tale world begins right in the garden: The Frog Prince sits on a fountain, and on a step in front of the house stands the lost slipper from the fairy tale “Cinderella.” Thomas says that girls often stop by to see if the shoe fits them. On the side wall, Thomas has built a tower from which a night watchman peeks out and sings a song at the push of a button. A bay window featuring a Rapunzel figure is among the oldest exterior additions to the house—the fairy-tale figure is over 20 years old. A red rose climbs up the house’s facade; Thomas found its stunted root years ago and planted it. Nothing happened for a long time, until suddenly the first bloom appeared. Thomas recounts how he urged the rose to grow all the way up to his bedroom window—today it covers almost the entire wall and blooms every year at Pentecost. Inside, the fairy-tale house’s unusual design continues—and no two rooms are alike. The hallway was the first project Thomas tackled 20 years ago as part of the renovation. There, he decorated the wall with colorful paintings. The furniture in the hallway consists of restored antique pieces that he found among neighbors, friends, or elsewhere and modified to fit the space. In the dining room, the low ceilings stand out, as the old house dates back to 1791. It’s still heated by a tiled stove, which also warms other rooms through vents in the walls. His kitchen breaks with the fairy-tale theme, as Thomas has designed it entirely in a steampunk style: with vintage elements, lots of metal, and a homemade kitchen island made from an old sideboard. His favorite room in the fairy-tale house is the so-called Dragon’s Cave. Thomas worked on it alone for nearly four years, using plaster, chicken wire, and glitter to create an artificial stalactite cave. He drew inspiration from the Venus Grotto at King Ludwig II’s Linderhof Palace. Thomas has also dedicated other areas of the house to the “Fairy-Tale King”: He designed one window to be an exact replica of one of the balcony windows at Neuschwanstein Castle. In his studio, too, Thomas took on a special artistic challenge: He spent two weeks working overhead on a replica of Michelangelo’s ceiling painting “The Creation of Adam”—a major physical challenge. The bathroom and bedroom are also part of the overall concept. The bathroom is made of white marble, which Thomas has complemented with old wood to alter the effect. In the bedroom, his bed stands in a medieval alcove. This sleeping alcove was formerly used to store heat. While this isn’t necessary for Thomas, he wanted to see what it felt like. Thomas describes his house as a treasure chest with many secret compartments, where music boxes and special details are constantly hidden. He feels like he’ll never be finished: ideas come to him while traveling, on walks, in the garden, while cooking, or even while watching YouTube videos. He has already redesigned the garden three times; by his own estimate, he would need “two more lifetimes” to finish the house. But for him, the effort is worth it: Every day, people stop by to see the fairy-tale house and marvel at the special world he has created. A film by Jutta Pinzler (editor), Yves Itzek (camera), Simon Becker (camera), Lisa Stuers (editor), and Volker Steiger (editor). Produced by sagamedia Film- und Fernsehproduktion GmbH on behalf of SWR. 00:00 Thomas lives in a fairy-tale house 01:32 Hallway with mythical creatures 02:09 Dining room with an 18th-century tiled stove 04:24 A Gründerzeit-style sofa takes center stage 05:47 Steampunk-style kitchen 07:09 The bathroom becomes a throne room 07:44 The highlight of the fairy-tale house: the dragon’s lair 09:10 The Sistine Chapel or Thomas’s studio? 10:42 Workshop with a cross vault 12:46 Wood softens the look of the marble in the bathroom 13:00 Sleeping like in the Middle Ages On the ARD Room Tour YouTube channel, people open the doors to their unusual homes. During a very personal tour, they share details about the renovation, furnishings, and architecture, and talk about their philosophy of life. Subscribe to our channel so you don’t miss an episode! https://www.youtube.com/@ARDRoomTour?... Room Tour is also available in the ARD Media Library: https://1.ARD.de/RoomTour?yt=caption Legal Notice: https://www.swr.de/impressum Comments are welcome—but please follow our netiquette guidelines: https://www.swr.de/netiquette Privacy Policy: https://www.swr.de/datenschutz #fairy tale #craftsmanship #RoomTour